PeabodySam

Chapter 8: Blacktron Legacy ---- Kotua met with General B and formed an alliance with Blacktron, which agreed to allow Kotua to use their ships to eliminate the Dino Attack Team. Kotua flew a Blacktron Renegade ship into battle with the LEGOLAND military. The missiles struck the Renegade. Smoke surrounded the craft. The military personnel fired again, not willing to underestimate any opposing force. The smoke cleared, and the Renegade continued flying, unharmed. Kotua aimed at two jets, and fired. The jets spun to avid the blasts, but Kotua fired missiles. The missiles flew towards the jets. The jets fired at the missiles, but the blasts bounced off. The jets flew away, hoping to outrun the missiles, but no luck. Kotua flew towards the military helicopters and fired at them. The blasts struck the glass on the copters, killing its pilots. The Renegade rammed through another jet and fired at the HQ they were coming from. The people in the military base ran as their vehicles were being destroyed. Kotua fired non-stop, setting half the base on fire. After a while, Kotua flew back up again. "Maybe we shouldn't have given him the most powerful craft until he had finished his training..." said one of the Blacktron soldiers... ---- General Evil walked calmly through the ruined streets of the city. He was escorted by loyal Skeleton Drones that obeyed his every command... unless his word was superseded by Ogel's, of course. Although, he did not really need this entourage; the villainous cyborg was more than capable of defending himself against most threats. These drones were merely cannon fodder. A meat shield (or perhaps, "bone shield" would be more apt?) to protect him from hungry Mutant Dinos. He was invulnerable, untouchable, unstoppable. His cybernetic enhancements made him stronger and faster than any Alpha Team agent; two extra arms gave him double the advantage in hand-to-hand combat; and his body armor was crafted from the near-indestructible G.E. metal. Not to mention that his helmet, resembling a stylized skull, gave him a terrifying visage... for many Alpha Team agents, he was their Grim Reaper. General Evil signaled to his Skeleton Drones to halt at a burning apartment building. A lone Dino Attack agent lay on the pavement; she was terribly mauled and burned in what must have been a fire-breathing Mutant Lizard attack, but still barely clinging onto life. Taking ragged breaths, the dying soldier looked up at General Evil with terrified eyes. "Help..." she whispered, although she knew there was no one to rescue her. General Evil looked down upon the pitiful woman. He snapped his fingers, and one of the Skeleton Drones promptly handed him a laser pistol. Then, without hesitation or compassion, he pointed the gun at the Dino Attack agent and fired, ending her life just as easily as he had ended the lives of so many Alpha Team agents before her. Then he looked up at the burning building. He stood there in silent contemplation as the flames reflected off his eyes, the only visible part of his organic body encased in the G.E. armor. He recalled a day nearly ten years ago, memories conjured up by the raging fire. A group of Alpha Team scientists had infiltrated an Evil OGEL Empire outpost to steal data and intel on Ogel's projects, likely in hopes of finding a cure to his Mind-Control Orbs. General Evil and a squadron of elite drones were sent in to stop them. He could have succeeded if only Alpha Team hadn't rigged the base with explosives. He was trapped beneath a fallen support beam and unable to move as the fire consumed him. Ogel would later refer to this incident as "the accident". That was an understatement. General Evil knew this was no accident. Alpha Team wanted him to die that day. Instead, he burned alive. He did not know the full extent of the data files taken by Alpha Team. He did not know who the other scientists were, even as one of them shouted that it was time to go. But even through the smoke and flames, he could see the Alpha Team squad leader who had left him to die: Dr. Zachary Abody. And that was all that mattered to him. General Evil's eyes narrowed; his visible eyelids were scorched and scarred tissue that time could not heal. He clenched his fist, a robotic prosthetic built to replace the hand that he lost in that fire. The cold-hearted villain was kept on life support by his G.E. Body, but it was hatred and spite that truly kept him alive all these years later. "On that day, I swore to ruin you and your legacy," growled General Evil. "And I shall not rest until I've finished with your son, Frozeen." He turned and walked away from the burning building, and his drones followed his lead. The amnesic Phantom would play into his plans, of course, but there was only one person who was allowed to kill Frozeen. And that was General Evil. ***** Ogel, Sam Sinister, Brickster, and Vladek landed Villains Headquarters in a safer zone of LEGO City. After meeting up with General Evil, they began discussing how to handle the Dino Attack Team. When General B arrived and offered Blacktron's assistance, Ogel turned down the offer; he had learned that Kotua was working with the Blacktron, and he did not want to trust any Alpha Team agent, even a former one. "I've brainwashed Kotua into a minion before," Ogel explained, "and believe me, he's more trouble than he's worth. I'm sure you'll find out for yourself soon enough." After General B left, they met four mysterious villains, who were representatives of the Foundation of Unstoppable Terror and Ultimate Ruthless Evil (abbreviated as FUTURE), offering its assistance to Ogel and his fellow villains. To better convince Ogel and the others of FUTURE's cause, the groups split up so that each FUTURE representative spoke individually with one of the villains. As they walked together, Sam Sinister could not help glancing at the FUTURE villain beside him. The figure was dressed entirely in black, with a large hooded cloak over a suit that was somewhere between aristocratic and militaristic, commanding a menacing air. Few of his facial features could be made out, largely concealed behind his glasses and thick grey facial hair resembling a combination of mutton chops and a goatee, but what could be seen was a malevolent sneer. His most visually defining feature was that he had no hands; emerging from the cuff of each sleeve was a hook fashioned from crystalline red material. "So, who are you?" asked Sam Sinister. "Until you learn my real name, you can call me 'Hooks'." "So, 'Hooks', what in the world is going on? I mean, you suddenly appear out of nowhere with your peculiar colleagues, saying you're going to help us. What's going on? Where did you come from?" "Patience," Hooks said calmly. "Do not go rushing headfirst into things like you usually do. Don't tell me you feel uncomfortable around me." "Yeah, I'm comfortable, all right!" Sam said sarcastically. "I feel very comfortable taking a walk alone while Mutant Dinos are on the loose, with my only company being some strange guy with hooks for hands who looks like, any minute now, he's going to kill me! Very comfortable!" "Maybe it will comfort you to know that we're very much alike," Hooks said. "For example, we're both enemies of Johnny Thunder." "You're an enemy of Thunder, too?" Sam Sinister said, surprised. "I thought I knew all of his rivals and adversaries, and yet I never heard of you before." "Yes, he always gets to that confounded treasure before me," Hooks said, grimacing. Sinister chuckled humorlessly. "Same here." Hooks glanced down at the hook in place of his right hand. "And, after the time he cut off my hand by 'accident', I never forgave him." "What about your other hand?" "Lost it while stealing treasure from India." If it had been Brickster or Vladek, they would've laughed at Hooks' misfortune. But, Sam Sinister was able to relate all too well. "Same here," he murmured. "India was where I lost my left hand as well, and I was also stealing a diamond. Good thing I haven't lost my other hand yet." He adjusted his monocle as he spoke. "Your eyesight isn't what it used to be, I suppose," observed Hooks. "You're one to talk, four-eyes," muttered Sam Sinister. "At least I still have one good eye." He chuckled again, but this time he was feeling a bit more comfortable around the stranger. ---- Rex looked at the Silver Scorpion's scanner. While it was searching, Rex noticed that it said that it detected a Mutant Dino inside the vehicle. He quickly covered that up with his hand before either Zero or Phantom could notice it. "I don't know if I'm right," said Phantom, "but I think I remember this PBB guy..." "Really?" said Zero, looking at Rex as though he was saying, "Rex, do something!" Suddenly, something jumped into the Silver Scorpion. They looked up, to see a... "Mutant Raptor!" yelled Zero, shaking the controls. "A what?" Phantom was confused. "A Raptor! A big nasty dinosaur with tons of teeth!" "Don't worry!" Rex yelled above all the noise. "As long as this thing is as indestructible as PBB said it is, we won't get harmed! Even the cockpit is almost unbreakable!" A Mutant Lizard swarm ran towards the Silver Scorpion and Mutant Raptor. The yellow Lizard hissed, reared its head back, and spat acid at the larger Mutant Dino. It fell back, roaring angrily as the corrosive liquid burned through its skin. Rex swallowed. "At least, I hope PBB was right…" "But was this ever tested against the powers of Mutant Dinos?" asked Zero. "The fire-breathing Mutant Lizard, the red one, can set anything on fire, indestructible or not!" "Well, then I hope this is fireproof!" Zero and Rex were talking, and Phantom fainted. The Silver Scorpion's stinger stuck the red Mutant Lizard. Then, pressing another button, Rex fired the vehicle's cryothermic stasis beam, freezing the dinosaur and effectively putting it into stasis. "One down, five to go..." ---- Snake of Spades heard something emitting from his radio: "Target found... trajectory aiming... fire in the hole!" Kai recognized the voice, and said, "I know what that means. Take cover!" An Ice Orb plummeted down at the swamp, freezing the monsters. Kai smiled and said, "Joey has arrived." Just when Databoard and his teammates thought they were saved, a Mutant Raptor leapt at them and prepared to rip them apart. Another Ice Orb flew through the air and hit the Raptor, but it was deflected by its force field. Seeing no other choice, the Dino Attack agents ran across the frozen swamp, pursued by the Mutant Raptor. Voltage hurled himself across the lake, just as the Mutant Raptor's tail flew over him. Drawing his two pistols, he flipped over and shot several bullets into its gut. It keeled over, apparently thinking Voltage was a good pillow. "Guys, can you help me?" he shouted. The other agents helped Voltage stop the massive carnivore from crushing him. The Mutant Raptor was defeated, and the Ogel Drones were smarter than they looked. In minutes, the orbs started flying again. Voltage ducked as one of them went whizzing by his head. There was a giant roar. Apparently, Axel-saur had managed to gnaw his way out of his binds. Axel gave another roar of triumph, stepping out of the cave, only to be struck by an Ice Orb and frozen. "How long do you think he'll be in there?" Voltage asked Databoard. "A few hours," Databoard replied. "Dang, I was hoping to put this in my house as a sculpture," Voltage said, his twin pistols firing at the drones. He pictured the scarabs on their torsos to be targets. As the last few on the ground were shot down, another wave of them stormed out of Ogel's fortress. Databoard looked down at the ice they were standing on. The weight of the Drones was causing it to break. "Guys, we have to get out of here, now!" he shouted. The other agents rushed away, bringing the frozen Axel with them and firing at the Drones behind them. Databoard fired at the ice beneath the Drones, which was already giving way. They all fell into the swamp. "Nice shooting!" Voltage complimented Databoard. At this point, the frozen Axel was beginning to thaw. Voltage looked at Axel and saw the reflection of a helicopter rising in the air. "Oh no, you don't," Voltage said, loading his Sonic Screamer. "This isn't over yet." He took careful aim and shot. The gas tank exploded, shooting bits of metal and spraying gas everywhere. The copter slowly fell to the ground, sinking into the snow. The five agents ran over to the crashed copter to find Ogel, buried underneath massive piles of rubble. "Hello, Ogel," Voltage said. "You're coming with us." Ogel gave a sort of combination between a grunt and a burp. "Nice try, agents." Ogel said, and threw a grenade into the air. As the agents ducked for cover, Ogel freed himself from the rubble and ran. Databoard fired his laser rifle, and Ogel went down. The agents rushed over to him, and discovered it was just a Skeleton Drone in disguise, not the real Ogel. "What a rip-off!!!" Voltage yelled. In the distance they could see another Ogel flying away, and he hoped it was the real one. "Into the T-1!" The agents hopped in the T-1 Typhoon. Voltage got in the pilot's seat, and Databoard was his copilot and front gunner. Kai and Venom were the rear gunners, and Snake of Spades worked the console. "He's headed towards LEGO City!" Snake shouted to the other agents. Only a few of them heard him over the wind. Voltage increased the speed to almost 140 MPH, and set coordinates for LEGO City. He put the vessel on auto-pilot and climbed out of the cockpit. "We've got company!" Venom called. The auto-pilot swayed the craft so violently to avoid the laser bolts that Voltage was knocked off his feet. The ship swayed to the right, and Voltage slid down the side. He just barely grabbed onto the railing on the hull, and avoided certain death. "Hang on!" Snake called. He inched his way across the floor as the ship leveled out. "Gotcha!" Snake said triumphantly as he grabbed Voltage's hand. Another jolt sent Snake sliding in the other direction. "Stupid auto-pilot!" Snake yelled, as he went sliding across the ground. He too grabbed hold of the railing and hung there. There was another failed attempt to rescue a fellow agent when Kai went skidding in Snake's direction. Now Kai, Snake, and Venom were clinging to the railing. Databoard, piloting, and Venom, gunning, were the only agents left. "Data! Shut off the auto-pilot!" Venom called. It was too late. ---- "You don't get to be as wealthy as I do," continued Hooks, "without learning a dirty trick or two. Why, there was even one time where I promoted a non-profit concert for my fellow esteemed members of the rich upper class, who were oblivious as I sent my henchmen through the audience to steal their priceless jewelry!" Sam Sinister chuckled. "Sounds like something I would do!" "Like taking candy from a baby," said Hooks. Sinister recognized this as one of his own favorite expressions. "A brilliant plan!" commented Sinister. "Assuming, of course, you did not get caught." Hooks grimaced. "Well…" he admitted, "once they found out it was me behind it all, I needed my sister to bail me out." "Doesn't that always happen?" said Sinister, rolling his eyes. "Quite so," said Hooks. "Well, you seem to be in better spirits. Are you feeling a little more comfortable now?" Sam Sinister nodded. "Alright, go ahead! Tell me FUTURE's plan!" "Well," Hooks explained, "your own plan was basically perfect, except for several major flaws that will cause it to all fall apart. One, as you are already aware, there aren't enough villains ready to organize and combat the Mutant Dinos. Two, Dino Attack Team and Alpha Team would surely interfere. Now, we're going to help you out with solutions. As representatives of FUTURE, we will provide the numbers and support you need to survive against the Mutant Dinos. And as for Dino Attack Team, Alpha Team, and anyone else who dares stand in our way… we'll kill them!" Sam Sinister shuddered. "K-kill?" he stammered. "That seems a little… excessive, doesn't it? Bad form, some might say. It's just not how things are done. Shouldn't we just leave the heroes in a booby-trapped room while we just walk away, like I always do?" "Oh, Sam, so innocent and naïve," said Hooks, who chuckled at the irony of calling a fellow villain 'innocent'. "If you wish to be recognized by FUTURE, then you will realize that the days of playing well are long gone. Besides, if we do not eliminate Dino Attack Team, then they will get all the credit, not you." "Credit?" "Think about it. Save the world from the Dino Attack, and they might give you an award. Like... all of the world's treasure!" That was all it took to convince Sam Sinister. "I'll be richer than ever! Brilliant! I like the way you think," Sam Sinister said. He was anxious to get all that treasure. "You were right. We're very much alike, after all." "Yes," Hooks said. "You probably know who I am by now, don't you?" "Obviously, you told me that you were Hooks," answered Sam Sinister. "No, I said you could call me that until you learned my true identity!" Hooks said. Sam Sinister thought. He knew the answer, but prayed it was wrong. So, he said, "No, I don't know." ---- Soon, half of the Mutant Lizards had been taken down by the Silver Scorpion. In addition to the red Mutant Lizard, they had frozen a green Mutant Lizard and a violet Mutant Lizard: "Huey, Dewey, and Louie," Zero had jokingly called them. But, it seemed that the Silver Scorpion was suddenly losing power. "It's a Mutant Pterosaur!" screamed Zero. "It's striking the Scorpion with its lightning bolts!" "Where is it?" asked Rex. "I don't see it!" "Right above us is a good place to check!" answered Zero. "Quickly!" shouted Zero. "Take down that Pterosaur before the power is completely drained!" Rex waited until the Mutant Pterosaur swooped down low, lightning crackling from its wings. Once it was in his sights, he fired the cryothermic beam again, and the winged reptile crashed down onto the ground. With that threat taken care of, the Silver Scorpion was starting to regenerate its power. "Good going, Rex!" said Zero. "But watch out for that Mutant Raptor! It can strike fear into your heart!" "Alright..." said Rex as he focused on the Mutant Raptor, who looked even more grotesque and vicious after being sprayed with acid. ---- On another street of LEGO City, the Brickster was walking with the FUTURE villain who called himself "Robo-Limb". He wore a black cloak like the other FUTURE representatives, with a hood so that most of his recognizable facial features were kept in the dark, though Brickster could make out a scruffy, grizzled face with piercing green eyes. True to his nickname, Robo-Limb's defining feature was that both his arms and his legs were replaced with cybernetic prosthetics. Brickster was not so sure that he could be happy alone with the stranger. "At least I don't have the hook-handed man or the boss," Brickster muttered to himself. So far, the Brickster did not learn much about Robo-Limb. The FUTURE rep refused to give his real name, and he could not recognize the face under that mysterious hood. Robo-Limb seemed happy to be with the Brickster. If only the Brickster felt the same about Robo-Limb... "At first, I didn't like having robotic arms and legs," Robo-Limb said, not paying attention to how nervous Brickster was. "They had to be oiled and all that jazz. But, they became quite useful. The legs help me run faster than any copper's motorcycle, and with my flamethrower, I never went into jail again! Not for a very long time, at least!" "Flamethrower?" repeated the Brickster. "Oh, yes. Watch!" Flames erupted from Robo-Limb's mechanical hands. Brickster jumped back in surprise, while Robo-Limb laughed. "Unlike you, I don't need to trick Pepper into giving me a hot pizza in order to break out of prison!" "Although tricking him is fun, since then I could make fun of him..." muttered the Brickster. ---- Ogel touched down on the nearest landing pad. "I lost them!" Ogel cackled, stepping out of the copter. "I lost them! Aaaaaaahahahaha!" At that moment, the T-1 Typhoon fell out of the sky, slamming into Ogel's copter. Agents, metal, and evil villains flew everywhere. "Bummer," Voltage muttered. Kai looked down. A familiar Scorpion Orb Launcher in Alpha Team colors was below them, but he had to get down nicely... "Kai? Kai, do you read me?" Kai grabbed his radio with his free hand. "I read you, Joey. I'm dangling in mid-air -- badly. Hurry and open the top hatch!" "Right away. You guys jump when I say it's open." Kai turned to the other agents and told them what to do. "Hatch open! Drop in! Drop in!" Kai, Venom, and Snake let go, falling down into the open Alpha Team Scorpion Orb Launcher... The crash had knocked Voltage under piles of rubble. "Kai? Venom? Snake? Data?....." "I'm over here!" Databoard called back. He was not covered in metal, so he ran over to Voltage and helped him up. They were both badly hurt. Voltage had a piece of metal stabbed into him. Databoard was piloting and was more protected, but he got a few cuts. "Data, Voltage, do you read?" "We read you loud and clear, Joey!" "My Scorpion Orb Launcher is down here somewhere. Climb in, we've got medical supplies, food... Oh yeah, and Kai, Snake, and Venom are here." "We see you," Voltage said, pointing at the Scorpion Orb Launcher. "We'll drop in." Voltage and Databoard grabbed Ogel and jumped off and into the Scorpion Orb Launcher. Voltage rummaged through the medical supplies. He found a bandage and wrapped it around the bleeding wound on his arm. They were driving around LEGO City, having just captured Ogel. "Let me go!" Ogel yelled, struggling against his bonds. "Why?" Joey shouted from the driver's seat. "So you can wreak havoc all over the city? I don't think so!" Voltage climbed into the cockpit and slumped into the passenger seat. "Where are we headed?" Voltage asked Joey. "We're headed over to a T-1. Alpha Team is there and they're gonna turn Ogel in," Joey replied. "He's not gonna be in there for long," muttered Voltage. "What do you mean?" asked Joey. "He's gonna break out." "I'll tell them to put in extra security." They arrived at the T-1 Typhoon. Voltage dragged Ogel out of the Scorpion Orb Launcher. As he did so, Ogel's helmet came off, revealing the skull of yet another disguised Skeleton Drone. "Really?" Voltage spat in disgust. "All that, just for another drone? Looks like we're the ones who were foiled yet again, Ogel." Regardless, he handcuffed the Skeleton Drone and flung him into the T-1 Typhoon. As the T-1 Typhoon flew off, Voltage received a call from HQ: Crisis call from Adventurers' Island. Dinos everywhere. Need help fast. "Guys, we're going to Adventurers' Island!" Voltage announced. "Voltage, everyone got the call," Snake said. "Oh." "Look out!" Kai yelled, as the tail of a Mutant Raptor missed Databoard's head by inches. Databoard ducked to avoid being hit by the Raptor's tail again, and pulled out a laser. He fired at it, but its force field deflected the weapons. The other agents began firing at the Raptor, but it did no effect. Snake pulled out a grenade and threw it at the Raptor, but it bounced of the force field and landed next to a building near Databoard. He ran from the building as the wall was ripped apart, sending rubble everywhere. A small chunk of debris hit Databoard, knocking him out... ---- The last Mutant Dino standing was the Mutant Raptor. It roared ferociously and then slashed at the cockpit. Thankfully, the Silver Scorpion's armor was strong enough that it did not even leave a scratch. Then, with another shot of the cryothermic beam, the Mutant Raptor was disabled. "Nice going," Zero said. "Thanks," Rex answered. Zero laughed. "You know," he said, "I hope the people responsible for the Dino Attack are watching us winning this fight. And then they say some typical and over-the-top monologue like any other villain, like… 'Why... Why everyone I send to destroy my enemies always get destroyed! ...That's it! For the first time, I'll destroy them... BY MYSELF!!!' And then, just like that, we get to fight the final boss, and it's a big epic battle but we win, and that means we've won the war! Wouldn't that be something?" Rex chuckled, but his laugh was humorless. "Yeah…" he muttered, averting his eyes. "If the ones behind the Dino Attack were here, I can just imagine what they'd think…" ---- Databoard slowly regained consciousness. He looked up to see the Mutant Raptor standing over him, its jaws ready to rip hit apart. Voltage charged at the Raptor, firing his weapon. It had little effect, but it gave Databoard a chance to get away from the Raptor. He grabbed his laser, which was lying on the ground nearby, and charged at the Raptor again. Databoard ducked out of the way to avoid the Raptor's jaws. He fired his laser, but the blasts were once again deflected. He leapt into the air to avoid being hit by the Raptor's tail. He didn't jump high enough, and was sent flying through the window of a nearby building. Kai had one final resort. He turned and asked, "Joey, where are the manual Ice Orbs?" Joey opened a compartment in the damaged Scorpion Orb Launcher. He picked one up and threw it at Kai. Kai caught it and pressed a few buttons. "Fuse time... 3... sticky mode." "'Sticky mode'?" asked the puzzled Snake of Spades, dodging the Raptor again. Kai charged at the Raptor's force field and forced the ice orb at its skin. It penetrated the force field and stuck tightly to the Raptor. "Everyone down!" yelled Kai, as the Ice Orb fuse counted down. 3... 2... 1... Databoard looked just as the Ice Orb was about to detonate. Realizing what was about to happen, he ducked to the ground just as the countdown hit one. Voltage threw himself out of the way as the Ice Orb detonated. There was a brief flash of light, and Databoard then looked out the broken window to see the Raptor frozen under a sheet of ice. ---- "Did I mention I'm a bit of an inventor?" Hooks said to Sam Sinister. "I've been tinkering a lot with Robo-Limb." Sam Sinister smirked. "Funny that FUTURE would have the funds for complete prosthetic limbs, and yet cannot spare enough to build you a couple new hands." Hooks raised his red hooks into the air. Their crystalline appearance subconsciously reminded Lord Sinister of the Pharaoh Hotep's magical Re-Gou ruby that he had once coveted. The hooks began to glow bright red, and then fired a burst of energy that demolished a nearby fire hydrant. Sinister swallowed nervously. "Point taken." "In addition," continued Hooks, "my glasses are no mere ordinary spectacles. They are specifically wired to enhance my sight. Can your primitive monocle zoom in like a telescopic lens?" "No," grumbled Sinister, "but at least it looks much more fashionable for someone of my class." Hooks showed Sam Sinister several more of his inventions. One was a pistol, modified so that it could be used with hooks. Another was a radar, able to detect far away treasure. But, Hooks' favorite one was what looked like a cross between a tube, a handle, and two claws. He demonstrated it for Sam Sinister. One claw attached to his body, while he held the handle with his right hook. Hooks took a diamond out of his pocket and handed it to Lord Sinister. "Go stand fifteen feet away," he instructed. Once he was in position, Hooks pulled the handle, and the other claw sprung forward on the extending tube to snatch the gem from Sinister's hand. As Hooks pocketed the diamond, he said, "I use these inventions to help me steal treasures. They have far greater utility than your outdated tools from the early 1900s. You really should modernize." ---- The flight to Adventurers' Island was smooth; they had no delays or enemy ships. Voltage sat behind the driver's seat again, piloting through the fog. They touched down and were greeted by Dr. Kilroy, Pippin Reed, and a young man whom Voltage did not recognize. "And you must be…?" asked Voltage. "Josh," the young man replied. "Josh Thunder. Johnny's my old man. He's off on a mission in the Nimbus System with the Venture League; I stayed behind to help out here." "Nice to meet you," said Voltage, shaking Josh's hand. "Must be cool, having such a famous father?" Josh Thunder grinned. "Well, mate, I'll admit it ain't always easy livin' up to his legacy. But maybe, if I help you out with the dino-hunting, I can make a name for myself, eh?" Databoard muttered under his breath about being on Adventurers' Island again. The island looked about the same, and this wasn't a good thing. The island was still in ruins, and he could still hear the roar of Mutant Dinos and normal ones alike. The whole place just gave him the chills. "Roit, the police've put the campsite under lockdown, so it's your job to search there, allroit?" Josh Thunder said. "Right," Voltage replied. "There's been an invasion throughout the temples," added Pippin Reed. "We need you to exterminate the mutant dinos." "Okay, can we go now?" asked Voltage. ---- Kotua flew off, two Blacktron Allied Avengers chasing after him. Kotua spun his Renegade and fired. One of the Allied Avengers was hit by the blasts, while the other managed to dodge them. Kotua fired at the remaining Allied Avenger again, taking it down. Kotua then flew off to find Rex. Kotua was flying out of the city when ShadowTech T-1 Typhoons flew towards Kotua, firing. Kotua turned around, and fired back, taking down the copters. More T-1 Typhoons rose and began firing at the Renegade, but Kotua's craft was resistant against the blasts. Using the Blacktron satellites, Kotua was able to trace Rex's position. Kotua put the Renegade at its fastest speed. Kotua was over flying over the ocean, when more Allied Avengers flew towards him, ready to fire... ---- Snake of Spades, Joey, Databoard, Venom, Voltage, and Kai wandered through the halls of one of the last remaining temples. It was extremely dark; the lanterns were trampled to smithereens. "What was that?" Kai asked, looking around. "Echoes," Snake replied. "No, that!" Kai said, straining to hear the faint sound of moaning. "What is that?" Databoard asked. "Skeletons!" Joey called. "Are you crazy? There's no skeletons!" Venom said. At that moment, hundreds of skeletons slid out of cracks in the wall, illuminated by the lantern Databoard was carrying. "Would you like to take that last statement back?" Voltage asked Venom. Snake of Spades just stood there, eyes shut tight. Two moments later, Snake opened his eyes with a new look of fierce determination. He kicked a few skeletons in the ribs. He saw two skeletons, talking to each other. Snake grabbed their necks and cried, "TIME TO PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER!!!" as he knocked their heads together. "He is just crazy...." mumbled Databoard as he punched a skeleton. Databoard swung the lantern into a skeleton, knocking it to the ground. He swung it at another skeleton, but it ducked and knocked the lantern from his hands. It hit the ground and smashed to bits, plunging the room into darkness. Databoard looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the complete darkness, as well as trying to hear any skeletons nearby. Lucky for the agents, the skeletons were not the quietest around. Databoard kicked a skeleton that had been trying to sneak up on him, knocking it into another. Voltage spun around, kicking the approaching skeleton so hard that it shattered. He drew his Sonic Screamer and swung it at a skeleton like a melee weapon. The head fell off and rolled to the feet of another skeleton. The skeleton charged, and Voltage did likewise with his Sonic Screamer. When it had reached maximum power, he released a powerful burst that disintegrated the skeleton to dust. He kicked the other skeleton's head at the door. It opened on contact. "Everyone, through the door!" Voltage yelled, rushing through himself. The agents dove through the closing door, crushing a skeleton beneath it. ---- Zero said, "Hey, Rex. Can we go to PBB's ship? I want to show him this!" Zero showed Rex some of the tech he excavated from Astor City. "Wow," said Rex, "what's that?" "I don't know," Zero replied, "that's why I want him to check it out." Rex looked at the tech that Zero had found. "Looks like it could be worn like goggles," Rex thought aloud. Then, the Pallas Athena came into view. "There it is!" Zero yelled. Rex put the Silver Scorpion into flight mode, and they sped up to the airship. "Hey, PBB!" called Rex. "Chompy! Little Bot! It's me! Guys?" They were nowhere to be found. Apparently, they were not on the airship. Only the FMB-Bot crew was present, simply maintaining the current flight path of the airship and not responding to any questions. "Just great," Rex muttered. "Weird…" said Zero. "I wonder where they are?" "I don't know..." said Rex. "What if we wait for them here?" suggested Zero. "I'm going to study this tech in the meantime." "Uh-oh," Rex said. "They left the airship uncloaked! Kotua - or someone else - could attack us!" Immediately, he pushed the button to activate the Cloaking Device. Zero was looking at the green and white brick piles. "Hey, I remember how to use these!" he said. He grabbed one green and three white bricks and threw them into the engine. Then, the Pallas Athena traveled to another location. "Don't worry, we will hopefully be safe," Rex said to Zero and Phantom. With the airship cloaked and no longer in the same location, there was no way that Kotua could find them! Or so they thought... Zero was checking one piece of the tech, and he noticed that Rex was right about them resembling goggles. "Weird..." he murmured. Zero put the goggles over his eyes. Then, he gasped. He saw… so much. Too much to all take in at once. They were like night vision goggles, but they displayed a lot more information in its user interface. Different settings for scanning, combat, heat signatures, X-rays, echolocation… Zero took off the goggles. "Woah..." he whispered. ---- Databoard, Voltage, and the others sprinted through the dimly lit room. They found a cavern at the end of the hall, filled with coffins, candles, and mutant dinos. "Woah, creepy," Databoard muttered. So far, the Dinos hadn't seen them, but all the agents knew that wouldn't last for long. Databoard looked back down the hallway to the door they had come through. Turning back wasn't an option, as they would have to face those skeletons again. The only other way was through this cave. "Does anyone else get the feeling that this was a bad idea?" Databoard muttered. The six agents crept through the cave, trying to make their footfalls as quiet as possible. The dinos were distracted, so it was their chance to sneak by. They went to the door, and it would not budge. "How do we get out of this?" Venom whispered. As if by magic, the dinos turned and noticed the intruder. "How do we get out of that?" Snake of Spades said. The other Mutant Dinos turned around and saw them as well, causing Databoard to mutter several nasty words. The agents then began attempting to blast the door down as the Mutant Dinos came even closer. There was no way they could get out in time before the Mutant Dinos got them. Right about now Databoard wished they were still fighting those weird skeletons... "Man, I wish we were still fighting the skeletons!" Databoard called to Voltage, both fighting Mutant Raptors. "Aahhh!!!" Voltage punched the dino, and it fell back. "How do we open the door?" "I don't... wait, that lever over there!" Databoard kicked away his Mutant Raptor and dashed towards the lever. He pulled the lever. Rrrrrruuuuummmmbble!!! The floor gave a giant lurch, as fragments of the temple came crashing down. Voltage dove out of the way as a stone knocked Databoard's raptor out. "Voltage! The door! It's opening!" Kai shouted, pointing at the door. Voltage looked to see the door wide-open. "Come on!" Voltage called as he ran through the door, closely followed by Databoard and Joey. "Venom, Kai, Snake! Hurry up!" Joey shouted. Venom turned to see the door closing. "Kai, Snake! Come on!" Venom yelled, rushing through. Snake and Kai dove through the door, as it closed. ---- James "Jimmy" Beatles was at the Arctic Base. He had heard of Creator Isle from some of the team. He had decided to journey to this place. As he drove around Creator Isle, he found the road blocked by boulders too big to move. "I never liked the road," he muttered. He drove on the burnt grass and fell into a ditch. He hit his head and was knocked out, lying unconscious on his Steel Sprinter. ---- The Mutant Dinos charged at the door, trying to open it, but it would not budge. Databoard kept his laser ready just in case. The other agents had begun heading down the tunnel, looking for a way out. Databoard followed, but continued to look back at the door. He thought about the skeletons and the Mutant Dinos, and started to wonder what nightmare was up ahead. "That was really close," Snake muttered. Voltage pulled out his GPS and looked around. The area was deserted, except for the dinos and the skeletons. He pulled out a gas grenade. Spotting a crack in the door, he pulled the ring and wedged the grenade in the crack, so the gas would go into the dino room. "Not another hall!" Kai yelled, turning around. His voice echoed as Voltage lit another lantern. Joey and Databoard drew their weapons. They had faced dinos, skeletons...what would be their next enemy? Venom leaned on the wall. The tile slid aside, sending Venom tumbling to the ground. "Secret passage! Secret passage!" Venom yelled. Kai shrugged and dove in, followed by Databoard, Snake, and Joey. As he saw Joey fall, Voltage muttered, "What the heck," and dove in. When he hit the ground, his fall was broken by a tall pile of bones. He fell over and rolled down the hill of corpses, to end up next to Databoard on the ground. "This does not look good." Voltage looked up to see Kai, Venom, and Joey. "Where's Snake?" Voltage questioned. "Mmmphhhpmmhhh!!!" came the muffled sound of "I'm over here!!!" Voltage rushed over to the pile of skeletons he just rolled down. He dug his hands into the bone, and began digging. After the first few handfuls, he uncovered Snake's hand. He slowly pulled Snake out of the bones. "Ow," Snake mumbled. "I fell on a sharp bone." "Are you hurt?" Joey asked. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine. Just a little scratch that's all," Snake replied, pointing at the deep gouge on his arm. "Here's some medical supplies," Kai said, tossing them to Voltage, and he wrapped a bandage around Snake's arm. "Note to self: never go down a secret passage again," Databoard muttered as he looked at the area they were in. "It never, ever leads somewhere good." He looked around for any way out of this strange place, but guessing from the bones in the area, there weren't many. Suddenly, a hiss resonated from the corner of the secret passage. Every agent instantly looked toward the corner, and Mutant Lizard crawled out of a crack. The Lizard was instantly recognized as the one that had helped them fight the Mutant Deinonychus on Ogel's Island. It hissed again, then gestured toward Snake. The team realized it was telling them that it was wounded and needed medical attention. That Lizard seemed to have an uncanny likeness for them.... Voltage, still carrying the medical supplies, walked over to the Mutant Lizard and tended to it. "How do you know it won't bite you?" Kai said. "I don't," Voltage replied. When it was treated with medical supplies, the Mutant Lizard nodded towards the medical backpack. Voltage swung the pack over his shoulder and they set off. Databoard looked around to see if anything was moving around besides them. Fortunately, nothing was moving nearby. They kept moving around, making their way quickly across the bone covered room. Databoard glanced at the Mutant Lizard, which was looking from the medical backpack. It seemed oddly familiar, but he didn't know why... ---- "What do I do? Why am I here" Louis "Dryptosaurus" said, grasping his tranq rifle gun as he rode his vehicle across the desolated streets of Astor City. He constantly thought how to get out of here. He was packed with tons of equipment: a magnetic grappling gun, 2 Magnum guns, 20 shells, a tranq rifle, a couple of AKs, a laser sword, his Steel Sprinter, and a new weapon he had yet to test. He was left alone in Astor City after his friends took him on a vacation to an uncharted place his archaeologist friends found. He complained, thinking that he isn't an archaeologist and should be digging bones somewhere in South America or even in North America, but his dumb archaeological contacts begged him to come, as they had found metallic remains of some mechanical beast, and needed my opinion. They recognized Louis was young, but he was a child prodigy. He was already in college, and paleontology was his hobby, yet most of his friends were archaeologists. They bought him with the silly excuse of "ooh we found an unknown civilization blah blah". He got interested when he heard the word "buried underground". There he was, all alone, all his friends eaten by strange creatures Louis thought of as overgrown Coelophysis with strange unnatural abilities. Why did he have the idea of bringing his ATV and the untested gun? Because this was not his first encounter with the creatures. He was in a conference in Los Angeles when suddenly there were reports of strange creatures overrunning the city. He scrambled to safety and that's where he met the team, who could use his help... All of this was some months ago. After the encounter, he learned to handle guns and such objects. Weapons... He always had thought of them as barbaric instruments made in uncivilized eras. Then he started liking shooting a gun after he had killed one of those strange lizards. He took the lifeless body down to his lab, and the creature was dead, yet its impulses were alive. It was as if the creature was a zombie. He wanted to keep investigating the matter, but for his safety he shot the barely-living creature in the head, destroying any electrical brain impulse it had left. After his funds were violently cut off, since the people who used to endorse him died in "freak" accidents, he dropped the subject and continued his old-fashioned paleontology, discarding the dinosauroid creatures as "mere monsters"... Now, about two months later, he would reassert his beliefs about the creatures. They WERE monsters... and they were breeding... down in Astor City, he discovered a hive, full of the creatures... thriving in the darkness of the now-abandoned city... All he has to do now is get out of the city any way he can and contact some help... There was a command post with a radar, established on the nearby Enchanted Island by other Dino Attack agents. It was located near a volcano. The temperatures are hot there. Louis did not know if he will survive or not... "What am I doing here?" ---- Suddenly, blasts started hitting the Pallas Athena. Rex looked out. A black craft with yellow glass was firing at them. Kotua avoided the airship's blasts, and fired back. This time Rex, I'll really finish you off. "Quick!" Rex shouted to Phantom and Zero. "We'd better get into the Silver Scorpion!" "Why?" asked Zero. "This airship isn't nearly strong enough to defend against Kotua's... uh, spacecraft! And if this thing falls..." "...then we will get killed, unless we go into the Silver Scorpion!" completed Zero. "'Not even the Voltage can destroy it,' according to PB - err, you-know-who," Rex said. Saying "PBB" might have triggered Phantom's memories, and that was the last thing they needed while they were already under attack by another rogue Alpha Team agent. Kotua fired again at the Pallas Athena. The entire craft shook as a hole was blown open in the hull, sending burning debris everywhere. One piece of metal clipped Zero on the arm. "Gah!" cried out Zero. "What is it?" asked Rex. Zero grimaced. "My arm... It hurts..." Zero brought the rest of the Astor City tech with him as everyone scrambled into the Silver Scorpion. The airship's FMB-Bots were steering the craft away from the Renegade, but for naught. "We end it now, Rex!" Kotua said as he blasted a final shot at PBB's airship. The Pallas Athena exploded in mid-air. The Silver Scorpion flew from the ship as it exploded. ---- Voltage could see the Mutant Lizard walking alongside them. It seemed oddly familiar, like he had known it once. He shook off the thought. Come on, you don't know any reptiles, Voltage thought. Well, except Snake, but he's not an actual snake. Snake of Spades walked over to him. "Can I see the GPS?" he asked politely. "Sure," Voltage said as he tossed the GPS to Snake. The Mutant Lizard looked over Voltage's shoulder, as the agents crowded around the GPS. "Okay so we're here," Snake said, pointing at the six glowing red dots on the GPS. "And we need to get here," he said, pointing at a blinking blue light. "Not that far away," Kai remarked. "Ten miles!" Joey replied. "That's a pretty long hike if you ask me!" Voltage looked around the cavern and the tunnel ahead. "That tunnel could fit six small vehicles," he said, pointing at the tunnel. "Steel Sprinters perhaps?" Venom suggested. "I'll radio some in." They walked a quarter of a mile until the Steel Sprinters arrived. The next five miles were smooth until the cave began to collapse. A rock knocked Databoard's Steel Sprinter over, and he rushed from the wreck on foot. More rocks began to fall, causing a portion of the cave to collapse. When the dust cleared, Databoard was cut off from the rest of the other agents. Oh well, I guess I'll have to find another way out... Databoard thought as he looked around the cave. Databoard looked around for any way out. He took out a flashlight and began searching the tunnel. He found a small opening near the side of the tunnel that, with any luck, should lead him to the other agents. He took out his flashlight and aimed it into the tunnel. After ducking to avoid the bats that swarmed out, he rushed inside. Databoard walked down the passageway, flashlight ahead. He continued to head down the tunnel when it opened up into a cave. Unfortunately, he soon discovered that it was a Mutant Lizard nest. This is bad... Databoard thought. He was about to turn around and find another way out, when he discovered the path was blocked by several Mutant Lizards. This is really bad... Databoard thought as more Lizards surrounded him... ---- "You only ever think about deconstructing LEGO Island," Robo-Limb continued. "You need to think a lot bigger." "Hey, I actually completely destroyed LEGO Island!" declared Brickster. "Then, of course Pepper just had to put it back together again…" "Bah!" spat Robo-Limb. "That kid can't even read!" "It's fun to tease him when he reads 'Pizza' as 'Pizaz!'" Brickster laughed. "Or how he writes his name as 'Paper!'" Robo-Limb nodded. "Yes, and so is teasing Papa about his singing, or Mama about her sight..." "How'd you know all that?" asked Brickster. "I lived on that island for many years," replied Robo-Limb. "Funny," remarked Brickster, "and not the 'haha' kind of funny. I definitely would've remembered seeing someone like you on LEGO Island. Unless you're secretly Captain Click, hiding in that cave all those years?" "That dumb old pirate skeleton?" scoffed Robo-Limb. "C'mon, you know what he looks like; you played soccer with him that one time!" "Oh… right." After a few moments of silence, Brickster wondered, "Maybe you're a distant Italian cousin of Captain Click?" Robo-Limb and Brickster were now getting along, passing jokes, making fun of Pepper and Infomaniac, and others. Brickster was now at ease, finally, when Robo-Limb asked the question that Hooks asked Sam Sinister: "You probably know who I am, don't you?" Then, the Brickster silenced. He didn't know who Robo-Limb was, unless... no, that was impossible. So, Brickster answered, "No." ---- Databoard readied his laser. He looked around the Mutant Lizards, which were preparing to rip him to shreds. He could tell fighting was crazy, as he was hopelessly outnumbered. He also knew surrendering wasn't an option either, as he doubted the Dinos even knew what that was. He would have to get back into the tunnel, because the Dinos couldn't fight him all at once there. The tunnel was nearby, but it was blocked by about ten Lizards. Databoard began firing his laser wildly and charged at the Mutant Lizards blocking the door. He was about to reach the tunnel when a Lizard shot acid at the tunnel, causing it to collapse, leaving Databoard trapped. He looked over the cave. There would have to be another way out, otherwise there wouldn't be so many Lizards here. He saw a large opening higher up in the cave. He would just have to get up there somehow... Databoard leapt, dodged, and ducked through the Mutant Lizards towards the cave exit. The Lizards tried to tear him apart, but he continued to dodge their attacks. He soon got to end of the cave, which meant there was only a twenty-foot climb to the exit. Which was bad, considering the Lizards were closing in around him. Databoard flung a grappling hook up to the tunnel and began climbing at him. A Lizard leapt at him but he managed to knock it to the ground. He made it up to the tunnel and took out a grenade. He flung it into the air and ran. The grenade caused portion of the tunnel to collapse, trapping the Mutant Lizards for now. ---- While the Silver Scorpion flew away from the Renegade, Zero was feeling such an intense headache that he fainted. Kotua flew under the burning airship and fired at the Silver Scorpion, leaving a few dents. "Not so invincible now?" said Kotua. The Silver Scorpion flew down, and tried different maneuvers to lose Kotua, but Kotua and the A.I. of the Renegade kept going behind them, firing. Blacktron Aerial Intruders flew towards Kotua, ready to blast him to bits... or so they thought. Kotua's craft was too strong for the blasts. The Silver Scorpion managed to fly off, and Kotua turned and began firing at the Aerial Intruders... ---- Voltage realized Databoard was cut off from the rest of the team. They drove their Steel Sprinters carefully, avoiding the falling rocks. One hit Voltage's. "Aaahhh!!!" he yelled, as he was flung off, his car careening off course. He ducked, as the Steel Sprinter flew over him and crashed into the wall, shards of stone going everywhere. When one cut him on the shoulder, the friendly Mutant Lizard crawled out and slapped a bandage on him. "What the..." Voltage thought aloud. The boulders stopped falling, and the agents came to a halt. They dismounted their Steel Sprinters. "Come on! Let's get outta here!" Kai yelled, running to the hole Voltage's Steel Sprinter had made. "What about Data?" Snake asked. "You guys really don't get it, do you?" Kai said, slyly. "Get what?" "Check the GPS!" "Oh, right," Snake said, getting out the GPS. "He's not far from here, just a few floors down, to the right," he concluded. Kai ran through the hole. "Let's gooooOH MY GOSH!!!" Kai yelled. He was now hanging on the ledge of an endless abyss. Voltage, having quick reflexes, darted to the spot, grabbing Kai's hand before he plunged to his doom. He pulled Kai up. "That was even closer!" Kai said, remembering the dinos. They used their grappling hooks to get to the level Databoard was on (level 9, according to the GPS), and found a door to the right. They opened it in time to see Databoard, running from something. "Data!" Joey called, getting Databoard's attention. "You found me!" Databoard said running to the spot. "I just got rid of a bunch of dinos." "The last ones, I guess," Venom said, pointing to the GPS, which showed no dinos in the area. They found a staircase and climbed up it. "Mission accomplished!" Databoard said, triumphantly. When they reached the top, they got a nasty greeting: five Mutant Lizards, flanked by two Mutant Raptors and a T-Rex. "We need backup!" Voltage shouted into the radio. If no one came, they were extremely outmatched. The situation was grim. The Lizards they could handle, the Raptors would be a little harder, but the T-Rex was nearly unstoppable. They would need backup, but he doubted it would get here in time. Databoard readied his weapon, as the Mutant Dinos closed in on them. The Lizards were coming first, followed by the Raptors, with the T-Rex in the back. "Let's see, we can either fight and be killed, or run and be killed later," Databoard muttered sarcastically. "Don't you just love choices?" "How about fight, then run?" asked Kai, shooting a few tranquilizers at the T-Rexes. "At least we'll still live longer." ---- As Louis dragged on with his Steel Sprinter, he found the ocean and realized that he must have been in the Coleport District. With the sun reflecting off the water's surface, it was so shiny that it nearly blinded his eyes. He grasped his binoculars and saw what happened to be a bridge leading to a small island just off the coast. Louis scrambled among the ruins of what looked like transports and fallen tubes made out of green transparent "plastic". One of the inscriptions read "Pointer Island". His Steel Sprinter ran across tons and tons of old debris covered by inorganic webs made out of a material he'd never seen before. But he hardly had a mind to concentrate on such extraordinary remains, including technology he could have never imagined... Louis had been to most major parts of the city, and uncovered breeding grounds on what happened to be some sort of grand museum in times past. Louis was almost certain this was the point where they were emerging from. But, he discovered there was an abandoned laboratory on Pointer Island. Perhaps this was a place of experimentation? Louis had been recording everything he saw on his camera. If he could get that to the government of the world, he could show living proof of the behavioral patterns of such creatures, and how they weren't "official" dinosaurs per se. They were so much more than a normal dinosaur from ages past. These were actual monsters. The lizards only barely resembled Coelophysis; the so-called T-Rex looked more like a giant Ceratosaurus on steroids; and the raptors looked like… ah, he could imagine few things that actually had force fields such as the raptors. Louis knew that it would be harder on the tribal island. He had gotten pretty far. Now if he could find a boat, or find something to use as a boat, he would be able to get to Enchanted Island. Then he could call for emergency. But he looked back and he saw a horde of Mutant Lizards after him... "Oh crud, what am I gonna do? ...I think it's time to see what the cosmotronic weapon does..." He aimed at one Mutant Lizard and shot the ray, and it got paralyzed. He had 20 shells left... He aimed at another one, and it happened to be a camouflaged one. That one also got paralyzed. He kept going forward and had to put the weapon down, since it was so heavy. ---- The group seemed outmatched. Even with the friendly Mutant Lizard striking everything in reach, the Dinos seemed invulnerable. Or maybe... "Guys!" Databoard yelled. "The raptors are shielding them!" "Sonic Screamers, pull 'em out!" "Fire!" The nearest raptor fell down with a thud, but a new one soon landed next to its fallen comrade. The Mutant Lizard hissed at it, rearing back to strike. The Raptor decided it didn't like Lizards hissing at him, so he took a bite at it. The Lizard scampered away hurriedly. Voltage dove aside as the mutant dinos attacked. They were extremely outmatched. The agent on the radio said backup was on the way, but how far away was 'on the way'? They were in big trouble. The T-Rex reared up, flinging a Steel Sprinter at Voltage with its tail. He ducked, just in time, and it smashed down the stairs, blocking their only exit. "That was even closer than when I said it was closer than when I said it was close!" Kai yelled. "What?" Voltage wondered. Databoard fired at the Mutant Dinos, but there was little they could do to fend then off. The T-Rex fired his laser eyes at him, but he dodged the beam. Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by a camouflaged Mutant Lizard. The other agents saw but could do nothing, as they were busy with the other Dinos. He readied his laser, but it was hard to fight something you couldn't see... ---- "That was a close one," Rex said. "If it weren't for the Silver Scorpion, we'd be dead!" "Or worse," Phantom added. "Now, this whole 'PBB' thing seems familiar to-" "Ooh, look at that shiny rock!" Rex said, trying to distract Phantom from getting his memories back. "Nice move," Zero whispered to Rex. Zero was still feeling intense pain in his arm. "Argh…" "Are you alright?" asked Phantom. "Yes... But my arm isn't... And I also have a headache, must've been from wearing those goggles…" "Do we have any medical supplies?" asked Rex. To his surprise, a voice answered, and it did not belong to either Phantom or Zero: "Yes, in the back." "Who are you?" asked Rex, afraid he was hearing Mutant Dino voices again. "Probably the Silver Scorpion's computer," Zero guessed. "Affirmative," the computer voice answered. Rex was already in the back of the Silver Scorpion cockpit, looking for medical supplies. His choices were: a bag labeled "Blah", a box filled with ice, or a white suitcase with a red cross on it. "Pretty obvious," Rex muttered, grabbing the suitcase. He walked over to Zero. "Are you a medic?" he asked. "Not quite," Zero answered. "Are you?" Rex asked Phantom. "No," Phantom replied. Rex sighed. "Neither am I." "Well, I'm going to rest in the back, then..." suggested Zero. "Alright," said Rex. Zero went to the back of the cockpit, where the icebox and the "Blah" bag were kept, and he fell asleep. Rex watched as Zero slept. He hoped that Zero was okay. If he was not, then there could be something very wrong going on. Phantom was still trying to look for the "shiny rock" that Rex "pointed out" earlier. ---- For the third time in the day, Voltage muttered "We are really outmatched." "Would you stop saying that?" Kai said, annoyed. Voltage's Raptor charged, and he shot it with his Sonic Screamer. Nothing happened. "Okayyy... That didn't work," Voltage muttered. He ran back a few feet and threw a grenade. There was a giant roar, followed by an ear-shattering explosion. Voltage looked up. The dino still stood there, not only unharmed, but extremely aggravated. "How much does it take to rub out a couple of dinos?!" Voltage screamed. The Raptor charged again, and Voltage dove out of the way, getting irritated. Venom had managed to tie one Mutant Lizard up using the remains of his grappling hook; Databoard lured one Raptor and one Mutant Lizard into a trap set by Snake of Spades; but Joey, Voltage, and Venom were having no luck defeating their dinos. But the ones who did had a bigger problem: a T-Rex. "Voltage, we are in close proximity to your area," a voice in the radio said. "How long will it be?" Voltage asked quickly. He could see Venom and Joey fighting off three Mutant Lizards. "Half an hour, sir," the voice replied. "You've got to be kidding me," Voltage said, shutting off the radio. Next thing he knew he was flung off his feet, the radio crushed into tiny fragments. "Uh-oh, not good." Voltage realized what the Raptor had done. It had just destroyed their only communication. "Not good at all." The T-Rex tried to swipe at Snake with it arms, but Snake dodged the blow. A Mutant Lizard camouflaged itself in the temple wall. Snake saw the lump. He reloaded his gun. The Lizard jumped onto Databoard. Snake shot at it and the Lizard collapsed on top of Databoard. Snake picked up the Lizard and threw it at the T-Rex. It hit the creature with a powerful blow. The Raptor swiped at Voltage's head. He ducked and drew out his Sonic Screamer. Setting it to electricity mode, and blasted the dino. Thousands of volts of electricity electrocuted the dino, and it fell over, stunned. Now that it was stunned, it couldn't use its powers, so Voltage killed it with another blast. He set the gun to normal mode, and rushed over to help Venom and Joey with the three Raptors. One leapt at him, and kicked it away, shooting it. It struck the dino in the chest, but did no damage. As the Mutant Lizard charged again, Voltage really wished they were still in LEGO City. Databoard rushed to help Voltage, but was hit by the Mutant Lizard's tail and knocked backwards. "These guys actually make Ogel's Drones seem fun," Databoard muttered, getting back up to his feet. He soon found himself facing another Mutant Lizard. Suddenly, a missile hit the Lizard, knocking Databoard backwards. He looked up to see a plane flying above them. That might help, but he did not know if it could take down the Mutant T-Rex. ---- Cobra sped through LEGO City. He had been informed about people on Adventurers' Island, and decided to use a borrowed jet to save them, if he could outrun the raptors chasing him. Cobra used a hologram to fool the raptors. It bought him a second. He turned his Cosmontronic Ray on the raptors that had their force fields down. He fired his ray and sped off. He reached his jet and flew off. He did not notice what was chasing him... ***** Kotua flew under the flying Silver Scorpion. A small robot arm surfaced from the Blacktron craft, and implanted a device on it. The Blacktron craft flew back, and Kotua pressed a button. The device glowed, and started shaking. ***** Rex was thinking about Zero, when he suddenly felt extreme pain. He sat down, but the pain was too much for him... ***** Kotua pressed a button, and the Blacktron craft fired a Mutant Dino-Seeking missile. To his surprise, it went towards the Silver Scorpion, having detected Mutant Dinos on it. Seems Rex is now giving Dinos luxury transport to kill others... thought Kotua as the missile neared its target. The Silver Scorpion flew away from the missile, which relentlessly pursued the craft. Kotua flew behind it, ready to blast the Scorpion Orb Launcher into pieces. ***** "Peasam, are you alright?" asked Phantom. "No," Rex stammered. "Extre-eme p--pain." "Oh no," Phantom muttered. "The pain is spreading from Norik to you? This is not good! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" "Don't!" Rex yelled, just as Phantom was about to jump out of the Silver Scorpion. "If y-you go out there, then you'll be v-v-vulnerable to Kotua's ship! And that would be even more painful! Besides, I think it's just a c-c-coincidence that Zero and I have-" BAM! A sudden bang rocked the Silver Scorpion. Phantom wisely stayed inside. "What was that?" asked Zero, suddenly waking up. "I don't know," Rex said. "But I hope it d-doesn't harm the Silver Scorpion! Is it p-p-possible that Kotua rebuilt the only weapon that could destroy the Silver Scorpion?" Zero did not answer. ***** Cobra flew in his jet high in the air. Then he spotted the Silver Scorpion. He sent a transmission saying he can help them sneak away. He noticed the attacking ship was not friendly. He launched a missile between the two ships which exploded making a cloud of smoke. He only hoped the Silver Scorpion escaped. Kotua flew through the smoke cloud, and fired at the Silver Scorpion. Kotua opened another panel of buttons. Since mutants are on the vehicle... he thought, pressing a button. Four missiles flew from the craft, and hit the Silver Scorpion. ***** Rex was still in pain, when he noticed smoke entering the Silver Scorpion. "This isn't good..." said Rex. Zero did not even pay attention to what Rex said: he was sleeping again. When he woke up a while later, his headache was gone. He put the goggles on again, and this time when he activated the goggles, he noticed that some of the other Astor City tech started to light up. It looked almost like a suit… ---- Turahk-Kal woke up from a long rest. He was in a makeshift bunker in an abandoned mall in LEGO City. He still had lost his Fire Hammer from his encounter with Kotua, and needed a vehicle to get to Adventurers' Island. Gathering his belongings, he began walking down the street in hopes of finding a vehicle. Soon, Turahk-Kal was flying in a jet across the ocean. He had "borrowed" it from a pilot and was speeding towards Adventurers' Island. He had carefully made sure that his tank was full so he didn't get into the situation he got into last time. The sky was mostly clear today, only a few Mutant Pteranodons here and there, and he was too fast for them to catch up to him anyway... ***** Cobra continued to Adventurers' Island, when his stalker attacked: a dozen Pteranodons. Cobra got all of them with his remaining Dino DNA Seeking Missiles. He never really liked killing dinos. He stopped and refueled, reloaded, and fixed his jet. Cobra soon reached Adventurers' Island. He learned Turahk-Kal was on the way. After a few times around island, he found them. He saw there was another plane there. He took down a Raptor and a few Mutant Lizards. He launched a missile at the T-Rex. It did not do anything. This is going to be hard, Cobra thought. Cobra had an idea. It was crazy, gross, and slightly barbaric, but it might work. Maybe he could get the T-Rex in his unarmored places, like his mouth, but anything that would reach his mouth would have to get past his laser eyes and furnace mouth. Cobra launched his best tranqs at the T-Rex's eyes and mouth. "Cobra! Finally, someone comes!" Voltage shouted in his headset. The headset only worked for close range communication, so he had been unable to contact base. "Turahk-Kal is coming, too!" Cobra said, via his headset. "Good. We need all the help we can get!" Databoard said, joining them. "And, before my radio was crushed..." said Voltage, glaring at the dead Raptor that had crushed his radio, "base said they were sending over reinforcements!" Just as everyone began to lighten up, the situation got worse. There were now ten Mutant Lizards, in addition to the five that were already there, and five more Raptors bounded out of a nearby cave. But, to their delight, another T-Rex did not show up. "Bad really bad really bad really bad..." Kai muttered, seeing the approaching threat. "Why do they keep coming?" Voltage said, frustrated. "They probably called for help!" Cobra suggested. Kai grumbled, "Great! Now the new dinos are gonna cry for help, and then the new dinos are gonna cry for help, and then the new dinos are gonna cry for help, and then the new dinos are gonna cry for help, and we're all gonna die!" "Don't worry, the reinforcements are gonna get here soon, I hope," Voltage muttered. The new dinos hesitated, as if waiting for something. "Okay we could just back away..." Venom said, "Slowly and quietly," he continued, until he was tackled by one of the five original Mutant Lizards. "Not good!" Venom yelled. Voltage shot it. "Thanks!" said Venom. "Who could believe a Mutant Lizard was that easy to defeat, eh?" "It's not dead..." Voltage said. ".........Oh.........." "Turahk-Kal, come on..." whispered Voltage. Turahk-Kal swooped in in his jet. He locked on to the T-Rex and fired two missiles. He pulled up and watched as one missile slammed into the T-Rex's side, while the other hit the ground and created a large black cloud. He turned around and fired the remaining two into the T-Rex. They both hit it in the neck. It let out a roar of pain, and landed with a crashing boom on the sand. It did not get up. Turahk-Kal swooped around and prepared to do what he could with the remaining dinos... ---- "Oh," Louis sighed with relief, "I finally got rid of those things... now, on to Enchanted Island..." Louis docked his boat at the shore of Enchanted Island. Up ahead appeared to be some Indigo temple ruins. He stared for a moment and continued his way through. It looked like a long stairway, and he thought he would be at the volcano in at least two hours. One hour passed. He finally saw where the stairs led. They led into many dark chambers. They were full of Mutant Dino nests. He found eggs of the creatures inside, some of which were still not yet hatched. The problem was that he could not touch them to destroy them. If the mother dinosaurs were in the area, they would be alerted and they would come to attack him. He kept going up until he found no more stairs, but a dark, dark chamber. He thought of going left or right. To the right there were more stairs, and must have led to the surface, but he went left, to explore the place further. Then he found a giant chamber, with a strangely shaped pedestal, and the remains of several Mutant Dinos. In that chamber he also found the remains of two huge statues. He found a plaque that referred to "Golems". He found the place crawling with the eggs. And he saw one of the T-Rexes there... must be the female. He found about ten Raptors and thousands of the Lizards. He shuddered, and crawled his way back to the right, scared like he had never been scared before. These creatures were all over Astor City and Enchanted Island. He kept going right until he found the stairs again. He walked upstairs for five minutes until he found another great chamber. Another plaque read "Darkness". Louis stared at the sign "... Darkness?" he muttered. "Really, more darkness? Gosh... I'm so tired..." He kept walking until he entered chamber with another couple of remains of a strange crab-like beast. He crossed the chamber, entered a smaller chamber covered with webbing and metallic debris on the floor and he read "Atukam". "What's an Atukam?" he thought aloud. He entered the chamber, which was spotless. Completely spotless. But it was mildly scarred though, and he encountered a strange silvery fluid in a strange symbol. He kept moving and saw more stairs. The air was getting hotter and hotter. "I bet that leads to the volcano!" he said to himself. He saw a strange looking device. It reminded him of an elevator, and he wondered if it was installed by the Dino Attack agents who set up the command post, or else the Indigo Islanders were more advanced than they let on. He ran towards it, and suddenly six Mutant Lizards came out of nowhere! One was red, the other one was completely black, one was yellow with black spots, one was black with blue spots, and the two others were green. "Oh no... no, no, NO!" he screamed at them. He quickly grasped two small guns from the holsters on his hip, and then he shot one lizard to its death. He kept shooting, but the creatures moved very quickly. One of them shot acid at one of his guns, destroying it. Another one spat fire embers at him. Louis dodged them quickly... Then he took out the Cosmotronic Ray out, and shot two lizards with it, paralyzing them. Then he took out a special gun. It shot 5 bullets at a time, killing another beast. Two were left, the one with acid stealth and the red one that spat fire. They retreated. "Yeah, you run away, cowards!" Louis screamed. Then he reached for the elevator and left the horrible temple. "Command post, here we go!" he said excitedly, with a hint of fear within his voice.... ---- Cobra launched a missile that destroyed two Raptors and three Mutant Lizards. He took two more Mutant Lizards down with his Cosmontronic Ray. Cobra told Voltage to keep the dinos at bay. He told Turahk-Kal to launch missiles at a nearby wall, while Cobra took down a tree. The pileup buried the dinos, but luckily everyone got away safely. Voltage said, "Good job, but don't celebrate yet. More may come." The ground shook, then there was a big roar.... Voltage saw Turahk-Kal's ship hovering in the air. It disappeared behind the temple and landed. The situation would be under control in a few minutes. Turahk-Kal rushed over, and the number of dinosaurs decreased. There were only four left when Voltage noticed the T-1 Typhoon they arrived in. "Where's Axel?" he asked. Suddenly, Axel jumped onto Voltage, but Cobra shot Axel. "Did you kill him?" "No, that was just a tranq," replied Cobra. They soon got all of the dinos, but two T-Rexes appeared. Cobra ran into his jet. It only worked on one T-Rex, and he was out of tranqs. He remembered he had an Ice Orb. He dropped it out of the plane. It went into her mouth and worked. They were about to leave when it happened.... ---- Louis finally reached... ANOTHER CHAMBER! But this one was illuminated by glowing crystals! It was also "new"... it looked clean - the floor, everywhere. He walked through the chamber and saw a strange pedestal but he did not check it... Was this the one place the mutant dinosaurs hadn't gotten to? In every chamber he had been, he had seen nests. Looked like the creatures were born quickly in an insect-like fashion, not like reptiles or mammals. Like flies, born out of a fat disgusting cluster of eggs. Or even like bees... Louis kept walking, exploring the room, and he quickly figured why none had gotten to the room yet. There was a huge door blocking the exit. It had some strange symbols... why would this incredible civilization make traps? Perhaps they were driven away by the creatures? That couldn't be, as the creatures appeared recently, and the door was older than these things. Louis tried to solve the "riddle" the old inhabitants had left him. He quickly turned to the pedestal, and saw more hieroglyphs. "Place a light-stone here," it read. "Such civilized instructions? These people tried making everything as simple as we do today..." Louis thought aloud. He quickly shot one of the glowing crystals out of the ceiling, and he grabbed it before it reached the ground. "One less bullet... geez..." He placed the jewel on the pedestal and it shone very brightly. The door opened. Louis sighed at the fact that there was nothing else in that room; it was like the one he was in, except there was no pedestal, but an entrance to a tunnel that probably led to the volcano... he hoped it did. He kept going into the tunnel, and the light grew dimmer with each step. He turned on his high-power lamp to follow his way through. After a couple of minutes, he reached some stairs with a sign that read: "Tribal Island Trail... Beware of alligators!" Scribbled under the sign, it read: "Uhu was here!" He thought it was funny. "Woah, old-style graffiti... He must have gotten the lynching of his life... ha ha!" Louis said to himself. He followed the stairs until there was more light, and suddenly he was standing on a beautiful beach paradise, but littered with tons of debris. The alligators were gone; no inhabitants, either. He wondered how to get to the beach where he docked his boat. He looked in the distance and saw the volcano. "The command post must be close... at least 30 minutes from here," he thought... But he encountered problems. There were more mutant creatures on top of a strange formation with a bright object on it. "These are good binoculars," Louis joked to himself... He then had to swim his way through. There seemed to be no fish and tons of debris on the bottom of the lake. He swam to the beach that led to the volcano… it was nearby. He got out of the water, and tried to sneak his way through the creatures that were busy playing with the shiny thing. Everything was being recorded by Louis. He moved towards the molten lava, and he heard a loud thumping noise. It was a Raptor! "You... YOU!" he screamed at the monster, who roared back at him. Louis equipped his rifle and shot it at the monster, which shielded itself. He kept shooting the ray until the Raptor's eyes glowed red, and then it slashed with its claws, shredding the rifle to pieces! Louis was really mad now. He took out his special magnums, which shot 5 bullets every time he pressed the trigger, but the Raptor repelled every single one of them. Then, the Raptor moved in for the kill. Now it was on top of Louis... Louis did not know what to do... He was certain he would die... then he remembered he had the Cosmotronic Ray! He thought the rays could pierce their way through the shield. The dino task force told him that their research said that the shield was not perfect. While bullets would be ineffective, the experimental Cosmostronic Ray would be effective against the Raptor. He grabbed the gun and shot one single blast that efficiently refracted its way to the creature's eye, blasting it off and leaving the raptor in great pain, and it moved out of Louis's way. Louis ran to the volcano. It was so hot in there that he took his shirt off and wrapped it around his waist. Even then, he was burning up. After all, he was at a volcano. He heard rumors of a village in the volcano, but there was no such thing. Then where would Dino Attack leave the radio transmitters? The guard house! He ran towards it and saw the radio transmitter. ... ... TRANSMISSION 3344 Delta Chi... ... "I'm calling any nearby helicopters, I'm on an island... named… Enchanted Island... it's uncharted. I need rescue, this was an exploration mission, but we've encountered a great loss of life and the remaining one is in grave danger, please, send help immediately!" He sent the transmissions to all frequencies within the U.S. and LEGOLAND. He hoped that they would rescue him, that they would somehow follow the signal, and get him out of that infernal place. ---- Zero looked at the tech that had activated when he put on the goggles. Now, he was certain that it was some sort of powered cybernetic armor-suit. Why not put it on? he wondered. My arm still hurts, so it would be nice to have some extra protection. While Rex and Phantom were still focusing on evading Kotua, Zero put on the powered armor. It was black and metallic, highlighted with neon green lights to perfectly compliment the goggles' aesthetics, and the gloves went over his hands like a pair of large claws. Now this is more like it! Zero was trying to understand what was going on, when he heard explosions outside. He wanted to see what was happening, but he could not leave the vehicle... not during a battle like this... Rex was still in pain when he fell down, barely conscious. "This isn't good," Phantom said. ***** Kotua continued firing at the Silver Scorpion, which was now filled with anti-Mutant Dino chemicals. Kotua pressed another button. The Renegade sped up and rammed the Silver Scorpion. Kotua then flew back a bit, and rammed the Silver Scorpion again. He noticed more dent marks on the vehicle's armor. Soon, I'll destroy the Scorpion Orb Launcher, and Rex will have nowhere to hide! thought Kotua To Kotua's surprise, the Silver Scorpion's armor regenerated. "This isn't going to be easy," Kotua muttered. Suddenly, where there was just one Silver Scorpion before, there were inexplicably two. One immediately began scrambling away from Kotua's craft at top speed, while the other stayed behind. Kotua realized that one of them was an illusion. Guessing that Rex must have been in the fleeing one, he pursued it. ***** From the ruins of a nearby movie theater, PBB watched as the Blacktron spacecraft pursued the other Silver Scorpion. "It worked," he remarked with satisfaction. "It looks like we still can get some mileage out of this old Alpha Team holographic generator." "Indeed," said the shadowed figure who stood behind PBB. "Kotua has been tricked, and it may buy Rex and his friends the time they need to escape. We can't let them die." PBB nodded. However, he did not know what to think of his mysterious new companion, who had introduced himself as 'the phantom'. He wore a dark cloak that concealed his appearance, and while PBB possessed proficient voice recognition software, the phantom was deliberately speaking in a low, husky voice that rendered the software unable to detect a match. As the phantom turned to walk away, PBB asked: "Who are you, really? I know you're trying to hide your identity, but I do not understand your purposes in doing so. You can trust me." "Look what's going on out there, PBB," said the phantom. "Kotua is trying to kill his own teammates. Earlier, Phantom was attacking Rex in his search for Frozeen. It's not safe for anyone… least of all, someone such as myself." PBB glanced back at the Silver Scorpion. "Special agent Phantom was… searching for Frozeen, too?" he murmured. "But, why would he be looking for… unless… oh my Builder." He had already computed an answer to his own question, and he did not like it. He urgently turned around to face the phantom again, but the mysterious figure had already disappeared into the darkness, leaving PBB alone. ***** Zero continued to sit in the back of the cockpit as he talked to Rex. "Rex, what were all those sounds?" he asked. "Kotua was shooting missiles at us," said Rex. He grimaced from the pain he was feeling, but he focused on Zero's health: "How are you feeling?" "I'm... fine," replied Zero. He wondered if the powered armor was administering endorphins to ease the pain in his injured arm. ***** After a while the signal wasn't as strong, and Kotua realized he had been fooled. He turned around and flew back after the real Silver Scorpion. Once he tracked it down, he fired multiple shots. A Blacktron missile entered the atmosphere, shaking, and heating up... Kotua continued firing. Rex noticed on his radar that something else was headed for them! The Blacktron missile flew fast, and was now going straight towards the Silver Scorpion. Rex managed to pilot the Silver Scorpion away, with Kotua flying after it. The missile smashed into the Renegade, sending multiple of the Blacktron craft's pieces and ammo in all directions. The missile exploded, sending a powerful blast. The Silver Scorpion tried outrunning it, but the blast damaged the thrusters, disabling the vehicle's flying ability. The Silver Scorpion landed hard on the ground, and moved away fast. Rex recovered once the Silver Scorpion's air circulation systems removed the anti-Mutant Dino gas. The scanner detected PBB, Little Bot, and Chompy nearby, so they started to head in that direction. ---- Louis hoped that someone would "HURRY UP AND GET ME," but he had new concerns... He decided to explore his vicinity. Behind the Dino Attack command post was something that looked like... a racecar? It even had a full tank of gas. Why did the Indigo Islanders have racecars? Why was it untouched by the Mutant Dinos? Louis decided not to ask any more questions and got out to explore the island. Once he was out of the heat, he put his shirt back on, which was still wet from his swim and felt refreshed. He took out a bottle and drank some iced tea from it. He moved to where the landing strip was, close to the beach. Then he moved to where the bright object was. Mutant Lizards were nowhere to be seen, only leaving their footprints in the sand... He moved up the naturally formed stairs and reached the bright object... It looked like some sort of ancient telescope, with a priceless gem instead of glass lens. No wonder the pirates always wanted to plunder this place. He saw through it, and saw the stars. He noticed some strange forms on the base of the telescope. They all looked like prophecies of some kind. "If these Indigo Islanders were really able to see the future," Louis muttered, "then they should've seen the Dino Attack coming a long time ago. But where are they now? They've been here for thousands of years, and I heard many weren't evacuated to Antarctica. Most things are as if someone was still here... or left recently..." Louis sat down to chow down on some bread he kept sealed in his bag, and some energy cookies. He looked down at the landing strip. "Munch, maybe, gulp munch, the lizards will come back and eat munch me... wohoh! I hope munch they munch received my message, gulp." ---- Snake, Voltage, Databoard, Joey, Kai, Venom, Cobra, and Turahk-Kal defeated the dinos and hauled Axel into the T-1 Typhoon. They were taking a big risk; Axel was only tranquilized, and could wake up at any time. Voltage had not forgotten to bring the friendly Mutant Lizard along. He took out some food and the Lizard took it with delight. There was a small Dino Attack control center in a remote area of Pirates Forbidden Island. They all hated it there, but they had to go if they wanted to de-mutate Axel. The eight agents hopped off the T-1 Typhoon when they arrived, carrying Axel with them. When inside the control center, the scientists turned their heads from their projects and stared at the newcomers. They rarely saw agents around the lab, unless it was urgent. "We need him de-mutated and fast!" Voltage said, plopping Axel down on a nearby table. "This is Axel, he was our friend until he got mutated." The Mutant Lizard stepped forward and nodded. Finally putting the pieces together and realizing who it was, Voltage added: "And this is Hyrode. Same story, but he's still our friend." One of the scientists examined Axel and Hyrode. "We have no de-mutation antivenom here, but we will have some in tomorrow." "Good. We'll leave him here with you, you know, so you can test him and such," Voltage replied. "What about a test?" "I don't know, whatever you scientists do," Voltage said as the group headed out into Pirates Forbidden Island. While waiting for Axel and Hyrode to be cured, the rest of the team battled Mutant Raptors and Mutant Pterosaurs. They arrived at the island's coast and tried to take a pirate ship, but their progress was halted by ShadowTech. They hid from a ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon in an old pirate hideout, and fled when the helicopter destroyed the hideout. They escaped the island in a Dino Attack T-1 Typhoon piloted by John and traveled back to LEGO City. ---- Kotua awoke in the burning wreck of the Blacktron Renegade ship. Kotua felt as somebody removed the rubble on top of him. Kotua readied his blaster. As soon as he had a clear shot, he fired. The police officer fell to the ground as his foot was vaporized. Kotua pushed some of the rubble, and got out. The officer drew his gun and fired, but the bullet bounced harmlessly off the armor. Kotua lifted his gun, and aimed. "Any last words?" said Kotua, and then he fired. Kotua walked around. He was in a city. He found the officer's jeep, and looked at the steering wheel. Keys were missing. Kotua turned, and walked back to the officer. Kotua searched the officer, and took his tools and the key. He walked back to the jeep, turned it on, and drove off to find the Blacktron HQ. He was eager to get revenge for being shot down with a missile. Kotua turned on the radio, and was surprise to hear a person calling for helicopters at a target. Kotua heard the sounds of the helicopters, and looked up. One of the helicopters was there to stop Kotua, and the other to transport him to jail. "I don't have time for this. Rex could be gone off the Blacktron Radars..." muttered Kotua, driving into an underground parking lot. Kotua soon heard police sirens. He looked behind, and saw the sirens of the police cars, coming towards him. Kotua took out a small device, and put it on the radio. Now Kotua could listen to the police's orders without them using the radio to track him. Kotua drove up the ramp, and out of the parking lot. Kotua heard bullets fired, and looked around. Two police cars were driving towards him, cops firing at him. Kotua took his gun and shot the driver of one of the cars, and then he blasted the engine of the other car. Kotua's escape from the police soon escalated as the LEGOLAND military became involved. He abandoned the police jeep and instead hijacked a military Hummer. ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Chapter 7: The Monsters Within ---- "Trouble?" Rex exclaimed. "How did you get out of your cage? And… are you... talking?" Trouble shook his head as the voice spoke again. "No, of course not! But, I have told Trouble to lead you to me. Will you follow him?" Rex couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but at least he could sense that it wasn't just in his head like those other voices he had been hearing. "Who are you?" Rex asked. "You'll know soon, for my identity isn't important now, Rex. Just follow Trouble." Called by a whistle, Trouble began walking away. Rex, trusting his Mutant Lizard, followed him. They went together, walking through the labyrinth of ruin. Finally, Trouble stopped in a dark alleyway. It was too narrow for the Silver Scorpion, so Rex had to climb out of the safety of his vehicle and investigate on foot. Rex looked up, trying to see who the voice belonged to. He could just barely see a figure drop down from a rooftop, landing in the darkness ahead of him. He appeared to be wearing a long black hooded cloak, which masked his appearance even further; Rex could not make out any of his features. "This is a safe place where we can talk," said the shadowed figure, speaking in a low voice. "You may call me… the phantom." Rex did not trust someone he could not see. "Show yourself!" he ordered. The phantom did not reveal himself. "It is important that I remain hidden. These are dangerous times. If I did show myself, then I would never be able to tell you what I want - no, NEED - to tell you." "What is it?" Rex asked. "One of your Dino Attack agents is actually a sleeper agent working for the ones responsible for the Dino Attack." "Kotua…" Rex immediately thought aloud. "Perhaps not. You see, this infiltrator is… a Mutant Dino." Rex blinked in surprise. "What? A Dino Attack agent is a Mutant Dino…? How is that possible?" "I'll tell you." ---- Vex looked around. Enchanted Island looked far more different than it used to be. He wished his old friends and everyone else had not forgotten him when they left. But then, he snapped out of it and remembered his mission: find three Mutant Raptors. That was going to be hard. Then he saw them and started up his Fire Hammer.... ---- Databoard was finished digging; they had scanned the area at least twice. He was now headed to base. When he arrived, he was informed of his mission to Dinosaur Island. Voltage greeted Databoard and they set off. Databoard groaned at the thought of going to Dinosaur Island. After seeing the condition of Adventurers' Island, in which the two types of dinosaurs were at war, he wasn't eager to go to an island where the Mutant Dinos had taken over. He would also rather be trying to find out what was wrong with that madman Kotua. They soon arrived at Dinosaur Island, which made Adventurers' Island look like a very nice place to be. The island was under Mutant Dino rule, which was never a good thing. "Not a pretty sight, huh?" said Voltage. It was true, none of them really wanted to come here. Voltage could see the dinos coming, fast. "Hey Axel," called Databoard. "What expert are you?" "I'm a weapons expert!" Axel responded cheerfully. "He'll come in handy," Databoard and Voltage muttered to each other. About 30 Mutant Lizards leapt from behind nearby bushes and rocks, and they quickly surrounded Axel, Voltage, and Databoard. Axel readied a laser, but Databoard motioned for him to lower it. "If we attack, they'll all attack at once," Databoard said. Axel looked at him with a puzzled look. "And what do you propose we do?" he asked. Databoard quickly studied his surroundings, trying to come up with a plan. The Mutant Lizards moved closer. Axel pulled out a laser rifle. Instead of aiming at the Lizards, he aimed at a large tree nearby. It collapsed, causing several Lizards to scatter. Axel rushed down the path he created, followed closely by Databoard and Voltage, with the Mutant Lizards close behind. Databoard looked behind him. The Mutant Lizards were still behind them, jaws ready to tear them to bits. He ran faster, not wanting to see those jaws up close. One leapt at him, but he ducked out of the way and pushed it into a nearby ditch. He then rushed away before it could get up. Several Mutant Raptors leapt out in front of Databoard. Axel, not the most experienced with Mutant Dinos, fired at it. The blast was simply deflected by its force field. "This can't get much worse," Axel muttered. More Lizards appeared, surrounding the agents. "Do you want to take back your statement?" Databoard muttered. ---- Kai and Joey went back to Antarctica, discussing on what they could use to solve the dinosaur problem. "Hmm... Many dinosaurs got killed by a meteor which hit the planet, but it's purely impossible to control a giant rock to smash the dinos. More importantly, our lives are at stake," said Kai. "Well, maybe a second Ice Age can do..." said Joey. At this point, Kai had a brainwave. "That's it! Freeze them! We still have our original Alpha Team Scorpion Orb Launcher, don't we?" "Okay, but how do we get it out of Antarctica?" asked Joey. "There's the problem," said Kai. ---- Nearly everyone had evacuated the city, making it the perfect place for Kotua to return. A few Mutant Pteranodons tried attacking the craft, but the Voltage's double Beam Shields blocked the attack. Kotua had learned of people trapped by rubble from the probe. He pressed a button on his Command Deck chair. Immediately, the ship began a scan of the city. The Voltage flew to the location with the most people. Construction Bots got rescue equipment, and hovered down, followed by Security Bots. Soon, the Construction Bots drilled holes and started getting people out of the rubble. Not everyone made it. The few that did were taken to the Voltage. The Voltage flew over the city after rescuing people, and the construction bots took any material that could be useful to the craft (and not near a T-Rex). Kotua noticed a train pass on the rails. That's odd, thought Kotua. The train continued on, passing into a tunnel... ---- "D'oh!" Snake of Spades thought aloud. Rex didn't get his message. Suddenly, a T-Rex, four Raptors, ten Mutant Lizards, and a Pteranodon appeared. Snake sent a message on his PDA: HELP, I'M SURROUNDED BY EVERY TYPE OF DINO! AGENT SNAKE ***** After Databoard left, Zero sped off to find someone else that's alive. Zero was driving around, when his PDA beeped. It was agent Snake of Spades. The PDA worked, so he couldn't be far. A bit later, he saw agent Snake, surrounded by LOTS of dinos. That's going to be hard... Zero thought. Zero shot nets at the Mutant Lizards and Raptors, but the T-Rex were too strong and the Pterosaurs were flying too high. He drove to near Snake of Spades and shouted, "GET IN!!" Snake hopped into the Urban Avenger and they sped away, Mutant Pterosaurs and T-Rex right behind. Zero and Snake of Spades arrived at HQ. They left the people Zero and Databoard found earlier there, and Snake got another Urban Avenger. After that, they left. Zero went to search the city again, hoping to find PBB or other agents. ---- Kotua came out of the Voltage, and landed the small craft on a gas station. An Octan truck was parked there. Blood was on the door handle. Kotua walked towards it, blaster ready. He looked inside. The truck was empty. He turned, and looked around the pumps. One of the hoses was on the floor. Obviously, the Octan worker tried drowning the dino, but didn't succeed, then he tried running to the truck. Kotua walked and looked around once more. Some damaged cars were on the street. Some parked, some on the road, crashed until their gas ran out. Kotua entered the convenience store. More blood splatter. Kotua looked at most products. Most food had spoiled, mainly the food on the shelves. The drinks had lasted somewhat longer, as the dinos didn't break the doors to the cold drinks. The cashier's body was on the floor, obviously bitten thousands of times. "Anybody alive here?" asked Kotua. Silence. Kotua walked back out, and walked towards the store on the front of the station. He entered the store and noticed products on the floor, scattered. There were bodies of people, too. Kotua walked around the store, looking for any survivors. It seemed nobody survived. He noticed that the pet section had the water tanks broken and dark water on the floor, along with small pebbles. Kotua walked out the store. "Dinos beat us to it," said Kotua into his commlink. "You sure about it?" asked the person on the other commlink. She had lived on near the station and store, and had wanted to rescue anybody left. She, along with a few of the other survivors Kotua rescued, had begged Kotua to check the place. Kotua noticed two Security Bots land. They started hovering towards Kotua, when the gas station exploded, engulfing the gas station and the two Security Bots. Kotua threw himself to the floor as pieces of the station, the Octan Truck, and the Security Bots went flying everywhere. Kotua stayed on the ground for a few minutes. He heard some of the pieces that flew up into the air land nearby. Kotua got up and looked around. What was left of the gas station was now in flames. Kotua ran out into the street. He looked around, and noticed a fire station. Kotua ran towards it, when he stopped. He heard a sound of a car. He looked around. Behind him, a car approached. Kotua noticed four people were in it, holding rifles. Kotua had the feeling they were going to be nothing but trouble. One stuck his head out of the car. "Loser!" he yelled, taking out his rifle, sitting on the door, and aiming at Kotua. The car picked up speed and the man fired at Kotua. Kotua quickly fired at the man, and jumped out of the car's way. The man dropped his rifle and fell out of the car. The other two looked at the dead man on the road, then at Kotua. Kotua ran as the car tried to ram him. Kotua looked back, and his eyes widened as the second man took out a Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher and loaded it. Kotua ran, knowing better than get into a building. He heard the RPG launcher fire, and ran to the left as the rocket flew over the road and kept going until it hit a black Urban Avenger. Kotua fired at the two men trying to kill him, but the shot missed and hit a trash can nearby. Kotua ran again, but black vans appeared out of nowhere and stopped in front of Kotua. The other two men fired another RPG, blowing up one of the vans. Kotua used the distraction to run. "Help!" said Kotua into his commlink. Static. Kotua turned. One of the vans had radar dishes. Darn! thought Kotua. Soon, the ShadowTech agents knew where Kotua was hiding because of his call, and they walked towards him... just as the Voltage appeared. It began firing at the vans, destroying them. The other two men drove off, and Kotua ran towards the black van with dishes, and started firing at the dishes. Soon they fell, and Kotua called for Security Bots. Security Bots landed and began blasting the ShadowTech agents. Kotua helped the Security Bots by deflating the van's tires. Kotua looked inside the van with dishes. Some computer equipment. Kotua fired at it all, until it was too useless to use. Kotua turned to exit the van, when the door closed on him! Kotua turned. The computers were fake. It was a trap! These ShadowTech men get dumber by the day, thought Kotua. Immediately he raised his blaster and fired at the doors, making a hole where the lock should be. Kotua opened the doors, and kicked a man trying to shoot him. Kotua ran towards the security bots, firing at any ShadowTech agent that tried to get him. Kotua ran as more ShadowTech men arrived, with plenty of weapons to kill them. Kotua noticed the small craft flying towards him. Kotua quickly jumped on to it, and got the controls. Kotua pressed a button, and it flew full speed towards the Voltage. The Security Bots flew behind Kotua, making sure the craft wasn't hit... ---- Databoard looked around the Mutant Dinosaurs that had surrounded them. "Axel, got any grenades?" Databoard asked. Axel quietly handed him three grenades. Databoard flung them randomly, not hitting any Dinos but causing confusion as he did. Databoard, Voltage, and Axel rushed past several panicked Mutant Lizards. Just when they thought they were safe, they heard a crashing noise, and a Mutant T-Rex rushed at them! Databoard, Axel, and Voltage rushed off in separate directions to avoid the Mutant T-Rex's laser eye beams. Axel took out a laser and fired, but did no good. It charged at Axel, who leapt out of the way. It fired its eye beams again, hitting a cliff and sending rubble everywhere. Databoard ducked as debris rained down. Axel had hidden under a rocky outcropping in the cliff, and Voltage was too far away to be hit by rubble. The T-Rex charged at him, and fired its eye beams again. Databoard leapt out of the way, and the spot where he just was reduced to a smoking crater. Databoard dodged the T-Rex's eye beams by mere inches. Axel shot at the T-Rex again, distracting it from Databoard. As the T-Rex turned towards Axel, Databoard leapt at it. This turned out to be a mistake. With a swing of its tail, Databoard went flying in the other direction, crashing through a dead tree. Databoard slowly got up, but he had obviously been hurt, either from when the tail hit, when hit slammed through the tree, or most likely both. The T-Rex continued walking towards where Axel was, who was firing at it desperately. Databoard was about to help, when he was surrounded by ten Mutant Lizards. One leapt at Databoard, who barely avoided becoming its lunch. ---- "When the Mutant Dinos first appeared," the phantom explained, "the ones who mutated them… unfortunately, I still don't know who they are… they had created 'prototype' Mutant Dinos based upon an old formula created by Evil Ogel. They were the first Dinos to get mutated, but the mutation wasn't exactly the same. The 'prototype' Mutant Lizard was highly adaptive, but it could not spit acid or breathe fire. The Mutant Raptor had only the heightened senses of smell and hearing, no force fields. The Mutant Pteranodon was quick, but didn't shoot lightning bolts. The Mutant T-Rex was extra strong, but lacked the laser eyes and furnace mouth." Rex chuckled softly. "If only those were the Mutant Dinos we were fighting," he muttered. "This war would be much easier." "After the mutation was changed so they would have powers, they tried to put the 'prototypes' to sleep. But one resisted. So, they found another use for the 'prototype.' They found out that the Dino Attack Team was forming, so they disguised the 'prototype' Mutant Dino as a person." "I still don't get it," Rex wondered. "How on Earth could they do that? Even a Mutant Lizard can't fit into a disguise that looks - and is the same size - as other people!" Just thinking about that gave Rex cramps. "The people who created the Mutant Dinos are clever," the phantom replied. "Clearly insane, but also clever. They developed a serum that could shrink down a dinosaur, and an organic minifigure suit that looks indistinguishable from a real person. Their plan was that the 'prototype' would join the Dino Attack Team, and then… when they trusted it the most… it would rip out of the disguise and kill them before they would find out the secret of the Mutant Dinos." "That's horrible!" Rex exclaimed. "We better find this agent before he - or she - puts the plan into action!" "But something went wrong, Rex..." the phantom continued. "They planned to alter the 'prototype's' brain slightly so that it would act and talk like a normal person. However, they altered too much. The 'prototype' completely forgot that it was a Mutant Dino and what its mission was. It completely thought that it was human." Rex gasped. Could it be? His faintest memory of the scientists suddenly didn't seem funny anymore. "Oh, no! Now it completely thinks it's human!" they had said. Rex had often laughed at this memory, thinking that it was hilarious because of all the random possibilities it could have meant. Yet now, the pieces of the puzzle fit a little too well. Was he a villain? Was he helping them cause these mutations? Could he have been the one who came up with the plan? Rex prayed that "no" was the answer to all the questions... "How did you learn this?" Rex inquired. If there was any plausible deniability, any reason to doubt that he was implicated in this revelation, then he had to take it. The phantom sighed in a way that sounded nostalgic. "I… used to be friends with someone who could understand the language of dinosaurs. He taught me how to communicate with them. These mutants speak a different language from their natural brethren, something I can only describe as more… chaotic. But, the basic principles are the same, and I learned and adapted where my old friend could not." "So, you can talk to the Mutant Dinos, like Keys can?" asked Rex. "Could you teach me?" The phantom chuckled. "After all your work with taming them, surely you must know a thing or two about communicating with them yourself." Rex thought about that mysterious voice he kept hearing. "Is it like… hearing a voice in your head that no one else can hear?" "No… well, at least, it isn't for me. Perhaps a mind that's fluent in the language would have the ability to understand their roars and growls just as easily as understanding English, to the point where the two languages are nearly indistinguishable, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The point is that I communicated with the Mutant Dinos in an effort to learn where they came from, and while they never would give me a straight answer that I could understand, they would sometimes give me bits and pieces of information. There were rumors of their early forefathers, including the one they called 'the mutant wearing man's skin'. Not nearly enough to act upon… if it weren't for Landro." Rex remembered reading the recent reports by Rev and Sereve about the hybrid they encountered. He wondered if they had any success tracking him down. "You met Landro? What did he say?" "He was babbling a lot," the phantom continued, "and a lot of it didn't make sense. Ordinarily, I wouldn't take the ramblings of a madman at face value… but these aren't ordinary times, and there was just enough truth behind his madness. He spoke of the same 'mutant wearing man's skin', and said that this man would walk among the Dino Attack Team until it was time to destroy them, among other things. Piecing it all together with what I had learned from the mutants, it became clear to me what it all meant. Do you understand, Rex?" Rex felt a knot in his stomach. He did not know much about the reliability of Landro and the Mutant Dinos, but if they corroborated the phantom's story… then it would be even harder to deny its truth. Now, it was all too clear to Rex. I'm one of the scientists who put this plan into action. I worked alongside Landro. I… was one of the villains. ---- Kotua soon arrived at the Voltage. The Voltage flew away from the site, and stopped far from it. Kotua flew down again. He looked around. He noticed a gas station, and then he noticed a train station. Kotua walked towards the latter. Inside, Kotua noticed one of the trains was slowly picking up speed. Kotua ran towards it, hoping to help the people in it. The train took off, and Kotua stopped. He noticed two Security Bots behind, following him. "Hey, you!" said Kotua. Kotua held on to the Security Bot as it flew after the train. Kotua, the Security Bots, and the train mysteriously disappeared from the Voltage's radars, which seemed odd for a craft which had unscrambled radars. Kotua grabbed onto a handle of the train, and got on. Kotua kicked the door repeatedly, until he opened the door. Kotua looked inside. It was empty, just rows of chairs, and a restroom. Kotua walked towards the front of the train, wondering whether anyone was in front. Kotua ran to another rail car. It was empty. The train had several cars, and it was going to take a long time to get through them all... unless… Kotua ran on top of the cars. The Security Bots looked through the windows. After a while they were at the front. The engine was the only thing left. Kotua dropped to the engine, and walked to the door. He looked inside... THUD! ---- Databoard pulled out a laser and fired at the Mutant Lizard, which avoided it and tried to attack him again. Databoard got out of the way, but the laser was sent flying into the crowd of Mutant Lizards. He ducked to avoid the Mutant Dinos' jaws again, and leapt over it as it tried to bite at its legs. He tried to kick the dinosaur, but another Lizard leapt at him, forcing him to duck out of the way. Databoard leapt over another Mutant Lizard, and ducked to avoid another. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Voltage and Axel trying to fend off the Mutant T-Rex. More Mutant Lizards came towards Databoard, who tried to fight his way out of the attacking Lizards. He ducked as a Mutant Lizard leapt at him, which landed on another and knocking both to the ground. Databoard avoided more Mutant Lizards, and managed to get away from the Lizards. They followed him as he rushed towards Voltage, who was headed towards the Mutant T-Rex. It turned around and fired its eye beams at Databoard. He ducked out of the way and the eye beams sent the several Mutant Lizards went flying into the air. The Mutant Lizards now believed that the Mutant T-Rex had attacked them on purpose. They all began leaping at the T-Rex, who tried to ward them all off. More Lizards began coming and attacking the T-Rex. It was overwhelmed by sheer numbers, and it fled, pursued by the Lizards. Databoard snuck over to Voltage and Axel. They left the area before any Lizards came back. ---- Zero got his PDA and sent a message, hoping anyone was around. Nothing. "If I at least could fly around..." When Zero finished the phrase, he was surrounded by Mutant Lizards. "Oh great..." Zero shot nets at some of the Mutant Lizards, but not all. One was left, and it hopped into the Urban Avenger and spat fire in the net launcher. It was gone... "OH GREAT!" snapped Zero. Zero drove away, with the Mutant Lizard on his Urban Avenger. He suddenly stopped, and the Mutant Lizard fell off. Then, he sped again... driving over the Lizard. "I'm getting tired of these guys!" grumbled Zero. "I have to find a way of repelling them... Wait! That's it!" Zero drove back to Res-Q HQ. "If this building is still intact," he said to himself, "then something inside must be repelling the Mutant Dinos!" Inside, everything was deserted... but then Zero noticed some crates that were closed. "Let's see what's inside them... AAAAH! AAAAHHH!" screamed Zero. "WHAT... AN... AWFUL... SMELL!!! These are... rotten eggs? The smell should have scared the Mutant Dinos away... Well, no wonder! I'll just leave them here!" Zero got into his Urban Avenger again and drove away. "I'm glad I left that place. The smell was horrible!" Zero was still driving around the city thinking... Hmmmmm... I wonder where these Mutant Dinos came from! They could be hybrids of some other creature, maybe even aliens. I will try to find the other agents, and tell them my theory. ---- With grim resolve, Rex clenched one hand into a fist. No, he decided. It doesn't matter who I was. Now, I'm a Dino Attack agent. If I was one of the scientists who created the Dino Attack and planted this infiltrator among us, then I will find redemption by preventing this disguised mutant from ever accomplishing his evil mission. "So," Rex asked, "who is this Dino Attack sleeper agent? This 'mutant wearing man's skin'?" The phantom paused before replying: "You should already know by now, Rex. Don't you remember? You were there." "Enough with the riddles and mind-games!" demanded Rex. "You're right; you've gotten me to realize that I'm involved in all of this, but I don't remember! And while we're wasting our time here, they may be getting closer to completing their mission! You clearly know more than I do, so tell me, now!" "He's here," the phantom replied ominously. "Right in front of me." Rex spun around. He instinctively balled his hands into fists, as though he was ready to punch the sleeper agent in the face. However, he did not see anyone else in the alleyway, except for Trouble waiting loyally. "Where?" he declared, quickly turning around to face the phantom once again. "There's nobody there. This isn't funny, phantom!" "You weren't listening, were you?" the phantom replied. Rex glanced over his shoulder, back at Trouble again. "You mean Trouble?" he asked. "Look, I've known Trouble for a while now; I'm pretty sure he's just an ordinary Mutant Lizard. I mean, he has darkness powers, so he can't be one of the 'prototypes' you mentioned." The phantom sighed. "I never said behind you," he explained, "I said in front of me." Although it was dark, Rex could tell that there was no one else standing by the phantom. "You must be confused," said Rex. "I know now that I must have been one of the scientists involved in the sleeper agent program, but-" "I had tried to ease you into this revelation," muttered the phantom, "but you're clearly not getting it, are you? Then I must show you." The phantom approached Rex with surprising speed. He reached out and grabbed Rex's right hand; either the phantom's own hand was robotic or it was armored with a gauntlet, but either way it was an iron grip. Trouble screeched a warning, and Rex saw light glinting off a metal blade… just before the phantom sliced open Rex's palm! Rex screamed in shock. The phantom let go of his bleeding hand, and Rex clutched it against his chest. Trouble bared his teeth and was poised to attack, but the phantom raised his own hand and commanded the Mutant Lizard to stay with a strong, firm voice. "GAH!" Rex yelled. "YOU MEGABLOKING 4+ FIGURE! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" "I'm sorry," said the phantom, "but it's the only way to make you see. How do you feel?" "HOW DO YOU THINK I FEEL?" snapped Rex. "YOU SLICED MY HAND OPEN!" "But it doesn't hurt as much as it should, does it?" the phantom prodded. "The nerves, the blood vessels, they all seem real enough, but that wound would be a lot more painful if it was real." Rex breathed heavily as the phantom's words sunk in. Now that the phantom pointed it out, he realized that the pain he experienced was muted, like a sound he heard while covering his ears. It was more the shock and surprise of having his palm cut open than any real pain. "Are… are you saying…?" "Take a closer look at your hand." Slowly, Rex looked down upon his right hand. Yes, there was blood coming out of the wound, but not nearly as much as he expected to see. In fact, now that he looked closer, he could see… something… beneath his skin, exposed by the cut on his palm. It wasn't muscle, tendons, or even bone. His eyes widened, and he felt a shiver down his spine. Trouble watched with keen interest. He looked to Rex and whined softly. Rex couldn't help it… there was a morbid curiosity… an itch that needed to be scratched… now, he just had to know. With his left hand, he pressed two fingers into the open wound. He winced, but again the pain was not as strong as he expected. Peeling back his Minifig skin ever so slightly, he could now see what was masked beneath. A layer of tough, hard, black scales. The black scales of a Mutant Dino. ---- The Voltage flew over the train tunnel. Over the tunnel was water. "That's odd," said one of the survivors, looking at Kotua's last location. ***** Kotua awoke, and looked around. It was dark. He heard the train engine. What in the world? he thought. Suddenly the lights went on. It was night, and in front of him was Cane. "Missed me?" asked Cane. Kotua looked at him. "What do you want from me?" asked Kotua. "You didn't kill agent Rex. I'm disappointed in you," said Cane. "You didn't, either," said Kotua. The ShadowTech guards aimed their guns at Kotua. Cane waved his hand, and they lowered their weapons. "Don't try to shame me, or else," said Cane. Kotua jumped and punched Cane. The guards raised their guns, but Kotua grabbed Cane and used him as a shield. None of the guards wanted to fire at their boss, so Kotua stepped out of the train. The guards followed, and Kotua punched Cane and threw him over the train, and he screamed as he fell on the river. Kotua then threw himself as the guards fired at him. Kotua landed in the water. He swam up to the surface, and was surprised to see the train turn. The water belonged to an underwater cave, with a base built into it. While he did not see a body, Kotua saw red rise from the location Cane landed. "If you killed our boss, you're going to pay!" shouted one of the ShadowTech guards. Kotua swam towards some rocks, and tried to climb to the base, but he heard something swim towards him... something... mutated. Kotua continued swimming, but the thing was catching up to him. Kotua finally grabbed the rock, and climbed up. The guards rushed to get guns, and the mutated thing jumped out of the water. Kotua watched as the squid-like monster moved towards him. The mutant creature grabbed Kotua with one of its tentacles and plunged back into the water. Kotua struggled until he finally broke free of its grip. He continued swimming, and reached the surface. He climbed up a ladder that was there probably for small craft, and activated his jetpack... but it didn't work! ---- Dromus looked up, seeing that the communication tower was destroyed. Well, whoopie! I am here, don't know how many agents besides me are alive, and plus, there are loads of dinos here! Which I can probably handle better than the Voltage though. She wondered idly if Kotua was dead. And what about any other agents? Where they near the Voltage and blown up as well? Dromus, still worried about the other agents, started to see if she could find any in the wreckage. ---- "Okay, here's the plan," Voltage muttered. "Our mission is to find the non-mutated dinos and move them to a safe location." Axel looked a little surprised. "Why do we want to do that?" Databoard and Voltage stared back at Axel, dumfounded by his question. "Why do we want to do that? So no other dinos get mutated!" Voltage replied. "A good place to put them would be Creator Isle, but first we have to get the Mutant Dinos out of there first," Databoard suggested. "I can get some agents over there," Axel said. "Great!" said Voltage. "Data, let's get a T-1 over here." "I'm on it," Databoard replied. Axel radioed some agents to secure the dinos on Creator Isle. Databoard called for transport: "Databoard to base. We need a T-1 over here to get to Creator Isle." "Roger that, Data. We'll send one over." In minutes, a T-1 Typhoon landed at the nearest heliport - piloted by Snake of Spades and Hyrode, the weapons manned by Kai and Venom. Voltage, Databoard, and Axel hopped in the T-1 Typhoon and they flew off to Creator Isle. The journey was short and calm. When they flew over Creator Isle, there was no sign of any mutant dinos. They landed and saw a group of Alpha Team members coming towards them. "We've secured all the dinos," one of them said. "Not all of them!" Voltage yelled as three Mutant T-Rexes appeared. "Run!!!" ---- "Oh, Ole Kirk," whispered Rex. "No, no, no…!" His whole world was turned upside down. He felt as though he was about to faint. As the blood drained from his head, he grew dizzy and fell backwards. The phantom acted quickly, catching Rex before he hit the ground. "On your feet, soldier," he said. Rex stood back up. "This is impossible!" he tried to tell himself. "I'm dreaming. I'm not a Mutant Dino. I'm..." But he did not wake up, and the sliver of black scales visible through his open wound would not disappear. "Discovering your true identity… it's rather like a splash of cold water, isn't it?" the phantom remarked. "But I can see you're rather upset about it." "Rather upset?" repeated Rex, raising his voice and shouting again. "Why wouldn't I be upset? I just discovered I'm a Mutant Dino! One of the enemies in this war! I'm the villain!" Despite Rex's freakout, the phantom remained calm. "I know. When I learned who I really was… I was shocked, confused, scared. But, it was something that I needed to know… so that I could choose who I would become. I chose not to be the villain that I was destined to be… I chose to be the hero. "And now," the phantom continued, "you know who you are, and now you can decide for yourself who you will become. I would have told you sooner, but I needed to be absolutely sure it was you… I was not about to repeat the mistakes of agent Frozen." ---- Ammo climbed out of his Fire Hammer and examined the vehicle. What had caused it to stop? It seemed unharmed until... aha! He spotted some small holes in one of the front tires... wait, were those teeth marks? WHAM A small Mutant Dino slammed him to the ground. Dodging its attempt to take a bite out of his face, he managed to kick the creature off. He hoisted his Cosmotronic Ray off his back and sent a powerful blast at the dino, stunning it. After wrapping it carefully in a net, Ammo tossed the now-helpless creature into the trunk of his vehicle. LEGO City was miles away. He sighed and sat down, waiting for help to arrive... ---- The submarine captain watched from a security camera as the torpedo hit the wall Kotua was climbing. "Sir, Target has not been eliminated," said one of the soldiers. "WHAT!?" roared the captain. Then he noticed something fly out of the smoke. The captain reached for a radio. "Target has not been eliminated, begin aerial pursuit..." said the captain. ***** Kotua flew towards the ShadowTech base, when a missile flew past him. You'd think they would actually hit me instead of missing and warning me, thought Kotua. He flew lower, and turned at a building. The jet also turned, but there was no sight of Kotua, yet the radar indicated Kotua was nearby. Suddenly, Kotua shot out from under the jet. "Your pilot skills need work!" shouted Kotua. The pilot simply fired a missile. Kotua evaded it, and the missile struck a building. The jet followed Kotua, and readied the other missile. Suddenly two more jets joined the pursuit. Kotua flew into a glass building, and ran towards the other side of it. The two jets fired their two missiles, and the first pilot readied his missile. Kotua reactivated his jetpack, and flew off the building as flames consumed the floor. The first pilot flew around the building, and targeted Kotua. "You're doomed!" said the pilot, pressing the trigger. The missile launched, but it got stuck as its wires were glued to the jet. Kotua flew down again as the flaming pieces from the jet flew around him. A black T-1 Typhoon flew from its hiding spot and stated firing at Kotua, who flew down and into a tunnel. ---- Databoard, Voltage, Axel, Snake of Spades, Hyrode, Kai, and Venom traveled to Ogel's Island to search for Ogel, following a false lead pointing to the infamous villain as the Dino Attack's source. There, they were surrounded by Ogel Drones, pointing spears and firearms at them. "This is a trap! Now, hand over your weapons!" the commanding Elite Skeleton Drone demanded. "This isn't the end!" declared Voltage. "We will stop Ogel and his Mutant Dinos!" The Ogel Drones traded glances, and their empty eye sockets seemed to widen in fear. "The Mutant Dinos are enemies of the Evil OGEL Empire," the Skeleton Drone said, "and our own tech isn't enough to stop them. Why else do you think we want your weapons?" The Dino Attack agents escaped from the drones' trap. In the ensuing chaos, Hyrode was injured, Snake nearly fell off a cliff, and Databoard was separated from the rest of the team. Databoard rushed across the ruined forest, careful not to be seen by any Mutant Dinos. He wasn't careful enough, though. Five Mutant Lizards spotted him, and chased after Databoard. He ran faster, and the Lizards sped up as well. He turned around a corner and hid in a ditch. The Lizards rushed by, not realizing Databoard was hiding. Databoard then got up and turned around - to find himself face to face with a Mutant Raptor. Databoard turned and ran, but the Mutant Raptor could outrun him with ease. Databoard tried to lose the Raptor in a patch of dead trees, but it kept following him. Databoard looked for anything that could be used to distract the Raptor, he had nothing that would work. He jumped over a group of rocks, but that was not a roadblock for the Raptor. Databoard tried to outrun the Raptor, but it was gaining on him. Databoard ducked under several trees that had toppled over, slowing down the Raptor. As the Raptor ripped the trees apart, Databoard rushed away, and the Raptor saw him doing so. Databoard ducked around a corner, and found himself at the river again. Holding his breath, he jumped in the river and hid. The Raptor looked around for Databoard, but didn't see him. Databoard had been hoping it would leave, but it kept looking for him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold his breath... Databoard could hold his breath no longer, and the Raptor was still searching for him. He began to swim away, but then the Raptor noticed movement underwater. It leapt in after Databoard, who swam into deeper waters, where the Raptor could not reach him. Unable to hold his breath, Databoard surfaced. Then he realized he was headed for a waterfall. Databoard went off the edge of the waterfall and into the air. His fall was stopped when he landed on something. Unfortunately, he had landed on a Mutant Pteranodon. This just gets better and better, doesn't it? Databoard thought as he clung on to the Mutant Pteranodon as it tried to knock him off. The Mutant Pteranodon swooped low, doing all kinds of loops and dives trying to Databoard off it. He clung onto the Pteranodon as it swerved wildly. It began to speed up, trying to make it harder for Databoard to hang on. His grip slipped, and he went flying into the air. He then crashed into a dead tree and blacked out... ---- Kotua saw through his goggles (which he put on Night Vision), waiting for most of the ShadowTech agents to go to sleep. When he was sure, he sneaked towards the gate. Once in, Kotua walked through the base, until he reached the cafeteria. Kotua placed bombs on the vending machines (he also used the opportunity to steal some snacks and something to drink) and then walked to the quarters... Kotua ran out of the quarters, and fired at two approaching guards. Kotua ducked as a missile flew over him. Kotua shot at the soldier that fired at him, and then Kotua ran off. Kotua kicked a door open and ran to the gates, when a blast flew over him, knocking him to the ground. Kotua got up, to see tanks and other vehicles move towards him. He noticed guards walking past the cafeteria. A man in a grey suit looked at the destroyed building, and the dead soldiers around. Then he turned to face the person who did it: the chef. Kotua laughed as he saw the chef being dragged by soldiers, who thought it was his fault. Kotua walked back to the location where the Voltage was. Kotua swam into the craft, and flew out of there and back to Alpha Team HQ. The Voltage arrived near Alpha Team Antarctic HQ, but Kotua decided to fly the craft somewhere else and hide it deep in the snow. No one knew where it was, and no one could find it, except Kotua... ---- Voltage lifted Snake of Spades up from the cliff. "Are you... okay... what it that?!?!" Voltage asked, pointing to green goo on Snake's shirt. "What... Ew, sick!!" Snake shouted as he ripped off his shirt and threw it to the ground. "Earlier, I was investigating an abandoned lab, and I found a sample of this weird serum in a test tube… I guess the tube must've broken when I went over the cliff." Axel ran over to take a look at it. "That's disgusting!" "Don't worry; it's probably only radioactive sludge," Kai said. "Wait, what was that?" But it was too late. Axel had already spread the goo all over his fingers to look at it. The sludge started crawling up his arm, as if it knew where to go. Axel's arm started morphing, slowly, steadily, into a claw. In seconds, it had spread to his leg and neck, scales erupting in those places. "He's turning into a dino!!?!" Voltage yelled. Axel screamed. It started out as a scream, then turned into a roar. "We've got to get out of here!" Voltage yelled, starting up the Fire Hammer. Once again, the agents piled into the back. "Yeowww!" Someone had accidentally climbed onto Hyrode. Voltage had completely forgotten about Hyrode. That was a dino's favorite: wounded prey. They had to get out, and fast. ---- Zero decided to return to Enchanted Island for another mission. He met an Indigo Islander named Kothu, who told Zero to follow him. After reaching a village, Kothu showed Zero to King Kahuka. "Great King," explained Kothu, "I was walking around and found this person. He said he came here to fight the monsters! His name is Zero." "Ah, yes… We saw the monsters' arrival on the stars, days before they came," said the tribal chief. "Oh... but why have no Mutant Dinos reached this place?" asked Zero. "And why weren't you evacuated to Antarctica like the others?" "Well, this village is the Great Refuge, a land where no evil can enter," said Kothu. King Kahuka pointed to a large statue that overlooked the village. "The Tiki Golem watches over us and protects us," he added. "Well, I have some Mutant Dinos to catch, so I'll be going," said Zero. "If you ever need help," said King Kahuka, "ask the legendary golems. They are fighting the monsters. But, beware the Sons of Atukam… they are far more powerful than the other beasts." Then, Zero left the Great Refuge. Exploring Enchanted Island, Zero once again traveled along the sandy beaches, this time on his Urban Avenger. "Now, this is a lot faster!" he exclaimed. Then, he saw something ahead. And it was running toward him... ---- Kotua hid, and stole some materials at night. The next day, Kotua made a small boat. He pushed the boat out into the water, and he got on it. He took out the oar he made, and began paddling towards LEGOLAND. A storm passed over Kotua's boat. Kotua did his best to hold on to the boat and to the oar. He started to regret leaving the Voltage. Kotua continued holding, but now waves were splashing into him. His oar slipped. Now he was really stranded. The boat flew in the air and landed, making Kotua rise a few feet and then slam into the boat. Suddenly another wave hit the boat, and flung Kotua off the boat. Kotua landed on the water. He tried swimming, but the storm made it harder to swim back to the boat. ---- "So, Rex," said the phantom, "now that you know who you are, who will you choose to be?" Rex stared at the palm of his hand. He desperately wished that it was all just a dream, but in his heart he knew it to be true. It explained all the strange events he had encountered so far: easily breaking apart ShadowTech's handcuffs; poking out bars in the Voltage jail cell; the voices he was hearing around Mutant Dinos; even the Mutant Dino that showed up on the Voltage's scanner that no one was able to find. It was all him. Even his goal from the very beginning, his compulsion to join Dino Attack Team, was just a result of his mental programming as a sleeper agent. With grim resolve, Rex put on a pair of black gloves, masking the cut on his right hand. "They made me a Dino Attack agent," he declared. "Well, they should've been careful what they wished for. I will continue to be Rex, elite agent of Dino Attack Team, and I will help Dino Attack win this war. This is who I am, and I will no longer let my past determine my future. No one will ever know that I was anything other than a heroic Minifig." The phantom chuckled softly. "See, was that so hard? I've answered your questions about your past, and now you can answer your questions about your future, no matter where it takes you. With that being said…" "There's more, isn't it?" asked Rex. "It is still possible to reconcile your heroism with the monster within, just as I have. You can do a lot as a Minifig, but there are things that no man can do… but perhaps, a mutant can. Your disguise holds back your true strength, and you may need it someday. But, be warned: if that day comes, there is no going back." Rex nodded in understanding. "If I take off this disguise, I can't put it back on. The dino will be let out of the bag. But, if my brain really was modified… would I still be in control?" "I believe that you will," suggested the phantom. "You wouldn't suddenly go feral or become a monster. You will still be Rex, hero of the Dino Attack, even in the body of a Mutant Dino. Just imagine." Rex imagined himself with the full power of a Mutant Dino, the very creatures he admired and watched with awe. It did sound very tempting. He shook his head, clearing his mind of such thoughts. "No," he determined. "I will stay as a Minifig." "For now…" ---- Databoard awoke, hurting all over. He climbed out of the tree, trying to find the other agents. He had managed to get even farther from where the others were. He walked away to try and find anybody in the area. Databoard walked around, looking for anyone in the area. Some Mutant Lizards noticed the injured agent and moved closer to Databoard. He picked up the pace, not wanting to become their lunch. They leapt at him, and he ran as fast as possible. He turned around a corner, trying to lose the Lizards, but he wound up at edge of a very steep cliff. Databoard turned towards the Mutant Lizards that had surrounded them. One leapt at him, causing him to lose his balance and they both plummeted off the cliff. Databoard and the Lizard both plummeted about 50 feet down the side of the cliff. Databoard managed to grab hold of the cliff, but the Mutant Lizard was not as lucky. It plummeted all the way down the side of the cliff to the ground. Databoard looked up to see the other Mutant Lizards. He then looked down to see the 30-foot drop to the ground. He was literally trapped between a rock and a hard place. Databoard then remembered he had an emergency transmitter in a waterproof pocket. He took it out. With his free hand, and turned it on. With any luck, any agents in the area would pick up the signal and find him... ***** Bleeeppp! Bleeeppp! "Oh, what now?" Voltage muttered. He answered his radio. "Voltage, is that you?" "Data? Where are you?" "I'm in quadrant four and I'm surrounded by mutant lizards." "I'm in quadrant two being chased by an agent-gone-bad." "Kotua?" "No, Axel! He's been mutated!" Voltage replied, looking back at the pursuing Axel. The sunglasses he usually wore were cracked and broken, since Axel now had the head of a Mutant Lizard. That's when he lost contact. Voltage increased the speed to practically 153 MPH, crashing through trees. Apparently, Axel's mutant power was speed, because he was gaining fast. They broke through the trees onto a cliff, where they saw Mutant Lizards everywhere. Voltage threw on the brakes and they skidded to a halt. Axel, unaware of the sudden stop, smashed into the rear of the truck. For a second, Databoard thought the agents in the back were flung off during the drive, until Kai, Snake, Venom, and Voltage hopped out, guns in hand. Voltage shot his Sonic Screamer at one of the dinos, who collapsed and rolled off the cliff. The others were shot down by the other agents. "Data?" Voltage yelled. "Down here!" He heard a faint voice reply. Voltage got a rope out of his jacket pocket and threw it down. Databoard climbed up to the top. Axel-saur came poking its head into the rear of the truck, smelling the wound. When he went for a bite, Hyrode gave him a hard kick with his uninjured leg. It knocked him cold, but it also got some sludge on his foot. He scraped it off into a test tube soon, but not fast enough to avoid a claw sticking out of the sole of his shoe. Just great, he thought, now I have a broken leg, and I'm part dino. Maybe I should have taken that gig with Ferrari, after all. ---- Now, Zero could see that the "something" was a Mutant Lizard. As it was about to attack Zero, a large boulder knocked it out of the way. Zero turned around to see the source of the boulder. To his surprise, he saw one of the Indigo tribal statues, much like the one he saw at the Great Refuge. And it was moving! With its big strong hands made of stone, it reached down and lifted an enormous rock over its head. An Indigo Islander emerged from the jungle, with a bow and arrow at the ready. "Are you alright?" asked the Islander. "Um, yeah..." said Zero. The Islander introduced himself: "I'm Thu. Me and the golems are fighting the monsters. You'll help?" "Sure!" said Zero, laughing. "I came here to rescue you guys, but it looks like you are the ones rescuing me!" He saw that the Mutant Lizard was getting up again. Zero hopped into the Urban Avenger and slowed the Mutant Lizard down using a net, while the Tiki Golem hurled another boulder at the mutant and Thu fired an arrow from his bow. Soon, the creature was defeated. "Wow, that was some fight!" said Zero. "Thanks," replied Thu. "But more will be coming. It's better you find some safe place." "Alright... Thanks for the help!" said Zero. "You're welcome!" said Thu. ---- "Where are Hyrode and Axel?" Databoard asked. "I'm over here..." came a groan from the back of the Fire Hammer. "Axel's over there..." Hyrode pointed to a heap of scales on the ground. "Axel? What happened?" Databoard asked Voltage, walking toward Axel. "He was looking at some sludge and it mutated him." Databoard turned around to see Hyrode's claw-foot in his face. "Woah! He got Hyrode too?" "What?" the other agents said in unison, rushing over. It was true, there was a claw sticking out of Hyrode's foot. This just gets better and better, doesn't it? Voltage thought. "We have to get back to HQ," Databoard said. "They might be able to help them once we get there." They got Hyrode and the unconscious Axel into the back of Voltage's Fire Hammer, and they began driving away. Several Mutant Lizards appeared and began trying to attack them. To make matters worse, Axel woke up. Snake of Spades saw Axel wake up. "TIME TO GO BACK TO SLEEP!" Snake cried as he gave Axel a perfect uppercut. "Whoa. Where'd ya learn that?" asked Databoard. "Karate. I'm a black belt," said Snake, proudly. "Oh," said Databoard. Snake may have kept Axel unconscious, but there were still the Mutant Lizards to deal with. They leapt at the vehicle, trying to rip it apart. One managed to get onto the back and tried to attack Databoard. Before it could, it was pushed off the vehicle by agent Snake. It got up moments later, and tried to get onto the vehicle again. Hyrode groped toward the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher. This broken leg thing would take some getting used to. Gripping the trigger, he fired multiple blasts into the group. Voltage drove as fast as he could. The Mutant Lizards were gaining fast. He swerved through the trees, trying to find a T-1 Typhoon. "Agent Kai?" Voltage called. "Yeah?" responded Kai. "Radio HQ. Tell them we need a Typhoon, and fast!" "I'm on it." They broke through the trees and nearly smashed into the remains of the T-1 Typhoon. Voltage slammed on the brakes, swerving wildly. The Fire Hammer toppled over, sending agents, dinos, and dino agents flying. The car would have crushed him, if he had not been pulled out of the way by Kai. The Mutant Lizards surrounded the agents. "Mutant Lizards..." Databoard muttered. "Why is it always Mutant Lizards?" At this point, several Mutant Raptors saw the agents and came closer to see what was going on. "Do want to take what you said back?" Snake muttered to Databoard. "It could be worse. At least it's not Mutant Pteranodons," Hyrode said with difficulty. Suddenly, several shapes came swooping overhead. "Wanna go for T-Rexes?" muttered Databoard. "Wait a minute, those aren't pteranodons!" said Kai gleefully. "They're T-1s!" "Black T-1s," groaned Hyrode. "Not what we had planned." But it was too late for bickering now, as the choppers were closing in. "And I thought when I got up this would be a bad day..." Databoard muttered. The Mutant Lizards and Raptors were coming closer, and there were no escape routes Databoard could see. He grabbed a laser rifle from the Fire Hammer and readied it. He doubted they'd be able to fight their way out, but it was worth trying. More Raptors and Lizards arrived, making fighting their way out more impossible. Databoard looked up to see the ShadowTech T-1 Typhoons approaching, as did the Mutant Dinos. The Lizards came even closer, with the Raptors directly behind them. It was only a matter of time before one leapt at them. The agents were quickly running out of options. Everybody readied their weapons as the Mutant Dinos came closer. Databoard aimed the laser rifle, ready to defend against any Lizards that attacked. But then, the Mutant Raptors leapt over the Lizards knowing the agents would not be able to fight them as well as they would fight the Lizards. ---- Kotua opened his eye, and looked around. He had made it to some sort of island. He noticed there was a black building with yellow windows. The building had radars. Kotua walked around it, and entered the small building. It had various computers, buttons, and levers. Kotua sat on the only chair, and waited for anybody to come. Kotua stayed inside the building, which was colder than outside. Kotua looked around the computers, looking for any manuals of the equipment. Then he noticed a symbol on one of the computers. Three yellow upside-down equilateral triangles arranged in the shape of one large triangle, overlaid with a lime-green stylized capital letter "B". Blacktron? realized Kotua. ---- "Have you learned enough?" the phantom asked. Rex nodded. "Yes," he replied. "Good. Then my mission here is done." Then, the phantom took a few steps back and vanished back into the shadows of the dark alleyway. Rex could hear him climb back up to the roofs above, but he could not see the mysterious stranger leave. Now, it was just Rex and Trouble alone together. After a moment of silence, Rex took a deep breath and turned to Trouble, who was staring at him quizzically. He wondered how much of the conversation Trouble was able to follow; did the Mutant Lizard know that Rex was a fellow mutant? "Why do I have the feeling that we haven't seen the last of that phantom?" he wondered aloud. ---- After his exposure to Mutant Dino Serum, Hyrode fully mutated into a Mutant Lizard and was separated from the rest of his squad after saving them from a Mutant Deinonychus attack. Unlike Axel, Hyrode still retained his consciousness and identity, fighting back against the feral destructive nature that threatened to consume his mind. Unfortunately, he was unable to communicate with his teammates in this new form. As they traveled in pursuit of Evil Ogel, Databoard and his teammates found themselves battling Ogel Drones and Mutant Dinos in the swamp. Meanwhile, the mutated Axel was bound in rope and left safely in a nearby cave. ---- Night had fallen when Zero boarded a boat and returned to the sea. "Wow," he thought aloud, "good thing I brought this flashlight. But I wonder if any Mutant Dinos are around here?" THREE HOURS LATER "I'm sailing in circles! Oh, wait... What's that?" On the horizon, Zero saw the mainland, and the outline of a city... Zero arrived at Astor City. There, he stumbled upon an abandoned LEGOLAND military facility. While exploring the facility, he found a broken Hypno Disk and salvaged several suits of prototype high-tech suits of armor. Either not knowing that it was a LEGOLAND facility, or else not wanting the LEGOLAND government to know that he was snooping around their secret compound, Zero reported that it was an old Time Twisters hideout. ---- Rex was attacked twice by a rogue Alpha Team agent codenamed Phantom, who was piloting a modified Blizzard Blaster. Phantom was searching LEGO City for fellow Alpha Team agent Frozeen and demanded to know his location. Rex did not know where Frozeen was, but Phantom would not believe him. Piloting the Silver Scorpion, Rex managed to escape from Phantom. Shortly afterward, Zero met Rex after freezing several Mutant Dinos. Phantom returned and once again demanded to know where Frozeen was. When Rex relied on the Silver Scorpion for protection, Phantom taunted him and said, "It's always like this, isn't it? Every time you see me, you run to the Silver Scorpion like a scared kid! Because you can't fight without it!" Then, Phantom noticed that they were being silently watched by a figure in a G.E. Body: a cybernetic exosuit of powered armor originally designed as a life-support system by the Evil OGEL Empire. Phantom recalled that Frozeen once stole a G.E. Body from Ogel and had been using it for his own survival since Mission Deep Freeze. Therefore, Phantom abandoned Rex and chose to pursue the mysterious figure, believing that he had finally found Frozeen at last. Too late, Phantom realized that it was a trap. The person in this G.E. Body was actually General Evil: the brother of Evil Ogel, leader of the Evil OGEL Empire's drone armies, and archnemesis of Frozeen. "I know you're looking for him," said General Evil, "but I will not allow him to be found." Phantom was a skilled fighter. But with the four arms of the G.E. Body, General Evil easily overpowered Phantom in hand-to-hand combat. Defiant to the end, Phantom hissed, "Go ahead. Kill me. Put me out of my misery." General Evil responded with a sinister chuckle. "No," he whispered, "I think this will be much more fun. You may still be useful to me alive, but until then… you won't even know who you are." He took out a canister and sprayed Phantom with an airborne chemical that induced temporary amnesia. General Evil left to rendezvous with the other villains, leaving the confused Phantom to wander aimlessly. With no memory of his search for Frozeen or antagonistic behavior towards Rex, the now-amnesic Phantom decided to team up with Rex and Zero as searched for PBB in the Silver Scorpion. "Nice to meet you guys, what's your names?" asked Phantom. Rex and Zero traded nervous glances. To avoid potentially jogging Phantom's memory, they decided to introduce themselves under codenames: "I'm Peasam," said Rex. "And I'm Norik!" said Zero. ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Chapter 6: Ground Zero ---- Now, with the Mutant T-Rexes - and the mysterious voice - out of his way, Rex continued driving through the deserted city. The Voltage flew over Rex, who didn't realize it... Kotua watched the robots work, when one approached. <Sir, should we fire upon the vehicle below?> asked the bot. "Yes... " said Kotua. Suddenly a blast impacted the road in front of Rex. Rex stopped the Iron Predator before it fell down the crater. "Great," Rex muttered, "the one time the Voltage appears, I don't want it to!" Rex drove around the crater, but every time he got past one, the Voltage blasted another. Rex just had very good reflexes. And his Iron Predator had good brakes. Kotua watched Rex avoid the blasts. "Use the other turrets too!" said Kotua. The other turrets aimed, and fired. Rex looked up, and stepped on the pedal as behind him dozens of blasts hit. "Doesn't he ever run out of energy?" said Rex. "Chased by the Voltage, Rex?" a voice said on Rex's radio. PBB! "Yes!" Rex answered. "Let's see how well it defends itself against two vehicles!" Suddenly, the Pallas Athena appeared. PBB's plan was obviously to distract Kotua. The Voltage ignored PBB's airship and continued firing at Rex. Fifty missiles flew out towards Rex, and the blasts were big enough to destroy the Iron Predator on one hit. While the Voltage and Robo-Blades were impervious to damage, the missiles weren't. Cannons came out of the Pallas Athena's sides and blasted at the missiles, shooting them out of the sky. Pretty soon, they were all destroyed. Kotua wasn't happy about this. The turrets switched to rapid fire blasts, destroying the back of Rex's Iron Predator. Rex got out and ran as the blasts consumed the vehicle. "I'm going to kill Kotua..." muttered Rex. The Pallas Athena sent down a grappling hook. Rex grabbed it, and was pulled up. Then, PBB's airship disappeared in a blue warping vortex. "I must say, I love that warp drive!" said PBB, laughing. Indeed, it had saved them from being blasted by the Voltage. ---- Databoard and Dromus arrived at Alpha Team HQ. Databoard quickly rushed off to plan a battle strategy. There was no way he could take on all of Kotua's forces. He would need a few more agents, which would increase the chances of someone coming to the rescue of any captured agents. He then realized Kotua still had Rex's PDA, and could be monitoring the system for messages. He would have to find some other way of informing other agents. Databoard began pondering how to inform anyone about the attack he was planning. Most of the agents weren't around, and those that were here were no doubt afraid of the one who did what the Mutant Dinosaurs hadn't: cause major damage to HQ. Besides, there was still the matter of getting aboard the Voltage... Databoard was now working on the equipment for his mission. At the moment he was making a bulletproof vest-like piece of armor, coated with rubber to prevent attacks form shock sticks. He also had a more portable gas mask for combating the riot bots. He also built a more portable version of a beam shield disruptor to fight beam shielded bots. The only way he could be protected more was with a beam shield, which he didn't need. ---- "There it is!" another voice yelled. "The Voltage! Kotua's vehicle! Let's destroy it before it destroys us!" Kotua didn't hear this, but he noticed the Voltage surrounded by the lightning-shooting Mutant Pterosaurs, force-fielded Mutant Raptors, and laser-firing Mutant T-Rexes. The T-Rexes and Pterosaurs would be somewhat easy to defeat, Kotua thought, but not the force-fielded Mutant Raptors. "Jump!" said Kotua. The Voltage quickly charged and flew off, to stop on an ocean, far from the dinos. "This is not good, not good at all..." said Kotua. The Voltage flew back towards the city, ready to take down the dinos. Along the way, some Pteranodons tried to take on the Voltage, but the turrets blasts sent them into the water. Unbeknownst to the Dino Attack agents, satellites began moving, targeting agents and dinos in the city... Kotua saw the outline of the city. "If they attack, this time we won't retreat into the ocean... we'll activate the nuclear engines to take them down too..." said Kotua. The Voltage flew over the city, and soon Mutant Dinos ran after it, Mutant T-Rexes fired their laser eyes, and Mutant Pteranodons tried to attack the craft. "Fire!" shouted Kotua. The turrets aimed, and fired at the Mutant Dinos. The Pteranodons soon fell, but the T-Rexes were going to take longer to defeat. Kotua looked at the display screen on his chair. The Beam Shield was now weaker from the blasts. "Phase!" shouted Kotua, and the Deck Bots got to it. The craft phased, and the blasts went through, without harming the craft. The turrets continued firing at the Mutant T-Rexes. The Voltage un-phased, and continued firing at the T-Rexes. By now most were down, hit by the blasts. More Dinos ran towards the Voltage, but the craft easily destroyed them. Kotua watched as even more Mutant Dinosaurs approached. T-Rexes fired their eye lasers, while Pteranodons fired lightning bolts. "Destroy them all!" shouted Kotua. The front compartment opened, and fired, destroying the Pteranodons on the front of the Voltage. ***** Zero could make a net launcher out of some things he found at the HQ. "Well, this will do... I hope!" Then, he jumped into his Urban Avenger and drove into the city. While Zero was driving around, he saw T-Rexes firing lasers at the craft he saw earlier. "What now? I don't know if I help or run..." he wondered. "Well," decided Zero, "if he's so easily destroying dinos, then he's probably in no need of any help. I'm running away!" Then Zero ran away, hoping to find someone. ---- "I'm no mechanic," Rex said, "but I know that my Iron Predator's beyond repair." "Affirmative," PBB said. "There's nothing left except ashes." "I see," Rex said with a sigh. Rex and PBB captured many Mutant Dinos at Castle Cove, along with a few dragons. "I would like to know where the dragons came from," Rex said. "In western culture, dragons originated from medieval mythology and folklore, so it makes sense that they would be found here," PBB answered. "Somewhat," Rex added. "So, you told me your oldest, faintest memory was of scientists crowded around something, saying 'it thinks it's completely human!'" PBB said. "What were they looking at?" Rex laughed. "That memory... I'm not really sure if it's real. I don't remember what they were talking about. Maybe we were doing experiments with lab mice, and they got too smart! It still cracks me up thinking of all the things it could be!" ---- Snake of Spades saw Voltage fly slowly over them. With Kotua's attention focused on the Mutant Dinos attacking the craft, he fortunately had not noticed the Dino Attack agents yet. Then he remembered: he had a grappling hook on his belt. "Kai, Joey, let's hitch a ride," said Snake. Kai shook his head. "I don't think that will work," he said. "The Voltage is flying too high; we'll never reach it from here." "Dang it," muttered Snake. "I would've liked to surprise Kotua with a barrage of Sonic Screamers. Of course, he'd probably retaliate by sending Security Bots after us… but hey, it's the thought that counts." ---- Rex found it hard to concentrate on his work. Too many questions filled his mind. Why was Kotua still evil? Who was the voice? Why did it think that he was Kotua? What was the prehistoric plants doing all over the city? The prehistoric plants! He had nearly forgotten about them. Rex pulled the container out of his pocket, and walked towards PBB. "PBB, can you examine this?" he asked. "I'll try," PBB answered. "These are prehistoric plants, you know. Even Adventurers Dino Island and Adventurers' Island don't have prehistoric plants like this. How intriguing that you would find them growing in LEGO City." "Yes, that's why I'm asking you to analyze them," Rex answered, a little annoyed that PBB was explaining the obvious. "I was wondering if you could figure out where it came from." "I'll see," PBB said. He studied the plants while the airship returned to LEGO City. Later, PBB came back to Rex with the results. "I found nothing on these plants," he reported. "However, my databanks are lacking sufficient data on the flora of Dinosaur Island." ---- The Beam Shield was now at a low capacity. "I guess this is the end..." muttered Kotua. The craft continued firing, but most Dinos were moving too fast or were too strong to be defeated... The Voltage started shaking as the blasts hit it. "Ready the engines!" said Kotua. Immediately, maintenance bots put detonating devices on the engines, ready to cause the explosion at Kotua's command. The Voltage was now lower, as most thrusters had been destroyed. The turrets fired, but the dinos avoided the blasts, and some were resistant. Kotua walked to the engine room. He noticed bots moving about, preparing for impact… or an explosion... ***** Databoard saw the Voltage coming lower to the ground off in the distance. "What?" Databoard muttered. He grabbed his equipment and rushed down to his Fire Hammer, not even bothering with the fact the windshield was still broken. He drove off slowly, to avoid being noticed by the bots aboard. The craft stopped from falling down as it hit several buildings. Databoard noticed this, and knew that soon the buildings would collapse. Databoard kept a good distance away, not wanting to be around when those buildings went down. He was puzzled greatly by this move: why would Kotua go lower, when he was protected at the height? He continued to watch, deciding it would be best to figure out what Kotua was doing before he leapt into a fight. Databoard then noticed most of the side thrusters, which kept the Voltage airborne, were damaged. Databoard's eyes widened as the Voltage began to fall. The Fire Hammer shot into reverse, as Databoard would rather not get to close when it impacted. The Vehicle shot backwards down the deserted road, trying to get as far away from the Voltage. Databoard accelerated his vehicle, as Kotua's ship got farther and farther away... ***** Rex looked out the window. He caught sight of the form of the Voltage slowly lowering to the ground. "Kotua's up to something," he muttered, "or the Voltage has somehow been defeated. But if Dino Attack Team could not defeat the Voltage..." "Then it may have been Mutant Dinos," PBB suggested. "See what I mean?" Rex said, grinning. "The Mutant Dinos did turn out to be helpful in the end! Although these ones probably aren't my tamed dinos..." ***** Kotua arrived at the engine room, and noticed the bots had already set up everything. "If we don't impact soon, then we'll have to do this," muttered Kotua. The buildings fell as glass shattered, and the Voltage fell, slowed only by the few working thrusters... <Sir, an airship is flying closer. It meets specifications.> said one of the bots. "Good, PBB won't escape this time..." said Kotua, lifting a case... with a red button. <Looks suspenseful, no?> said one of the bots. "I SAID DON'T PAINT THE BUTTON!" shouted Kotua. The robot frowned, and flew off. ***** "We'll have to move closer - just a bit - to see what has happened with the Voltage," Rex said. "If it was defeated, then it would be damaged. And Mutant Dinos everywhere. Pleasant." "Try not to get too close to the Mutant Dinos," PBB warned. "Even though they helped defeat the Voltage, they're still not friendly." The Pallas Athena flew closer to the form of the falling Voltage. Sure enough, the closer they got, the more the Voltage appeared to be damaged, with scorch marks indicating lightning blasts from Mutant Pterosaurs and laser vision from Mutant T-Rexes. "Looks like Kotua got what he deserved!" declared Rex. The turrets on the Voltage aimed at PBB's airship and the retreating Databoard. The turrets glowed, and fired green blasts. PBB was surprised when the green blasts hit the Pallas Athena, slowly melting the impacted spots. Databoard sped up, trying to outrace the blasts. All around him there were explosions, destroying parts of nearby buildings. Databoard was pushing the vehicle to its limits to avoid the blasts. He kept racing backwards as blasts barely missed the Fire Hammer, sending smoke and rubble everywhere. ***** "Begin the operations!" shouted Kotua. The Voltage was flying few feet above the city, Beam Shield out. Kotua flipped a few switches. "It's time," he said. ---- Agent Radia was walking outside Alpha Team HQ, when various blasts hit the HQ, destroying its communications equipment. Radia was surprised, and unfortunately didn't notice the second batch of blasts.... More military satellites fired, taking down communications towers and equipment across the world. ---- Cane noticed the Voltage flying close to the ground from a black T-1 Typhoon. "I can't believe he's risking losing the craft," muttered Cane. ***** Databoard had been so busy avoiding blasts he hadn't noticed an unfinished on ramp directly behind him. His vehicle shot off the ramp, and into the air. The Fire Hammer crashed into a nearby building, leaving a hole in the wall. Moments later, blasts hit the building, bringing it to the ground... At the demolished building, all was silent for a long time. Then, a hand burst out of the rock, followed by the rest of Databoard. He dragged himself out of the rubble and hid in the shadows. He had been injured very badly when the building collapsed, and he was lucky to have survived. Databoard slowly got to his feet, but the unbearable pain forced him back down. Databoard glanced at the Voltage. They hadn't noticed he was still alive, giving him a chance to escape. He would have to get back to HQ, despite not having a vehicle and the fact he had been hurt in the crash. This could be hard... Databoard thought. ***** "This is not good," PBB muttered, "not good at all. Our communications are down, and parts of my airship have melted. It seems Kotua wasn't defeated after all." "We have to get away," Rex said. "Even if Kotua was defeated, the Voltage would make an explosion or something on impact to the ground. We have to get out of here!" As a former Evil OGEL Empire airship that was captured and rebranded by Alpha Team, the Pallas Athena was very easy to see flying through LEGO City. Which was why it attracted the eyes of many Mutant Dinos. Mutant Pterosaurs began blasting lightning at the engine, while Mutant T-Rexes shot at the sides with laser eyes. But, when Rex activated the Warp mechanism, the Mutant Dinos accidentally shot each other instead. Then got mad at each other. Then started violently fighting one another. Then... well, you get the picture. ---- While Zero was driving around, he started to think. Hmmm... maybe these Mutant Dinos have different breeds and variants found throughout the globe... But where I can find different mutants to study? Well, there is this island called Enchanted Island, and I've heard that there haven't been many missions there yet... I'll go there for research! On the boat to Enchanted Island, Zero moaned: "Ohhh... I'm getting seasick..." The moment he reached shore, Zero cried, "AHHHH! LAND!" He was REALLY seasick, and he was about to lose his lunch. "Alright... now where I can find some Mutant Dinos? I'll start in the jungle." After finding multiple species of Mutant Dinos, Zero finally got lost. "Well..." he said to himself, "I got Mutant Dino DNA. Now, I have to get back to HQ. I just need to find the boat... I'm sure I'll find it soon! I just need to walk along the beach." Three hours later, Zero was still walking along the Enchanted Island coastline and was no closer to finding his boat. He moaned, "Ohhhh... I'm thirsty... and hungry... I could really use a SANDwich..." Then, he saw something. A large statue, and rising smoke... Zero discovered that the statue was built by the Indigo Islanders, the natives of Enchanted Island. There appeared to be the remains of a camp, though it was abandoned. He was not sure if the Islander had simply moved on, or worse. Still, what was important was that there was still good food at the camp. After finding the camp and food, Zero also found the boat. "Ohhhh... I'm getting seasick again..." he moaned. ---- "This thing's going to need to be repaired," Rex said, "before we end up crashing." "I know," PBB answered. "What about your Iron Predator?" "I'm probably going to build a new, custom version of it," Rex said. "Instead of the Cryothermic Cannon, it shall have a huge cage attached to it, big enough to carry a Mutant T-Rex. It will suit my needs a lot more." Rex was throwing nets at a few Mutant Dinos that were on Ogel's Island. PBB kept grumbling, "Why did we have to come to Ogel's Island?" "It's got a large humid swampy jungle," Rex answered, "the perfect place to catch a few Mutant Dinos!" "What I mean is: of all the places we could have gone, why did you have to pick the island base of my mortal enemy?" clarified PBB. Rex grinned sheepishly. "Oh, right, you're from Alpha Team. Well, if there's one good thing about the Dino Attack, the Mutant Dinos most likely destroyed Ogel's base!" "I guess that is true," PBB conceded. "Once we defeat the Mutant Dinos," speculated Rex, "this place will be refined into a great vacation resort! And no more Ogel!" PBB raised an eyebrow skeptically. "This place, a vacation resort? Really?" ---- Kotua pressed the button. ***** Databoard was arriving at HQ, when an explosion rocked the whole city. Databoard looked back, and noticed mushroom cloud. "This is bad, very bad" said Databoard. Shadow also noticed it. "We have to evacuate quickly..." he said, running to call the rest of the agents on the city, before he remembered: the comm tower was destroyed. Databoard got into a nearby Fire Hammer and glanced at the cloud. "Kotua, you madman..." Databoard muttered to no one in particular. "This is your solution? Cause mass destruction and hope it takes care of your enemies? That's not the solution to anything." He then drove off in his Fire Hammer. Databoard drove along the city, and could see the smoke clearing. The whole area was demolished from the explosion. And there was rubble everywhere. Kotua would have destroyed any Mutant Dinosaurs in the area, but also anything else in that area as well. Great solution, Kotua... Databoard thought. Databoard didn't notice the probe, which silently followed him... ***** "Did you hear that?" Rex asked. "Hear what?" PBB said. "That noise?" "What noise?" "Didn't you hear a faint boom?" PBB shook his head. "No, I didn't." "Grr..." Chompy growled. PBB glanced at his saurian partner. "Chompy heard it too," he explained. With a smile, he added: "He usually is not this agreeable. I'm assuming you two get along very well together." Rex shrugged as Chompy grunted. "Well, most of the time he runs off on his own." Rex hoped that it was the Voltage that exploded, but that hope lasted only for a second. What if there were prisoners aboard? What if there were Dino Attack agents nearby? They would've died. "This isn't good, not good at all," Rex muttered. ***** Kotua watched the explosion from Ogel's abandoned space base. "Without towers, they can't inform the rest, but most probably saw the explosion..." muttered Kotua. He turned to look at the whole crew of the Voltage buzzing around, fixing the station, adding teal paint, adding weaponry... Kotua watched as every agent drove off. "Oh well, at least the dinos won't be around the city for a while," muttered Kotua, when he saw the remains of the dinos around the Voltage. "We should try it again someday," he said to the cookbot next to him... ***** Rex, by now, had caught five Mutant Pterosaurs and eleven Mutant Lizards during the return trip to LEGO City. But he could still not take his mind off worrying about the Dino Attack agents - and Mutant Dinos - that were near the explosion. Did most of them survive? Or did more die? "Well, with the communication down," Rex said, "we can't call every Dino Attack agent and find out if they're all right." "I know," PBB said. "One good thing led to a bad thing. The Voltage being defeated was the good thing, but the fact that we are ignorant on what happened and who survived is the bad thing. The whole LEGO City population of Mutant Dinos and Dino Attack agents could've been wiped out!" "And our evidence of prehistoric plants has been destroyed," Rex added. PBB activated the Pallas Athena's cloaking device, then Rex flew the airship very quietly and slowly towards LEGO City. It was the only way to receive news on what happened, and he wanted to rush in as quickly as possible. But he didn't want to attract Kotua, so he only went very slowly and quietly. At first, Rex and his friends did not notice much of a difference. Then, they began noticing smog. Then buildings that were getting shorter the further they went. Then, burnt Mutant Dino carcasses were everywhere. Finally, they found the ashes that were once the Voltage. But, no sign of dead Dino Attack agents. "Looks can be deceiving, you know," warned PBB. "We might not see any, but there might be a dead agent, or potentially injured agents who are still alive and in need of rescuing. We need to do a more thorough scan." Rex, PBB, Chompy, and Little Bot (who somehow made it aboard) scanned the city for any sign of alive, injured, or dead agents. So far, they only found Databoard to be alive, according to the scanners. But the scan wasn't complete when a laser was shot at the airship. Rex turned around to see Mutant T-Rexes. ***** Databoard turned on his PDA. He couldn't make long range communications, but he could find out if anyone was still alive in his area. He began typing out a message: IS ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE? AGENT DATABORD After transmitting the message, Databoard put the PDA away, doubting he'd get any response. Suddenly Databoard's PDA beeped. He got it. Someone had responded, but not what he expected. YOU MAY HAVE ESCAPED THIS TIME, DATA, BUT NEXT TIME I WON'T BE AS NICE TOWARDS YOU KOTUA Databoard frowned, and was going to put it away when it beeped again. There was no message, but a spot on a map, indicating somebody was nearby. Somebody probably buried under the rubble... ---- The new Voltage arrived at the International Space Station. Construction bots opened the airlock and entered, followed by Security Bots and Kotua. The bodies of the astronauts floated there. In all the chaos of the dino attack, earth had forgotten them. They obviously ran out of food, which explained one missing astronaut. "And Rex says the Dinos are good. They caused this. They deserve to be extinct again. I will make sure that happens," Kotua said. He floated to the dock, and noticed a shuttle. "That will greatly help us fight back against the dinos, and their allies," said Kotua, opening the airlock, and floating into the shuttle. Everything seemed intact, but that was the inside. He floated back out the shuttle. "Check the shuttle. If it is missing anything, fix it. Oh, and arm it with at least five blasters," said Kotua. ---- Then, as its crew scrambled to respond to the Mutant T-Rex attack, the Pallas Athena was filled with chaos and panic - and lots of noise. "Let's get out of here!" "GRR!" "Where did it come from?!?" CRASH! "Bep!" "OW!" "Someone get to the controls!" "Grr..." Chompy ran to the controls. Having claws instead of fingers, it wasn't easy for the T-Rex trying to steer the airship. Rex threw his remaining "cage spheres" at the Mutant T-Rexes to capture them. But, when there were three T-Rexes left, Rex ran out of cage spheres. Chompy, trying his best, flew the airship away from the Mutant T-Rexes, but they were close behind. The Mutant T-Rexes chasing the airship were roaring loudly. Somehow, over all that noise, Rex could hear that mysterious voice again: "You'll never escape us! Earth is ours, and forever shall be ours!" This was the first time Rex heard the voice in the presence of someone else he could talk to, so he whispered to PBB, "Do you hear him?" "Who?" PBB asked. "A voice," replied Rex. "Rex? What voice?" "Didn't you hear it? Someone was shouting rather loudly just now." PBB shook his head, and he seemed very worried. "Rex, I didn't hear any voice. But, I must warn you. Hearing voices is not a good sign." Rex threw everything he could at the Mutant T-Rexes. Including papers, chairs, a model elephant, spoons, forks, dishes, a clock, and a strange orb that was white, blue, and red in color. Nothing did anything except the strange orb, which froze one Mutant T-Rex in place within a block of ice. PBB stared at the frozen Mutant T-Rex. "Where did you get that Ice Orb?" he asked Rex, speaking in a low voice that sounded surprisingly intimidating coming from the robot. "I found it back here in the supplies," Rex answered. "That was an Ice Orb?" "They are very dangerous," PBB said. "If you had missed, then the results could have been catastrophic." "Well, we need to stop those two remaining Mutant T-Rexes," Rex said. "With or without any Ice Orbs." Cannons came out of the airship's sides. They blasted at the pavement directly in front of the Mutant T-Rexes; they could have easily shot the T-Rexes themselves, but PBB respected Rex's wishes to keep them alive. The mutants tripped and fell, giving the Pallas Athena enough time to escape. "That solves that problem," Rex said. ---- After the ride, Zero drove to the city just to find everything more destroyed than before. "Wow, looks like a huge explosion..." he murmured to himself. Zero stopped at a Dino Attack Outpost. "Alright," he said, "I'll leave the dino DNA samples here. If that really was an explosion, then someone might be injured." And he sped toward the city, once again. ***** Databoard drove up to where his scanners indicated someone was. He got out, but kept a laser ready, not wanting to fall into a trap. He looked around for the person, ready to grab his laser at a moment's notice. "Hello?" Databoard said. "Anybody out there?" He doubted he get any answer, given the person was most likely buried. Databoard began looking around for any place where anybody could be buried. He heard somebody moaning in pain, and walked slowly to where he heard it. A building, an apartment. Databoard began lifting the rubble he could, hoping he could rescue the person. Databoard glanced at the laser, just to make sure he still had it. He then continued moving rubble, but it was taking a long time. He tried to move a large chunk of rock but it would not budge. Reluctantly, as Databoard did not want to risk harm upon whoever was in there, he took out the laser and destroyed the rock. The building shook, and it might collapse soon. Databoard pushed away more debris, trying to work as fast as possible. All of a sudden, a Mutant Lizard leapt through the window at Databoard. He aimed the gun at it and fired, but the Lizard avoided it with ease. It leapt at Databoard knocking the weapon from his hand. He kicked the Mutant Lizard with all his strength, knocking it off him. He then grabbed the laser and aimed at the lizard, but missed again. Before Databoard could fire again, the Mutant Lizard knocked him to the ground. His laser landed just out of reach, but Databoard was more concerned about holding back the Lizard's jaws. He kicked the Lizard, tripping it and freeing himself. He grabbed the laser and aimed again. The Lizard leapt at him, but he managed to fire as it did. He hadn't been able to him the creature directly, only enough to stun it. After seeing that it hadn't sustained major injuries, he sealed the creature off with pieces of rubble. It would hopefully hold it off until he rescued the trapped person. Databoard returned to the pile of rubble, working fast to clear away the rubble. All of a sudden, what was left of the building began to collapse. He rushed out a door as more rubble came down, making it harder to get to the person. Databoard groaned, then began clearing through the debris. Databoard continued to move the rubble of the building. "Are you still alive down there?" he shouted. Databoard could hear someone moaning beneath the rubble, so he took that as a 'yes.' Databoard blasted a slab of rock that he could not move, and continued to search through the debris. Databoard continued to move the rubble away. He then looked around to see if anyone else was around to help him, but aside from the occasional injured dino, there was no one. He had doubted anyone would be in the area, though, as this whole section of the city was flattened, and most of the agents had left after the explosion. Databoard turned his attention back to the rubble, and continued moving it away. Databoard slowly lifted another chunk of rock and moved it aside. He had cleared about a foot or two of rubble, but he still had a while to go. He began to push another rock away. It would take forever to clear rocks like this, and he would have to find a faster way. Unfortunately, he could not do anything else without risking injury to the trapped person. ---- Zero was driving around the town, when he saw another craft: the Pallas Athena. "Wow, another ship..." murmured Zero. "Maybe the guys in there are good, because these T-Rexes over here just fainted..." Then he started to call the airship... ***** Rex looked for other Dino Attack agents. He hoped that he could find someone other than Kotua. If nothing else, he was so relieved that the Voltage was finally destroyed. "The scanner is still looking for more surviving agents," PBB said. "Well, if Data is the only agent still alive, I'd be concerned," Rex said. "Sure, Data's great, but how can just two people hope to defend themselves and the entire world against a whole army of Mutant Dinos? That's why we need a team." Then, Rex spotted movement on the ground. "Hey, look!" he said, pointing below. "Agent Zero!" "You said that just before the scanner picked him up!" PBB remarked, and then he laughed. "Does he need a ride?" wondered Rex. "We'll see!" promised PBB. The scanner kept going, and after a while, it picked up Kai, who was headed in PBB's direction. PBB assessed the damage caused by the Voltage and Mutant Dinos. "Unfortunately, my airship is too damaged to offer transport to other Dino Attack agents," he reported. "I cannot risk more deaths aboard this airship should it get destroyed. Therefore, Rex, I'm going to have to let you-" "You're kicking me out of the airship?!?" Rex said. "You're crazy!" PBB smiled. "Not too crazy, but I have a plan-" "Throw me out and get me killed by Kotua. Great plan," muttered Rex. PBB sighed, then he walked over to a button and pushed it. ***** Alpha Team agent Crunch shivered as he patrolled Antarctica. Thank goodness that Mutant Dinos didn't come here, he thought to himself. Then, I'd have to deal with both dinosaurs and freezing cold. Suddenly, the snow in front of him erupted. Crunch just barely dodged the flying rocks and snow. He gasped at what was in front of him: it was a giant silver mechanical scorpion. The giant scorpion shifted into flight mode and then flew out of Antarctica. Crunch was bewildered. Was this Ogel's doing? Or something else? Crunch walked back to Alpha Team HQ, when he heard a whirring sound. "Don't move," said a voice behind him. Crunch turned around, taking out his laser pistol. He saw a robot dressed in the likeness of agent Frozeen, which he recognized as one of the robotic duplicates of Alpha Team agents that were created by the villainous Dr. Voltage during Mission Deep Freeze. He thought they were all decommissioned, and yet… "Warned you," said Robo-Frozeen, raising his gun... ---- Databoard was exhausted, but he had no time to take a break. He slowly moved another rock, but it was rather tiring. He still had much rock to clear, and he didn't know how much oxygen whoever was down there had left. He gradually moved another rock away, stopped to catch his breath, and returned to shifting through the rubble. After clearing about five feet of rubble, Databoard was very exhausted. There were still about three-or-so feet left, and that could take more time. Databoard pulled out a laser cutter and made a small shaft into the rubble so that whoever was down there could breathe. After spending a few minutes catching his own breath, he returned to clearing rubble. Databoard pulled aside another chunk of rubble. He was almost to the person, as the moaning was getting louder. He managed to shove away another chunk of rock. He moved chunk after chunk of the debris, getting closer by the minute. He lifted the last chunk of rubble to find a cop. Databoard put down the piece of rubble, pulled off the rest of debris, and dragged the cop to the Fire Hammer. "More... inside..." muttered the cop, who was badly wounded. Databoard looked back at the building. He doubted anybody else survived.... ---- Kotua floated back to the new Voltage. Construction bots took the Space Station's solar panels, along with other tools and equipment. Other construction bots studied the shuttle so they could make another. Kotua floated on the Voltage, and noticed construction bots struggling with a door. Apparently, the door was marked with the emblem of the Evil OGEL Empire. Kotua walked to the door and punched it open. The door broke off its hinges. "You bots are getting rusty," he said, before entering the room. Kotua looked around the room. He noticed something. ---- The silver scorpion mech landed next to the Pallas Athena. Rex looked out the window. "What in the world?" he asked. "That, my friend, is the Silver Scorpion," PBB explained. "It once belonged to Ogel and General Evil, but Frozeen and I have stolen it from them. It is practically indestructible. There was only one weapon powerful enough to penetrate its armor, the Valesk Cannon, and that was destroyed by Kotua two years ago during Alpha Team's last mission. Now, without any weaknesses, the Silver Scorpion is indestructible. Even the Voltage can't destroy it. So, use it, and be safe." Rex hopped into the Silver Scorpion's cockpit. This vehicle would have to do, at least until he repaired his Iron Predator. But now, he needed to get used to the controls… A Mutant Raptor turned around. It caught a glimpse of the Silver Scorpion crawling down the street. Growling, the Mutant Raptor followed it. Suddenly, the tail of the scorpion mech swooped down, knocking over the Mutant Raptor. "That was cool!" said Rex, laughing. ***** Zero watched the Silver Scorpion with interest. "Wow," he remarked, "that silver scorpion thing is cool! But that airship looks too damaged... Hmmm, I got a pen and a cardboard here..." Then, Zero wrote on the cardboard in large letters: YOU CAN USE MY URBAN AVENGER'S PIECES TO FIX YOUR SHIP? AGENT ZERO Zero realized that, even writing in big letters, getting the cardboard visible to the Pallas Athena was going to be hard. He tried to think of another way to communicate with PBB. Zero tossed aside the cardboard and thought about what PBB could see. "I think I remember seeing a spare PDA at the ruined headquarters... I'll go get it!" ---- Flex ran out of Alpha Team HQ as an angry Charge chased him. "I won't do it again!" said Flex, before tripping over something. Flex quickly got up. Charge noticed what Flex had tripped over. He walked to it, and pulled it out of the snow. It was Crunch, tied up. Apparently, somebody had stolen his gear. Soon, Alpha Team agents – Dash Justice, Flex, the still-angry Charge, and Crunch – walked through what they guessed to be Robo-Frozeen's path, and found a Tundra Tracker missing tires, cockpit glass, drill, and the computer equipment. Plus, it seemed somebody re-painted it with a spray can. "Wonder who did this," said Dash. "Ogel?" said Charge. "Dr. Voltage?" said Flex. "Some sort of robot..." said Crunch. ---- Kotua watched the first Evil Orb go down towards the Earth. "Soon those Dinos will wish they hadn't messed with me..." muttered Kotua. Kotua watched Earth through a window. "I wonder if we can make part of the old Voltage fly again," said Kotua. Kotua floated into the new Command Deck. "How's it going?" asked Kotua. "Everything is going according to schedule, sir," said the bot. Kotua noticed some construction bots testing the beam shields and other equipment. ---- Robo-Frozeen ran back to Dr. Voltage's base. There, the other Robo-Agents lay. Kotua had awakened Robo-Frozeen, and he knew what Kotua wanted. Robo-Frozeen, of course, also had some fun doing his job. The Robo-Agents ran to Dr. Voltage's vehicle room, which had many different vehicles. The Robo-Agents dismantled most of Dr. Voltage's vehicles, and they sent the metal into space to Kotua. The last vehicle left on the hangar was a hovercraft big enough for the Robo-Agents to ride. The Robo-Agents climbed in and flew towards another part of Dr. Voltage's lair, which had spare metal. "Oops," said Robo-Frozeen. "We'll send it now," muttered Robo-Subzero. ---- Inside the remains of the old Voltage, Guardian finished re-assembling himself. He floated out the craft, and used a small antenna to search for anybody nearby. He received coordinates, and flew to the location, which was very close. ---- PBB looked at Chompy. He could tell that the T-Rex was worried. "It's okay," PBB assured Chompy. "Rex seems to be doing fine. And remember, nothing can destroy the Silver Scorpion, so he's safe. Okay?" Chompy nodded. ---- Databoard doubted anyone else was in there, but he couldn't just leave. He rushed over and began moving more rubble, dragging debris away. But it was taking too long, and he didn't know how far buried they were. He would need help, and he would need to get it fast. Databoard rushed back to the Fire Hammer and searched for anything he could use to request assistance. His PDA, without the communications tower, didn't have a wide enough range. He soon found something that might get someone's attention: a flare gun. He aimed the flare gun and fired into the air. Hopefully, an agent that in the area would see and come to investigate... ***** At the HQ, Zero quickly found the PDA. "Here! Now, I'll try to contact someone..." The first person Zero tried to contact was Rex. REX? ARE YOU THERE? -AGENT ZERO When he sent the message, he saw a flare. "Well, I'd better check it out!" ***** Databoard continued digging. As he progressed deeper into the rubble, he found another person. It was another man, but this one had no heartbeat. Databoard placed the body near the Fire Hammer, and continued digging. Guardian turned at a corner. Databoard heard a sound, like fans rotating. He quickly grabbed his laser and turned around. Guardian activated his Beam Shield when it noticed Databoard aiming at it. "Back off!" said Databoard. Guardian did not respond. Databoard aimed the laser. "I said BACK!" Databoard shouted. He knew such a weapon would have no effect on the Guardian, but it was better than nothing. The Guardian knew that fact as well, and looked unconcerned at the laser aimed at him. "Keep away, Guardian," Databoard said, began backing back towards the rubble, but with no change of expression. He had no way of fighting this metal monstrosity, but he wasn't about to back down. He considered explaining he was in the middle of a rescue mission, but he doubted the Guardian would care. He didn't know if Guardians could feel compassion, so explaining would be rather pointless. Guardian hovered there, and after a few minutes hovered away, seeking something. Databoard just stood surprised, and then continued searching for others. Normally, Databoard would wonder why the Guardian would just leave, but he had bigger problems at the moment. He moved more rubble, trying to find anyone else buried under the debris. Databoard continued to move rubble away. He had cleared away much of the debris, so any trapped people would have to be nearby. He pulled a chunk of rock away, getting closer to any trapped people with every rock he moved. He pushed another rock out of the way and returned to digging through the rubble... ---- The Robo-Agents flew over the ocean at high speeds. Since they were robots, they flew faster than any human could go.... ---- Viper looked around while driving the Iron Predator. Specs also looked around, gun ready. They had evacuated most agents and people, but they had no idea where some agents were. Suddenly a small craft flew over them, and hovered away.... ---- Databoard had slowly cleared away much of the rubble, with only little debris left. He moved chunk after chunk of rubble, slowly moving it outside the ruins of the building. He tried to drag a large chunk of rock, but it was too large. Rushing to the Fire Hammer, he grabbed a laser cutter and reduced the chunk into smaller debris, which would be easier to remove. Databoard was dragging the debris when he heard someone walking towards him. "Miss me?" said a voice. Databoard looked up to see Robo-Databoard standing there. "What do you want?" asked Databoard. "For you to be dead," said Robo-Databoard, aiming his blaster. "Why can't I get at least a day without somebody trying to kill me?" muttered Databoard, raising his blaster. Robo-Databoard looked at the debris. "What happened, you drove into the building?" asked Robo-Databoard. "As a matter of fact, this building collapsed when Kotua blew up everything in this entire area," Databoard replied coldly. "And if you don't mind, I'm in the middle of a rescue mission." "What, to rescue more Dino Attack agents?" Robo-Databoard replied. Databoard didn't answer, as he didn't know who was buried under there. Robo-Databoard was about to destroy the real one when a Mutant Raptor leapt at them. Robo-Databoard began firing at it, but the blasts were deflected by its force field. Databoard hid behind a rock so the Raptor wouldn't notice him. Robo-Databoard continued to try and shoot the Mutant Raptor, while Databoard quickly began digging through the rubble. ---- LEGO Island was a mess. The island had once been Voltage's home, before they were driven out by the Mutant Dinos. But now he stood in the remains of the Pizzeria, awaiting orders to attack the dinos running loose on the streets. "Lieutenant Volant, do you copy?" said the voice through his radio, the static growing louder. "I hear ya' loud and clear, Commander," Voltage muttered. "Commence attack on dinos." "Roger that" he replied, stuffing the radio back in his jacket pocket. Crouching behind the sign that read 'Pizzeria', he dodged through the rubble, occasionally checking his GPS unit. The dinos were close. Possibly too close. He was now somewhere near the Information Center. The dinos were by the wall adjacent from him. He drew out two pistols. Cautiously, he leapt out from the wall and shot the three Mutant Lizards. They slumped against the glass and slid down. These were tranquilizer darts, so they were only stunned. "AAAaaaaaahahahhhahh!!!" "What the heck was that?!" yelled Voltage, startled. In the distance he could make out a Mutant Lizard inching toward something on the ground. Voltage sprinted to the spot and shot the dino with a tranquillizer dart. "Dude, my pizzas were ineffective!" said the person on the ground. "Pepper?!" exclaimed Voltage. "Yeah, I sorta need to get to Antarctica, dude," said Pepper Roni. "We'll get you there. I'll call a chopper," He pulled his radio back out. "Commander, Pepper Roni is here on LEGO Island we need to get him back to Antarcticaaaa!" They were knocked backwards by the powerful foot of a giant Mutant T-Rex. Voltage dove for his laser rifle. Pepper scrambled out of the way as Voltage shot multiple blasts at the massive dino. One of them hit its eye. Blinded, it swayed for a moment and fell, heading right towards Voltage, Pepper, and the Fire Hammer. They both scrambled in the car. "Drive, dude, drive!!!" yelled Pepper as they sped away. There was a huge crash as the dino fell through two solid layers of concrete. "My work is finished here," Voltage said to Pepper. "You can either stay here or come with me to Antarctica. I have a job to do with the Alpha Team..." "Go to Antarctica, dude," said Pepper. "We're just a few miles from a heliport," said Voltage. ---- No answer from Rex. Zero decided, "I'm going to call him later... What's that?" From afar, he could see the communications tower was destroyed. "Well, that's why I didn't get any answer..." A while after, he reached the place where Databoard was and saw a robot firing at a Mutant Raptor. He also saw Databoard digging. Databoard saw agent Zero rushing over. "What's going on?" Zero said. Robo-Databoard managed to get away from the Raptor and started firing, forcing the two agents to duck out of the way. The Mutant Raptor leapt at Robo-Databoard, forcing him to stop firing. "No time to explain," Databoard said, tossing the laser rifle to Zero. "Just try and keep him from getting too close." Robo-Subzero arrived at the scene. Programmed with the ability to shoot blasts of ice and cold from his hands, he froze the raptor solid and then walked towards Databoard. "You can't hide forever..." he said. Databoard grabbed the laser rifle back from Zero. "There's an injured cop in my Fire Hammer," Databoard said. "Get him as far away from here as possible." Zero nodded and rushed off. Databoard then stepped into the open, laser in hand. The two robots moved in on Databoard, but he kept the laser rifle ready. The other Robo-Agents appeared behind Robo-Databoard and Robo-Subzero. "Give up!" shouted Robo-Subzero. Databoard fired, and Robo-Diamond fell to the ground, as his main components were hit. Databoard realized these did not have Beam shields "Go away or you'll suffer the same fate!" said Databoard. The Robo-Agents ran away. "That was too easy," muttered Zero, who was carrying the cop. "Yeah... too easy," muttered Databoard, returning to the rescue. Then he stopped. "There should be a Res-Q HQ nearby right?" "One of the few surviving buildings," said Zero. "Bring their equipment!" said Databoard, returning to digging... Zero was driving around, trying to find the Res-Q HQ. "Well, it should be around here... There!" For Zero's surprise, the building was almost intact! "...Weird. Ah! The equipment..." He loaded them into the Urban Avenger and rushed to meet Databoard. Zero soon returned with equipment from the Res-Q HQ. Databoard took a jackhammer and began drilling through rubble. He was very careful as he did, as he didn't want to risk drilling into anyone trapped in the rubble. He made fast work of the rocks in his path, and quickly moved the remaining debris out of the ruined building. Zero returned from a second trip to Res-Q HQ, with a portable generator, medicine, medical equipment, and some lights, as night was beginning. Databoard and Zero cleared away much of the rubble in the building. Lights had been set up around the area, and the cop was lying on a medical bed Zero had brought in. Databoard stopped looking through the debris to check their progress. Most of the rubble had been cleared away at one end, but there was more to clear on the other side. He then returned to digging. Two Mutant Lizards watched the two agents digging. More Food!.... ---- Kotua noticed more metal come in. "Great," said Kotua, turning to look for a construction bot. Kotua looked at the space station, floating in space, mostly now in pieces as Kotua had ordered to take it apart. The Voltage was now space-equipped. He looked back at Earth. "I wonder if I really used every part of the engine...." muttered Kotua. ---- Voltage and Pepper arrived at Antarctica shortly after. Pepper trudged off to find Luna Rom and Snap Lockitt. Alpha Team HQ was closer than he thought. The towering walls of the frozen base seemed to camouflage with the snow. Voltage drew out a badge from his jacket pocket. He held it up to the ID scanner. "Agent Voltage, 22, Dino Attack Squad," Voltage said. He used to be an Alpha Team agent during Mission Deep Freeze, so the computer would automatically remember him in. "Enter," it replied in its mechanical voice. A door slid open in the wall. Voltage ran inside. Dash Justice was waiting in the doorway. They almost collided. Dash got right to the point. "We're going to send you off to Dinosaur Island with one of our agents and one of your fellow agents." "Great! Uh, who?" asked Voltage. "Axel is a new agent. And you know Databoard?" Voltage nodded. "We've met before." "You three will go tomorrow at noon," reported Dash. "Well, bye then!" ---- Snake of Spades saw the Silver Scorpion. He turned on his walkie-talkie. "Rex, I've got a chaos call coming from Enchanted Island. I think a... T-REX!!!" screamed Snake. Rex continued his path. He heard the mysterious voice again. "What's that? It's an intruder! Destroy it!" "Let him try," muttered Rex. "If not even the Voltage can destroy this, then Mutant Dinos can't. I think now I'll be able to catch Mutant Dinos better than ever now!" Rex continued patrolling LEGO City, looking for Dino Attack agents and Mutant Dinos. In the meantime, he looked at all the controls in the Silver Scorpion: Homing Missiles, Scanner, Auto-Drive, Tail Controls, Claw Controls, Drilling Rockets, Ice Cannons, and others. Rex noticed some movement down on Cherry Road. The Silver Scorpion marched down the street. He came to a huge pile of rubble and debris. According to the vehicle's scanners, something was buried inside. Using the Silver Scorpion's claws, Rex removed the rubble to reveal... Lord Sam Sinister von Barron, Evil Ogel, Lord Vladek, and the Brickster! Four of the world's most notorious LEGO villains, all huddled up and cowering together. Rex had no idea what they were doing in LEGO City, but they must have been trapped in the debris resulting from the Voltage's explosion. Rex considered covering them with rubble again, but before he could do so, a Mutant T-Rex leapt over the Silver Scorpion and walked towards the scared villains. Part of Rex wanted to just leave and let the villains get eaten. But then, another part of him thought: You want the Mutant Dinos to live. You think this because you know that dinos, mutant or not, have lives too. So why are you just going to leave these villains behind? They have lives, too. Perhaps you can strike a deal with them... save their lives, they won't cause any more villainy... Rex didn't save the villains; their henchmen did. A giant airship flew above them. It was black and red in color and decorated with an enormous skull on the front, clearly the emblem of the Evil OGEL Empire. A grappling hook, operated by Ogel Drones and Shadow Knights, was sent down to grab their masters, while Brickster-Bots and Sam Sinister's henchmen manned the airship. Soon, the villains escaped. Rex muttered, "Well, at least that means I don't have to save them..." "Psst," a voice whispered. Rex turned around to find... Trouble? ---- One of the Mutant Lizards leapt at Databoard, who barely got out of the way. He flung the jackhammer at it, but its jaws made quick work of it. Databoard reached for his laser, only to have the Lizard leap at him, knocking the weapon from his hand. He got out from under the beast, and rushed over to the rubble. He grabbed one of the smaller chunks of rock hurled it at the Mutant Lizard, which simply avoided it. While Databoard and Zero dealt with that Lizard, the other sneaked up, and sniffed around where the agents were digging. Food... Databoard grabbed his laser and began firing at the Mutant Lizard, which dodged the blasts. Databoard then ducked out of the way as it leapt at him, and he fired at it again. It avoided them again, and then attacked Zero, who ducked out of the way and began throwing pieces of rubble at it, but ending up only making it mad. Both Mutant lizards jumped at the agents. Databoard fired as one was in the air, catching it by surprise. Zero tried to do the same thing, but only angered the other lizard. Databoard ran at it and fired at it. It looked up and jumped at Databoard, but Zero fired at it. "Whew, that was close. And something: never throw rocks at Mutant Lizards..." said Zero. "Well," said Databoard, "if the Mutant Lizard was looking for food, then there's really someone down there." "You're right. Let's keep digging." Both agents continued removing the rubble for a while until Databoard noticed another person, a woman, also trapped. Databoard moved closer. She was unconscious. Databoard dug out the unconscious woman and put her on a medical bed. He then returned to searching through the rubble for anyone else. He continued to clear away the debris and rocks, trying to see if there was anyone else still alive. "Hey Data," said Zero, while they were digging. "Maybe now you can tell me what's going on here? I thought only Mutant Dinos were attacking the city, but I saw two huge airships flying around." "Well, there's a certain agent Kotua," Databoard said, "who went a little a little nuts and is trying to kill us all. One of those ships is his, called the Voltage. The other is the Pallas Athena, which belongs to someone known as PBB, AKA Purple Brickster-Bot. I know both of them from when I was in Alpha Team." Databoard then returned to digging. ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Chapter 5: Search and Rescue ---- The Security Bots continued to pull Rex away, when Rex noticed a water bubbler. Apparently, even Kotua could get thirsty aboard this ship. He walked over to it, and one bot hit him hard in the chest. "What was that for?" he asked angrily. "All I wanted was a small drink of water." "Halt!" the bot commanded. "No drinks for you!" "All I wanted was a drink," repeated Rex. "None!" "Please?" asked Rex. "No!" "Why not?" asked Rex. "I'm no use to Kotua as a prisoner if I die from dehydration!" "Because, well... alright. Go ahead," the robot finally relented. Rex poured water into a cup. But, instead of drinking the water, he threw it at the Security Bots, causing them to short-circuit. Then, he ran. ***** In the Building Bots room, chaos was everywhere. An airborne chemical had suddenly filled the room, going into the Building Bots' innerworkings and causing them to rust. The malfunctioning robots were going crazy. Little Bot sat in one corner of the room, smiling to itself. "I beppit beep!" it beeped proudly, having warned the Building Bots not to mess with it, but of course they had not heeded his warning. Then, the small robot ran out into the hallway. ***** "Time for reinforcements..." said Kotua. Guardian IV phased, and walked towards Rex... ***** PBB sent the Multi-Pod speeding towards the ship. "Head towards the command deck," Databoard said. "Get their attention." Turahk-Kal looked at him like he had lost it. "You're insane, have I mentioned that?" Turahk-Kal said. The pod zoomed towards the ship, flying close enough to the command deck to wave 'Hi' to the bots inside. Databoard heard a sound. He turned to look, and gasped. "No, it can't be!" said Databoard. "What can't be?" asked PBB. "BladeBugs," said Databoard. Like rapidly-spinning saws, the BladeBugs flew towards the Multi-Pod, their blades ready to turn them into shreds. PBB piloted the Multi-Pod away from the BladeBugs. "This is bad," Databoard said. "I had no idea Kotua had sided with the BladeBugs..." He was cut off by a BladeBug, which tried to slice its way inside. "What do we do now?" Turahk-Kal shouted, as yet another BladeBug tried to get to them. As if it wasn't bad enough, the BladeBugs released the Child BladeBugs, which were armed with beam blasters. The Child BladeBugs flew towards the pod, firing. Databoard felt the Multi-Pod shaking as lasers pounded its hull. The pod wouldn't last very long, unless they did something. A blast tore a small hole in the craft, but did not hit its three occupants. The pod was pushing the limits of its engines as it flew along the side of the Voltage, trying to outrace the impending doom. The pod could take no more damage, and it was slowly losing power. "We can't take this anymore!" PBB shouted. The Multi-Pod was spinning out of control, careening towards the side of the ship. The craft pulled up at the last second, but the beam shield managed to take part of the bottom off as they did. Something glided through the sky and landed on Databoard's smashed Multi-Pod. He thought it was a pteranodon but he had a small hunch it could be... "GLIDE!" the hooded Dino Attack agent announced himself. "Reporting for duty! Need to rescue Rex? Take these smokescreen spheres!" With that he took out one of his own, threw it on the ground in front of him and was gone in a puff of smoke, but he left a handful in Databoard's lap. Databoard looked at the spheres Glide had given them. He knew how to use them, based on how Glide disappeared, but didn't know how much use they would be against the robotic enemies. Still, he had run out of options. He threw one to the floor, and he suddenly found himself inside the Voltage. Apparently, Glide's smokescreen spheres were equipped with teleportation technology, which explained how he so easily disappeared whenever he used one. Moments later, Turahk-Kal and PBB followed. Outside, BladeBugs tore up the Multi-Pod, unaware no one was inside it. ***** Rex and Little Bot collided. "Good to know that you're safe," Rex said. "Now, we need to find a way out of here." "Beepy!" cried Little Bot. "What?" Rex asked. He had no idea how PBB could understand this thing. "Beepy!" Little Bot repeated. "Beep beppit boo!" "You two escaped?" asked a voice behind them. Rex turned around to see Kotua glaring at him. "Uh-oh..." whispered Rex. Guardian IV walked towards Rex and Little Bot. "This isn't good," muttered Rex. "Beep bepity boop," said Little Bot. The wall opened, and Kotua took out a sword. "Your escape ends here, traitor!" said Kotua, charging at Rex. Rex moved out of the way as Kotua tried to stab him. Little Bot wasn't winning against Guardian IV, which was hanging the bot upside down and banging on it. Rex dodged another one of Kotua's attempts to stab him, and then Rex kicked him. Kotua stumbled back, but then he ran again at Rex. Rex backed up a bit and ran at Kotua, who raised his sword to bring it down in a slicing motion. Rex felt the sword make a small cut on his arm. Fortunately, it was not a deep cut, but now he was wounded and bleeding. Kotua immediately brought back his sword, and tried stabbing him again. Rex, weaponless, was forced to dodge Kotua. Little Bot tried shortening Guardian's circuits, but Guardian's fragile components were protected by thick non-rusting metal. Kotua ran at Rex and swung his sword, forcing Rex to run the opposite way. Kotua chased after him. Finally, Rex kicked a security bot, grabbed its shocker spear, and ran back towards Kotua. Rex activated the spear, and fired an electricity bolt, shocking Kotua. Kotua recovered quicker than Rex expected, and swung his sword. Rex dodged the sword, and shocked Kotua. Kotua ignored the electricity, and swung his sword again, cutting Rex again. Rex ran off, while Kotua stayed behind. Rex looked back, and was surprised to see Kotua not chasing him. Kotua, of course, put the weapon back and took out a blaster... ---- Rev looked at his small built-in calendar on the dashboard. His Fire Hammer was okay (enough so to run) and he couldn't believe he was alive after 12 days of being unconscious in a damp cave. He remembered saying, "At least Kotua wasn't captured again," just before a black T-1 Typhoon came up behind and blasted the rock he was on. He skidded down into a cave after debris hit him and he could barely see, and then they shot the overhang and trapped him as he fell into darkness. He felt the bump on his head. It was still throbbing, and when he touched it, he felt it start to bleed. He tried to turn on the car, only to hear a strangled sound and the battery fail. Headlights, he thought. I left on my MegaBloking headlights when I collapsed. He knew the calendar battery would be enough to get the same result with the car. I'm doomed, Rev thought only for a second when he realized he had GPR (Ground Penetrating Radio) that was on a separate electrical system than his car. "Mayday, Dino Attack Agent Rev Raptor buried in cave near a small city that roughly 12 days ago was bombed, barricaded with no car energy and substantial head wound which left me unconscious for 12 days, over." Rev wasn't sure his mayday was heard and he tried it again. He started to fall asleep so he tried to get his Sleep-Free Pills but the glove compartment was electronically locked. Rev finally knew why he had a machete and a hammer in his car. He placed the blade in the groove and tapped it until it could stand on its own, and then smashed it hard as he could, and the compartment fell open. Still no sign of anyone coming. "Mayday, severe head wound, dysfunctional car, barricaded in a mountain cave blocked by rocks, bleeding head wound, likely infection. Mayday, freaking mayday, over." Finally, a familiar face arrived to rescue him. "Having a little trouble?" Sereve asked. "Usually, I'd call you a showoff 4+ figure, but my engine doesn't work, I've got a bleeding head wound, and I need to see a medic within 3 hours or..." Rev then collapsed. ---- Databoard, PBB, and Turahk-Kal snuck down the corridors of the Voltage. "Do either of you know where you're going?" Turahk-Kal asked. "I mean, we've been going around for a while now." "Simple, we find Kotua," Databoard said. "Find Kotua, we find Rex." "I was worried you'd say that," Turahk-Kal muttered. Databoard looked around the corner to see if any security bots were coming. Seeing none, he signaled to the others. They had been searching for almost ten minutes, and still they hadn't found him. "How do we know he's even on this ship?" Turahk-Kal said. "He could have gotten Rex's PDA-" "Shhhh!" PBB shouted. "Do you hear that?" Databoard and Turahk-Kal, not having advanced hearing like the FMB-Bot, shook their heads. "That way!" PBB said, rushing off, followed closely by the two Dino Attack agents. The agents and PBB ran, when suddenly Guardian appeared, holding Little Bot in one hand. <Surrender, fools.> said Guardian. "Uh oh," said Turahk-Kal. "What if we don't?" Databoard shouted. Guardian motioned to Little Bot. <I'll crush your friend like the tin can he is.> Guardian said. <So surrender!> "Very well then," Databoard said. Turahk-Kal was confused, but PBB knew Databoard well enough to know he was daring, but knew when the odds were against him. And PBB also knew Databoard always had a backup plan. Guardian looked right at Databoard, apparently recognizing him for the first time. <Traitor Located: Destroy!> said Guardian, activating its Beam Rifles and firing at Databoard. Databoard ducked as the Guardian fired. Security Bots appeared with shock staffs, and they fired at PBB and Turahk-Kal. "Hey, what part of surrendering don't you understand?" Databoard said. "Specifically the part about not blasting us to bits!" Databoard pulled out a laser rifle and began firing at it. The blasts did little damage against the Guardian, who moved towards Databoard, beam rifles ready. Guardian activated its Beam shield and continued firing at Databoard, ignoring PBB and Turahk-Kal. The Security Bots activated their beam shields, and began firing at PBB and the two agents. <Surrender, fools.> said Guardian, firing missiles at them. "I told you, we surrender!" Databoard said, avoiding a missile. "Is your circuitry fried or something?" Another missile rushed towards him; only by ducking at the last second did he avoid it. More missiles flew at him, blowing holes in the wall. If this kept up, the corridor might collapse. Guardian stopped firing, and walked towards Databoard as the Security Bots floated towards PBB and Turahk-Kal. Databoard aimed his laser rifle at the Guardian's head. Before he could fire, the robot hit him with its free hand, knocking him into the wall. Then Guardian picked up his laser and crushed it in its hand. Throwing the useless weapon aside, it moved towards Databoard. While Turahk-Kal and PBB were taken away by Security Bots, Guardian brought Databoard to the command deck. There, he was confronted by Kotua, who mocked him for his futility. Then, Kotua left Databoard in the custody of Guardian. ***** Turahk-Kal was locked in a cell and about to be gassed to death. Rex found the security bot overseeing the poisonous gases, so Rex stunned the robot with the shocker spear long enough for PBB to disable the gas and free Turahk-Kal. After arming himself with a shocker spear, Turahk-Kal joined PBB and Rex in confronting Guardian and rescuing Databoard. Rex, Turahk-Kal, and PBB distracted Guardian long enough for Databoard to break free of the robot's grip. The team started to battle the Guardian and Security Bots, while Databoard attempted to work out a plan on how to use the microphone to stop Kotua. Kotua was by now back on his chair, effects of the microphone far away to harm him... ---- The BladeBugs flew down to the HQ, where they began shredding everything in sight. Scratch that, this REALY stinks, Dromus thought. Now, shortly after surviving the encounter with that Mutant Raptor pack, she found herself attacked by BladeBugs. She desperately wished she had her chain. As if in answer to her thoughts, her long silver chain came flying through the air. She caught it, bewildered, and saw the Raptors she had tied up, now freely on the rampage. They stampeded through the saw-like robots, not giving them time to react, stepping on them, squishing them flat. They let out almost simultaneous howls of pain from the spikes and collapsed, one by one. Dromus let out a whoop of joy. "THANK YOU, LADY LUCK!" she screamed. Then she saw the moaning Raptors, and her heart gave a pang of pity. She knew that the scavengers would be here, in the heat of battle soon, to eat them alive. No creature deserves that she thought. Pulling out her gun, she put them out of their pain. Dromus started driving around again, talking aloud to help her think: "What stops these things? I may not be so good with a gun, but how can I stop them with what I have? Clearly, they aren't living beings, I tried talking to them, they must be robots. The only thing I can think of offhand is homing missiles, and I don't exactly have those handy... They're robots, that must be their weakness, how can I use it against them? Robots..." She continued musing: "Gotta disable their circuitry... water! Of course! Water will short-circuit it! And I always bring a big thermos with me. Cool!" And feeling substantially cheerier about all this, she continued driving fairly aimlessly. Dromus was still driving around when more BladeBugs flew in. She threw water at them, but it only splashed them, as their circuitry was hidden deep underneath the armor plating of the BladeBug. They tried shredding her, but Dromus drove out of the way, firing at them... Why won't they leave me alone!? Dromus thought. She also thought some explicit words that would not be allowed to be mentioned on a family-friendly website. Nothing seems to work against these, other than dinos squashing them. What can render them useless? Finally, she pulled out a large knife out of the glove compartment, and threw it, hoping to cut off the spikes, or at least their tips. The knife hit the BladeBugs, but it bounced off harmlessly. Dromus drove off, but the BladeBugs followed, trying to shred her. After a while of chasing her, the BladeBugs flew off, to hunt something more defenseless... ---- Guardian brought back its hand, and fired missiles at Databoard. PBB took down two Security Bots, and three flew towards him, spears ready. Turahk-Kal fired at the bots, but these poured in to fight the agents. Databoard brought the shock spear down onto a security bot, then kicked several into a wall. He ducked to avoid a missile, which destroyed several bots behind him. <Surrender!> the Guardian shouted. Databoard avoided another missile and then charged at it, destroying all the security bots in his way. Turahk-Kal glanced upward. Did a Minifig with wings just fly overhead? Weird. Rex noticed the wings were connected to a backpack and realized that it was just a jetpack. The jetpack was worn by Glide, who was gliding over the bots toward Databoard. But, one bot held its shock spear high enough to zap Glide, who fell out of the air and landed in front of the Guardian. More bots closed in and shocked him with their spears. Guardian simply reached down, picked up Glide, and flung him across the room. In the air, Glide yelled to Databoard: "Get Kotua, and then get out of here!" Then, Databoard saw him slam into a wall and fall to the floor, unconscious. The Guardian slammed Databoard into a wall, and he tried to drive his shock spear into its shoulder. He did very little besides create a large scratch on the robot. Databoard was flung across the room again, crashing through several security bots as he did. The Guardian leapt at Databoard again, and he rushed out of the way. Databoard readied his shock spear as Guardian charged again. He leapt onto its back, attempting to drive the shock spear into its main systems and short the robot out. Unfortunately, the Guardian knocked him off, causing Databoard to crash to the floor. The Guardian fired another missile, but Databoard dodged it. The missile destroyed a nearby security bot. Guardian phased and flew towards Databoard. Databoard ran the other way. PBB fired more bolts, but the Security Bots activated Beam Shields and fired back with Beam weapons. "This isn't good," muttered Turahk-Kal. Guardian continued firing at Databoard, and prepared to fire electricity bolts... Rex dodged one of the Security Bots' blasts. He spat at the robot, in a last-ditch effort to try short-circuiting it with his own saliva. Unfortunately, the bot effortlessly deflected the hopeless attack with its beam shield. More Security Bots pulled in and continued firing at the agents. By now, fifty Security Bots were there, firing at the agents, which were forced to drop the spears and dodge the blasts as fast as they could. Databoard dodged the blasts coming at him. "This is fun," Databoard muttered to PBB. "I was staring to miss everybody wanting to kill me." The Guardian flew at him again, and he dodged it. It fired an electricity bolt at him, which he quickly dodged. He then dodged an attacking security bot, which wound up being hit by another bolt. Four Security Bots jumped on top of Rex and tried to crush him, but PBB managed to trick other Security Bots to fire blasts at them. Databoard looked around. The odds were turning against them fast. "What do we do?" Turahk-Kal said. Databoard dodged another security bot. "We run!" he shouted. The four rushed away from the security bots, PBB shooting energy-fire behind them to slow any attackers. A Security Bot tried to attack Databoard, but he grabbed its shock stick and flung it into the wall, taking its shock stick. He began using it to fight whatever bots attacked him. They were headed towards the hangar to try and escape using Robo-Blades. More bots attacked, and they continued to retreat. Rex was lagging behind, not being such a good runner. He always got cramps on his feet and sides when he ran. One security bot pushed Rex right through a metal railing, and he hit his head hard. "Why is it always me and metal?" Rex muttered before he blacked out. ---- When he woke up, Rev found himself in the most sanitized bed he'd ever seen, inside a Dino Attack outpost. "You're gonna be fine, Rev. They've given you a patch to heal up the scratch and reduce swelling," Sereve said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "Well… usually, I'd call you a showoff 4+ figure, but you saved my life and waited here till I woke up, so I'll pardon that," Rev said. After a minute, he groggily added, "Something hit me like a 50-pound rock." "I found a blood-covered rock that was exactly 50 pounds," Sereve said. "I owe ya me life," Rev said, reverting to his Scottish accent with the pain. "Forget about it," Sereve said. Since his Fire Hammer had been wrecked in the cave, Rev had decided to remodel it. First, he replaced the battery and found out how lucky he was; the gas tank was so damaged, it's amazing it didn't blow up, so that was the next to go. He ended up replacing some systems so that he'd use gas up slower and reach higher speeds. Then he updated the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher with some new modes, increased radio distance and got an attachment for a smoother sounding GPR. Rev painted it so it looked like its old self and then installed the cockpit glass from a T-1 Typhoon on there. Rev's hands were now black from grease. Now, he was Revvin' to go. Rev got behind the wheel and turned the key, only for the engine to sputter out and die. He groaned. His Fire Hammer was still not working, despite the extensive remodeling. "I'll be able to fix your damaged engine easily," said Tex "Tech" Holdem, a fellow Dino Attack agent stationed at the outpost. Rev sighed. "I wish I could believe you, Techie, but it's too busted up. It's beyond repair." "Nah, nothin' is beyond repair. You just have to set your mind to it." Tech then walked over to the engine section, holding a monkey wrench in his hand. He got right to work, with the rhythmic percussion of clanging metal ringing through the garage. In a few minutes, the engine was better than new. "Or you could hit it a few times with a wrench and have several university degrees in fixin' things," said Tech. Rev nodded, impressed. "Usually, I'd call you a showoff 4+ figure, but you fixed my vehicle. I guess I owe you both one." "No need," said Tech. "Helpin' you out is enough. Right, pardner?" "Well, I'll still have him owe me," said Sereve. "Come on. Let's get out of here," said Rev. And so, the two friends left the garage. ---- "Don't look now -- look behind you," said Kai. Snake of Spades turned and saw the T-Rex towering over him. "Focus on the big guy. The little ones can be taken care of later," said Snake. He turned and saw the Mutant Lizards already lying in a pile on the ground. "Spoken too soon?" said Joey, de-cloaking his Ice Glider for a moment. "Ready your weapons!" yelled Kai as the T-Rex took a step towards them. Kai and Snake blasted repeatedly at the T-Rex, using a few tranquilizer darts and other whatnot. Joey used his cloaking to sneak around the T-Rex and shoot it in the back. Soon, the T-Rex was out cold, leaving the Pterodactyls, which were being taken care of by Joey's Blue Eagle. Snake of Spades had an idea. He hopped into the Urban Avenger. "What are you doing?" asked Kai. "Helping Joey," Snake whispered. Snake saw something that resembled a ramp. He hit the gas, flew up the ramp, and fired his Sonic Screamer a few times. POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! Down went the Pteranodons. "Thanks!" yelled Joey. After Snake and Joey landed, they heard a SLAMMMMMMM! They looked up and saw the Voltage flying above them. "Uh-oh," they said in unison. "Anyone else think that 'The Imperial March' should be playing right about now?" asked Snake. "Because it totally should be." "Let's get out of here," suggested Kai. "After all, I think Sereve might be just about ready for our help." ---- Dromus continued driving around, passing by a steakhouse. Abandoned, by the looks of it. Recently though, she thought. She looked at a puddle of water. It vibrated. And again. She could hear: Whomp! Whomp! Over and over. She looked up. And peed in her pants. "Eep." There was a big Mutant T-Rex. This is not my day. Mustering up all the confidence she could, she told it to go away. It responded with a simple grunted "No." There is NO WAY I can fight this. A sonic screamer isn't going to do anything. Mind racing, she tried to think of a way to make it go away. It lunged at her, mouth gaping... And she dodged. This continued for a while, until she started to tire. Then she figured it out. She could practically the click in her head. "Don't you smell that?" she asked. "Do you smell that meat?" she asked again, indicating the old steakhouse. "There's way more there than on me." The T-Rex stood, apparently considering. "It's probably still warm," she added. The T-Rex left for the steakhouse and Dromus drove away as fast as she could, hoping she met no BladeBugs. ---- Kotua glanced around the command deck. Why was the Voltage turning around in a U-turn? He walked towards the helm and saw Glide steering the Voltage. "Get out of my way or I will feed you to mutant dinos, like I will to Rex!!!" Kotua roared. Glide had a trick up his sleeve. "OOOOOhhhhh, so that's what you'll do to us," he said, grinning. "I know just the right dinos!" Then, he threw his last teleporting sphere onto the ground as the Guardian and a dozen security bots charged at him. Its coordinates were predetermined, set when he had stumbled upon a particular building. When the smoke cleared, Glide found himself in an abandoned prison. Now, its inmates were a bunch of Mutant Dinos. Glide glanced around at all the dinos staring warily at him, and he knew he had found Rex's tamed dinos... ***** Databoard, Turahk-Kal, and PBB rushed to the hangar, where they got into Robo-Blades. The beam shield was off at the current moment, allowing the three to escape. "What do we do?" Turahk-Kal said. "I mean, Rex is still in there!" "You and PBB got back to HQ and tell them Rex has been captured," Databoard said. "There's something in need to get." As the other two headed for what remained of HQ, Databoard punched in the coordinates for Antarctica and flew away. Turahk-Kal received a holo-message from Glide. "Ah, good to hear from you. Are you captured?" asked Turahk-Kal. "Um," Glide replied, "I'm not really captured, like, in a cell. I'm surrounded by hungry Mutant Lizards!" "Don't worr-" Turahk-Kal started to say. Glide's voice was a whisper: "They're Rex's. They won't hurt me. I've got a plan to rescue Rex. We'll meet you at the temporary backup hangar. Copy to PBB. END OF TRANSMISSON......" The Robo-Blade arrived in Antarctica. Ah, Antarctica. Bleak, inhospitable, cold, and cruel, Databoard thought. It's good to be home. He flew over the icy plains, searching for the wreckage of a certain device. There was one way to shut down a beam shield, short of sneaking aboard and turning it off. The device was around here somewhere, he just had to find it first. A blizzard was raging across the area, so the Robo-Blade was forced to land and search on the ground. He kept looking around, knowing it would be around here somewhere. He had been searching for what seemed like hours, and just when he thought it was hopeless, he found what he was looking for. Databoard took out a laser cutter and rushed over to the wreckage of a black-colored fighter jet. The blizzard was getting worse, so he had to work fast. After a few moments of salvaging the wreck, he pulled out a device known as a beam shield disruptor. He loaded it into the Robo-Blade and flew away. ***** As Glide headed to the hangar, riding on the back of one of Rex's Mutant Lizards, what he did not see the Voltage slowly following. If he had seen it, he would have surely imagined "The Imperial March" playing as the airship approached… Glide and his Mutant Lizard steed only noticed the Voltage once it was directly above them. Kotua, looking out the bottom periscope, had noticed them notice him, so he activated beam shields and prepared to fire. Glide took out some old battle amour and oversized grapple gear. The body armor went on the lizard's head and the grappler went on either side. "Hang on, Rex, I'm coming for you," Glide whispered. Once he was ready, Glide shot grapplers and they grabbed the main steering fin. Glide thought Kotua was in checkmate. Either the Voltage could be smashed into the ground, or it could lose its steering fin. Instead, Kotua chose option C. BladeBugs came out, cutting the cord and flying at Glide. He sent a message to all agents: BLADEBUGS. 2x. LOCATION: 439568473950-9087 The Voltage jumped again, leaving the city behind, headed back to the ocean. Glide saw none of the agents responded to his call. "How complimentary," he joked darkly. BladeBugs dodged all the attacks from the hangar. They smashed it, leaving Glide half-buried. The bugs hovered above, awaiting Kotua's commands. ***** Kotua noticed Guardian enter the Command Deck. "You failed me," said Kotua. <Sorry.> said Guardian. "I'll give you only one chance to prove yourself, or I'll replace you with a new Guardian," said Kotua. <Yes Sir... And what of agent Rex?> asked Guardian. "Dispose of him... without making a mess..." said Kotua. <Gladly.> said Guardian, walking towards Rex's holding cell. Guardian was surprised to see a missing bar in Rex's cell. "How weak can this metal get?" Rex asked. "I just lightly poked it and this fell right out!" <Defective bars...> Guardian thought as he grabbed Rex. "Hey, let go of me!" Rex said. <Why?> Rex tried to think of something – anything – that he could say to slow down the Guardian. "Because, well, uh..." <No reason?> said the Guardian, who surely would have been smirking if it had facial expressions. <You are a threat to Kotua and the world! Prepare to die!> "Hey... isn't that, uh, a Mutant Raptor in the hallway behind you?" <Negative. Your futile attempt at bluffing is futile.> "Drat..." muttered Rex. <Since, clearly, you are lying about the Mutant Raptor, I should just kill you right now without being delayed by any further distraction.> declared the Guardian. Rex squirmed within the Guardian's tight grip. He felt his stomach knotting at the prospect of impending doom. "Oh, sure just what I need: to be killed!" Rex muttered. "Don't you have something else to do right now?" <No.> If it was possible for a robot to sound annoyed, the Guardian certainly sounded like it. "Well, isn't there a huge water spill in the hall? You could help clean that." <That is being cleaned by the Cleaner Bots.> "Uh... doesn't Kotua need help with his big evil plan?" <Yes. Killing you!> Beads of sweat dripped down Rex's forehead as he felt feverish. He then came to the realization that the knotting in his stomach was not actually from fear or anxiety. "Don't you have puke all over yourself?" he asked. <Negative! Now shut up while I kill you!> "Are you sure there's no puke on you?" <YES!> "Then what's that?" <What?> Then, Rex began to vomit on the Guardian, which let go of him as it reeled in surprise. Rex spat in disgust and wiped his mouth, but at least his stomach felt better now. "Better let Kotua know that the canned noodles he serves his prisoners are way past their expiration date..." he muttered as he ran away from the puke-covered Guardian. ---- Keys looked up and saw a dozen Mutant Pteranodons. He was called over by his commanding elite agent, who readied his T-1 Typhoon. Despite only being a rookie agent, Keys became part of the crew since they needed him as they went up to communicate with the flying mutants. ---- Zero went to LEGO City to join the Dino Attack Team. "Mutant dinos, eh? I hope I can help!" he said to himself. He jumped into his Urban Avenger and drove into the city, knowing little about Kotua or the Voltage. Zero was still driving around the city, trying to find the HQ, when he found a... "Mutant Raptor? Eat Sonic Screamer!" As Zero shot inside the raptor's mouth, it had no effect. "What? No one told me it could really eat it!" Zero was left with no choice but to run away, but the raptor followed him closely. "Strange... That raptor looked stronger than the one I saw on my TV, before it was destroyed. Maybe they get stronger with time?" ---- Databoard landed the Robo-Blade outside what remained of HQ. Brick League United had arrived at the scene, presumably to help rebuild HQ as fast as possible to stop the dinosaur threat. Databoard began gathering parts from wrecked vehicles and started assembling more beam shield disruptors. He then set to work setting them up at various points around the base. After a about a half-hour of working, a web of green disruptor beams around the base had formed, making it impossible for the Voltage or a Robo-Blade to get close to base without its beam shield being disabled. Databoard then walked back to HQ to get a new Fire Hammer. Databoard rushed into an unused Fire Hammer and drove out away. He took out his PDA and opened up a GPS program. Assuming Kotua still had Rex's PDA, he could use that to locate the Voltage. He soon picked up the signal, which was coming from nearby. He turned the Fire Hammer towards its location and zoomed off at full speed. ***** Kotua, realizing that agents could come to the Voltage by locking on Rex's PDA's location, was glad he had the PDA in his hands. "I'll just be able to catch them quicker! Like luring fish to the bait!" ***** The Guardian, furious about being vomited on, took off after Rex. Suddenly, a Cleaner Bot got in Guardian's way. It began cleaning up the puke, refusing to get out of the way. Although the Guardian had been delayed by the Cleaner Bot, Security Bots were after Rex. But this time, Rex was able to guess where they'd strike. He dodged each attack and laser shot. The Security Bots turned a corner to find that Rex had disappeared. "Where'd he go?" asked one. "I don't know!" answered another. Rex had hidden behind a cardboard box that was in the hall. He managed to creep past the Security Bots undetected. But, not for long. They noticed the moving box and promptly disintegrated it. Rex then took off, once again chased by the Security Bots. Rex prayed that help would come soon, because now he was once again getting cramps in his sides and feet from running. He was about to take out his PDA when he remembered that Kotua stole his PDA. Rex cursed under his breath. Rex knew that the Security Bots were catching up. When he came to a corner, he dove behind a large machine. The Security Bots did not see him, and continued. Rex was reputed for his skill of improvising with rope, but he had no rope. However, he remembered the words of fellow agent Baudelaire: "There's always something." He began to rip cables and wires off of the machine. They were long, thin, and strong, just like rope. Rex began to feel at home as he readied to defend himself against any Security Bots that dared cross paths with him. Rex found that there was a huge gap in the floor, with the engines directly below him. If he fell, he would've been burned alive. Thankfully, there was a hook above the huge gap. Rex swung his makeshift rope to it, and it caught the hook securely. Then, he swung across the huge gap and landed on the other side. ***** Databoard drove towards the Voltage at full speed. It soon spotted him zooming towards the ship, and began firing. Databoard swerved to avoid getting hit, leaving steaming tire tracks behind him as he did. He rushed down the street, explosions occurring several feet away from him. He drove across a bridge as blasts tore large holes in the structure, threatening to collapse it. The Fire Hammer slammed clear through a brick wall, leaving a large hole in the building it hit. It then smashed through the other wall, as the building was soon destroyed by more lasers. The Fire Hammer had sustained minor damage, such as its headlights were now broken but it didn't affect its driving. Databoard gunned the engines, shooting ahead of the Voltage's blasts. Databoard drove up a destroyed bridge and off the edge, landing on the roof of a nearby building. He continued to speed up, rushing off the roof and flying over the street before landing on another building. Databoard continued to accelerate, zooming off buildings before the Voltage could even target him. The Fire Hammer hurtled high over a street, and landed safely on the others side. Databoard didn't even stop or slow down, as that would mean his Fire Hammer would plummet to the street below. Databoard looked at one of the beam shield disruptors, which he had brought with him. The Fire Hammer screeched to a halt on one of the rooftops. He fired the disruptor, which shut down the beam shield. He fired the Multi-Mode Launcher repeatedly, blowing a hole in the side of the Voltage. He fired a grappling hook at the hole, and got aboard the ship. Databoard walked down the corridors of the Voltage. He soon found the place where the wires had been. He wired a detonator into the weapons, to stop Kotua if he tried to fire on HQ again. He then disabled the beam shield again, and returned to the hole he made. He found a rope had been attached to it. Good, that means Rex escaped, Databoard thought. He grabbed the rope and swung down to his Fire Hammer. ---- Rex was back in his Iron Predator, since the Voltage hadn't destroyed the Pallas Athena and Rex's Iron Predator. There, he gathered new tools - rope, nets, rope, Sonic Screamers, and more rope. He loved rope. Then, he drove off to find a place where he could at least try and figure out what in the world had happened to the loyal and good Kotua he knew back when Kotua first joined the team. Suddenly, a figure fell out of the air and landed in his Iron Predator. Rex looked down to see Little Bot. "Well, there you are," he said, relieved to see the small robot made it out okay. ---- When Zero reached HQ, he looked back. The raptor was nowhere to be seen. "Good! This is the first time today I get good news... Oh no!" Zero was surprised to find the HQ destroyed! "Me and my big mouth!" But that wasn't all. When he was returning to his Urban Avenger, the raptor was here. "Don't you ever give up?" Zero said, as he hopped inside his vehicle and ran away... again! ---- Kotua walked back to the engine room. "Sir, Rex has escaped," said one of the bots. "Did he disable anything?" asked Kotua. "Not that we know of," said the bot. "I think he did. It's time to use our last resort to end Rex's reign of evil," said Kotua, looking at the nuclear engines. "Yes sir," said the Bot. <Sir, he escaped.> said Guardian. "Really?" asked Kotua. Guardian heard the Voltage's floor rumble. "I think you're broken. We need to get rid of you," said Kotua. <No!> said Guardian backing off, scared. "The craft could use some of your wires," said Kotua. <N-> managed to say Guardian, before the other robot sliced his head off. "Take the rest of Guardian apart. Whatever can be re-used, re-use it, whatever is junk, put it in the trash..." said Kotua. He then turned to face the robot and muttered, "You better not fail me, or else..." Kotua walked back to the Command Deck, and pressed a button. Immediately, missiles flew out, seeking Dinos... ***** Dromus was driving across the city, when more BladeBugs appeared. She fired at them, and soon one fell to the ground in a violent explosion. Little did she notice a Robo-Blade with teal markings... Dromus' gun was blown off by a beam weapon. She looked back, and gasped. A Robo-Blade with teal markings was aiming its weapon at her. The Robo-Blade fired again, taking down the wheels of the vehicle. Dromus began running, but the Robo-Blade shot its hand, and caught Dromus. Then the Robo-Blade flew back to the Voltage. The Robo-Blade landed on the Voltage, and security bots made sure Dromus did not have any tools to aid in her escape, and put her on a cell... ***** Databoard got into the Fire Hammer. He revved the engines and shot of the roof. He landed on a smaller building, and then on the street. He then drove away from the Voltage, having infiltrated the ship without being noticed. He then headed back to HQ to repair the vehicle. Databoard drove his battered Fire Hammer down the roads. He had been able to make sure at least two of the Voltage's devices would not work if Kotua attacked HQ. He stopped and glanced at the Voltage, which was still floating over the city. Why are you doing this, Kotua? thought Databoard. As Databoard worked on repairing his Fire Hammer, he made a slight modification. He added a hidden compartment with an energy net launcher. This way he could capture Mutant Dinosaurs and study them, as Kotua destroyed all his previous work in his attack. At this point he received word that an agent named Dromus had been captured by Kotua. Time for another daring rescue mission... Databoard thought as he drove off to help Dromus. ***** Sometime later, Zero even forgot about the raptor that was chasing him. While he was driving, trying to find the others, he saw a giant craft (the Voltage) launching missiles! "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "What's that? I thought only mutant dinos were attacking the city!" But Zero didn't realize that one of the missiles was trying to hit him... BOOM! A missile blew up right behind Zero! "Wow, that was close!" he remarked. "And that raptor still was following me? He really doesn't give up... Now let's see... I must find a way of getting inside the craft... Wait! I can see a hole! I could get in from there, but how I would ever get up there?" Zero drove underneath the Voltage, trying to find a way to get in... The Voltage slowly flew higher, making it impossible to reach, unless by another aircraft. "Alright, now I can't get in. Maybe I should try to find the others..." Zero said, as he drove away from the Voltage. ***** One of the maintenance bots noticed a detonator on the wires for the main guns. The robot flew towards Kotua to tell him of the detonators. Kotua walked to the construction bots. The robots were building more robots. "Next time they enter my craft, they won't get away as easy..." said Kotua. Kotua watched the city below through the air probe he had released. If these mutant dinos had spread, chances were they might be near Dino Attack HQ. If he could persuade the dinos, he might get rid of Rex... The probe flew over the city, tracking down a Mutant T-Rex. The probe was cloaked, and thus could not be seen by anybody. Kotua stopped watching the probe's camera view, and switched to that of a Robo-Blade getting what was left of Dromus's Urban Avenger. Kotua pressed a few buttons... ---- Rex drove to his hideout in the abandoned prison. Much to his relief, it was still intact, untouched by the lasers and missiles of the Voltage. Rex entered it and made his way to the cage where he kept Trouble, Sapphire, and their hatchlings. To his surprise, he found one of the infant Mutant Lizards was covered with scorch marks, while another was half invisible. "Fascinating," he remarked. "It seems that they are maturing and developing their powers now." With a spare PDA, he started taking notes. Trouble was black-scaled and had darkness powers, while Sapphire had blue scales and… well, Rex still was not quite sure what her abilities were. Since their offspring could have other scale colors and abilities, this data showed that powers were apparently not passed down through genetics. But if it was not hereditary, was there any order that dictated the different strains of mutation? Or was it all random chaos? "Rex…" Rex started. He thought he was alone as usual, but he just heard someone else's voice. He turned around and was prepared to meet anyone, friend or foe. But nobody was there. Just his cage of captured Mutant T-Rex hatchlings, who were growing quickly over the past couple weeks but were certainly not capable of speaking. "W-Who's there?" Rex called. There was no reply. He felt stupid talking to nothing. Rex turned to look at the Mutant Lizards again. Trouble was staring at him in a very curious manner. "Great," Rex muttered, "now I'm hearing voices. And I'm confiding in a Mutant Lizard since no one else is around. Well, at least I can trust that you won't judge me for it. I don't need any more reasons for Kotua to think I'm crazy." Rex spent some time studying his other captured Mutant Dinos. He watched with intrigue as Fang the Mutant Raptor demonstrated her force field ability, and he was fascinated by the lightning crackling around the wings of Terry the Mutant Pterosaur. He started to transmit this new info to other agents and scientists on the team, knowing that they would also find it interesting. As Rex did his rounds, he noticed that one of his cages was missing a Mutant Lizard. Remembering when Trouble escaped and nearly got killed by Kotua, he started to worry. "Where did it go?" he wondered aloud. "Friend… your friend was here…" "What?" stammered Rex. He heard that voice again, or at least another voice similar to the one he had heard before. He turned around, but still there was no one there. He just saw Fang watching him from her cage, and she was growling softly. Rex groaned, knowing he was still not going to get any answers from the voice. He investigated the cage to see how the lizard could have escaped. To his surprise, he found the defunct remains of Glide's teleporting sphere. "My friend was here…" he repeated, putting the pieces together. This voice knew things that Rex did not, which at least confirmed that it was not just in his head. But, as he left the abandoned prison, Rex was troubled. Who did that voice belong to? ---- While Zero was driving, trying to find the others... "Now, the city is REALLY deserted. I wish I could find someone - or something - here..." Then, the earth started to shake... "Whoa! Earthquake?!?!?" No, it was a Mutant T-Rex! "Alright, forget what I said!" As the Mutant T-Rex roared, the ground melted from the nuclear radiation in its breath! "Wow!" exclaimed Zero. "He really could use some mint!" The T-Rex started to run, and every time he touched the ground, it shook! "He should start to eat less, too!" Then, the mutant followed Zero as he drove away. The T-Rex managed to destroy Zero's Urban Avenger's Sonic Screamer with laser beams. "Alright, plan B... Get back to HQ!" decided Zero. After some time, Zero could finally lose the T-Rex from sight. "Wow, I thought he was never going to get away! Now, I just have to find the HQ... There, I can fix the Sonic Screamer! The hard part is getting there..." ---- Databoard glanced at the Voltage, which was impossible to reach now. He would have to find some other way to get aboard. He looked around for any buildings that were close enough, but the ship was up too high. Databoard looked around for any form of transport. Seeing none, Databoard would have to find another way up there. Databoard grabbed a grappling gun and rushed into the building nearest the Voltage. He waited until the Voltage was at its closest, and fired the gun. Unfortunately, it was too far away and the rope caught empty air, failing to reach the ship. At this point, one of the Voltage's turrets aimed at Databoard. He ran towards the stairs, but blasts destroyed the roof of the building. Databoard jumped off the side and plummeted towards the streets below. He fired a grappling cable and swung into nearby building. Databoard got into his Fire Hammer and drove away from the Voltage. He needed a plan, and it would not be long before the ships turrets targeted him again, so he would have to move fast. He headed back towards HQ, luckily without being noticed by anyone on the Voltage. ***** A robot on the Voltage scanned the building for Databoard, to make sure he had not survived. Seeing no sign of him, but not knowing that was because he was not in the building, contacted Kotua and told him Databoard had been destroyed. Kotua of course, didn't believe the robot. The Robo-Blade brought back Dromus's Urban Avenger, and Kotua waked to it. "Repair it as soon as possible!" said Kotua, and robots rushed to repair it.... The robots were soon done with the car's repair. Several things had been added as many people were targeting Kotua. "Nice... protect the craft until I come back!" said Kotua. ---- Rex transmitted the latest intel on Mutant Dinos to the rest of the Dino Attack Team. However, he decided to specifically exclude Kotua from the recipients list. He sighed and shook his head, still unable to believe that Kotua had betrayed the rest of his team. He wondered if Kotua was ever good in the first place, or if it had all just been one big deception from the start. Rex hopped into his Iron Predator and drove off. He knew that the Voltage was still on the loose. Kotua still remained evil. The other Dino Attack agents were still in danger. And Rex needed to stop all of that before LEGO City would become a massive graveyard. Rex drove as fast as he could. He prayed Kotua would be outside of the Voltage, which would make the rogue agent a little more vulnerable. Suddenly, he heard a voice again. It was similar to the last voice he heard, but lower in pitch, and very aggressive in tone, as though its speaker was growling. "Kill... kill... we must kill these hunters... kill... which one first?... Kill... whichever finds us! Kill... the one they call Kotua... no, Rex..." Rex drove towards where the voice was coming from. Its source was moving quickly, but he was determined not to let it get away. Rex turned a corner… … only to find himself face-to-face with a Mutant T-Rex. The great beast leered down upon him and his Iron Predator, and it pulled back its lips to reveal its sharp teeth as it snarled menacingly. The voice spoke again: "One of the hunters... Kotua... we will kill him!" Rex didn't have much time to react. The Mutant T-Rex ran forward. Lasers shot from its eyes, damaging the sides of the Iron Predator. "As fascinating as they are," Rex muttered, "I wish that these Mutant Dinos didn't have these mutant powers." He shot with the Cryothermic Cannon, knowing better than to launch nets at the strongest of Mutant Dinos. The blast hit a building, bringing it down on the Mutant T-Rex. He only intended to scare off the dinosaur, but instead a stray chunk of debris hit the T-Rex on the head, knocking it unconscious. It was about to be buried alive. Rex gasped. He hopped out of the Iron Predator and ran towards the collapsing T-Rex, hoping he could save it. But, there was too much falling debris. He tripped, and then one block of cement fell on his leg, trapping him in place. The rubble continued falling on the Mutant T-Rex… and Rex along with it. Rex coughed. He could not see a thing. Only darkness. He tried to move, but he was held firm. Everything around here was hard. Hard as rock. Rex realized he had survived. He pushed on a block of cement. It moved. He pushed harder. It moved out of the way all together. However, three more pieces of cement fell in its place. Rex groaned. It was going to take a long time getting out of the debris. ---- An Urban Avenger sped down the streets of LEGO City. Databoard, who was hiding on a building, noticed Kotua riding the Urban Avenger. Kotua also noticed Databoard, and fired at him... Databoard pressed a button in his Fire Hammer, and the energy net launcher came out of its compartment. He fired at Kotua, who swerved out of its path. Databoard fired several more, and they missed. Kotua fired back, breaking the Fire Hammer's windshield. Databoard fired the energy launcher again, but Kotua avoided it. Kotua pressed the pedal, and drove off, with Databoard driving after him. Kotua pressed a few buttons, and the Sonic Screamer aimed back. Databoard was ready, and fired at the gun, taking it off, but Kotua still had more weaponry, and even turned on his Beam Shield. Kotua sped ahead, firing various weaponry behind him. Databoard swerved out of the way of the attacks, forcing him to slow down and break off the chase. Just as Kotua though he was gone, the Fire Hammer swerved out from behind a corner. Databoard fired the launcher again, and Kotua swerved wildly to avoid being hit. Kotua once again drove off, this time into an underground parking lot. Databoard drove after him, before realizing something. Databoard stopped, and began firing at a pillar. The whole building came down on the Urban Avenger, trapping Kotua… or so Databoard thought... Databoard got out of his vehicle, and readied a laser rifle. He had a good feeling that Kotua was still alive under there, and he had intended to keep Kotua alive. He began looking through the rubble for any sign of the agent, laser still in hand. Databoard felt a blaster's tip on the back of his head. "Be a nice agent, or agent Dromus will remain buried under that building," said the person behind him. "What?!" said Databoard. "You really thought I would drive around the city in a car like that? I put the unconscious Dromus on the Urban Avenger, and put a hologram of me to distract you," said Kotua. Robo-Blades landed around, and one grabbed Databoard. "Kotua, what is wrong with you?" Databoard shouted. "You've gone too far, Kotua!" Kotua put the blaster away, as there was no way Databoard could free himself from the Robo-Blade's grip. Databoard managed to free one hand, and threw a short out device into the Robo-Blade's cockpit. He jumped into the Fire Hammer and turned on an "Auto Pilot" button he had also installed. The vehicle shot off as Databoard slipped out the other side. The Robo-Blades pursued, believing Databoard to be inside the vehicle. Kotua took out a device. "You have three seconds to come out, Data, or Dromus dies," said Kotua, getting ready to press the button... Databoard stepped out from the shadows. Kotua raised his laser and prepared to fire. Before he could, a laser beam knocked it from his hand. "Backup, eh?" Kotua said. Databoard shook his head. "Huh?" Kotua said. A Mutant T-Rex charged at Kotua, lasers shooting from its eyes. Kotua ducked out of the way as lasers destroyed where he just was. Kotua ran away from the T-Rex, which seemed to want to kill him. "This must have been agent Rex's doing!" said Kotua, ducking from another blast... While Kotua was distracted by the Mutant T-Rex, Databoard rushed over to collapsed building and began clearing away rubble. The T-Rex had not yet noticed him, and Kotua was distracted with the dinosaur which gave Databoard some time. The Robo-Blades returned, and fired at the T-Rex. Kotua ran towards them, when he noticed Databoard had dug out a small hole. Kotua ran towards him and kicked him into the hole. Kotua then grabbed a piece of rubble as Databoard tried getting out, and dropped it down, knocking out Databoard. Kotua turned to see the T-Rex run off with pieces of a Robo-Blade. "Pity Data fell for the same trick twice," said Kotua. Kotua was picked up by another Robo-Blade and taken to the Voltage, where Dromus was still locked in a cell... Kotua watched the rubble where Databoard laid, unconscious. Kotua took out the device, and pressed a button. The Urban Avenger's engines beeped, and exploded, sending most of the rubble everywhere, and soon dust surrounded the place. Databoard luckily survived, as he was deep under rubble and far from the explosion. Unfortunately, now it would be harder for Databoard to get out of the hole. Kotua watched as a Robo-Blade flew down to check whether Databoard was unconscious. The Robo-Blade landed, and began searching for Databoard. Soon the Robo-Blade found Databoard's body and dug him out. Then the Robo-Blade took him back into the Voltage, and took out all of Databoard's tools and equipment. Then Databoard was put on a jail cell far from Dromus, since Databoard still thought Dromus was buried... ***** Kotua walked back to the construction bots, which had made new security bots which were water, fire, and rust-proof. The Security Bots flew out to protect the cells and other rooms... Kotua walked to the hangar, where more construction bots were fixing the Robo-Blades and putting on Double Beam Shields... Kotua walked to the jail cells, and poked Databoard with a shock spear five times, before closing the cell and walking off. Dromus just watched Kotua leave, and tried opening the door, but it was useless. Kotua walked to where chef bots were making food. He reflected that it was odd that the craft could carry enough materials to make different meals, yet the prisoners were only ever fed canned noodles... ---- A curious Mutant Lizard stalked over to the huge pile of debris that now littered the street. It hoped that it could find some fresh meat buried underneath. It poked at the rubble. Almost unmovable, but not to a Mutant Dino. The Mutant Lizard spat some acid onto the debris, and then it was gone. It kept spitting acid until it made a large opening through the rubble. Indeed, there was something in there. The Mutant Lizard peered closer, only to see two eyes glaring at it from the shadows. It was still alive, but what was it? The lizard sniffed the air, and then let out a terrified shriek before running off. Rex crawled out of the rubble, through the opening that the Mutant Lizard had made. Why was the Mutant Lizard scared of him? Then, he guessed that it must have picked up the scent of the Mutant T-Rex, and it probably mistook him for a much larger Mutant Dino. He looked back at the debris. The Mutant T-Rex was probably dead. And that mysterious voice… whoever it belonged to… was gone. Rex felt awful. He didn't actually mean to kill the Mutant T-Rex, just scare it off. But, he ended up killing it. He had taken a life, and he should have known better. Did that make him any better than Kotua? "When I stop Kotua's madness," he promised himself, "I'll make sure no one else has to die. I cannot let anyone else die on my watch... Minifig or Mutant Dino." Rex hopped into his Iron Predator. It wasn't damaged much, though it certainly needed a new paint job! That would have to wait. First, he had to find Kotua. And stop him. Rex kept driving. He had to find Kotua and stop all this nonsensical nonsense. He didn't bother attacking the Mutant Lizards that were on Legohn Road, even though they were burning and acid-spraying everything on that street; he had his mind set on finding - and stopping - Kotua. Rex noticed the craft flying higher than any building nearby. He had to get on PBB's airship in order to reach the Voltage. ---- A Security Bot opened the cell to check on Dromus, when she leaped over it and ran off. Dromus ran, until two metal doors sealed off the hall in front of her. She looked back, and saw the Security Bots flying towards her... Dromus pulled out her diamond and cut a hole just large enough for her in the metal door. She hopped through and ran as fast as she could, away from the cells... And as she ran, she thought that this was not a very lucky day for her. Dromus ducked as one of the Security Bots swung its Shock Staff. The other Security Bots activated their Beam Shields, protecting them from the blasts... MegaBloks! Dromus silently cursed. I HATE BOTS! As she continued dodging the Security Bots, she quickly thought of a plan. Acting lessons, I took acting lessons, maybe... Suddenly she collapsed, wheezing convincingly. "Asthmatic," she wheezed, "I need my inhaler... I need a medic..." One of the Security Bots dragged Dromus to a Medic Bot, with her gasping and wheezing all the time. Maybe that musical theatre training when I was 11 was a good idea after all... she thought. The medic gave her an inhaler, which she pretended to use, though she did not technically need it. While the medic was telling the other bots that she would survive, she made a break for it, yelling over her shoulder, "Haha! Stupid bots!" ---- Rev finally stood up from the computer desk and slammed his fist down. "Why, father?" he asked, struggling to hold back tears. "Why?" His father, Jecht Raptor, had always been so good at everything. Jecht was a renowned scientist. Jecht was Rev's role model, his personal mentor, and all his life Rev had been told that he would follow Jecht's footsteps. But now, for the first time, Rev wished that would not be any further from the truth. Now, he recognized something in the Mutant Lizard DNA he had been studying. It reminded him of the genetic engineering that Jecht had performed. Jecht had disappeared a few years ago, after saying he was going on an offworld assignment. And as soon as he thought about that, Rev realized why Landro seemed hauntingly familiar to him. The truth was horrifyingly disturbing, but he could no longer deny it. Landro was Jecht Raptor. ---- "KOTUA, YOU NO-GOOD LYING MONSTER!" Databoard shouted. He was through trying to help him, as he just wound up back in a cell on the Voltage. He banged on the door with his fists, shouting angrily. A few Security Bots looked up, thinking Databoard had lost it completely. He kicked the wall in anger, trying to make as much of a scene as possible. A medic bot came in to check Databoard - only to be flung out moment later with its robotic head bashed to bits. Databoard rushed out of the cell, grabbing a shock stick and destroying all the robots in his path. Security Bots would try to restrain him, and they all met the same fate, discarded in a pile of scrap. Security Bots activated their Beam shields, and flew at Databoard, who slid under them, and ran towards Kotua. Databoard would stop Kotua, whatever it took. More Security Bots with Beam shields arrived, and these formed a barrier around Databoard. Dromus used the distraction to escape, if it hadn't been for Riot Bots. These arrived, and they scanned the room. They noticed Dromus, who began to run, but the Riot Bots threw a gas canister at Dromus, and she fell back to the floor, too weak to continue. Databoard was also forced to breathe the gas, and was accidentally smashed into the wall by the Security Bots. Then they were dragged back to the cells, and robots tied up both of them. Kotua soon arrived. Databoard was still weak. Kotua took out a blaster. "Data, you never learned to back off... pity," said Kotua. He aimed at Databoard, who was too weak to move. ---- LEGO City. 7:13 A.M. Rev and Sereve's hideout was under siege. Countless Mutant Raptors swiped and bit chunks out of the entrance. The abandoned skyscraper had been converted into a Dino Attack outpost but was in no shape to withstand an attack of this caliber. Sereve, Tech, and the other surviving Dino Attack agents cowered in the underground garage section of the base as the raptors started to swarm and destroy the hideout. Things were not going according to plan. Sereve had tried to assemble a strong team in preparation for this day, but Kai and Joey still had not shown up; Connors had suddenly gone silent and stopped responding to her messages; nobody knew what Len, Gwen, and Tren were up to; and Rev had buried himself in his research, leaving the hideout barely defended against the Mutant Dino attack. "I fear this is the end," said Sereve. "Though I don't give up normally, I have to agree with you," said Tech. The sounds of the angry dinosaurs came closer and closer. Soon, there were loud footsteps coming closer and closer. With every footstep the roof started to come down bit by bit. All hope was lost. Sereve's Urban Avenger was totaled by the raptors, leaving them with no escape. The footsteps were coming closer and closer until they were right outside the wall that separated the safety of their last sanctuary, with the horror of horrible demonic creatures. The footsteps stopped for a second, before the wall exploded and the raptors arrived. Sereve was useless without a weapon, and his fellow Dino Attack agents were too scared to do anything. The future might as well be over for them as nothing could save them now. Little did they know that they were about to be saved by the last possible person or thing they could think of. Suddenly, the Mutant Raptors ceased their attack. They obediently parted as a figure stepped through the crowd. Sereve recognized his twisted mutant features and tattered labcoat. The horrifying hybrid of man and lizard raised a clawed finger and pointed it directly at Sereve. "This one..." Landro hissed. "I want him alive!" ---- Suddenly the Voltage shook. A robot flew up to him. "Sir, we're under attack by a pteranodon fleet," said the bot. "Fire at them!" said Kotua. The craft shook again. "They're too fast," said the bot. "Then take them down with missiles," muttered Kotua, losing some patience. "They use lightning bolts to take them down..." said the bot. "Send Robo-Blades after them!" said Kotua. "Yes sir..." Kotua walked back to the Command Deck, and was surprised to see security bots rushing in from the other entrance of the Command Deck, firing at Mutant Pteranodons. The windows had been broken, and the Beam Shield seemed to be failing. "Phase!" shouted Kotua at the remaining deck bots. The bots managed to phase the Voltage, and the Pteranodons were left with little to harm...for ten seconds... "Defend the Voltage," said Kotua, running to the hangar. Once in the hangar, Kotua climbed into a Robo-Blade. ---- After three hours, Zero finally managed to reach the ruins of Dino Attack HQ. "Finally..." said Zero. "Now I can fix the Sonic Screamer! Hmmm, I hope there is something here that I can use to contact the others..." Then, he started to work on the Urban Avenger, using materials salvaged from the wreckage. Zero did not find any Sonic Screamer to replace the old one. "Well," he said, "I have two options: Stay here and wait for the others, or go look for them... Well, I'm staying here!" "Argh," groaned Zero, "this is so BORING! That's it! I'll go look for the others and try to find out what's with these mutant dinos!" Zero hopped into his weaponless Urban Avenger, but before driving off, he realized: "Oh, wait... Without something to protect me, I'll be dino food! I think I can build a net launcher or something like that." ---- Four ShadowTech jets flew towards the Beam Shield-less craft, and activated their missiles... Kotua flew out, and spotted four jets flying towards the Voltage. Immediately Kotua activated his Beam Shield, his Beam Rifle, and flew towards the jets, firing. The jets avoided the blasts, and fired at the Voltage. Kotua easily took down the fourth and third crafts before they could fire, simply by blasting the fourth craft. Kotua started firing at the rest, but then stopped. Fifty black T-1 Typhoons flew in, and started firing at the Voltage. Two more jets flew towards Kotua, and started firing at him. "This is their plan?" muttered Kotua, firing at them. ---- Rex noticed something strange. Green. He drove over to a building. Green moss and plants were growing on it. But the strange thing was that these species of moss and plants were not present-day flora. They were prehistoric plants. Rex felt there was something else going on other than the destructive Mutant Dinos... Rex found these prehistoric plants growing on other buildings as well. "Strange... strange indeed," he said. Carefully, he took a sample of each plant and put them into jars. "Dino Attack Team would like to know about this," he muttered, "but first I must deal with Kotua." Rex determined that the Voltage was under attack by ShadowTech and no longer had its Beam Shield active, which could provide the distraction he needed. Therefore, Rex began driving around the city in search of the Pallas Athena, but he could not find it. Rex glanced at one building that was half covered in prehistoric plants. It was, like the other buildings with the plants, no longer on fire. It almost looked like a natural rock cliff with plants growing on its side. "Something's definitely not right..." ---- Databoard studied the room, no longer as enraged as he was a few minutes ago. "What do we do now?" Dromus whispered. A security bot flew by, and the two pretended not to be planning another escape. "Once the stun gas wears off, we make as silent an escape as possible," Databoard said once the bot was gone. "I managed to grab a laser cutter before they dragged me into the cell." He managed to get the laser cutter out of his pocket. After they were untied, Databoard began making a hole in the wall. It took a while to make a hole, but they soon escaped. Once in the open hangar, Databoard fired a grappling hook to a nearby building. The two agents then snuck off the ship while everyone was distracted. ---- Rex drove quicker. The faster he could stop Kotua, the faster he could learn what in the world was going on and causing these prehistoric plants. Probably had some connection to the Mutant Dinos. Suddenly, two lasers fired at him. Rex turned around to see a pack of Mutant T-Rexes. And he heard the voice again. "There he is! The killer! Kill him! He'll pay for killing that other T-Rex!" "I have no idea who you are," Rex muttered, "but you're not going to kill me with your Mutant T-Rexes!" "You will die, Kotua!" the voice said. The Mutant T-Rexes walked closer to his Iron Predator. "Kotua?" repeated Rex. "I'm not Kotua!" "Nice try, but I know you're Kotua!" Rex drove as fast as he could away from the Mutant T-Rex Pack. "He's escaping!" the voice yelled. "After him!" They chased him, shooting lasers at him from their eyes. Rex, on the other hand, was feeling as if he was in a dense jungle, not a wrecked city. Rex fired the Cryothermic Cannon behind him, hitting a building. The structure collapsed, blocking the road. It delayed the Mutant T-Rex Pack... for three seconds! They jumped over the debris and continued chasing Rex. Then, Rex began throwing his latest invention. These were tiny spheres that stuck to the hide of each Mutant T-Rex. Then, they split open and enlarged into a cage, trapping the Mutant Dinos. ---- If Sereve was scared, he was determined not to show it. He boldly stepped forward, standing between his fellow Dino Attack agents and the pack of Mutant Raptors. "Landro!" he called. "So, you've come to bargain?" "I've come to take... take back what is rightfully mine!" shouted Landro. "Right," said Sereve, "the jewel. Which, as you know, I totally have. But I'm not going to just hand it over to you." "And why not?" asked Landro, grinning savagely. The Mutant Raptors surrounding him took a step forward, eager to tear apart the Dino Attack agents. "See, that's not a fair deal," explained Sereve. "I give you the crystal, you get what you want, and then you kill us all. It's pretty one-sided... doesn't exactly sound appealing to me. So, how about this? You send away your raptors, let my friends go safely, and we can settle this one on one. Man to man... err, mutant monster thing." Landro was silent for a moment, weighing his options. Then, he raised his head and, like a wolf howling at the moon, let out a bestial roar. The Mutant Raptors departed from the base, leaving their master behind. "Now, you… you do the same," growled Landro. "You heard him," Sereve told the other Dino Attack agents. "Go." "Are you mad, son?" said Tech. "You can't take on that big mean mother-Znapper by yourself!" "Don't worry," whispered Sereve. "I've got this. I'm ready." With that, the Dino Attack agents safely exited the hideout. Now, it was just Sereve and Landro, staring each other down. "The crystal of Crux..." hissed Landro. "Give it... give it to me!" Sereve smiled as he took several steps back. With open arms, he beckoned to the mutant hybrid and said: "Come and get it!" Landro sneered and started moving towards the lone Dino Attack agent. As Sereve expected, Landro's eyes were on him, not where he was walking. He stepped right into the trap: when Sereve pushed a button on a handheld remote, four tall posts positioned around Landro activated, generating an electric fence keeping him in. "What... h-how...?" the mutant stammered. "Just a little something that Tech cooked up," replied Sereve. "I knew you couldn't resist the bait if you thought I had the jewel, and you won't get away so easily this time. Now that I've got you where I want you, it's time that you start answering some questions. Who are you really, who do you work for, where did the Mutant Dinos come from, and what's so important about this crystal?" Landro's face twisted into a hideous scowl. He charged forward, straight through the electric fence. He was shocked with high voltage and let out an agonizing scream, but it did not stop the angry mutant as he broke through the barrier. The blood drained from Sereve's head as he saw his trap fail, leaving him with nothing to stop Landro. Landro grabbed Sereve by the neck and lifted him high into the air. "You never… never even had the crystal, did you?" he said furiously as his eye twitched maniacally. "Then you... are useless to me!" Sereve gritted his teeth. "Go to MegaBlokland, you 4+ Figure!" he hissed, preferring to die with dignity. Sereve's final thoughts were for Bailey. He hoped that his dog would be kept safe in Antarctica. Then, Landro snapped his neck and dropped his lifeless body to the floor. "Sereve, no!" Landro turned around just in time to see a pair of blinding headlights. A Fire Hammer drove into the outpost and slammed into him, sending the mutant flying across the garage. The jeep came to a stop, and Rev Raptor jumped out of the driver's seat. He ran to Sereve's side, only to see that he was too late to save him. "What did you do?" he screamed at Landro, who was already back on his feet. "Without the crystal," proclaimed Landro, "you have no hope... no hope of stopping the Mutant Dinos! The architect of darkness is coming! Chaos and destruction will reign across the planet... like a storm of malevolence! You all... will die!" Landro ran at Rev with murderous intent in his maddened eyes. With the unnatural speed of a Mutant Raptor, he was too quick for the Dino Attack agent to react. He slashed with his claws, tearing through Rev's flesh like a knife. Rev lay incapacitated on the floor, clutching his chest in pain. He was rapidly losing a lot of blood, and he knew that the end was near. He looked up at Landro, who had just killed Sereve and sealed Rev's fate, and knew there was no hope of redeeming Jecht Raptor. "You've gone too far... Father..." Landro froze at that last word. Whatever was left of Jecht, deep beneath the mutant monster, had heard him. He stared at Rev as though seeing him for the first time. "Rev..." he murmured. Rev's breathing grew ragged. "And that's why... I have to stop you." He pulled out a pistol and fired. Even lying on the ground while bleeding out, his aim was true. Landro collapsed to the floor beside him. He locked eyes with Rev and, with his final breaths, whispered: "My son... You were... destined... to follow my footsteps. It is... in your blood..." Then, he lay still and said no more. As Rev's consciousness started to slip away, he watched as the pool of blood from Landro's body mixed with his own. In my blood… he thought. He remembered his nightmare, where he was mutated like Landro and was gleefully killing Dino Attack agents, and he wondered if there was more to it than just a dream. He remembered Landro's earlier suggestion that he might already be a mutant. If my father was the king of the Mutant Dinos, was I meant to be the prince? Was that my destiny? No! I can't... Rev was only dimly aware when another Fire Hammer arrived at the hideout. Kai, Joey, and Snake of Spades rushed to his side. "Rev!" cried out Kai. "No, we're too late!" "He's still alive," reported Joey. "Somebody call a medic; we might still have enough time to save him!" Weakly, Rev shook his head. "No, it's okay..." he whispered, lacking the strength to speak any louder. He was sure that this was the only way to end Landro's legacy. "It's over now... You have... to let me... go..." Kai, Joey, and Snake traded glances. "Are... are you sure?" Snake asked, and Rev nodded in response. "We'll stay with you," promised Kai, "until the end." A solemn silence fell over the group as they respected Rev's final wish. ---- Rookie agent Anubis was drafted into Dino Attack Team by the conscription due to the team suffering heavy losses against Mutant Dinos, as well as other threats such as ShadowTech. While traveling to his first mission via boat, Anubis was caught in a fierce storm and fell overboard, with a flock of Mutant Pterosaurs flying in for the kill. Miraculously, Anubis survived through unknown means. Anubis insisted that he was rescued by the spirit of Rev Raptor; although there was little evidence to support this claim, reports have confirmed that this event took place immediately after Rev's death. ---- One ShadowTech jet locked on and fired, but before the missile could leave the jet, it was struck by Kotua. The second jet continued firing at Kotua, avoiding blasts. This one was not going to risk his life like the other one. Kotua continued firing at the jet, but it evaded Kotua easily. Kotua finally fired, and the blast took the left wing of the craft. "Take that!" said Kotua, firing at the right wing. Kotua flew away from the flaming jet, and noticed two T-1 Typhoons. I bet this is Data's 'friendly help', thought Kotua. He fired at one, hitting the pilot of one of the vehicles... As the first T-1 Typhoon flew down, the second one fired at Kotua. The Robo-Blade's Beam Shield blocked the attacks. Kotua fired back, taking down one of the side guns. Kotua flew under the copter, and shot down the gunner, and the tail of the copter. The Voltage suddenly regained its Beam Shield, frying the Pteranodons pecking the craft. Kotua flew back into the Voltage. There, Kotua walked back to the cells. To his surprise, both agents were gone! "They'll pay!" said Kotua, walking back to the command deck... ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

To all the great friends that I've met here, you've made my time on BZPower unforgettable and I will always cherish that. But, most of you have long since left this website and will likely never read this message... and I feel it might be time for me to finally move on as well. I had always trusted BZPower to be a safe haven of my childhood. No matter what, even if I didn't post in years, I could always come back here and remember the good old days. But now, I fear that might no longer be the case. If the appalling recent allegations are true, then I don't think I can rightfully think of BZPower as a haven anymore. I may be a cisgendered heterosexual man, but if women and LGBTQ+ people cannot feel safe here, then no one can. Currently, I am posting the Dino Attack RPG: Director's Cut on BZPower, and I had started doing so "for old time's sake", since this website is where the RPG began fifteen years ago, it has been my most cherished memory of BZPower, and I wanted to bring it full circle. Despite it all, I still want to leave BZPower on a positive note, so I shall continue to post the Director's Cut until it is complete. I've made my commitment, and I won't stop until my mission is accomplished. But aside from that, I doubt that I will be posting much else or continuing to engage with this community. There is a very real chance that the Director's Cut shall be my BZPower swan song. There is other unfinished business that I had wished to attend to, such as posting The Story of Rosamu (a rewrite of an old BIONICLE fanfic from my early days on BZPower, which I had previously been hyping up on the Blaaahhhg whenever I remembered that I had a Blaaahhhg) whenever it was finished. When the time comes, I will decide whether I shall do so on BZPower, again "for old time's sake"... but what I had once treated as a certainty is now merely a possibility. To be honest, with the once-thriving library forums now silent as a graveyard, there may be no one left to share my stories with. I have my notification settings set so that I am emailed when I receive a personal message, so I can still check and read any PMs sent to me in the future if needed. That way, you can still reach me through BZPower even after I am gone. I can only hope that one day, BZPower can prove that it can change for the better. Maybe there's a chance that we'll see a thriving, healthy, welcoming community whenever BIONICLE Gen 3 comes around. But until then... "It's all right, children. Life is made up of meetings and partings. That is the way of it."

Chapter 4: The Great Escape ---- "Kotua, don't you see what you're doing?!" Databoard said. "The only reason I came here was to help you, not to hurt you! I never even thought about inflicting harm upon you, even when you attacked my Fire Hammer. Killing me will merely once again prove to DINO Attack that you're a threat. It won't accomplish anything, Kotua." Kotua fired, but Databoard gained enough strength to roll out of the way. "Kotua, don't!" he shouted, before having to roll out of the way again. Kotua continued shooting, and Databoard kept evading the blasts with all his strength. Databoard slowly gained enough strength to get to his feet. He ducked to avoid getting hit by Kotua's blasts. Databoard had no weapons to fight Kotua, so he had to avoid being shot. "Kotua, I'm not here to harm you!" he shouted. "Even if everyone else wants to take a laser rifle to your head, I don't!" Kotua shot again, and Databoard ducked out of the way. "Kotua, get it through your head!" Security Bots flew towards Databoard and shocked him. "You stop me from neutralizing evil forces. How is that helpful?!" said Kotua. "You're the one who's having a fantasy about Rex and the rest being evil!" said Databoard. "Well, I'm sure you can tell Rex when he joins you," said Kotua. He raised his gun, and aimed at Databoard's head. "See ya..." "Kotua, I'm not evil!" Databoard said. Kotua was about to fire when the Voltage shook, knocking the weapon from his hand. All the DINO Attack vehicles and the ShadowTech vehicles were firing at them. "I told you they were against me!" Kotua said. Databoard replied: "Well, when you try to destroy their base, they aren't very nice about it." "Reminds me of Ogel..." muttered Kotua. Kotua walked towards the control panel, and pressed a button. "Time to retreat!" said Kotua, sitting on a chair, and strapping on. The Voltage shook. "Now we'll see whether Rex really cares for anything else other than those dumb creatures..." muttered Kotua. ***** Everybody on the ground was shooting at the craft, when its thrusters glowed and it flew off at the speed of light. A Fire Hammer waited in neutral gear with its cannons ready. A dark figure exited the jeep, walked up to the LEGO City waterfront, and removed his hood. "Boo," he grumbled under his breath. Glide had been trailing after the Voltage, hoping to rescue Databoard. He even brought his patented 'Disappearing Gear' (only to be used in emergencies) and grappling hooks just for the occasion. But, he had arrived just in time to see the Voltage flying away at impossible speeds, zooming out over the ocean. Of course, his Fire Hammer was not equipped for water travel. Now, all Glide could do was wait for the Voltage to return to the mainland… ---- Rex noticed that agent "Turahk-Kal" had joined the team. PBB thought for a moment. "I believe I may have heard that name before," he said. "My databanks suggest that the codename may have been derived from the names of several mythology deities worshipped by the native tribes of Enchanted Island." Rex shrugged. "I just hope he's safe from Kotua." He looked at PBB. "Is there any weapon on this thing that is strong enough to destroy the Voltage? Or at least hard enough to whack some senses into Kotua?" PBB began to say something, then thought about it. He immediately checked the large panel filled with buttons. Then, he looked at Rex. "I believe there is something..." he said. "The Voltage may be cloaked, but we know where Dino Attack Headquarters formerly stood. So, let's quickly get there!" "Okay!" Rex said. He was about to go to the controls when a Mutant Raptor pack appeared on the ground below. "This isn't good," Rex muttered. "Why did it have to be when we were trying to stop Kotua?" ---- During the trip to Antarctica, a warning light flashed on the console. "A pteranodon must have punctured the fuel tank," Turahk-Kal thought aloud. The fuel meter reached zero and the craft slowly descended to the ocean. With a thud it landed on the surface. To Turahk-Kal's surprise, the helicopter didn't sink. It just floated there. "Well, looks like I'm dead in the water," Turahk-Kal said to himself. Rummaging through the back of the copter, Turahk-Kal found a survival kit. Included was a radio. Turning it on, he sent a S.O.S. to whoever might be listening. Eating a granola bar, Turahk-Kal continued to send out a S.O.S. to anyone. It was getting dark and becoming very cold. He rummaged through the survival pack and found an emergency sleeping bag. Putting it on, he sat in the chair and fell asleep... ***** The Voltage stopped over the ocean. It was now dark, and the craft activated lights. Agent Turahk-Kal was sleeping, when a blue light appeared from above. The sleeping agent didn't feel anything as the Voltage picked him up. "Wake up!" said Kotua. Turahk-Kal woke, to find he had been thrown in a jail cell, along with agent Databoard. "So, Rex thought you'd be a good scout for when I retreated?" said Kotua. "No, I was stranded, and decided to sleep since I couldn't do anything," said Turahk-Kal. Kotua left Turahk-Kal and Databoard alone, locked in the cell. He walked back to the command deck, and pressed a button. Four robots flew towards the wires Databoard had cut, and began repairing them... ***** The Pallas Athena arrived too late at Dino Attack HQ. But, a report on Turahk-Kal's disappearance near the Voltage gave Rex a clue where the Voltage was. "Now we have to help both Data and Turahk-Kal!" he said. "PBB?" He turned around to see PBB holding one Green Brick and three White Bricks. He threw them into the engine. Suddenly, they were warped into a blue vortex, and then reappeared in pursuit of the Voltage. "What was that?" Rex asked, shocked. "That," PBB explained, "was the turbo boost. Upgraded enough to send us through a vortex." The Voltage was firing at the vehicle that Turahk-Kal had been on. The craft slowly moved away from the now-burning vehicle, unaware of PBB's arrival. "Hopefully," Rex said, "the Voltage won't turn around. It won't detect us by scanner or anything like that due to the fact we're still cloaked. Now, what are we going to do?" PBB thought. "That's a problem right there alone. The only ones who know that much about Kotua's technology and its weaknesses are either captured... or disappeared. As far as I know, shooting at the Voltage won't work; even if would could pierce its Beam Shields, it's too armored for our weapons to deal significant damage. We can't sneak onboard either; it's crawling with security bots, and we'd be quickly captured. Kotua would probably kill you and Chompy, and disable Little Bot and me." "Well, we need a plan," Rex said. Chompy grunted. PBB shot a glare at Chompy, and Rex raised an eyebrow in bemusement. "Chompy says 'No duh!'," translated PBB. "And that's a rather… tactful translation." ***** "You don't have any equipment, do you?" Databoard muttered. Turahk-Kal shook his head. "Nope, they took everything." Databoard looked around the cell. He knew the only way out of a Voltage cell was with a phasing device, or a clever trick. "We have to get out of here," Databoard continued. "They're no doubt repairing that wire I cut, and then he'll return to DINO HQ." Databoard got up, looking at the door. "Fortunately, I have a backup plan." He opened a hidden pocket, nearly invisible to the human - or robot - eyes, and took out a small tube. He pressed a button, and an orange spray shot at the door. Within seconds, it was covered in rust. "Instant corrosion spay," Databoard said. "Homemade weapon." With that, he charged at the door, and it fell over, weakened by the spray. "Let's go!" Databoard said, putting the tube back in the pocket and rushing off, grabbing a nearby laser rifle as he did. Kotua made sure all places were locked down, forcing Databoard and Turahk-Kal to go to the top of the craft. There were more cannons, and walkways to them. They could see clouds passing through them. Databoard sprayed one of the turrets, but the metal on them was rust-proof. The staircase they had come through closed, and all turrets turned towards them. "This is not good," Databoard muttered. The turrets began firing at the two, Databoard grabbed Turahk-Kal, and dove out of the way. They kept evading the lasers as there were fired at them. "We can't keep this up forever!" Turahk-Kal said, dodging another blast. Databoard leapt over a blast. "We only have to keep it long enough to come up with a plan," he said. The Voltage continued firing at the two agents, forcing them to run. Then the turrets went into their hatches. "Something bad is about to happen," said Databoard. ***** "Sir, we're 70% ready to activate the turbo thrusters again," said the robot. "Good," said Kotua. He walked to a control panel, and set the coordinates... ***** Databoard began wondering what was going on. He was half expecting a larger laser to come up and blow them away. He rushed over to the door and began melting a hole in the side with the laser rifle, but it was taking much too long. Databoard heard the engines roar. ***** "80% sir," said the robot. "Good," said Kotua. ***** A turret popped out and began firing at both agents. Turahk-Kal leapt out of the way, and Databoard ducked. Turahk-Kal ran off as the turret fired. "Turahk, come back!" said Databoard. Turahk-Kal ran across the walkway, until he reached the back of the craft. Turahk-Kal looked down. He could hear the water splashing. Databoard took out the laser rifle and began firing at the turret. Most of the lasers did very little damage, and it shot at him again. He got out of the way, and the lasers left a scorch mark on the Voltage. Databoard shot again, leaving very little damage yet again. Turahk-Kal ran back, holding a piece of the rail. "Kotua sure made the rails cheap," said Turahk-Kal. He leapt at the turret, and hit it with the rail. While the turret was busy with Turahk-Kal, Databoard returned to making a hole in the door. He hadn't expected the door to be so thick, and he didn't know how long until the turret was no longer distracted. He continued to shoot at the door, slowing boring through the door... ***** "90% sir," said the bot. "I wonder whether we'll be able to fire the blast at the HQ again," said Kotua. ***** Another turret surfaced and began firing electricity bolts at Turahk-Kal. Databoard slowly made a hole in the door. He already made a small hole in the door, and working on enlarging it so a person would fit. The turrets were still firing at Turahk-Kal, giving Databoard more time to make the hole larger. It was almost large enough, just a minute or two... After a few minutes, Databoard dragged the unconscious Turahk-Kal and pushed him into the hole, and then jumped in. ***** "100%." ***** Databoard was about to move, when he slammed against the wall. The turrets that had popped out were ripped out by the wind. Databoard tried to haul himself along the deck, dragging the knocked-out Turahk-Kal with him. He slowly headed towards an elevator, but he was unable to hold on. He was sent flying backwards into a wall. He would just have to wait until the Voltage slowed down... The craft soon was back in the city. Databoard got up, but before he could do anything, security bots surrounded him. "So you escaped," said Kotua. "We're trying to help you!" said Databoard. "Then you should have let me destroy the HQ. Rex won't use it to hide the dinos..." said Kotua. Databoard aimed his laser at the security bots. They tried to shock him, but he jumped over them and blasted them to bits. "Kotua, Rex doesn't even have dinos there!" Databoard said. "I don't even know where he keeps the dinos he tames!" Kotua pulled out a laser, but Databoard took out his corrosion spray, and the weapon was useless within seconds. "You're lying!" said Kotua, and the security bots flew at Databoard. Kotua ran towards Databoard, and kicked his spray away. "Give up!" said Kotua, trying to punch Databoard. "Rex is just trying to keep everybody alive!" said Databoard. "You must be quite dumb to believe him..." said Kotua, kicking him into a wall. Databoard ducked to avoid a security bot, then blasted it with his laser rifle. He jumped over another security bot. He was then nearly punched by Kotua, but he got out of the way. Kotua then kicked the laser out of Databoard's hand. Kotua kicked Databoard, and then he jumped at Databoard, and began punching him. Databoard pushed Kotua off, and kicked him. Two security Bots dragged Turahk-Kal away... Out of nowhere, Glide appeared. "Who are you?!" demanded Kotua. "Isn't it obvious, you mad dog?" Glide said. "Your worst nightmare!" He threw a black sphere onto the floor, which released a smokescreen and allowed him to sneak behind Kotua. "Shall we dance?" said Glide, sneering. "How did you get past the beam shields without the proper technology?" asked Databoard, teaming up with Glide and using his instant corrosion spray to add to the mayhem as they were swarmed by robots. "I just used the old-fashioned way," boasted Glide. "Ram into anything hard enough, and you'll get through." "Wait, what?" said Databoard. "The beam shields produce extreme heat! How are you still standing?" "I'm okay!" insisted Glide. "Just feeling a little parched, that's all." Glide was about to kill Kotua, when Kotua suddenly jumped up and punched him in the face, knocking him to the floor. "The things I get myself into…" muttered Glide as he got himself up. ***** Slowly, light returned to Turahk-Kal's eyes. He glanced around and realized he was being dragged away by security bots. Wriggling a little, he worked one hand loose. Before the bot could react, he reached in his hidden pocket and pulled out two magnetized cherry bombs. Quickly, he threw them at one bot. They attached and exploded, creating a hole in the bot. The other bot came after him. He ducked as it swiped at him and kicked it on the underside. It flipped over and fell with a crack. Quickly getting up, Turahk-Kal ran in the opposite direction of where they had been taking him. The Security Bots went into battle mode. Turahk-Kal was running when two appeared, and one had swords. Turahk-Kal jumped as one swiped. The other fired electricity bolts, taking down Turahk-Kal and the other bot. The Security Bot then fired an immobilizer blast, immobilizing Turahk-Kal. The bot then locked him in a cell... ***** Glide fell to the floor, the effects of passing through a beam shield now becoming apparent. "Need... water..." muttered Glide. "Too bad..." said Kotua, and four Security Bots dragged Glide to another cell. Databoard fired, but Kotua dodged the blast. Four more security bots flew at Databoard and immobilized him. "You'll pay..." said Kotua. The Security Bots dragged Databoard to another cell. Soon, the three agents were in three different cells. ***** Dromus climbed into her brand-spanking-shining-new Urban Avenger, smiling to herself as she sped off to the HQ to introduce herself. Dromus arrived at the HQ, to see the agents evacuating. Most were looking up, with scared faces. Then she looked at the sky. A giant craft, the Voltage, was flying above the HQ, firing at the people below. Kotua pressed a button. The craft's front hatch opened, revealing the giant cannon. It aimed at the HQ, and began charging. Dromus heard someone mutter, "Not again..." "What's going on?" Dromus asked one of the Dino Attack agents, who looked like he had pooped in his pants. "That thing wants to destroy us!" said the agent. "Why?" asked Dromus. "I don't know. It just began firing at the HQ..." said the agent. ***** Databoard banged on the cell door. He now had no weapons whatsoever, as he had dropped the corrosion spray when he fought Kotua. There was no way out other than a ventilation shaft near the ceiling, but that was bolted shut. Of course, Databoard didn't care, as he disliked being stuck in a prison cell. He pulled on it with all his strength, but only succeeded in loosening it a little. He kept pulling, until the bolts could take no more. They snapped in half and the vent burst off. Databoard hauled himself into the vent and snuck off. Turahk-Kal didn't have as much luck as Databoard. He pulled on the bars, spat on them, but nothing happened. His vent was out of the cell. He lay down and once again fell asleep... ***** Kotua watched as the machine achieved 30%. The black ShadowTech vehicles tried to take down the craft, but Voltage wiped out the remaining vehicles. There were no more jets left, and only the remaining Dino Attack Team vehicles were available... ***** A cleaning robot was walking down a corridor when a vent landed on its head. Just as it was about to go complain about the faulty construction, something else landed on it: agent Databoard. He got up off the disabled robot and rushed off to try and stop Kotua... ***** Kotua watched the ray reach 40%. I need to speed up the energy... thought Kotua. He looked over the different tools. Gah! thought Kotua. Immediately, solar powered satellites beamed their energy at Kotua's craft, raising the energy level to 60%... ***** Databoard rushed down the corridors of the Voltage towards the place where he knew Kotua was: the command deck. He had found his laser rifle, along with most of his equipment. He was soon near the door, and burst inside. Kotua turned around. "What?! How could you escape?!" said Kotua. "That's not what matters. What matters is that I stop you from destroying Dino Attack Team," said Databoard. "I trusted in you, Data..." said Kotua, pushing a button. "But, I now trust in someone else... You might remember him..." Databoard heard metal footsteps. He turned around to see a robot at least three times his size, armored in green and yellow metal. With a sense of dread, he instantly recognized the robot, having fought it (or rather, its previous iterations) during Mission Deep Freeze. "Meet Guardian Mk. IV," said Kotua proudly. The robot swung its fist, sending Databoard through the window in the Command Deck. Databoard fell outside the craft's command deck, and landed on a Jet Runway of the Voltage. "Great," muttered Databoard. Guardian Mk. IV leapt down after Databoard, who barely got out of the way. The robot's impact was so hard, it sent Databoard flying. Guardian tried to step on the agent, but he rolled out of the way. The Guardian punched Databoard, hurling him into a wall. "I hope the paint job doesn't get ruined," said Kotua. Databoard fired at Guardian IV, but the robot phased and the blast went through. Guardian un-phased and its eyes charged up. Databoard leapt out of the way as Guardian fired, hitting a turret. Databoard avoided being hit by more blasts, until the Guardian kicked him across the runway. He fired a grappling hook up to the command deck, but the robot grabbed him as he went up. The Guardian flung him across the entire runway. He hit the ground and skidded until he was a few feet from the edge. Databoard tried to get up, but he was in too much pain. Guardian Mk. IV flew towards Databoard, and picked him up. <Foolish agent. Nobody can defeat me!> said the robot, flying back towards the Command Deck. "So, Data, you just tried to kill me!" said Kotua. "So did you..." muttered Databoard. "You could have safely stayed in the cell..." said Kotua. "Kotua, you know me, I hate being stuck in a cell," Databoard said weakly. "And I also don't like it when agent I thought I trusted tries to blow up everybody." "I TRUSTED YOU!" Kotua roared. "You betrayed me!" "Kotua, for the billionth time, I'm not evil," Databoard replied. "Why don't you believe me?" "I don't trust you because you tried to kill me! And I don't want to blow them up, or I would have used the military nuclear bombs... hmm, not a bad idea, Data! If I use nuclear bombs..." "There are no bombs left to use," said Databoard. "Tell me one reason I should trust you and Rex, and the rest…" said Kotua. "Because I can't think of a time where I betrayed you!" Databoard shouted. "I'm not against you, Kotua! No offense, but get that through your thick skull!" The Guardian squeezed Databoard tighter, signifying Kotua's response to that statement. "Thick-headed! We'll see who's thick-headed!" said Kotua. "I can think of a time you did betray me. When I chased that dumb dino Rev protected..." "Because the dino was tamed!" said Databoard. "Sure..." said Kotua sarcastically. "Will you figure out that I'm not against you?!" Databoard said. "No one is against you! Well, until you tried to blow up HQ..." "So you're admitting that DINO Attack HQ is against me!" Kotua said triumphantly. Databoard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, thanks to your own sheer stupidity!" Databoard shouted. "You tried to destroy DINO Attack HQ! Did you think they're going to say: 'Thank you Kotua'?" "Hey, rebuilding might cost less," said Kotua. "Just stop firing and we can work something out..." said Databoard. Kotua looked at a security camera, seeing the remains of the vehicles that were attacking the Voltage. He grimaced as he saw both ShadowTech and Dino Attack vehicles among the wreckage. "They're working with ShadowTech... that's why they sent you... because they want me alive for their sick experiments..." said Kotua. "You forced them to cooperate when you wildly fired everywhere!" said Databoard. "You did betray me!" said Kotua. "I didn't even know we were working with ShadowTech until just now!" Databoard shouted. "I don't even know who these ShadowTech people are, Kotua!" "LIAR!" Kotua shouted. "You did betray me! I see right through you!" "Kotua, why won't you believe me when I tell you I haven't betrayed you?" "You're a traitor..." said Kotua. Databoard looked at Kotua, worrying about what might happen, when he remembered the microphone, which was probably lying in the ruins of the Fire Hammer... Databoard rolled his eyes. "I'm not a traitor," Databoard replied. "Why is that so hard to believe?" Kotua still didn't believe him. "I know you're a traitor," he said, ignoring Databoard's question. "You can try to fool me, but I'm smart enough to not believe you." "Are you sure the word you're searching for is smart?" Databoard snapped back. "Snapping back? I'm not even questioning you, and you're already nervous," said Kotua. "What are you talking about? You can't even realize what's going on!" said Databoard. "Oh, but I can. I can also decide to kill the other agents. I'm haven't killed them, because I wanted to see what you would do. You didn't even care what would happen to them!" said Kotua. ***** All the while, the Pallas Athena was quietly following the Voltage. "The Guardian is on board," muttered PBB. "This isn't good." "The what?" asked Rex. "Guardian," answered PBB. "It was a robot that Alpha Team faced six years ago. However, now it seems to have joined Kotua. Which isn't good at all." He looked at Little Bot. "You think you can hack into the Guardian?" "Beep bepit bo," beeped the small robot. Rex guessed what its response meant. "I didn't think so either," PBB said. He sighed, which was clearly programmed as an emotional response since the robot did not need to breathe air. ***** The sky had gotten darker, and lightning struck around the city. The craft had reached 80% in the blast energy. Guardian IV put Databoard in another cell, which had a small vent. Two maintenance bots replaced the broken window, while Kotua searched again for Rex. "Where could he be...? He's probably with ShadowTech..." said Kotua ***** At that moment, Rex was certainly NOT with ShadowTech. After all, his only experience with them as their prisoner would not make him very open to working with them. He still did not know that they formed a temporary alliance with Dino Attack Team. But, Rex somehow had a feeling that Kotua was looking for him. The only thing keeping him and his comrades from getting captured was the fact that PBB's airship was both swift and cloaked. But, they still needed a plan... ***** Kotua pressed a button. The energy blast fired, and hit Dino Attack HQ, destroying the communications tower, and the energy tower. "That should be good enough," said Kotua. ***** "What is with him and destroying HQ?" whispered Rex. "That's what crazy people do," PBB answered. "Yeah, he's mad, alright," Rex whispered back. Chompy began to growl, but in response to something else. They looked out the window to find the Pallas Athena surrounded by Mutant Pteranodons! Rex and PBB did their best, rapidly shooting nets at every pteranodon they saw. Once the whole flock was captured, Rex got ready to collect them, but PBB said, "Come on, let's catch up with the Voltage!" "But the Dinos-" "Forget about them! Don't you want to save Turahk-Kal, Data, and Glide? Or do you care more about taming the Mutant Pteranodons?" For a moment, it seemed as if a fire was burning inside Rex. He glared angrily at PBB. How dare this robot question him? It could never understand the importance of ensuring the dinosaurs' safety, especially now that Kotua was on the loose. Then, shaking his head, Rex came back to his senses. "Yes, you're right. Data, Turahk, and Glide must be rescued first." ***** Databoard heard the explosion, meaning Kotua had fired on DINO Attack HQ. "Kotua, you madman..." Databoard muttered. "I just hope he didn't cause too much damage..." Databoard placed a short-out device, as Guardian had neglected to take his equipment, on the door. The locking mechanism was disabled, and Databoard walked out of the now-open door. He soon found Glide and Turahk-Kal, and got them from out of the cells. He gave each of them a laser rifle, and the three left the cell area. Databoard, Glide, and Turahk-Kal stormed the command deck. The Guardian turned to fire at them. "Catch, Guardy!" Databoard shouted, flinging a short-out disk at the robot. Electricity shot across the Guardian, but it was unharmed. "Uh-oh...!" Turahk exclaimed before the Guardian began firing at them. The three began firing at the Guardian, as well as whatever security bots that attacked. ***** Hyrode drove wildly out of the HQ, shaking remains off his arm. Pulling into a wheelie, he jumped through the skylight. Blasting the engine to full throttle, he jumped off the bike, landing with a thump on top of the Voltage airship. Hyrode watched his bike plummet below... ***** Databoard rushed towards Kotua, jumping over several security bots. "You don't call this trying to kill me?!" Kotua said. Databoard turned around to blast an attacking security bot, then faced Kotua again. "I'm not here to kill you, just to stop you from destroying more of DINO Attack HQ," he said. The Guardian moved towards Databoard, but Turahk leapt onto the robots, clinging onto its back. As the robot tried to shake him off, Databoard destroyed several more security bots, then turned around to find a laser aimed at his head. ---- It was a Mutant Pteranodon! Snake of Spades raised his gun, but didn't fire. It seemed to be... hurt. Snake heard a snarl. Soon, five Mutant Lizards surrounded him. "Gulp," swallowed Snake. He sent a message: HELP, I'M SURROUNDED. S.O.S AGENT SNAKE ---- Databoard received Snake's SOS, but at the moment he had bigger things to worry about, specifically the laser pointed at him. "See ya, Data..." Kotua said, and prepared to pull the trigger. Before he could, Databoard pulled out his laser rifle. In one swift motion, he fired, hitting the laser and knocking it from Kotua's hand. Meanwhile, Turahk-Kal had been flung off the Guardian. "Databoard, look out!" he shouted. Databoard jumped out of the way of one of the Guardian's blasts, which barely missed Kotua. "Don't worry, Snake, I'll be right there," said Glide. "Just as soon as I'm done here." It all happened at once. Bots noticed and fired upon him. Glide threw a black sphere down on the floor, releasing another smokescreen. Vanishing from view, Glide fired at Kotua, knocking the gun out of his hand. And then, just like that, Glide was gone. ---- At the smoking crater at which he left the base, Kai looked around. He drove across the tundra and found a set of footprints. Following them, the footprints came to the shape of a person lying in the snow. Around were a few other footprints and the trail stopped abruptly. Either I've been following it the wrong way, or something lifted it. People don't just disappear... he thought. Kai tried sending messages to anyone at the Dino Attack Team base. Nothing but static. Rushing off to the base, Kai brought Joey along just in case that there would be serious trouble. Joey was an Alpha Team mechanic and a close friend of Kai. The HQ was pretty much unscathed, but the communications tower and energy conduits have been destroyed. "Just my luck," grumbled Kai. He received the SOS and got there as soon as possible, but got blocked by another a T-Rex and two Mutant Pterosaurs. Kai sent a message to Snake of Spades: "Found more trouble here. Lure the Mutant Lizards to coordinates 501-744 and we can take care of all of them at once." ---- Databoard landed next to Turahk-Kal. "How do we stop that robot?" Turahk-Kal shouted. Databoard shook his head. "We can't," he replied. "I've seen Guardians in action before, and this one is much more advanced. Can you distract it long enough?" Turahk-Kal looked at him like he was insane, but nodded. Turahk-Kal leapt at the Guardian, dodging its blasts. Databoard ducked behind a control panel and sent out a distress signal: SOS: ME AND AGENT TURAHK ARE ON VOLTAGE, FIGHTING GUARDIAN. CANNOT WIN. HELP. AGENT DATABOARD. He doubted anyone would receive the SOS, and if they did, would not be able to get through the beam shield. Looking to his right, Tuahk-Kal found a box of grenades in a corner. Quickly grabbing two, he flung them at the Guardian. "Data, catch!" he said as he tossed one to Databoard. The Guardian jumped out of the way of Turahk-Kal's grenades, which blew a hole in the floor where it just was. Databoard prepared to throw the grenade, and aimed at the Guardian. A security bot leapt at him, knocking the grenade from his hand. The robot picked up the weapon, and was about to throw it at Databoard when exploded, leaving a burning hunk of medal in its place. Standing next to the box, Turahk-Kal began expertly throwing more grenades at the Guardian. It dodged many of them easily, though a few nicked its legs. Kotua reached for a pocket, and took out his device. "I hoped I wouldn't have to resort to this," said Kotua. Immediately, the satellites in space aimed at Dino Attack HQ... The Voltage flew over Dino Attack HQ as it started raining. Hard. Guardian IV phased, and fired at Databoard and Turahk-Kal. Databoard ran at it, but Guardian un-phased and flew at him, beam guns readying. Databoard jumped out of the way of the blasts from the Guardians beam guns, then charged at it again, firing like crazy. The Guardian phased again, letting the blasts pass through it, before unphasing and attacking. Databoard got out of the way before where he had been standing was a smoking crater. Kotua ran off, sealing the room. Turahk-Kal and Databoard were trapped with Guardian IV... Kotua checked the portable Voltage control, and pressed a button. The satellites moved again, this time targeting something else... ***** "This is hopeless, Data!" Turahk-Kal yelled, pocketing four grenades and tossing two at the door. They exploded, leaving a gaping hole. Turahk-Kal swiftly moved through this to stop Kotua. The Guardian moved towards Turahk-Kal and Databoard. "What do we do?" Turahk-Kal shouted. Databoard grabbed Turahk-Kal and ran in the other direction, turning off the beam shield as he did. "Time to abandon ship!" Databoard shouted, leaving out the command deck window, and sending the two agents speeding towards the street below. "Have you gone mad?" Turahk-Kal shouted as they plummeted. Databoard fired a grappling hook, which attached to the Voltage, stopping their fall and allowing them to swing to the safety of a nearby building, away from the Guardian. ***** Kotua re-activated the beam shield. "Next time, they won't get off easily," said Kotua. The Voltage began firing at the remains of Dino Attack HQ, destroying equipment and other tools... ***** Databoard and Turahk-Kal watched from the rooftop as Kotua blasted DINO Attack HQ. "We can't just stand here and watch HQ get destroyed!" Turahk-Kal shouted. "There's got to be something that we can do!" "Well, I could get into the command systems on the Voltage and order it to stop firing," Databoard said. "But that would require a computer console, which I don't have, and no doubt Kotua will prevent anybody from secretly accessing the Voltage." Databoard then rushed off down the streets of LEGO City, followed by a very confused Turahk-Kal. "Where are we going?" Turahk-Kal asked, but Databoard kept running. He soon found what he was looking for: what was left of his Fire Hammer. He opened the door, or rather, it snapped off when he opened it. He got inside the wreck and began looking around inside. Databoard searched through his wrecked Fire Hammer. The inside hadn't been very damaged, but it was bashed around a bit, making it hard to find anything. Thanks a lot, Kotua... Databoard thought sarcastically. He soon found what he was looking for: the microphone the Ogel Drones had used on Kotua several years ago. It seemed largely undamaged in the crash. Databoard wasn't sure it would work, but it was better than Kotua going on a killing spree. ***** The Voltage continued firing. Four jets flew out to try to stop the craft, but were easily destroyed. Kotua watched as the craft fired, taking down Dino Attack HQ. The blasts were now destroying what was left of the garage. Kotua walked to a room. Guardian IV was there, turned off. "Time for another upgrade," said Kotua. He walked towards a small cabinet, and took out some tools. ***** A Robo-Blade flew out of the Voltage, and began hunting down Dino Attack agents. The Robo-Blade activated its Beam Shield. A Mutant Raptor, not knowing what it was, ran at the Robo-Blade, and tried to bite it. The Robo-Blade fired, and the Raptor fell to the ground. However, more Raptors arrived. The Robo-Blade flew upwards, and fired, taking down a few Raptors. The rest ran after the Robo-Blade, which sent missiles. The Robo-Blade flew to another area, where it spotted an agent in an Urban Avenger trying to take down a Mutant Lizard. The Robo-Blade aimed, and fired. The Urban Avenger's engine exploded, taking the driver and the Lizard along with it. Before Databoard could find out if the microphone still worked, the Robo-Blade that had been attacking DINO Attack agents in the area saw them. "Databoard, look out!" Turahk-Kal said, pushing Databoard out of the way of a blast, knocking the microphone from his hand as well. The microphone slid out of view, and the blast destroyed what was left of the ruined Fire Hammer. The Robo-Blade flew towards them. "Act dead," Databoard whispered to Turahk-Kal. The Robo-Blade bought the act, and flew away. The Robo-Blade flew over the city, when it spotted Digger in a Steel Sprinter. Digger noticed the Robo-Blade, and fired his Cosmotronic Ray, but the blast bounced harmlessly off of the Robo-Blade's Beam Shield. The Robo-Blade then fired a shot. Digger quickly got off the vehicle and ran as the blast hit the ATV, and destroyed it. The Robo-Blade fired again, but Digger ran into a warehouse. Inside, Digger hid behind some crates. The Robo-Blade noticed what Digger had not: the crates had fireworks. The Robo-Blade activated its head Vulcan guns and fired at the crates. Digger reloaded his Cosmotronic Ray, when a blast behind him sent him into the wall. Digger had dropped his ray during the explosion, and the Robo-Blade flew towards him. Digger ran as the Robo-Blade took out its Beam Saber and flew full speed. Digger ran into an airport, and exited on the other side, Robo-Blade in close pursuit. Digger ran, but he knew he couldn't outrun the Robo-Blade forever. The Robo-Blade flew nearer to Digger... when a blast hit it, sending it flying back. Digger looked for the source of the blast. It was Specs and Shadow in a Fire Hammer! Both drove, firing at the Robo-Blade that, realizing what hit it, began firing back. Digger ran towards the Fire Hammer, and joined Specs and Shadow. Shadow aimed at the Robo-Blade and fired. The Robo-Blade blocked the blast and activated its Beam Rifle. It fired, deflating the front tires. Specs continued driving towards the Robo-Blade, with Shadow firing. The Robo-Blade fired missiles, which struck the Fire Hammer, sending the three agents flying. The Robo-Blade aimed its Beam Saber at Shadow and fired. Shadow moved out of the way and ran off, with the other two agents following him. The Robo-Blade flew after them. The Robo-Blade fired at a car next to the agents, causing it to explode. The agents hit the ground, and the Robo-Blade, thinking it had killed them, flew back to the Voltage, where it would get ready to find the other agents... ***** Kotua was halfway through upgrading Guardian... ***** Databoard found the microphone, only to discover it had been damaged when it was knocked from his hand. He could repair it once they got to relative safety. "Come on!" Databoard whispered. "And try not to be seen." "Why?" Turahk-Kal asked. Databoard didn't even turn around as he answered, sneaking through the shadows. "Because Kotua will think we're dead," Databoard replied. "And that will give us an advantage." Turahk-Kal and Databoard slipped silently along the shadows of a ruined building. To anyone around them, they were nearly invisible. They snuck inside a nearby building, locking it as they did. Databoard began working on fixing the microphone, while Turahk-Kal stood guard in case anyone came in. Databoard worked fast to repair the microphone. That Robo-Blade was most likely attacking other agents, and they wouldn't stand a chance; no one could fight a beam shielded Robo-Blade. He continued fixing the device, praying it would stop Kotua's path of destruction, for now at least. Before Turahk-Kal could react, a Mutant Raptor burst through the door! It was about to eat Turahk-Kal when Databoard grabbed a weapon he had designed. A ball of green energy shot out, stunning the creature and containing it safely it a net of energy. Suddenly, more Raptors burst in, jaws snapping. Databoard grabbed the microphone as he and Turahk-Kal fled out the back door. Databoard and Turahk-Kal rushed down an alley, pursued by the Mutant Raptors. Databoard had subdued a few with his energy net device, but they kept attacking. Databoard fired a grappling hook up at a nearby rooftop. "Going up!" he said, grabbing Turahk-Kal as the grappling hook retracted, pulling them to safety. ***** Kotua watched as Guardian IV turned back on. "I want you to bring some friends..." said Kotua. Guardian IV understood Kotua. <BladeBugs?> asked Guardian IV. "Yes..." muttered Kotua, remembering the saw-like robots from Mission Deep Freeze. Kotua watched as Guardian fixed a small radio-like device. <Ready.> said Guardian. "Good," said Kotua. He walked back to the Command Deck. The weather seemed to worsen, as low streets flooded with rain, and lightning struck the higher buildings. Once Kotua was on the Command Deck, he ordered some things on the craft be changed, obviously because of Databoard's constant escapes. The robots scurried around, making smaller vents on the cells, and putting other things on the doors so they wouldn't rust. The part where Databoard and Turahk-Kal faced Guardian was fixed. The glass on the Command Deck was replaced for an impact resistant one. Then Kotua ordered crazy things, like an oxygen-making machine. The robots were building spacecraft capable of atmospheric reentry. The engines were given upgrades for space. And the front cannon was being upgraded for an even faster one. The robots finished building a space probe, and launched it into space, despite the weather. "Soon, those Dino Attack agents will have nowhere to hide!" said Kotua. The robots moved to the next project, and Kotua walked to the Command Deck and sat in his chair. The Voltage remained over Dino Attack HQ, even though the bad weather continued. ***** Rex and PBB were having a hard time catching up with the Voltage, Robo-Blades, Kotua, Turahk-Kal, and Databoard. They all seemed to be going in different directions. "To the Multi-Pods!" PBB shouted. "We'll be able to split up to catch up with them!" "Okay!" Rex answered as he ran into a Multi-Pod, which turned out to be one of several small pod-shaped vehicles in the airship's hangar. So did PBB, Little Bot, and Chompy. Then, they ejected from the Pallas Athena and began to hover across the ground. Already, Rex was seeing the other pods go in different directions. "Which leaves me to face... oh great," muttered Rex. He was heading directly for the Voltage - and Kotua. ***** Databoard aimed his energy net launcher, in case any dinosaurs tried to come up. So far, few had, as those who did wound up stunned. "Hey Databoard, look at that!" Turahk-Kal shouted. A strange pod-shaped vehicle was flying towards them. Turahk-Kal waved towards it, trying to get its attention. Databoard heard lightning strike nearby buildings. The roof they were on wasn't very tall, so they would not be hit. Databoard was more worried about lighting hitting the pod, but that wasn't happening, as it continued to move towards them. The pod slowly continued towards them. Turahk-Kal looked down and noticed a pack of Mutant Raptors walking around the base of the building below them. One entered, followed by the rest. "Hurry up," he thought. The pod landed on the roof a few feet from them. At that moment, the Mutant Raptors started charging towards them Databoard began firing at them, trapping them in energy nets. Soon, all the raptors were lying stunned around them. They then walked over to the pod, to see who was inside. ***** The Voltage cloaked, disappearing from view of everybody. The Robo-Blade launched again. As it flew towards Dino Attack HQ, it noticed agents Turahk-Kal, Databoard, and some pod-shaped vehicle. It flew down to them, and started firing at them. "Run!" said Databoard, running. Turahk-Kal ran after him as the Robo-Blade fired its Beam Rifle. Turahk-Kal, fed up with running away, turned around. The Robo-Blade flew at him, and begun firing. Turahk-Kal dodged the blasts, and ran into a building. Inside, he looked for any tool that might help him take down the Robo-Blade. The Multi-Pod near Databoard and Turahk-Kal opened to reveal PBB. "There's not much time!" he said. "We must hurry, before Kotua catches up with us again!" Databoard nodded in agreement. Turahk-Kal stepped outside the building. As he looked at their new companion, his expression turned confused. "A Brickster-Bot?" he asked. "Long story," Databoard said. "PBB's right. But we also have to stop Kotua and the Voltage as well." ---- A pack of Mutant Raptors showed up. Happy for something to do, though scared out of her pants, Dromus told the Raptors best she could to go away. When they refused, she shrugged, whipping her chain around their legs, tripping them, and effectively tying them up. She climbed in her Urban Avenger, still wondering what the heck was going on. ---- Rex wasn't having good luck at all. His Multi-Pod was dodging the Voltage's lasers and cannons quickly, but he knew that eventually something will go wrong and he will end up as roasted. Or worse. Plus, once he would get out of the pod, then he would be exposed to the lasers, guard robots... and Kotua. ***** The robots reported the pod to Kotua. "Fire missiles!" said Kotua. ***** Missiles fired from the bottom of the craft, and flew towards Rex. Oh boy, thought Rex. Then he got an idea. He flew towards the Voltage's beam shield, and right when the missiles were close enough, Rex moved out of the way. Unfortunately, the missiles anticipated the maneuver, and hit the Multi-Pod. A Robo-Blade flew down, ripped open the pod, grabbed Rex, and flew back into the airship. Rex tried his best to send a S.O.S. to PBB - or at least someone - as the Robo-Blade carried him. HELP! AGENT DOWN! CAPTURED BY A ROBO-BLADE! He had enough time to type "AGENT REX" before the Robo-Blade ripped the transmitter out of Rex's hands. "This is not a good day..." muttered Rex. The Robo-Blade landed inside the craft, and dropped Rex. Before Rex could do anything, security bots surrounded Rex, took away all of his equipment, and put him on a cell. Kotua walked towards the cell. "So, agent Rex, I think we have some issues we need to get over with," said Kotua, taking out a blaster. It wasn't Rex, PBB, or anybody who scattered the Security Bots. It was a convenient circumstance that did. One robot ran over, yelling over and over: "Mutant Dino onboard Voltage! I saw it on scanners!" "Well, what are you waiting for?!?" Kotua said. "Find it! Destroy it! Oh, and if possible, do it in front of Rex!" Rex felt hatred burning inside him. This traitor was holding the innocent hostage, destroying Earth's only hopes, and killing what could be saved. After a while, the Security Bots had no luck in finding the Mutant Dino. Kotua wasn't happy about this, while Rex was relieved that they wouldn't be able to kill it. But, something else made Rex's heart sink. "Intruder aboard as well," reported one bot. It held up the form of an object that resembled a can with limbs: Little Bot. "It was caught trying to hack into the systems." "One of your friends, eh?" Kotua sneered at Rex. "Just as well. Fry it and clog its innerworkings!" Thinking quickly, Rex said, "That's a waste of a perfectly good robot!" "Then again, your friend would make a great can opener. The one we use with the noodles is already faulty," said Kotua. The Security Bot took Little Bot to the Builder Bots. "As for you..." said Kotua turning to look at Rex. "We're going to fry and clog your organs!" "You've gone crazy, Kotua!" said Rex. "Have I? Data may have escaped to inform you of my location, but you're not going to be as difficult to hold captive like he was..." said Kotua. The Security Bots dragged Rex away. "Now, to get the others here..." said Kotua. He remembered his PDA. Kotua took it out, and typed a message, pretending to be Rex: HELP! KOTUA IS PLANNING TO KILL ME SOON! PLEASE HURRY! AGENT REX. ***** The pod flew up towards the Voltage, which luckily hadn't noticed them yet. "How are we going to get in?" Turahk-Kal asked. "It's got those beam shield things." "There's something true about every device in history: it has a flaw that can be easily exploited," Databoard said. "We just have to find it." Databoard received Rex's distress signal and showed it to the others. "We have to help him!" Turahk-Kal shouted. "If he's planning to kill him-" "Then he'd have very little time to send a distress signal." PBB replied. "Wild guess is it's a trap set by Kotua." "But that means Kotua has Rex's PDA!" Turahk-Kal shouted. "We have to do something!" Databoard smirked. "We spring the trap," he said. "Take us in full speed, PBB." ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Chapter 3: High Voltage ---- Kotua walked back to Dino Attack HQ, and began looking for materials for rebuilding his Robo-Blade. He reached for his pocket, and took out a round device that he had retrieved from the warehouse. It was marked with a yellow circle, with a yellow lightning bolt in the center. "Uh-oh," said Kotua, after realizing what it was. Kotua pressed a button. The device's little screen turned on. He pressed another button. ***** Agent Crunch was patrolling the area around the Antarctica border, making sure no Dinos had arrived on the frozen continent (as unlikely that might seem, one could never be too careful). Then suddenly, the ground trembled. "Earthquake!" shouted Crunch. The earth split open as Crunch stumbled towards Alpha Team's base. Crunch turned around, and he almost gasped in surprise. A giant airship was slowly rising from the snow. As soon as the craft was high on the air, it started moving away. Soon, the airship was flying faster over the ocean. Its robot crew, activated for the first time in half a decade, kept the craft flying as smoothly as possible. Some of the robots repaired and charged the weaponry, including the main weapon located at the front of the ship. ***** "I hope nobody lives on top of where it was hidden," said Kotua. He looked around. He couldn't tell anybody from Dino Attack HQ about the craft. Especially since it had a potent weapon. "This is probably what Cane wanted from me," Kotua said to himself. Kotua slipped the round control back into his pocket, and took out what he was originally looking for: a knife. He opened a box, and began using it to draw the Robo-Blade's blueprints... ***** Specs looked around in the Iron Predator. He noticed a giant airship flying over him. "Oh my..." he said. Specs noticed the craft bore a symbol: a yellow circle, with a yellow lightning bolt... ***** Kotua was looking over the blueprints he had worked on overnight, when he noticed Rex. "Hey Rex, are there any spare parts? I'm going to rebuild my Robo-Blade," said Kotua. "...sure... I think..." muttered Rex. "You okay?" asked Kotua. "...just... tired..." replied Rex. "Oh," said Kotua. "Yesterday was... a long day..." explained Rex, "but... unfortunately... last night... I couldn't... sleep..." "Wow, that's bad," agreed Kotua. "How 'bout some coffee?" "I... guess..." answered Rex. Kotua got Rex some coffee, and returned to looking at the blueprints for the Robo-Blade. "Maybe I can salvage somethings from the previous Robo-Blade?" said Kotua. "...huh...?" mumbled Rex, who was sipping his coffee. "I crashed my Robo-Blade, that's why I'm building another," explained Kotua. "Perhaps that'll work," Rex said, now awake. "I don't imagine Alpha Team has extra Robo-Blades? It seems like an Alpha Team vehicle." "The original Robo-Blade came from my Ice Blade," Kotua answered. "It was created by an insane inventor named Dr. Voltage, but I took it and continued to use it throughout the rest of Mission Deep Freeze... along with his personal airship, the Voltage. Speaking of Alpha Team, weren't you an Alpha Team agent?" "No," Rex answered softly. He took another sip of his coffee, then continued. "I actually have no idea what my past is. The oldest memory of mine was waking up in the middle of the Dino Attack, wanting to join the Dino Attack Team. I don't remember anything before that. Dr. Einstein thinks I probably hit my head and got amnesia or something." "Hmm, that's weird," said Kotua. "Yep," said Rex. Suddenly, it got dark outside, like a massive cloud had just blocked out the sun. "What's going on?" said Rex. "I don't know," Kotua said uneasily. Specs came running in. "There's some sort of massive airship!" he said, running to tell the others. "It doesn't seem to be Alpha Team or LEGOLAND, so be on your guard!" Rex and Kotua peered outside. The aircraft was now flying over Dino Attack HQ. A squadron of A.I.-controlled Robo-Blades launched off the craft and landed on the street below. They were armed with beam rifles. "You know them?" asked Rex. "Er... no!" said Kotua. Rex looked at him, puzzled. "Yes..." he whispered. "Are they bad?" asked Rex. "No," said Kotua. "But the Voltage is very powerful... I remember using its weaponry to fight the Evil OGEL Empire. If ShadowTech ever finds out, well..." He didn't need to finish the sentence. "Speaking of ShadowTech," Rex said, "Kai, Hyrode, and I just got captured by them yesterday." "No wonder you're tired," Kotua said. "Did they do anything to you guys?" "Almost threw us off a cliff," answered Rex. "They wanted me to call off the Dino Attack Team, and they wanted... well, they wanted you." "Huh," Kotua said quietly. They watched as a ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon flew towards the Voltage. Immediately, the airship's beam weaponry took care of the black helicopter, sending it down in flames. ***** "It shot the chopper down, sir," said a ShadowTech soldier, looking at his computer's data. "What?! Send in jets," ordered Obsidian. "Yes, Sir," said the soldier. Immediately, ShadowTech pilots scrambled to get into their jets. "Remember, its weaponry is powerful," Obsidian said to the jet pilots over radio. "Don't worry, it's going to be as easy as taking down dinos," said one of the pilots. The ShadowTech jets armed their weapons, and began to fire on the craft. The blasts hit its shields harmlessly. "Did you see that?" said the first pilot. "Yes..." said the squad commander, just as surprised... "I'd rather go fight the dull dinos..." said another pilot. The Voltage continued firing at the ShadowTech jets. One flew under the craft, avoiding the blasts. Another jet aimed its missiles. "Take this!" said the pilot, pressing the trigger. A blast flew from one of the Voltage's laser turrets, wiping out the jet before its missile could fly out. The rest of the ShadowTech jets just fired like crazy, worrying more about avoiding the Voltage's blasts. "You idiots!" shouted Obsidian. "Just shot one spot, until the shield is weakened." The Voltage opened its missile bay, and missiles flew towards the jets. One jet started firing at the missiles, but the missiles simply flew out of the way. The Voltage fired like crazy at the ShadowTech jets, aiming to destroy them all. Most jets flew out of the way of one blast only to be in the way of another. Soon, there were only three ShadowTech jets. One of the pilots flew away towards downtown, getting out of the range of most blasts. Another quickly fired missiles at a seeming weak spot in the craft's beam shield. The Voltage opened fire again, taking down the third jet, which was just randomly flying around. It then aimed at the two surviving jets. "Let's get out of here!" said the pilot of the jet heading downtown. "I agr-" said the other pilot, before ten blasts hit the jet and swallowed him up in an explosion. The remaining ShadowTech jet flew fast, while the Voltage fired all it had at it. Blasts hit buildings around the jet, causing multiple fires. Forty missiles flew around the last jet. It fired back, destroying some of the missiles, but the rest hit the jet... ***** "So now, you're rebuilding the Robo-Blade," Rex said. "Good luck with that. Well, if you need me, you know where I'll be." "In your room?" asked Kotua. "Actually, I, well, uh... yes, in my room," answered Rex. He began to walk away, but then he looked back at Kotua. His expression was dark, regarding Kotua with suspicious narrowed eyes. "There's still one thing I don't get, Kotua. The other day... why did you try to use a Robo-Blade to kill agent Rev?" "I did?" said Kotua, who acted surprised. "Yes," said Rex. "I saw it happen, and so did multiple other Dino Attack agents. If Databoard and Rev hadn't been putting in a good word for you, you'd probably be sitting in a detention block right now instead of tinkering with your vehicles." "I don't remember anything," lied Kotua. "You sure?" pressed Rex. "Yes... besides, if I wanted to attack you, wouldn't I have used the ship above us?" said Kotua. Rex nodded, then walked away. But he gave Kotua one last suspicious glance, suspecting that his teammate was not telling the whole truth. Being amnesic like Rex was one thing, but deliberately lying was another. Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, Rex thought. Maybe Kotua really was telling the truth... But Rex still couldn't shake the feeling that Kotua was lying. He might've been brainwashed, but who would've done that? ShadowTech, probably. But then why didn't ShadowTech just brainwash Rex, Kai, and Hyrode? It had to be a lie, without many other confusing questions falling into place. Kotua watched Rex leave. I've got to get rid of him soon, thought Kotua. He's asking too many questions. Kotua slowly took out the device and selected a target. He quickly put it back in his pocket. ***** The craft recharged its turrets. Two turrets aimed at the new target: Elite Agent Rex... ---- Kai jumped back in his Urban Avenger and drove off. He headed towards the helicopter pad which was once the Arctic jump point, used by research teams back in 2000. The helicopter still stood there, unscathed. The Mutant Dinos hadn't found it yet. He jumped in and took off, but instead of north to the Arctic, he headed south. Back to the Alpha Team base. ---- "Sir, the whole squadron has been wiped out," said a ShadowTech soldier. "WHAT?!" shouted Obsidian. Cane walked towards Obsidian. "Test one seems to be successful," said Cane. "Too late! I lost a squadron of jets against the Voltage!" said Obsidian. Cane hardly batted an eye. "It would raise suspicion if it were any other way..." he said. "And, given your... ahem, track record so far... it seemed only fitting to set you up for failure." Obsidian grumbled under his breath. ***** Rex himself had lied to Kotua. He said he'd be in his room, but he actually went to his Iron Predator and left Dino Attack Headquarters. Rex looked up to see the Voltage flying over him. He picked up his binoculars and looked through them, and he realized the turrets were aiming at him! He quickly accelerated the Iron Predator to top speed and drove around LEGO City, trying to dodge the turrets' blasts as they rained down upon the streets. Then the airship launched homing missiles, giving chase to his Iron Predator. "One sharp turn, please," Rex muttered under his breath, "please, please, a sharp turn!" He had luck. The road ahead of him turned sharply, and Rex made a sharp turn. The missiles didn't have the time to turn. They slammed into a building with a great explosion. Rex drove around LEGO City, with the Voltage firing him. "This is crazy..." muttered Rex. A Mutant Pterosaur tired divebombing the Iron Predator from above, but was struck and vaporized by a blast of the Voltage's turrets. The craft seemed to only care to destroy him... ***** "He can't outrun it forever..." muttered Kotua. "Hey Kotua, we should be ready in case this airship turns towards us..." said Specs. "Don't worry..." said Kotua. "It only hunts down evil villains... like Rex." "What?" said Specs. "Don't you find it strange he wants to 'help' these dinos?" said Kotua. "We're supposed to stop an apocalypse, not be nurses to dinos... I bet Rex is secretly working for whoever is behind the Dino Attack, and they're infiltrating our team..." "You okay?" asked Specs. "Yes..." Kotua said in a low voice. "Rex helps the dinos because they're living beings," said Specs. "I've personally approved his studies and his research. What you're proposing is preposterous." He started to leave. "If you're siding with traitors..." said Kotua. Specs turned around. "What?" he exclaimed. Kotua shot Specs with a tranquilizer dart. "The only good traitor is a silenced traitor," said Kotua. He dragged Specs towards a utility closet and stuffed him there. Kotua then walked towards the garage, ready to make the Robo-Blade Mk. II... ***** Rex gritted his teeth as the Voltage continued chasing him. He fired back with the Cryothermic Cannon, but nothing got through the airship's beam shield. "That Kotua...!" he ranted. "I should've known all along! He's planning to betray Dino Attack Team by killing his teammates, and he's starting out with the elite agents! No, that's not right, his first target was Rev, who isn't an Elite Agent yet, but either way Kotua is a traitor! Once I get my hands on him, I swear, I'm gonna..." It was a wonder that he could focus on where he was going, since he was driving the Iron Predator, aiming the Cryothermic Cannon, and ranting angrily about Kotua all at the same time. Rex noticed Robo-Blades were deployed from the craft. Rex still continued his ranting, which had escalated from grumbling to outright yelling. "Kotua's next targets are going to be the founding members - Specs, Shadow, Viper, and Digger!" he ranted. "He's not just betraying Dino Attack – he's betraying the entire world! Man, am I gonna KILL that traitor when I see him! Cut him up into little pieces and feed him to the Mutant Dinos!" He paused to catch his breath, letting himself calm down just for a moment. He realized how carried away he was getting. "Okay, maybe not that extreme... but when I learn to tame a Mutant T-Rex, Kotua's going to wish that he'd never been born!" He fired the Cryothermic Cannon at the Robo-Blades. "Right now, I think I'd rather be chased by a hunting pack of Mutant T-Rexes." The Robo-Blades blocked the cryothermic blasts with beam shields. They fired back, nearly destroying the Iron Predator with their beam weaponry. ***** Kotua grabbed a radio. "This is going to be fun..." he said. ***** "Hello, agent..." said a voice. Rex was surprised to hear Kotua's voice. He noticed it was coming from his handheld radio. "What's your problem!?" yelled Rex. "I ask the questions... agent... and you'd better answer, or else!" said Kotua. "Or else what?" demanded Rex, but Kotua ignored him. "So, agent, why do you help dinos? Who's paying you? Evil Ogel? Lord Sam Sinister von Barron? Dr. Inferno? ShadowTech?" "Yeah, as if I would be working for a villain!" Rex snarled. "I help the Mutant Dinos because I believe it is better not to use violence!" But, his anger got the better of him. "But it seems someone isn't getting that through their thick head! So, you want me to kill instead of tame? Is that what you want? Well, then I'm going to kill you!" Ordinarily, Rex would never lose control like this. But there was just something that drove him to act this way. It was as though there was some deep-rooted rage that he had unknowingly been suppressing, and now it was trying to break free... "Aha!" Kotua said. "Proof you're working for a villain!" "Why don't you come here and say that to my face?!" snapped Rex. "Then we'll see which villain you're actually working for!" "Why should you care?" Kotua asked casually. "You're the villain, not me." That did it. "You know what? SHUT UP!" screamed Rex, fully losing his temper. "SHUT UP, YOU TRAITOR! YOU'RE NOT KOTUA, AREN'T YOU? YOU'RE A DRONE! SO STOP TERRORIZING US, DRONE! HOW DO YOU LIKE IT NOW THAT YOU'RE BEING CALLED A DRONE? HUH? HUH?" "Eat beam, traitor," said Kotua. "I CAN'T HEAR YOU, DRONE!" yelled Rex. Suddenly, he heard a whirring sound over him. Rex looked up and gasped. The front section of the Voltage had opened, revealing a giant weapon that resembled a speaker. Energy seemed to be forming as a yellow ball was growing in the center of the beam cannon. "And tell your boss he needs to give up..." said Kotua. Rex was bewildered. But, he had an idea. "Oh, no!" he began shouting into the radio. "There's, uh, a Mutant T-Rex attacking my Iron Predator! Uh, please don't eat me! AAAAHHHHH!!!" Then, he threw the radio at the ground in front of him, and ran it over with his Iron Predator. CRUNCH! Not exactly the kind of crunch he wanted, but close enough. He would think that Kotua would think that a Mutant T-Rex had devoured him. If he was lucky, then Kotua would call off the beam cannon before it fired... ***** Kotua smirked. "Heh, got what he deserved. Devoured by the very creature that he wanted to tame! What delicious irony!" Then, he frowned. "But I never found out who Rex was working for..." As he started to walk away, he realized something was off. "Wait a minute... T-Rexes usually roar..." he murmured. "I heard a crunch, but not any roar..." He quickly put more power into the beam cannon. Kotua suddenly felt odd. He started getting a crave for pies. He walked towards a fridge in the Dino Attack HQ cafeteria, and grabbed a pie. He sat down and began eating it. ****** "Yeah, real sweet," said Cane, with a satisfied smirk. "The mental conditioning has been quite effective." "We can try again later," said Obsidian. To Obsidian's surprise, Cane shook his head. "No. Next time, I want control of agent Rex... he is one of the leaders. Get contact, and stop Kotua from killing Rex!" said the ShadowTech commander. "Yes..." muttered Obsidian. ***** Rex continued driving and avoiding the Robo-Blades, which had sent missiles after his Iron Predator. He sure hoped that Kotua had fallen for his bluff, because what he needed was a break from these Robo-Blades. But, while Rex was slowly tiring, the Robo-Blades kept persistent. Suddenly, out of nowhere, another airship descended from the skies. Rex could see that this one was decorated with the colors of Alpha Team and marked with the name Pallas Athena. It opened its hangar doors, large enough for Rex's Iron Predator to drive inside. "Robo-Blades?" said a voice broadcast over an intercom. "Never thought I'd have to fight Kotua again... Quickly, Rex come aboard! It's a lot safer inside!" Rex had no idea who was piloting the Pallas Athena, but he decided to take his chances. He drove the Iron Predator into the hangar, and the airship lifted off. The hangar doors shut and held firm as the Robo-Blades' missiles impacted its armored exterior. As Rex climbed out of the Iron Predator, he was surprised to see Chompy as one of the ship's crewmembers. "Hey, thanks for saving me again," Rex said. Chompy replied gruffly with a low growl. Chompy was not the only crewmember of the Pallas Athena. Rex met a diminutive droid that resembled a large tin can with arms and legs. "Beppo, biip bo beep boo!" the robot enthusiastically greeted him. Rex chuckled. "Err, nice to meet you too!" he said, hoping that he got the gist of the robot's beeps and boops. Chompy and the robot led Rex to the command deck to meet the airship's captain. As Rex looked around the command deck, he realized that the rest of the crew consisted of Brickster-Bots wearing Alpha Team uniforms. "What are Brickster-Bots doing piloting an Alpha Team airship?" wondered Rex. The figure in the captain's chair was facing away from Rex, but he replied: "Haven't you heard that not all Brickster-Bots are evil? That not all who are destined to be villains become villains in the end? These are actually FMB-Bots: modified Brickster-Bots designed by Alpha Team agent Frozeen. They may lack self-aware A.I. and can only perform basic functions, but they are built to serve us. You can trust them, as you can trust me." "And... who are you?" asked Rex, who could not see the captain behind his tall chair. At the very least, he recognized the captain's voice as the one over the intercom. After pressing a button, the captain spun his chair around to face Rex, who gasped. He appeared nearly identical to the other FMB-Bots, except for the purple coloration of his head and uniform. "You're… you're a Brickster-Bot, too!" Rex realized. "But you're the captain, and I thought you just said FMB-Bots lack higher functions…?" "ERROR 404: DOES NOT COMPUTE!" responded the captain, who then laughed. "Don't worry, I'm only kidding! My name is PBB. I was the first FMB-Bot, and I was programmed with self-aware A.I. to be a unique individual. I had actually come here in search of Frozeen, but then I saw your Iron Predator under attack, and so I have assigned myself a new mission: I'm here to help out Dino Attack Team." Then, the Pallas Athena shook as it was attacked by the Voltage and its Robo-Blade fleet. "Looks like we'll need all the help we can get," remarked Rex. "I see you're already acquainted with my teammates," continued PBB, gesturing towards Chompy and the small droid. "I've known Chompy since the day I was made. And you can always count on Little Bot in a pinch." "You are... Little Bot?" repeated Rex, glancing at the robot. "Beepy Bop, be boop bepbeep," said Little Bot. Chompy growled in response and rolled his eyes. "What did he say?" asked Rex. "He said, 'Little Bot, at your service'," PBB translated. "He always speaks in beeps and boops. Never spoken a single word, no matter how much it annoys Chompy." Rex chuckled softly. "I can imagine that a mighty T-Rex isn't happy about working alongside a walking trashcan," he commented. Chompy made a satisfied grunt, while Little Bot started waving his arms frantically and beeping, "Beep bop!" "I'd advise you not to call him a 'walking trashcan'," said PBB. "It's a... sore spot for him. But he's a valuable asset to the team. Little Bot once manage to infiltrate Ogel's base all on his own and remain undetected for years, and he's got plenty of tricks up his proverbial sleeves. You'd do well not to underestimate him, and not even Chompy can deny that." ---- Kai touched down at the Alpha Team base. He was greeted by the Alpha Team's agents. "Have I missed anything?" asked Kai. "Some of our agents have left to fight some giant dinos or something. Maybe you could tell us a little more?" said Charge. "Yeah," said Kai, "I met some of the former Alpha Team agents. Those dinos are just destroying everything in their paths, and chaos is everywhere -- except here, that is." "Suddenly, Ogel's World Freeze plan doesn't sound so bad after all," said Diamond Tooth. "Well, the Dino Attack Team could use some help. Maybe we could join forces and get rid of the dinos?" suggested Kai. ---- The beam cannon charged, and the beam flew towards Rex's direction. The blast shook the Pallas Athena violently. "Kotua sure has interesting tools," muttered Rex. "Unfortunately," agreed PBB. "I knew Kotua pretty well. He was a good guy during most of his service to Alpha Team. But, there were... incidents. He is great at technology, but... in the wrong hands, such as Evil Ogel or Dr. Voltage, that technology is a serious threat..." The Voltage flew towards PBB and Rex. It started charging its main beam cannon again. The Robo-Blades flew back into the craft as it got ready to cease the existence of the Pallas Athena... ***** After finishing the pie, Kotua left the mess hall and saw the Voltage outside. "When did that get here?" he wondered. "Don't you remember?" asked a voice. Kotua turned around to face the end of Specs's blaster. Shadow, Digger, and Viper were there, too. "Woah, what's going on?" exclaimed Kotua. "You stuffed me in a closet, that's what," said Specs. Kotua looked at the four founding members. These guys are lunatics! he thought. First chance I get, I have to get out of this place, before they think I'm trying to kill Rex, or Rev... sheesh... "I don't know what's gotten into you Kotua, but we can't have you around," said Specs. Viper looked at the team leader with great concern. "You're not planning on killing him? Are you?" he asked. Specs sighed grimly. "If it's for the best..." he said. Kotua quickly ducked, and ran out the room, with the four agents chasing him. "These people are crazy!" said Kotua, jumping into an Urban Avenger and taking off.... ***** "These people are crazy!" PBB muttered. He immediately set to work ordering his crewmembers to defend the airship: "Little Bot, fire the zeta missiles!" "Beep!" Little Bot beeped as it ran over to a button. "Chompy, man the gamma cannons!" Chompy growled, then ran over to another switch, which was apparently designed to be operated by a T-Rex. Finally, PBB said, "Rex, could you get the alpha blasters?" "Where are they?" asked Rex. "Oh, right here," said PBB, gesturing towards the weapon controls. All four Pallas Athena passengers knew that it would not stop the Robo-Blades. But, as PBB hoped, it did delay them. "Right now," Rex said as he was manning the alpha blaster, "I'd actually rather be chased by a Mutant T-Rex..." The Voltage started firing at PBB's airship. The Robo-Blades flew out of the alpha blaster's range, and started firing at the airship. "This is not good," muttered PBB. "Both the Robo-Blades and the craft are shielded!" said Rex. "Drat!" PBB said. "I thought that Rebel Drone made it so that these could even pierce Robo-Blade shields-" "Rebel Drone?" repeated Rex. "You mean like an Ogel Drone?" "Don't worry," PBB quickly explained, "he was an enemy of Ogel; that's why we call him 'Rebel Drone'." First Alpha Team Brickster-Bots, thought Rex, now Ogel Drones that rebel against Ogel… what's next? A Mutant Dino trying to save the world? The Voltage fired another big beam, rocking the Pallas Athena. "We're not going to make it if this continues!" said Rex. "I know!" said PBB. Chompy merely growled. A Robo-Blade activated its Beam Saber and started trying to make a hole in the airship. "I sure wish that I had the time to add a shield to this yesterday," muttered PBB. "If this airship goes down, then we will crash, your Iron Predator will be destroyed, you and Chompy will be killed, and Kotua will probably turn Little Bot and me into scrap metal." "There's a huge flock of Mutant Pterosaurs ahead!" Rex noted. "They'll also get killed if we don't succeed!" While he ordinarily had more pressing concerns than the safety of some wild Mutant Dinos, Rex was disgusted by Kotua's thirst for mindless violence against the Mutant Dinos. It just wasn't right. PBB glanced in the direction of the Mutant Pterosaur flock, and then he nodded slowly. "So, I guess you are the Dino Attack agent that I had heard about… the one who wants the Dinos to live," PBB realized. Then, he looked at the scanner. "Oh, my! There's a T-Rex aboard the aircraft!" "Where? Where?" Rex asked as Chompy looked around. PBB laughed. "Relax, I think it's just picking up Chompy!" Rex laughed, while Chompy growled, annoyed. ***** Kotua drove away from the agents, but soon black T-1 Typhoons were after him. "Can't they leave me alone!?" said Kotua, avoiding a blast from the ShadowTech copter. Kotua drove like crazy to avoid the T-1 Typhoon's blasts, but it had now fired missiles. Kotua drove out of the blasts' way and fired back with the gun mounted on the top of the Urban Avenger... ***** Databoard walked out of the lab, after spending a while examining dinosaur DNA. He walked down to the garage to make sure his Fire Hammer was in working order, when he looked out the window. Outside was an airship with Robo-Blades flying around. Databoard recognized the Voltage. "What the?" he muttered. Databoard looked up and saw the Robo-Blades attacking a nearby airship. An airship that looked an unusual amount like an Alpha Team airship. Databoard got into his Fire Hammer and turned on the engine. He drove out of the garage to try and figure out what was going on. Databoard drove towards the Pallas Athena's location. Robo-Blades were attacking the ship, and it might not last much longer. Databoard tried to think of anything that might help, but from down here there was little he could do. The Robo-Blades were beam shielded, and it would take quite some to disable that, even with a Multi-Mode Launcher. Databoard didn't have time to think any more, for several Mutant Raptors were headed for him! Kotua saw Databoard. Kotua knew Databoard would help him. Kotua immediately started driving towards the Raptors, firing at them. The ShadowTech copter behind them fired at Kotua, but the blasts took down the raptors. Databoard immediately shot down the black T-1 Typhoon. "What's going on?" said Databoard. "Everybody is chasing me, and I don't know why!" said Kotua. "Why are the Voltage and the Robo-Blades attacking the Pallas Athena then?!" said Databoard. "I don't know!" said Kotua. "Don't lie to me, Kotua, something is wrong with you!" said Databoard. "No, there isn't!" said Kotua. Quickly, he jumped into his Urban Avenger, and drove off. ***** Hyrode blasted his way through Robo-Blades on the ground, attempting to get towards the two battling airships. Suddenly, a beamsword was flung into the window of his Fire Hammer, hitting the control board. If Hyrode had had enough time, he could have hotwired the engine into working again. If he had the time. Jumping out of his Fire Hammer, Hyrode sprinted away from the battling airships. Running into a garage, Hyrode desperately looked for transportation. The only vehicle in the garage was a motorcycle. Hyrode jumped on, and slammed through the door. ***** "Hopefully," said PBB, "I can prevent this airship from crashing. I've had experience with Kotua's pilotless Robo-Blades. Since nobody's actually driving them, they won't react as quickly to sudden changes in patterns. All we need is to make a sudden change in the direction we're going..." ... Unfortunately for PBB, the Robo-Blades flew off. "Looks like they gave up..." said Rex. "No, the craft is going to fire again," said PBB. The Voltage began firing at the Pallas Athena, and charged up its other super blast: the Ice Ray. The Robo-Blades flew back in, getting ready for attacking the soon-to-be-frozen airship... "Oh, MegaBloks!" PBB shouted suddenly. "The Voltage is about to use the Ice Ray! Chompy, forget about the gamma cannons - they're useless right now! Use the Magma Heat Coating instead!" Chompy nodded, then ran to a button. "Don't push yet," PBB said. "Wait for the Voltage to shoot at us, then surprise it." The Voltage fired the Ice Ray at PBB's airship. "NOW!" PBB shouted, and Chompy pushed the button. Less than a second before the ray hit the Pallas Athena, the airship was surrounded by flames. The more ice that hit the flames, the better. Soon, the airship was surrounded by a field of steam. And once the steam cleared, the airship was long gone. The Voltage activated its cloaking field... ---- Suddenly, a blast passed Kotua. Immediately, he looked back. A ShadowTech Urban Avenger was moving towards him. "You'd think they would have learned by now," muttered Kotua, turning the Sonic Screamer back. Kotua then fired, and the blast hit the ShadowTech pilot, sending the black Urban Avenger out of control. Soon, more ShadowTech Urban Avengers had appeared, and these had Beam Shields. Apparently, they never give up... thought Kotua. He drove around the corner, and into an underground parking lot. The black Urban Avengers followed, firing. Kotua quickly turned and fired at a few parked cars, destroying them. One jumped a foot into the air in flames, distracting the ShadowTech drivers. Kotua immediately drove off, but the ShadowTech agents soon drove after him. Kotua got out of the parking lot and turned to the left, black Urban Avengers following him. Suddenly, a black T-1 Typhoon flew from one of the buildings, and the gunner fired. A tranquilizer dart hit Kotua, and he drifted into sleep... as his Urban Avenger crashed into an abandoned supermarket... The black Urban Avengers stopped, and the ShadowTech drivers got off them. Quickly, they grabbed the unconscious Kotua. The T-1 Typhoon landed, and they strapped Kotua into a chair in the copter. The T-1 Typhoon took off and flew towards their HQ... ---- PBB laughed. "Well, we got out of that pickle quickly!" "No, we aren't out of that pickle yet..." murmured Rex. PBB followed Rex's eyes, but did not see anything. "There's nothing there, Rex," PBB said. "Maybe I just imagined it..." said Rex. Then, Chompy walked over and sniffed the air. A low growl told PBB something was wrong. PBB nodded slowly. "I may possess advanced programming and heightened senses," he said to Rex. "But you and Chompy have something special, something I cannot have: instincts. Trust them, Rex. I'm certain that they serve you well, my friend." As they got closer, they were finally able to see what it was. "A bunch of Mutant T-Rexes?" PBB said. "This isn't good... Mutant T-Rexes have the hardest hide to pierce, so we're going to need our strongest weapons." "Wait!" Rex interrupted. "Why kill them? They could be faithful to us someday, if we let them live but tame them. After all, they are living beings." A smile spread across PBB's face. "Indeed, you are Rex, the one Chompy told me about, who wants others to live." "Except for Kotua," muttered Rex. "He's going to pay for betraying the world..." Raising his voice, he said, "Okay, here's our plan: we drop nets on top of them, then transport them to a place where they can cause less damage. With me?" "Affirmative!" PBB said. Chompy snorted. "Beep by boop," said Little Bot, who seemed rather worried. "Yes, our nets aren't strong enough to hold a Mutant T-Rex," agreed PBB. Rex smiled. "Ah, but my latest nets are not made for strength. They are made to entangle Mutant Dinos. The more they struggle to escape, the more they get themselves tangled up and can't move." PBB nodded, so they launched the nets at the Mutant T-Rex pack. Sure enough, they were so tangled that they couldn't move. "Maybe they're perfect if we leave them just like that," PBB said. "Nah, they'll escape eventually," Rex said. "We must move them." A grappling hook lowered from PBB's aircraft. It latched onto all of the nets, then began to raise them into the air. "Okay, we've got them," PBB said, "now where do we put them?" "On that small empty island seems okay," Rex said. "They'll be able to hunt for food, but won't be able to swim back to the mainland." ---- The black T-1 Typhoon landed, and the pilot and gunner carried Kotua into the ShadowTech base. "Now we'll get rid of Dino Attack Team, just as soon as I find the control..." said Cane. "Sure thing, boss..." replied the pilot. Cane searched Kotua's pockets and took out the circular device. "Now to get rid of agent Rex..." said Cane... ---- "Just in case that Voltage tries to find us again..." PBB said as he reached for a button. "We should block us from all missile targets or scanners. If anyone fires a homing missile, they'll only hit themselves." "Good idea, PBB," Rex said. "Kotua could never have known where I was while I was driving around the city in my Iron Predator… he probably targeted his weapons at me to find me. With your cloaking device, they'll never find us using targets or scanners." PBB nodded, activating the Pallas Athena's cloaking device. Now, nothing - not even Alpha Team or the LEGOLAND military - would determine their location. "We better stay in this airship until Kotua gets some sense knocked back into him," Rex said. "If any of us try and leave the airship, they will be able to target us. So, we better stay hidden from Kotua's radars, scanners, and missile targets." "I still wonder what's up with Kotua," PBB murmured. "Well, if he's pure evil, then we will demolish him," Rex said. Seeing the way that PBB looked at him, he repeated, "If he's pure evil." "I hope it never comes to that," said PBB. "I'm sure Frozeen would be unhappy if we had to kill his old friend." Frozeen. That name seemed to keep popping up and follow Rex around for the past few days. Or maybe Rex was the one following Frozeen around? He couldn't be sure. "So, who's this Frozeen guy I keep hearing about?" he asked PBB. "He's an elite Alpha Team agent with a specialty in mining who disappeared during our last mission," replied PBB. Rex waited expectantly, but PBB did not say anything more. "And...?" said Rex, frowning. "That's it?" "I could tell you every single excruciating little detail about him," said PBB, "but I tend to bore people whenever I act like a talking encyclopedia, so I figured to just stick with the essentials for now." "I just thought he would've been someone really important," commented Rex. PBB shrugged. "True, Frozeen may not be as 'important' as Dash or Zed. But he is my creator. He raised Chompy. He rescued Little Bot. He is a close teammate of Kotua and Databoard. He is the archnemesis of General Evil, the brother of Ogel himself! To us... indeed, he is really important." Rex nodded. "I see. In that case, I hope to meet him someday." ---- At the Antarctica refugee facilities, Sereve paced back and forth in front of Bailey as he thought aloud, considering his options. "So, we have a mad lizard-man after us, with an endless army of lizards. We have a small army of men, a full arsenal of vehicles and weapons, and… one dog. What do we do?" Bailey cocked his head and whimpered softly. Sereve was grateful to have someone listen to him, even if that "someone" was just his dog. Sereve wondered, "Well, Landro says he created the mutants, right? Well, the only way we would be able to find out if that's true is if we find him, and then we can find out the truth about the Mutant Dinos. So, all we need to do is find him, right?" Bailey barked. "Yes. He's probably long gone by now. He's most likely not coming back." Just then, Sereve had a stroke of genius. He said, "But, he was looking for that jewel… if I somehow send him a message pretending that I really do this crystal in my possession... he'll do anything to get it. He might likely have some means of listening in on Dino Attack communications, so that he can find us and find this crystal." Bailey did not appear to follow along with Sereve's plan. "Long story short: when Landro arrives, we'll need to capture him. And we'll need backup." Bailey barked again. "I guess you're thinking what I am thinking," said Sereve. "If by that bark you mean 'Gather the guys', then yes." Just then, Sereve sent out a message to all of the agents about the plan, and their coordinates. He both hoped that the agents would come, and with plenty of guns. ***** Kai arrived in his Urban Avenger at the coordinates which the message mentioned. "I brought a few friends," said Kai. Behind him, two Ice Gliders appeared out of their stealth modes. In one was Dash, and manning the other one was Joey, Kai's old friend. "And equipped with weapons suited for fighting the dinos," added Joey. Sereve said, "Welcome, Kai and friends, to Antarctica! Kai?" Kai was staring at Bailey, who was standing right behind Sereve. A second later, he shouted, "Sereve! There's a wolf behind you!" Just then, he pulled out a handheld Sonic Screamer and was beginning to fire. Sereve yelled out, "No! He's my dog!" Then Kai put down his Sonic Screamer and said, a little weirded out, "That's your dog? What's your dog doing here?" "Look, it's a long story. Let's just wait for the others. Let's go to Rev's base and wait for them." "Base? What base?" asked Joey. "It's going to blow your mind," replied Sereve. So, they waited in the base and for the others. ---- Kotua awoke. He looked around, confused. Last thing he remembered, he was driving away from the ShadowTech Urban Avengers. There were men dressed in black suits, holding machine guns. Somehow, I doubt anybody will want to help me out of this place... thought Kotua. Doors opened, and a familiar man in a black suit entered: Cane. "You could have killed me when you knocked me out..." said Kotua. "This time, we're not killing you… yet. We know you have made plans for new weaponry..." said Cane. "Well, I'm not giving them to you. You already made me betray my fellow agents, and I won't do it again," said Kotua. "You think you have a choice? Give them, or we'll take them by force," said Cane. ***** After searching for agent Rex via LEGOLAND Military satellites, the Voltage flew towards its next target: agent Specs. The Voltage flew towards Dino Attack HQ, where agent Specs was. The craft opened its front hatch, and aimed its destructive beam at the agent... ***** Kotua watched in horror as the Voltage opened its front hatch. "So, are you going to give it to us? Or are you going to let your 'fellow' agents die?" said Cane. "Why do you want it?" said Kotua. "We'll get rid of the dinos quicker, and of course the remainder of those things will be our test subjects," said Cane. "I never made plans for other vehicles, or devices, or anything!" said Kotua. "Bring the machine," said Cane. Two soldiers ran out the room, and came back pushing a chair with wires, and a computer connected to it. "I'm sure it brings memories, no?" said Cane. "We have made a few adjustments… injected a little bit of our own special brand of chaos into it." Kotua remembered the machine from when he was an Alpha Team agent. He had not seen it since Mission Deep Freeze, but he recognized it all too well. That machine had been used on both Databoard and Kotua. It brainwashed both of them, forcibly turning the loyal Alpha Team agents into servants of Ogel against their will. Databoard had overcome the effects, but as for Kotua... ---- The Pallas Athena passed over the ruins of LEGO City. Every time a Mutant Dino would appear, Rex and PBB would launch a net at it. So far, there had been no more signs of Mutant T-Rex. Rex was thankful for this, since that they had already run out of their "tangle nets". All they saw were Mutant Lizards and Raptors. From LEGO City, they flew to Adventurers' Island. "Data was right," Rex said, astonished. "This place looks awful!" From what he could see, the huts in the native TumTum villages were torn up; many pyramids in the Sphinx Area were now ruined piles of bricks; and, the most disturbing feature: entire areas of the island's huge jungle were now charred remains. PBB looked at the frightened native Dinos scampering away from the Mutant Dinos. "Are you thinking that the Mutant Dinos are possibly coming from-" "Nope," Rex said. "There's no sign of mutating devices here. And plus, even if the Mutant Dinos came from here, it doesn't add up. The Dinos that naturally live here are T-Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Pterosaurs. The Mutant Dinos are T-Rex, Raptors, Pterosaurs, and… well, whatever the Lizards are supposed to be. Sure, the T-Rex and Pterosaurs match, but Stegosaurus and Triceratops don't match with Raptors and Lizards. So, they must be coming from somewhere else." ---- Specs looked around Kotua's quarters for anything which might help, but Kotua didn't have anything other than a laptop, a few wires, and empty electronic equipment. ***** The Voltage finally gathered enough energy, and fired... ***** Shadow looked around the garage for any recording equipment Kotua may have put, when suddenly a blast passed through the roof, destroying some Steel Sprinters and an Iron Predator. Shadow ran into the HQ itself as the Voltage fired at the garage, destroying weaponry and vehicles along the way. "What's going on?" said Specs, running towards Shadow. "Blasted flying thing tried killing me," muttered Shadow. "Kotua..." muttered Specs... ---- After putting Kotua in the machine, and forcing answers out of him, ShadowTech took Kotua outside, and dropped him in a nearby building. Soon Kotua awoke... He looked into the sky. "So, agent Rex escaped the blast... I'll destroy him next time..." said Kotua, getting up. A Mutant Raptor walked closer to Kotua, getting ready to attack him. Kotua simply stood there as the dino approached... A moment later, Kotua looked at the remains of the Dino. "You asked for it. Just like agent Rex," he said, walking away... ---- "If we move quickly," Rex said, "then maybe we could avoid contact with one of Kotua's Robo-Blades or the Voltage." Chompy growled softly. "I agree," said PBB. "It's ironic that Kotua would end up following in the steps of Dr. Voltage, the villain who originally created the Voltage airship and Robo-Blades during Mission Deep Freeze." Rex frowned. "All the more proof that Kotua is a villain!" "You think he's a villain now?" said PBB. "Just wait until you hear these two reports!" PBB read the two events concerning the Voltage trying to attack Specs and Shadow. Rex was aghast. "He's a villain, alright," he grumbled. It was bad enough that Kotua already attacked Rev and Trouble, attempted to attack Databoard, and almost killed Rex and Chompy… but now, adding two of the team's founding members to the list of Kotua's victims was truly horrible. Now more than ever before, Rex felt a growing hatred for Kotua... "Just take your mind off it," PBB suggested. "As long as this airship is cloaked and moves quickly, we won't have to deal with Kotua." "Yeah, you're right," Rex admitted, "but the other agents aren't safe from Kotua." Looking at the charred remains of one of the TumTum villages, he shuddered. "Thank goodness that the Mutant Dinos hate the cold. And thank goodness that the survivors are hiding where it is coldest, such as Antarctica and the Arctic." The Pallas Athena continued its course along Adventurers' Island. The volcanic mountain range did not have many Mutant Dinos on it, probably due to the fact it was a very dangerous place. However, in lower areas such as the Sphinx Area, the island was filled with Mutant Dinos. So far, PBB's airship had captured 10 Mutant Lizards, 6 Mutant Raptors, 5 Mutant Pteranodons, and 2 Mutant T-Rex - just in the Sphinx Area. "These Mutant Dinos are really spreading," Rex muttered. ---- Databoard drove down the streets of World City. He knew something was up with Kotua; he was the only one who controlled the Voltage. But something was out of place; why would he be doing this? Databoard had no guesses in his mind that something was wrong, all the more heightened when he received a report the Voltage attacked agents Specs and Shadow. Databoard would not be surprised if every single agent considered Kotua a threat. Databoard turned around. First, he was going to find Kotua. Then, he was going to get to the bottom of this. Databoard drove down the streets of LEGO City, trying to locate Kotua. He soon found his Urban Avenger, crashed into a supermarket wall. Databoard looked at the cockpit and found that Kotua was no longer inside. Doubting Kotua could have walked away unharmed, Databoard got out and began searching the area. Databoard looked around for Kotua. Not finding him, he got back into his Fire Hammer and began driving around. He soon found something odd: a crashed Urban Avenger, only it was entirely black. Databoard looked at the pilot, and could tell he was no Dino Attack Agent. He got back in the Fire Hammer, but not before taking a broken part of the vehicle to study later. Databoard heard a noise. Overhead, a Mutant Pteranodon flew overhead. Databoard aimed the Multi-Mode Launcher. He needed to look for Kotua, but his mission was to stop these Mutants. He aimed at the Pteranodon, which was flying towards an abandoned building. He fired, but missed. The blast hit the building, sending a small chunk of rubble plummeting into the street. In an instant, almost a hundred Mutant Pteranodons flew from out of the buildings. They seemed to have made a nest in that building, and they didn't like people attacking them. Databoard shot forward as the Mutant Pteranodons swooped down at him. Databoard swerved down an alley, and the Mutant Pteranodons, seeing better at night, went right past him. ---- Glide was being chased by two Mutant Raptors. The shells from the Fire Hammer were useless. He sent a message to all members: Help. Glide. Chased. 2 Raptors. ***** Just when Databoard thought his work was done, he received a message from an agent named 'Glide', stating he was being pursued by two Mutant Raptors. Databoard revved up his Fire Hammer and drove to Glide's location. The Mutant Raptors were about to close in on agent Glide, when Databoard's Fire Hammer sped around the corner. The Raptors continued chasing, knowing the Multi-Mode Launcher would do very little against them. Databoard continued driving towards them. One Raptor, learning that Databoard was not going to stop, scurried away. The other leapt atop Databoard's vehicle, but he made a sharp turn, sending the raptor through the side of the building. Before Glide could even say anything, Databoard was gone, returning to his search for Kotua. ---- Soon, a cloaked Robo-Blade picked up Kotua and took him to the Voltage. "They're all trying to kill me... How to stop them? Heading in in direct assault won't work. Maybe..." thought Kotua aloud. "Military satellites have missiles, I'm sure," said an advisor bot. "I have a better idea. Rex tames Dinos because he knows people are safe on the Antarctica, and cold parts. But if we engineered an Ice Dino, I'm sure he'll be forced to help mankind, unless he's too much into his 'Dino friends'," said Kotua, walking to a console. Immediately, he pressed a button. ***** Orbiting around the planet, an Ogel satellite received a signal. Immediately it relayed it to the bigger Ogel satellite. ***** Agent Cam was investigating the crater with the other agents, when suddenly a yellow beam hit the ground, melting ten feet of snow... ***** Kotua changed coordinates, and fired again. "Hope nobody of importance was there," said Kotua. ***** Kai had exited the base, when a blast hit the roof, melting the snow off. ***** The Voltage started firing at a skyscraper, taking it down. Databoard was driving his Fire Hammer, when a piece of a building fell on front of him! He looked up, and saw blasts coming from nowhere. Kotua... thought Databoard. Databoard looked as more blasts destroyed the rest of the building in front of him. He backed up to avoid being hit by rubble. Databoard thought, Kotua, have you gone mad? He would have to get up to the Voltage and find out what was going on. The only problem was he didn't know how he would get to a ship he couldn't see. ***** "No tall buildings..." muttered Kotua. He noticed a Fire Hammer. "Ah, it must be agent Rev. Destroy it," ordered Kotua. ***** The laser turrets aimed at Databoard, and began firing. Databoard drove in reverse, avoiding the blasts. Perhaps it's the microphone... thought Databoard, remembering the Ogel device that had brainwashed him back in Mission Deep Freeze. He also remembered that only one microphone had been destroyed, and the one used on Kotua remained intact. But I have the thing off... thought Databoard. Databoard swung down an alley, giving him time to turn around and drive forward. He zoomed out of the alley moments before the turrets brought rubble raining down on where his Fire Hammer was seconds before. Databoard swerved down the street, narrowly avoiding the Voltage's blasts. ***** Kotua watched the Fire Hammer driving away. "Fire!" he ordered. The front hatches opened, and this time the Super Boom Blaster readied to fire... ***** Databoard saw the Super Boom Blaster gather energy. He drove like crazy as it fired, and the blast flew towards him. Databoard stepped on it, but the beam hit the back of the Fire Hammer, lifting the vehicle and sending it into the wall of an apartment. Databoard jumped off before it hit the apartment, and fell hard onto the asphalt. The Voltage flew towards him, ready to make sure he was gone. Databoard slowly got to his feet, but he had been injured in his fall. He saw the Voltage moving towards him, so he dragged himself behind a pile of rubble. He would just have to stay hidden until the Voltage went away, and then he would have to get back to HQ. The Voltage flew over the now-burning Fire Hammer, and started going towards the ShadowTech HQ. Databoard watched as the Voltage began to fly away. It was still at just a low enough altitude that he got an idea that might just work. Databoard reached into his pocket and took out a Satellite Tracking Bug. He flung it into the air and it attached to the side of the Voltage, allowing him to determine its location later. He then slowly began heading for Dino Attack HQ... ---- After catching a lot of Mutant Dinos on Adventurers' Island, the Pallas Athena moved to the shadowy remains of LEGO Island. It was bad enough seeing the place looking so empty and desolate; the shadows surrounding the island almost seemed to be alive, reaching out and trying to devour the airship. Rex launched a few nets at Mutant Raptors and Lizards, and PBB stunned a Mutant Pteranodon. "Look over there," Rex said. There was an empty and ripped-up cover of a book: the Constructopedia. All of pages were torn out. "I wonder where all the pages are..." "They're probably all ripped up and destroyed, too," muttered PBB. "Plus, we're going to have to worry about things other than that right now!" He pointed at a Mutant T-Rex rampaging through what used to be the racetrack. Rex prepared another one of those "tangle nets" and launched it at the Dino, tangling it up. "Where to now?" asked PBB. "How about Sabatina?" suggested Rex. "We'll be able to catch many Dinos there at Port Royal and Eldorado Fortress, I'm assuming." ---- The Voltage was nearing ShadowTech HQ, and began firing at it. Immediately, ShadowTech T-1 Typhoons and jets flew to stop Kotua, but most ended up on the ground as piles of flaming metal. Soon the Voltage started destroying ground units. The ShadowTech agents ran off, scared for their life. "Destroy them all," muttered Kotua, aiming for the most potent vehicles. ***** Databoard finally made it to Dino Attack HQ, and headed towards the medical room. "What happened?" said a surprised doctor. Databoard walked inside the room. "Kotua happened, that's what," Databoard said. The doctor looked at Databoard. "Well, you don't seem to be injured badly," he said. "But, you may need time to rest." Databoard walked out of room. He got into a spare Fire Hammer and drove off. He still had to find out what was up with Kotua.... ---- The first thing that Rex, PBB, Chompy, and Little Bot noticed about Port Royal was all the broken wood. The second thing was the snapped rope. The third thing how empty it was. There was not a single Mutant Dino in sight. "Strange," Rex noted. "Of course!" Rex said. "The Mutant Dinos are all hiding in the mine! It must be a wreck in there." "There's no way that this airship could go into that mine undetected," PBB said. "Ah, but I have bait!" Rex smiled as he held up a dish of raw meat. He threw the meat out of the airship, reflecting upon the fact that it must have looked like tasty dinner to the carnivorous mutants. It was not too long before Mutant Raptors came out of the mine and hurried to the piece of meat. They started fighting over the food. Rex and PBB smiled, and they launched nets at the bunch of distracted Mutant Raptors. ---- The Voltage stopped firing on ShadowTech and moved on, as it spotted a Mutant Raptor nest. "Stinking Dinos, making our towns into their nests. It's disgusting how Rex can feel sorry for these things. Wiping them out is the only way, the safe way, to stop the dinos from wiping out us," said Kotua. The Raptors ran as the blasts vaporized their nest. "Don't let them escape!" shouted Kotua. Immediately two Robo-Blades flew out to destroy the Raptors. ***** Databoard noticed the two Robo-Blades. This is my chance, thought Databoard. Immediately, he fired at one Robo-Blade, which didn't have a Beam shield. The glass cracked, and the robot smashed into the ground. Databoard ran and saw the broken glass. He dragged out the robot pilot, and flew the Robo-Blade back to the Voltage. Databoard landed the Robo-Blade, and he sneaked out of it and into the command deck. Kotua was watching as the other Robo-Blade tried destroying the Dinos. Then a robot came up and reported the first Robo-Blade had returned. Hiding, Databoard heard the robot. Databoard looked around, it seemed he- BEEP! A cleaning robot opened its claw, dropping its broom, and grabbing Databoard. Kotua noticed him. "Trying to kill me? Rex must be stepping up anti-human actions. You probably have your own army of Dinos, and you've gone corrupt with the power!" said Kotua. "You're the corrupt one! Blowing up anything that defies your thoughts and ideas!" said Databoard. "So then you're saying that when we fought Ogel, we were corrupt?" asked Kotua... "Ogel is a criminal mastermind!" Databoard shouted. "He doesn't fight for thoughts and ideas, only conquest!" Kotua didn't seem to care. "You came here to kill me, Data!" He said. Databoard managed to slip a small device onto the cleaning bot, electrocuting and shorting it out. He pushed the disabled robot aside. "You're the one who tried to kill me!" he replied. "Have you gone mad?" The security robots surrounded Databoard, lasers armed. "Kotua, think about it!" Databoard shouted. "Why would I betray anybody?" "How did you get up here? If you weren't planning on betraying me, why come here?" asked Kotua. "Because something's gotten into you! You think everybody wants to destroy you!" said Databoard. "It's the truth. Take him to the cells," said Kotua. The security bots took Databoard to the cell, and took away his devices. Then, they locked him in. ---- "Ooookayyyy... Mutant Dinosaurs?" said Colonel Jack O'Neill, preparing some explosives. "Dinos go boom." ---- Databoard banged on the cell door. "Kotua, come to your senses!" he yelled, but he knew Kotua wouldn't hear him. "I came here to help, not to kill you!" Databoard looked around the cell. A laser cutter would get him out quickly, but he didn't have one. "KOTUA, HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?!" Databoard shouted. The Security bots, thinking Databoard was yelling of hunger, pressed a button on the cell keypad. Immediately inside the cell, a small hole opened, and an open can of noodles landed on the floor, not spilling its contents. Databoard stared at it, and decided on a risky plan. "I ACCIDENTALLY SPILLED THE FOOD!" shouted Databoard. After a few minutes, a cleaning bot entered, and began cleaning the mess. Databoard leapt over the bot, and sprinted out of the cell... Databoard soon found the security bot with his equipment, and kicked it into a wall. He grabbed his devices and rushed towards the command deck. Even if Kotua wouldn't admit it, there was something quite wrong with him. And if he didn't get that through his skull soon, he would be blown out of the sky by DINO Attack. ***** Kotua was on his chair on the Command Deck. He watched peacefully as the craft flew. "You know, I think we can end Rex's reign of Dinos by destroying the HQ," said Kotua. "How?" asked an advisor bot. ***** Databoard reached the door to the command deck. There has to be another entrance, thought Databoard. He looked around. Looks like there isn't, he thought. He took out his blaster, and opened the door. To Databoard's surprise, four security bots were aiming at him. "Wrong door?" said Databoard. Four security bots hovered behind Databoard. "Wrong move," said one of the bots. Databoard looked around at the security bots. "Hands up," one of the robots said. Databoard reached for one of his devices, a medal tube. He flung it at the robots and ducked. Seconds later, lasers began firing from the tube, sending the robots fleeing. Databoard rushed past the fleeing security bots onto the control deck. Kotua noticed Databoard enter. "Not betraying me?" Kotua asked mockingly. "Look, Kotua, Rex and the DINO team isn't trying to kill you! We're trying to stop a Dino attack," said Databoard. "Rex is using that excuse to get more dinos he can 'tame'. I'm stopping the dinos from attacking by destroying the dinos..." said Kotua. "Kotua, why won't you listen?" Databoard said. "Senseless destruction never solved anything!" "You're lying!" Kotua said. "DINO Attack wants to kill me!" "Because you're trying to kill us!" Databoard said. "You've nearly killed several agents!" "Because you're protecting those dumb things! I'm helping humanity by getting rid of these 'Dinos', and Rex and the rest think keeping alive those things will help..." said Kotua. "Because Dinos have lives too, you know?" said Databoard. "Correction, they used to. As we speak, Mechanic Bots are fixing the front blaster with a special blast that will get rid of Dinos only. Humans and structures will remain unharmed. Not sure about cars though..." said Kotua. "Kotua, don't you see what you're doing?" Databoard yelled. "A mass extermination never solved anything! You say you're saving humanity, but you're just adding to the destruction!" "You've seen what they're doing, Databoard!" Kotua said. "They're the ones who are destroying!" "I don't know if it's due to you attacking HQ, or the obliteration of my Fire Hammer..." Databoard said. "...But I don't believe you!" "You don't know them, Databoard..." said Kotua. "And you do?" said Databoard. "I helped create some of them with the man in black... but I never knew they would be out of control..." said Kotua. "You're lying again!" said Databoard, calling Kotua's bluff. "How would I make an anti-Mutant Dino formula if I didn't know?" said Kotua, trying to save face. "Kotua, you have to stop this madness!" Databoard said. "Stop it before every DINO Attack agent wants to kill you!" "Let them try," Kotua said. "I'm safe on the Voltage." "I managed to get up here," Databoard replied. "Now imagine what would happen if someone who wanted to hurt you got aboard." "You're the one who wants to hurt me!" Kotua shouted. "Rex sees the Dinos as any animal, but they learn and quickly adapt. Soon, no weapon known to us will able to even make a dent to them, so why not destroy them while they're weak?" "How do you know we even need to put a dent in them?" Databoard said. "They aren't beyond saving." "You're beginning to sound like Rex," Kotua said. Databoard glanced at the door, and noticed the Security Drones getting up. He would have to act fast. With no other options, he turned towards Kotua. "I'm sorry, Kotua..." Databoard said. "... But I have to stop you." Kotua quickly dodged Databoard and leapt over him, and ran out the door. Databoard chased after him, but the security bots shocked him, forcing him to drop his weapons. The Security Bots pushed Databoard to the hangar side of the craft. Kotua walked towards Databoard. "I'm sorry it has to end this way, but your idea to ignore humans for dinos is quite ridiculous. Maybe next time you'll get a better life..." said Kotua. The Security Bots pushed Databoard off the Voltage. "He'll find a way to live, I'm sure of it!" said Kotua. ---- Turahk-Kal started in Antarctica, where he prepared his weapons and vehicle for the rest of the world. Then, Turahk-Kal got on a barge, heading to LEGO Studios. Turahk-Kal arrived at LEGO Studios and drove up in the Fire Hammer. While staying away from Mutant Lizards, he made his way to Studio #1. He found a film crew hat and put it on. After looking around, he drove to the dock and began a voyage to Adventurers' Island... Turahk-Kal reached Adventurers' Island. He drove up on beach and saw a horrible sight. The jungle was ablaze and the natural dinos were running everywhere. A Mutant Raptor in the distance was picking them off one by one. A young T-Rex ran and hid under the car. "Don't be afraid, little guy," Turahk-Kal said as he picked him up and put him in the back. He began driving to Sphinx through the desert to protect the ruins. Turahk-Kal reached the outskirts of the Sphinx, only to find two Mutant T-Rexes slowly demolishing the place. Parking the car a distance away and placing concussion mines around it, Turahk-Kal made an improvised entrance by blowing a hole in the wall. Before the T-Rexes noticed, he swiftly ducked inside. ---- Databoard plunged down the Voltage, next to a skyscraper. He looked around, and took out a piece of rope, with a hook on one end. Databoard swung the rope, and flung it. The hook smashed into open of the windows, and latched onto a pillar. Databoard stopped abruptly, and swung until he smashed the window on the floor he was. He got up, brushing off pieces of glass, and walked towards the elevator... ***** "I can't believe Rex turned even Databoard against me!" said Kotua. "It was to be expected," said the advisor bot. "Well, I think maybe the blast might be weakened by the settings of 'no harm humans and buildings'. Let's put it full power. I'm sure Rex hid the dinos in the Dino Attack HQ, and if we fire there, we'll kill two birds with one stone..." said Kotua. ***** Databoard got up to an observation deck as the Voltage began to head off. Databoard fired a cable launcher at the bottom of the ship as it passed overhead. Once he was one the hull, he took out a laser cuter and began making a hole in the Voltage's underside. The Voltage's front hatches opened, revealing the giant cannon. Energy for the Ice Ray, the Beam Blast, the Super Boom Blaster, and another new weapon mode, began charging up. Databoard saw this, and tired harder and faster to cut a hole, but the hull was stronger than he thought. It would take a more powerful beam... Databoard put the laser cutter away and pulled out a laser rifle. It was much more effective than the smaller laser cutter, or a standard handheld laser, but it was still taking a long time. Databoard glanced at the Voltage's weapons, which were still charging up. He would have to get inside soon and stop Kotua's plan. ***** Kotua watched as the weapon charged up, and the Voltage was arriving at Dino Attack HQ. A T-1 Typhoon flew into the air, and fired its weapons, but the Voltage fired back with a laser turret, destroying the T-1 Typhoon's rotors. The helicopter plunged down, smashing into a police station. Kotua commanded most energy in the Voltage to shields, and the turrets, with what was left for the blast. After that, Kotua immediately closed the doors to the engine room, and other critical points. He also closed the hangar doors... ***** Databoard finally made a hole in the underside. It was very small, but wide enough for Databoard to slip through. He began sneaking towards the front of the ship, where the weapons were located. If he could disable the weapons, then he could stop Kotua from destroying DINO Attack HQ. Databoard managed to sneak onto the place where the wires and other things were connected to the giant cannon. If he cut a wrong wire, the craft could fire, and would still cause great damage, even if the craft wasn't fully powered. Databoard of course didn't know the blast was 50% charged... Databoard heard the sound of a cleaning robot approaching. He quickly ducked behind a stack of crates as it walked by. It walked by, soon followed by several more. Once they passed, Databoard returned to the wires. To make sure no one would catch him, Databoard wired his PDA into the security system. He noticed the display was stating all crucial doors on the Voltage were locked, including where he was, the weapon's system room, and the shields were up as well. Well, there goes sneaking out once I'm done... Databoard thought. ***** After rebuilding some of the destruction by Kotua, ShadowTech sent more jets to stop Kotua. The ten ShadowTech jets were now arriving at Kotua's location, and began firing. The Voltage fired nine blasts which took down five jets, and crippled two more. The remaining three jets scrambled, and activated their Beam analyzer systems. With the system, they could find a weak spot in the Beam Shield surrounding the craft... that is, if they weren't shot down before they found it... "Weapon 60% ready," said a computerized voice aboard the Voltage. The five remaining ShadowTech jets flew everywhere, avoiding the blasts. The jets activated a phasing mode, and passed through the blasts unharmed. "Old tricks? This ought to teach them!" said Kotua, pressing a button The turrets charged a little, and fired again. The jets avoided the blasts, but one was stuck. "It won't hit me anyways!" said the confident ShadowTech pilot. The blast hit the craft, scattering the jet's molecules everywhere, ceasing its existence. "Uh-oh!" said another pilot. The now four remaining jets fired their weapons at the Voltage, but the beam shields blocked the blasts. "They must be working with Rex... but they won't stop me from defeating him!" said Kotua. He walked to another control. The turrets started firing more frequently, taking down two jets. The two remaining jets unphased, only to be hit by beam blasts... ***** Databoard looked over the mess of wires that powered the weapons. If he didn't cut the wire in the right place, well, it could be summed up in one word: BOOM. Just once, I'd like to open the control panel to a weapon, and find a neon sign saying 'Cut this wire', Databoard thought. Databoard slowly looked around the wires. He needed to find the right wire, or DINO Attack HQ would be destroyed. He could hear vehicles attacking outside, which might distract them long enough to disable the weapon. He looked through the wires more. The wire had to be there somewhere... ***** Dino Attack agents ran away from Dino Attack HQ, and into abandoned buildings. Some made it... and some didn't... "Rex must have moved the Dinos somewhere else. Oh, well. By destroying this place, he won't be able to hide them here!" said Kotua. "Look at those Rex-helpers run. I'm barely just getting started!" Missiles rained down, seeking agents. Most blasted them with blasters, but there were more missiles than agents. Suddenly, fifty black jets flew towards the Voltage... ---- Rex, PBB, Little Bot, and Chompy were unloading all the captured Mutant Dinos to his hideout at the abandoned prison. "They'll be safe there from Kotua," Rex said. "I just pray that the other agents are safe from Kotua as well..." PBB frowned. "Something's not right..." he muttered. BING! Rex looked down. Another report was in. "Kotua attacked Dino Attack HQ?!" he read. "This is an outrage! Kotua definitely has gone crazy!" After continuing to rant, he read on to find out that several agents had died. "This is insane!" he yelled. Then, Rex sat down. "It's all my fault. I tamed the Dinos, or at least I hoped I could. Then Trouble got in trouble, and nearly got Rev killed. If I hadn't tamed Trouble, then Rev wouldn't have tried and save Trouble, which meant that Kotua wouldn't try to harm Rev. Then, Kotua didn't like that I was taming - not killing - the Dinos, so he tried and kill me. I guess several agents sided with me - the several agents who later got harmed just for being in Kotua's way. And now, Kotua is attacking Dino Attack HQ. All because I couldn't get over my strange habit of taming." After a pause, an uncomfortable silence, he added: "I was never meant to be a Dino Attack agent." PBB sat beside Rex. "Don't talk like that," he said, trying to cheer up Rex. "You are an excellent Dino Attack agent, you just… have a different... feeling towards these Mutant Dinos." "Yeah," Rex said, "different enough to have Kotua turn into a killer maniac." PBB felt that it was best to change the subject. "So, what career did you have before being a Dino Attack agent?" "I don't even remember my own past," Rex said. He thought for a moment. "Actually, I have a very, very faint memory of... scientists. They were crowded around something. I remember one saying something like, 'Oh, no! Now it completely thinks it's human!'" He laughed. "I guess I was a scientist. Might've gotten accidentally brainwashed by an experiment, though." ---- In a secret laboratory, several scientists were crowded around a screen showing Kotua's attack upon Dino Attack HQ. "Ah, so Dino Attack Headquarters is being attacked by one of their own agents?" asked one, a man with short black hair and a pair of glasses. "Yes," answered another, a beautiful woman with her long red hair tied back in a ponytail. "This is exactly what we wanted!" "It's more than just 'what we wanted'," said the lead scientist, a charismatic bald man who gently stroked his goatee with satisfaction. "If my intel is correct, agent Rex is the main reason why Kotua is doing this. Our plan, which we had once feared to be a failure, is working in the end! Soon enough, Rex will bring about the end of these so-called 'heroes', and no one will be left to interfere with our goals!" The group of scientists cheered. ---- Suddenly, black vehicles pulled up and began firing at the Voltage. "What's going on?" asked Specs, who was hiding too. "No idea," muttered Shadow. "I know," said a voice. Both Dino Attack agents turned back. Cane was standing there. "I've decided to help you. After all, you know the new Kotua better than me and my team do." "I think you want something else..." said Specs. "I want Kotua alive..." said Cane. "Okay, we'll do our best. We need to take him down as fast as possible though," said Shadow. Black ambulances pulled up, and the doctors carried the wounded and the dead to the ambulances, and then drove them to the HQ... ***** The ShadowTech jets scrambled, and began firing at the Voltage. "Sir, they'll break through, we must surrender!" said one of the bots. "No. I'm not going down without a fight. I'll show you how to deal with jets. Besides, there are a lot of tools that haven't been used!" said Kotua. The jet leader flew over the craft, and got his trigger ready. He pressed the trigger, but to his surprise, nothing happened! The turrets turned to face him. The pilot jerked the control stick to the left, but the jet continued flying towards the craft. "Mayday! Mayday!" shouted the pilot through his commlink. The other jets suddenly flew away from the craft, even though the pilots pulled the control sticks as hard as possible... The out-of-control jets flew into buildings, unable to regain control. The Voltage was now at 70% of energy. The black ShadowTech vehicles fired, but the Voltage's Beam Shields stopped any blast from impacting the craft... ***** Databoard wiped sweat off his forehead. He could hear the Voltage's main weapon charging. He didn't know how close it was to full capacity, but he would have to stop it soon. Outside, he heard weapons bashing against the beam shield, causing no damage. If he didn't do something fast, DINO Attack HQ would be a pile of rubble. ***** The Voltage fired back, blowing up half of the ShadowTech vehicles. The remaining vehicles continued firing back, but the drivers and gunners were giving up hope. Kotua checked the weakest point in the Dino Attack HQ. "Soon, Rex will pay!" said Kotua. Kotua then remembered the Dino Attack agents in Antarctica. I'll deal with those later... with the satellites, thought Kotua. ---- After completing his mission at Adventurers' Island, Turahk-Kal boarded a barge headed for LEGO City. While sitting on the barge eating a microwaved burger watching TV, Turahk-Kal turned to the news and saw a reported behind a devastating scene. Dino Attack HQ was in pieces. Dead and wounded littered the streets. Setting a course, Turahk-Kal prayed Kotua would be stopped... Turahk-Kal drove down the dock in the Fire Hammer and witnessed a horrific sight: the Voltage was over Dino Attack HQ, firing at the black vehicles. Flooring it, he began speeding to Dino Attack HQ. ***** Kotua spotted agent Turahk-Kal. "Hmm... another one..." muttered Kotua. ***** Turahk-Kal got out of his Fire Hammer, when a blast hit it, destroying it. "Hey!" said Turahk-Kal, but he soon ran as more blasts tried to hit him. Turahk-Kal ran down the alley behind an abandoned police station. He went inside and realized, duh, it was a police station, therefore, security was tighter and most of the inside was intact. Quickly looking on the roof, he discovered a helicopter. Getting inside, he powered it up and headed towards Antarctica to get a new vehicle and protect the last area where agents could be safe... ***** Weapons could be heard firing everywhere, giving Databoard a terrible headache. He worked fast to try and disable the weapons systems, and then try and get Kotua to come to his senses. He continued searching for the right wires for the forward weaponry, because if he would that he would disable the weapon. The blast was now at 80%. Databoard looked, but there were too many wires... The sound of the weapon was now so loud that it drowned out all other noise. Databoard couldn't find the right wire in this mess, and there was next no time left. He looked at the wires again, but he couldn't find it. He took a wire cutter out of his pocket. He would just have to make a guess. Databoard cut a wire.... There was a silent two minutes... Then, a loud sound, and then it quieted down... ***** Fifty more ShadowTech jets flew out to fight the Voltage. The jets scrambled as giant energy ball fired from the Voltage and flew over the horizon... ***** Databoard got out of the wires, and started looking for a way to get to Kotua. Databoard placed a device on the door to the weapon system room. Electricity surged through the door, disabling the locking mechanism. He rushed through the now open door, laser rifle in hand. He headed for the command deck, guessing that was where Kotua would be. Databoard barged into the Command Deck. It was empty. He ran to the hangar, which also was empty. Databoard ran across the Voltage, which seemed to be entirely empty. What in the world happened? Was this what was going to happen to Dino Attack HQ? thought Databoard... Suddenly Databoard felt pain, and closed his eyes... Databoard opened his eyes to see an angry Kotua. "So, you think a few wires will stop me?! You're wrong!" said Kotua. Databoard realized Security Bots had disarmed him. "Any last words?" said Kotua... ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Chapter 2: Black Operations ---- LEGO Studios was worse than Rex thought it would be. Many of the sets had been wrecked, and the sky was dark from all the smoke. Rex coughed, then looked for Mutant Dinos. A screech came from above. Rex looked up to see a Mutant Pteranodon in the sky. Its black and dark blue colors made it an eerie sight. Rex loaded the cannon with a net. Then, he shot the net - and caught the Pteranodon! "Perfect shot!" ***** Rev found himself gawking the sky when a net snagged a Pteranodon out of the sky. He knew Rex was working in the same place as him, but they had come with two very different reasons. He got a mayday from not far from here, at Studio 10. The producers were stuck with some Mutant Lizards with shotguns and could barely keep them at bay, but they were running out of shells. He looked in the window, and he could see the ravenous creatures trying to kill the people in there, and there were at least 50 people in there. He knew what he had to do. He looked at the artillery screen and selected Xenon Multi-Shot Mode. He shot at Dinosaurs and couldn't stop firing. At least 20 raptors died in those red five minutes. He barged into the studio and ended up running over a bunch of lizards. He jumped out to get the people when one lizard jumped on him. They wrestled quite a bit, and soon Rev bagged the lizard: a present for Rex. Rev found himself scavenging for items to make a trailer for his Fire Hammer, and that he did. Using large carts' wheels for wheels, he sped out of the studio and found a swarm of Pteranodons after him. Their sleek bodies were so evil. He grabbed a tranq shotgun. He shot quite a few times and took a few down, and netted one because he wanted to study another breed of mutant. Then he finally escaped the studio with safe producers and threads of his life. ---- Kotua ducked, and tripped most of the men. Two quickly got up and started shooting at Kotua. He easily dodged the tranquilizer darts and kicked the guns away. One got up and shot him from behind. Kotua fell to the ground slowly as the tranquilizer began its effects. The men dragged Kotua into a black van, and drove off. The van drove through LEGO Studios, but Rex, busy with the Pteranodon, didn't notice it passing by. Rex might have not noticed the ShadowTech van, but Hyrode did. He got in his Fire Hammer and followed the van closely. The men drove through the city, until they reached a black building. The guards let the van though, and soon they carried Kotua inside. ***** Rex had succeeded in calming down the Pteranodon so it wouldn't fight against him. Then, he loaded the Mutant Dino into his Iron Predator, then drove off, unaware of the danger Kotua was in. Rex brought the Mutant Pterosaur back to his hideout. Trouble was still in his cage, which was good news. But, Rex realized that he was running out of room for the Mutant Pteranodon... ---- Databoard drove away from HQ to look for more Mutant Dinos. He found a group of Mutant Lizards, but they ran away. He managed to stun a fleeing Lizard, which he would take back to HQ and analyze. Before he could, he heard a deafening roar. He turned around to see a Mutant T-Rex charging at him! Databoard put the Mutant Lizard in his Fire Hammer and drove away, the T-Rex close behind. He couldn't outrun it forever, but fighting it would be suicidal. He fired his Multi-Mode Launcher into the air, temporarily blinding the T-Rex. He sped ahead, but he knew the Mutant Dino would soon catch up. Databoard swerved between, over, under, and around rocks and trees trying to lose the T-Rex. It continued to follow him to matter where he went. He drove among a group of trees to try evading it. The Mutant T-Rex simply barreled after him, ripping up the trees in its path. Databoard sped up, hoping to outrun the dinosaur. Databoard looked behind him. Yes, the T-Rex was still there, and yes, unless he thought of a way to escape, he was doomed. Databoard soon got an idea. An idea so crazy, so insane, so mind-numbingly nuts, it would have to work. He turned the Fire Hammer around and charged at the T-Rex. It was surprised at first, but it soon charged as well. At the last second, Databoard swerved out of the way, and the T-Rex rushed past. It tried to turn around, but tripped and crashed into a clump of trees. Databoard drove up to the unconscious giant and attached a tracking device to its leg. He then drove off towards DINO Attack HQ. The Fire Hammer careened through the forest, barely missing trees in the way. Databoard had been so busy trying not to be T-Rex chow, he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. Now he had to find a way back to HQ before the Mutant Lizard woke up. It can never be easy... Databoard thought. The Fire Hammer screeched to a halt, having run out of fuel. Databoard muttered under his breath and banged the dashboard with his fists. At this moment, the Mutant Lizard woke up, and began to try getting out of the vehicle. Databoard remembered Rex talking about taming Mutant Lizards. Databoard would just have to get it to calm down somehow... Half an hour later, Databoard was still trying to calm the Mutant Lizard. It was less angry than confused, but it was still dangerous to be in a small vehicle with one. Databoard got out of the car, while the Lizard ripped up the upholstery in the Fire Hammer. Databoard took out a flare gun and shot it into the air. With any luck, an agent would spot it and come, hopefully before any Mutant Dinos... Databoard looked at the engine, trying to find a way to restart the engine. But he knew that without fuel, the Fire Hammer wouldn't move. He glanced at the Mutant Lizard and wondered: Could it support my weight? If he could ride it to HQ, he could come back with fuel for the Fire Hammer. He snapped a leaf-covered branch from a nearby tree, stuck his bologna sandwich on the end, and walked over to the Fire Hammer. He opened the door and the Mutant Lizard leapt out. Clearly hungry, it started to snap its jaws at the branch. Databoard leapt onto the Lizard's back, holding the bologna out of the reach of its jaws. It began running towards the bologna, but like a horse after a carrot on a string, it would never reach it. Databoard would merely have to move the branch, and the Lizard would follow it. Databoard steered it towards Dino Attack HQ, wondering what everyone would think then he arrived on a Mutant Lizard. ---- Kotua awoke, to see the men were on guard on the corners of the room, weapons ready. A man in a suit approached Kotua. He had red hair, cut short and neat, and wore a pair of orange-tinted sunglasses. "Interesting. For a moment, we thought we had lost you!" said the man. "Excuse me?" asked Kotua. "I am agent Cane," said the man, "and we are ShadowTech. You don't remember me, but I'm the reason why you exist." "You're my dad?" asked Kotua. "No. It's hard to explain, but you're our... well... uh... experiment," said Cane. "This is a joke?" said Kotua, looking for a door. "Unfortunately, with the dinos and all, we've decided to terminate the project," said Cane. "And I'm here to...?" asked Kotua. "Like I said before, the project has been terminated… sort of," said Cane, walking towards the door, and leaving. The ShadowTech men raised their guns. "Uh-oh..." said Kotua... ***** Hyrode stealthily entered the building, grabbing a tranquilizer dartgun. He heard what Cane said, then when the man came out, he stuck him with a dart. Then, when the ShadowTech soldiers raised their guns, he came barreling in, firing all he was worth. Then, one of the men swiftly approached him from behind and knocked him out. Kotua ran towards Hyrode and picked him up. He then ran away as fast as he could, but the other ShadowTech agents seemed to be catching up. He noticed a bending machine and brought it down, slowing down the men, but Kotua knew he couldn't outrun them for long... Hyrode quickly woke up. Realizing what was happening, he kept on firing behind them. "Kotua, my Fire Hammer's parked in an alley outside. Now, could you put me down?" ***** On his way out, Rev had noticed tread marks: Hyrode's tread marks. He followed them to a building, and found an empty van and Hyrode's Fire Hammer. Rev grabbed the chain guns and thought, Yay, humans this time and that means fun, fun, fun. He entered with assassin-like stealth and, through a small window, he saw men with guns about to shoot Kotua and Hyrode. He was in full tilt run now. The door broke off its hinges and smashed one of the three ShadowTech men into the wall. Then, he tranqed the two others, but as one of them fell to the ground, he shot at Kotua in the arm. Rev ran out to the Fire Hammer, drove it in, and put both men in it. As he drove to the HQ, he sent out a mayday for medics. The agents drove away from the building, but black Fire Hammers chased them and began firing their weapons. "Oh boy," said Rev, turning to avoid the incoming blasts. The ShadowTech Fire Hammers chased them until they saw the Dino Attack HQ. The black jeeps drove off, and Rev drove the Fire Hammer into the HQ. The ShadowTech Fire Hammers returned to their own base. Wow, Rev thought. Two missions in one day, saving guys and producers, and now he found himself just sitting and talking pointlessly with Kotua. Not wanting to say anything he found, Kotua just said, "They kidnapped me," and no one pushed it after what he had done earlier. ---- Rex was too busy trying to capture a Mutant Raptor, and he did not notice that Mutant Lizards and T-Rexes were sneaking up on him. When Rex turned around, he was astonished. "Oh, great..." he muttered. He then quickly drove out of the neighborhood before the Mutant Dinos could react. As Rex drove to safety, he once again found Chompy. "What are you doing here?" he asked the T-Rex. Chompy growled, then stalked off. Chompy ran through the city on his own. The T-Rex's mission was simple: find Alpha Team agent Frozeen before the Mutant Dinos did. After his sudden disappearance, nobody - not even Chompy, his close teammate and adopted son - knew where Frozeen was hiding. But, Chompy had met agent Rex. And while he couldn't put his claw on it, Chompy could sense there was something very strange about him... I'll have to keep my eye on that one, he thought. ---- Kotua awoke in Dino Attack HQ. After looking around, Kotua sneaked off into the garage. There he noticed another recruit looking at his Urban Avenger. "Move!" said Kotua. "Huh?" said the guy. Kotua ran at him, and tackled him. Then he quickly got on the Urban Avenger and headed back towards the warehouse. Kotua arrived, and ran towards the Robo-Blade. He got in and flew over the city. He looked for the building he had been taken. Suddenly, a missile flew past him. A black T-1 Typhoon flew towards Kotua. "Oh boy," said Kotua. He flew towards the ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon and began firing at it. The T-1 Typhoon began firing back. Kotua activated his Beam Shield and flew through the streets, forcing the helicopter to shoot through buildings. Kotua flew as fast as he could, T-1 Typhoon in pursuit. The ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon fired missiles, but Kotua easily flew out of the way, and the missiles hit a house, setting it on fire. Kotua heard anguished screeches and roars from the house. Mutant Dinos... thought Kotua. The ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon began firing laser blasts at Kotua. Kotua charged his Beam Rifle, and took out the left gunner in the cargo hold of the helicopter. The T-1 Typhoon closed its cargo doors and then activated its side machine guns, firing at Kotua like crazy. Kotua put his Beam Shield at full power, and charged his Beam Rifle as high as he could. Hope this doesn't kill me, thought Kotua. He fired a shot, which hit the cockpit glass... BOOM The black T-1 Typhoon, which wasn't beam-proof, was now a flaming ball in the sky. Kotua flew towards Dino Attack HQ. He had to somehow apologize for what had happened earlier... ---- Rev prepared to get in his vehicle, but found himself gawking at the T-1 Typhoon, the vehicle he wanted the most. He was mad; he had saved 50 people, 2 agents, killed roughly 85 Dinosaurs, was studying how to stop these creatures… and still no elite promotion. He was just going to travel the plain and try to find some Dinos that are hurting people. He wanted that reward that kept slipping out of his fingers. Rev saw the LEGO City. A fire just down the mountain from him, and five Tyrannosaurus Rexes were at the gate. Rev set his launcher to rapid-fire mode, made his car go top speed, and as he went down at a speed he didn't want to think of, he heard the Cavalry song in the wind. He aimed just slightly up and opened fire. "Die you son and daughters of-" and Rev's last word was picked up by the wind and never heard again. He was near the foot of the mountain, with fire coming from his wheels, and four were dead and the other hadn't seen him yet. Rev drove directly into the legs and dented the hood and ruined his paint job. The T-Rex was thrown into the air and crashed into the flaming tracks, never to move again. Rev tried to stop or turn or anything but he couldn't. He just lost speed inch-by-inch and, to slow himself further, he shot blindly down the streets. Just before he hit a skyscraper (or what was left of it), he stopped and turned around. Maybe now that promotion will be mine, he thought to himself. Rev looked at the skyscraper. It was perfect condition… well, mostly. He looked inside: no elevators, but a wheelchair ramp just big enough for the Fire Hammer. Soon, he was on the roof. He grabbed a paint can and, on the roof, he painted a circle with the letters "T-1" on it. When he would get his helicopter, this would be his secret base. He looked at the area and knew Pteranodons would love this place, so next time he came, he'd have a fresh paint job on the Fire Hammer, power tools (<To Fix Inside/Out>), cement, paint, and a few Pteranodon-sensing Land-To-Air Missile Launchers. Rev looked at his Fire Hammer after having fixed it up. The paint dried moments ago. The gold he had painted on there was rimmed with red, and the rest was black, including his new tinted windshield. He also changed his headlights so, when they dim in the night, they would look like Mutant Dino eyes. He had also painted the trailer to match. 600 pounds of cement were in the trailer, along with tools, more paint, and eight Land-to-Air Turrets. ---- Rex looked over his latest catch: a single blue-scaled Mutant Lizard, which he named Sapphire. "Interesting," he noted, "this is the first time I've ever seen a blue Lizard. You're definitely coming back with me." Rex reached the hideout in time to find Trouble trying to sneak out again! "No wonder I nicknamed you Trouble..." mumbled Rex as he grabbed the Mutant Lizard and put him in the same cage as Sapphire. Trouble was trouble, but the two Mutant Raptors that always fought were even more troublesome. "Stop it, both of you!" Rex yelled. When they didn't stop, Rex got an idea. He grabbed one Raptor and moved it to another cage on the far end of the room. "That'll keep you two from fighting," Rex grumbled. "Why don't you look at these two Mutant Lizards?" He gestured towards Trouble and Sapphire, who were nuzzling one another with friendly curiosity. "They get along well, so why can't you?" After that final remark, Rex left the hideout and went on his next mission. Rex drove his Iron Predator to a wrecked subway station in LEGO City. He noticed that many Mutant Dinos were coming out from the subway tunnel. Could it be where the Mutant Dinos are coming from? Could he learn the cure to the mutation? Could he learn to... tame the Mutant T-Rex? Suddenly, a pack of Mutant Lizards appeared. "Those questions will have to wait," muttered Rex. The Mutant Lizards flinched once a non-mutated T-Rex appeared. Chompy! The T-Rex roared at the Lizards, and they fled. "Thanks... Chompy," said Rex. Chompy snorted in response, then ran off. ---- Sereve was headed into a trap, because if he looked at his radar watch hard enough, he would have seen that it wasn't one huge blip; it was many smaller ones. He drove his Urban Avenger toward where the radar was showing him, which was somewhere deep in the heart of New York City. He looked around and saw nothing but ruins. He said to himself, "That's odd. Whatever it is should be right here." He then looked at his radar and saw no blips. He shrugged. The warm air in the city was taking a toll on him, so he made himself a glass of water. He placed it on the dash board, and as soon as he did, there was a large THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. He looked in his water cup, which had ripples going through it with each thump. He said, "This reminds me a movie I used to watch. Gasp! Oh no. It is." He then heard many beeps coming from his radar. They were back. He then checked to see how far the things were from his current location, and found that there were creatures going 50 miles back from his current location! "Oh no," he said. "It's just as I feared. A whole bunch of Mutant T Rexes!" As the footsteps came closer, he sped off in his Urban Avenger at top speed for the HQ, footsteps getting louder and louder. Sereve reached the base, parked his Urban Avenger, and then ran inside his room. Bailey jumped up on him with joy of him being here, but Sereve was too worried to pay attention to him now. After shifting around in his closet, he then said, "Aha! Found it!" It was a M36 automatic. He locked the door, grabbed Bailey, raised the gun, and waited for the onslaught of T Rexes. An hour or so has passed in silence. Sereve was starting to fall asleep when more thumps were heard. They kept getting louder and louder until they were right outside one of his walls. They stopped. Then, the wall exploded in a shower of concrete. To Sereve's horror, the dinosaurs were breaking in! Bailey in arm, Sereve opened fire at the Mutant T-Rexes. He took down one, but they kept coming. He was then backed up against the door with the horrid creatures breathing down his neck. Sereve was scared half to death, but Bailey wasn't. One of the T-Rexes growled loudly. Bailey returned the growl with his own vicious snarl, followed with an act that no one would have seen coming. The small dog opened his mouth, and what came next stunned Sereve: Bailey was biting the T-Rex's snout! The Mutant T-Rex roared in anger. It was only a momentary distraction, but it bought Sereve and Bailey enough time. More Dino Attack agents were responding to the attack on their base, and a defense force pushed back against the T-Rexes. An Iron Predator fired its Cryothermic Cannon, taking down the T-Rex that had been so close to killing Sereve and Bailey. Within the hour, half the dinosaurs were defeated, and the rest retreated. Sereve, still backed up against the wall, nervously said to Bailey, "Good boy." He picked up the small dog, and had a disturbing thought: I've never seen Bailey act that way before. Maybe Bailey was mutated along with the dinosaurs? Maybe he went into a state of hibernation when our house was being destroyed? No, it couldn't be. Or could it? ---- Rev was beyond tired next morning, since he had fixed almost everything in there, cemented the outside, painted the walls, and set the turrets so that they would only fire at dinosaurs within five miles of the building. Now, he realized what he had forgotten: a bed and some metal shutters. Rev plopped into his vehicle and slept, which was hard since the chair was made to keep one up. It was noon when he found himself standing on the roof. He heard a piercing screech above him as a Mutant Pteranodon launched itself at him. Then, as the turrets fired upon it, the creature was driven back and barely fell out of the explosion range and flapped away. Then Rev left, heading back to Dino Attack HQ. He was smiling with so much proud satisfaction that he looked like a great ball of light when he did so. ***** The next day was busy one for Sereve, trying to repair the wall to his room. Eventually, he finished. And as soon as he did, his radar started going off. He grumbled, "Oy vey. Not now." As he started to leave his room, he looked down at his rambunctious dog and thought, Maybe he'd be a great asset in battle? He picked Bailey up and left. As Sereve was walking down the main hallway, he saw Rev walking down the hallway. Sereve said to him: "Hey Rev! Look, I was just going on a mission and was wondering if you wanted to come with?" Rev replied, "No, man. I just spent a while fixing up my Fire Hammer and just want to take a breather for now. And why are you bringing your dog?" Sereve looked at the small, panting dog and then said, "...Because I feel like it. Ahem." Rev said, "Okay..." Sereve said back, "Look, when I get the team together, I'll explain." He then ran off to his Urban Avenger. Puzzled, Rev looked down the hallway at him and said under his breath, "Weird..." Three Dino Attack members had seen Rev take the first trip back to his secret hideout. They were the triplets Len, Tren, and Gwen, well-known among their teammates because they all use Steel Sprinters. "So," they asked in unison, "where did you go with all that equipment, Rev?" "You three don't ask unless you know, so unless you want to help, don't bug me," Rev said. "Cranky," they replied. "We won't tell, but we won't help." "Fine with me," Rev said happily. Soon, he loaded more stuff in there, A wall-bed, tons of special window blockers, computer-controlled doors, and computers. Rev wasted no time setting the stuff up since he was still tired. When that bed came down, he swore he was the happiest man alive. ---- Several guards stood outside Dino Attack HQ, when they saw a strange sight: Databoard riding towards them on a Mutant Lizard! They raised their laser guns in defense, but Databoard yelled for them not to shoot. He managed to get the Lizard to stop, and he led the mutant inside. Several minutes later, Databoard was in the laboratory, examining DNA samples from the Mutant Lizard. He glanced over to the Lizard, which was sitting in a nearby containment pen. Databoard was trying to find what enhanced them, but he couldn't find out what if he didn't have normal dinosaur DNA to compare with. He decided on something: he would refuel his Fire Hammer, and then he would head to Adventurers' Island. ---- Rev was woken up by the sound of missiles launching and exploding. He opened one window. The Mutant Pteranodon from earlier was back with friends, whom it had taught to dodge the explosions. He rode the Fire Hammer out there and saw that they went to the southeast of the explosion. They dodged and weaved as Rev fired at them with stun shots, although he still managed to hit some of them. They wouldn't go away, no matter how many fell to the ground. He recognized the lead Pteranodon that dodged the next blast, and it found itself obliterated when he fired at it. Screeches filled the air as the Mutant Pteranodons squawked at one another. Rev shot once more at the flying reptiles, and finally they went flying away. He then felt the skyscraper hideout shake. A Mutant T-Rex, at least 200 feet tall, was trying to bring the building down. And then, within that moment, a missile flew down towards the T-Rex and hit in front of it. It was hurled back but only fell. Rev aimed at it and yelled, "Shoo... You know the other option." And so, it left. Less than an hour later, Rev was heading to Dino Attack Headquarters. Once there, he found himself in the Dino Study Dome. The three mutants in there had shock collars on. Now his goal was to tame the Pteranodon and the two Lizards. What he saw next was amazing: the second Lizard, that was found smashing cars out on the streets, had been placed in here only 3 or 4 days ago, and already they had a huge nest of eggs. Rev smiled. Well, I see the locals are getting along, alright, he thought. Rev was going to take an egg but knew they'd get angry and it was better if he didn't. Rev looked up when he heard a hiss from above him. He saw the female Mutant Lizard glaring down upon him from her perch. "Well, hey there, Helba," Rev said kindly, deciding to nickname the Lizard just like Rex would. "I didn't know you could climb trees." She slowly came down, feeling trust towards this foreign human. "Yeah, you can trust me, I'm not gonna take your eggs." Within fifteen minutes, both Lizards trusted him, but he'd need some way to reach the Pteranodon. ---- Sereve hopped in his Urban Avenger with Bailey and drove off. He was reminiscing about the days when Rev taught him how to drive so quickly, despite the age difference. He let him use a Steel Sprinter as a training vehicle and remember him telling him how to stop, turn, and go to top speed, all on a dime. He was so grateful for him. Sereve said to himself, "Man, why hasn't Specs promoted him to Elite Agent yet?" As he finished saying that, he stopped abruptly when he noticed his radar going crazy. It said nonsensical things like "will not exceed visoring tumblers" and "cannot push forgetful sanders". Sereve muttered to himself, "What the heck...?" He then felt the back of his Urban Avenger getting heavy and falling backwards. He unbuckled and climbed on top of the Urban Avenger. He saw five Mutant Lizards latching onto the back of his vehicle, chewing at the wires that connected to the onboard radar! Sereve said, "Oh no, you don't! I had just about enough of this!" He then reached toward the mounted Sonic Screamer and was about to turn it toward the Lizards, when it started moving by itself! Or was it? He looked down, and saw Bailey with his paws on the steering wheel, which was currently controlling the Sonic Screamer. Bailey looked up at the agent, panting excitedly. "Bailey! Go to the left!" said Sereve. Bailey then fell on his seat toward the left, turning the Sonic Screamer toward the Mutant Lizards who were still chewing through the wiring. Sereve then swung himself into the cockpit of the Urban Avenger and said, "See ya suckers!" He then hit the button that activates the Sonic Screamer. The Lizards were done with quickly. Unfortunately, the radar was still displaying nonsense. Sereve later said, "Aw man. Now I need my radar fixed. Better find Databoard." He then sped off to find agent Databoard. ---- It had been a day since Rev had made friends with the Mutant Lizards. He had just spent hours collecting food for them, and now he was bringing a small cage back. As he entered the Dino Study Dome, he opened the cage and took out its occupant, a possum. He went to the nest and found it being sat on by Dash, the male. "Well, I guess you can't hunt today... no sir, 'Mr. Mom'... so I brought you a treat," Rev said as he gave the possum to Dash, who squealed in delight. Rev heard a cracking sound, and saw one egg hatch, and another, and another, until all eggs had finally hatched. "I guess I'll go find Helba and tell her, but you have to teach your kids to hunt," Rev told Dash. "Gnee, Gnee!" squawked one little hatchling that kept jumping, as though it was trying to fly. "Well, little thing, I guess I'll call you Hawk," Rev said, patting the small critter. Then he found Helba with a squirming rat-tail. "Don't play with your food, Helba," he joked. "Oh, by the way, your eggs hatched," he added as he walked away. Before leaving the Dino Study Dome, Rev had all the babies set with shock collars as well. Couldn't have 'em killing each other, he thought, no sir! Afterward, Rev Raptor was cruising around anywhere looking for Dinos, unprepared to return to his base. He swore he heard Sereve nearby but decided he was wrong... then again, he decided to follow his senses towards the sound. ---- A boat with the words "DINO Attack" on the side landed at Adventurers' Island. Databoard unloaded his Fire Hammer and looked at the island. Destruction was everywhere, and smoke filled the air. "Whoa..." Databoard muttered. "This isn't what it looked like in the brochures... it's far worse than when I was last here with Alpha Team." He climbed into the Fire Hammer and drove across Adventurers' Island, or at least what was left of it. As Databoard drove his Fire Hammer along the barren remains, he had expected it to be quiet here, but it actually wasn't. He could hear the crackling of burning trees, stone crumbling nearby, and the roar of dinosaurs, both natural and mutant. Databoard continued to drive, but the whole place, to put it simply, creeped him out. Just then, Databoard heard a vroooooooooooom! He looked behind him to see a cloud of dust behind a Urban Avenger. The Urban Avenger was several yards behind the Fire Hammer. When Sereve's vehicle came next to Databoard's, it stopped, sending dust everywhere. Once it cleared, Sereve called out to him, "Hey Data! Hey, I need you to do me a favor! Do you think you can fix my radar? It was chewed up by Lizards." Sereve then held up Bailey and said, "And finally I hope you like dogs. We have new one on the team." Databoard replied with some uncertainty, "Well, I don't know..." "There's a catch!" added Sereve. "He's not afraid to fight Mutant Dinos!" "That changes everything," replied Databoard. Sereve then said back, "Now about my radar..." Databoard examined the busted radar. "It shouldn't be hard to fix," he muttered. "Just a few wires missing. Now if it was completely bashed in, that would be a different story." He got a few spare wires from a storage compartment in his Fire Hammer. "This should only take a few minutes." He fixed the radar, and got back into his vehicle. "Now if you'll excuse me..." Databoard said, "I have some dinosaurs to find." Sereve said to Databoard gratefully, "Thanks dude! See you later." Databoard then sped off into the distance. Just then a green blip appeared on his radar, which indicated an approaching agent. He heard the vrooming of a Fire Hammer far in the distance. Sereve squinted really hard and then said, "Rev?" Stopping right beside Sereve, Rev said, "On the button." "What are you doing here?" asked Sereve. "I came here to stop some Mutant Dinos, you know?" replied Rev. "I can't believe we ended up here at the same time, though," said Sereve. "Hey, crazy idea that don't happen much... I betcha we could stop a few monsters together, but I'm here to catch a regular dinosaur for DNA comparison, ya know?" Rev said. "Not really, no, but why not go somewhere else afterwards?" Sereve prodded. Rev made the "on the nose" motion then suggested: "Castle Cove sound good? I've heard rumors that mutant dragons are there, and I've just gotta catch one." "I'll think about it," Sereve said. For a little while, they didn't speak and just continued their mission in silence, but then Rev couldn't hold it in anymore. "Listen, Sereve, I found a great base in LEGO City and rebuilt it. You can pop in whenever," he said. Sereve laughed. "I'll try not to wear out my welcome." ***** Databoard drove across Adventurers' Island, still looking for normal dinosaurs. He soon saw a group of small dinos running through the jungle. "Perfect," Databoard muttered. Before he could get close, more dinosaurs ran by, and these were larger ones. Databoard was confused by this, but he soon found out why: a Mutant T-Rex was charging at them. Databoard grumbled something, but it couldn't be heard over its roar. Databoard put the Fire Hammer into its highest gear, and shot ahead of the Mutant T-Rex pursuing him. He swerved behind some trees, but the T-Rex just ran past him. "It's after the Dinos..." he muttered. He fired the Multi-Mode Launcher at the T-Rex. The blast barely hurt the T-Rex, but it distracted it from the dinosaurs. Databoard hid the Fire Hammer behind several trees, and the confused T-Rex walked past him. Databoard drove along what remained of a dirt road. Ever since the Mutant T-Rex had shown up, most of the natural dinosaurs had been hiding. He finally found a small dinosaur running away and caught it. He stunned it long enough to get a DNA sample, and then it ran away. Databoard loaded his Fire Hammer into the boat and left, hoping never to return to Adventurers' Island again. ---- When Rev and Sereve arrived at Castle Cove, they came across a cave in the Fright Knights' region. It was a dark hole that required headlights, which the agents provided. They drove down the mysterious and fairly small cavern slowly. Sereve could feel Bailey trembling and hide underneath Sereve's seat. "This place is freaking the heck out of me," Sereve said. "Don't worry. I've been down here before. Maybe, if we're lucky, we'll get attacked by a mutant dragon!" said Rev, half-jokingly. With an annoyed look, Sereve replied, "Great." As if on cue, they came across a dragon, larger than any other dragon they had seen before. Its hide was covered with pitch-black scales, with a deep bluish-purple glow faintly illuminating its form. Just the sight of this dragon gave Sereve a terrible feeling that this mutated monster was an unstoppable force of destruction, much like a hurricane or a maelstrom. Rev, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He said, "Oh, look! Here's one now. Okay, Sereve, when I say 'Now,' you're going to launch your net at the dragon." "But wouldn't it be easier to just take it down?" Sereve asked. "Nope. You couldn't take one of these down with a T-1 Typhoon. Ironically enough, I bet they're easier to tame than a Mutant Lizard," Rev replied with a know-it-all tone. "Okay. We'll net it, but I'm not keeping it," Sereve said, a little annoyed. "Heh. Fine with me!" Rev said smiling. "Now!" Just then, two nets launched out of the fronts of the vehicles at 50 MPH. In the darkness, there was a loud growl as the dragon collapsed. "Woohoo! We got him!" said Rev happily. However, Rev spoke too soon. Merely flexing its muscles, the dragon tore through the nets. Roaring angrily, it opened its mouth, and a jet of purple-tinged flames erupted from its jaws. Sereve knew that it was time to make a tactical retreat, and Rev followed him out of the dragon's den. "So, you want to come back to get him, Sereve?" said Rev. Sereve replied, "No thanks. I'll stay here with my dog… who won't breathe fire on me." "Oh, come on. Have you even seen these things before?" asked Rev. "No. That's why I want to stay here," replied Sereve. "Fine, suit yourself," said Rev. Sereve exclaimed, "Oh man, I forgot! I need to get all of the agents in the conference room! I'll meet you there." "Wait. Why is it so important that you need ALL of the agents here?" asked Rev. "Look, I'll explain later. Just meet me there at 7:00," said Sereve. And with that, Sereve drove off to Dino Attack Headquarters. It was nearly empty, with everyone else out on missions. A little creepy, even. He went into the conference room, Bailey in arm, sat on the head chair, and then sent out a message to every agent. It said, "Must meet in HQ conference room immediately. When you're here, say your code name and here. I.E. Sereve here. Meet here at 7:00." Sereve then waited for the agents to come. ---- Rex returned to his hideout, and found out something just amazing. Earlier, he had put Trouble and Sapphire in the same cage together. He had not thought much of it before, but now… Rex couldn't believe it: Sapphire was a female, and just laid eggs! "Wow!" Rex said excitedly. "Two tame Mutant Lizards just had eggs in captivity! This is incredible! It must have something to do with your charming personality, Trouble!" Trouble grinned proudly. But, Rex's moment of elation was short-lived. He knew that he would have to report this to his superiors, and he had a bad feeling that Shadow would not take the news well when he learned that Rex's mutants were breeding. This would be trouble, and not the kind that was grinning at him. ---- Kotua arrived at Dino Attack HQ. The guards raised their blasters, and began trying to destroy Kotua. "Hey!" said Kotua, activating his beam shield. He activated the Vulcan head guns, and knocked out the guards... ***** Databoard was driving his Fire Hammer towards Dino Attack HQ. He saw Kotua in a Robo-Blade, knocking out the guards. "That's not good..." said Databoard. He drove into the garage, grabbed a nearby laser rifle, and rushed to stop Kotua, thinking he was here to say everybody was a Drone... Kotua noticed the "drone dressed as Databoard". "Faker!" shouted Kotua, who started firing at the Databoard. Databoard fired back, but Kotua blocked it with his Beam shield. Kotua then fired two missiles, which flew towards Databoard. Databoard fired the two missiles with the laser rifle, and one exploded. He jumped out of the way of the other missile, and it blew up the wall behind him. "Die, Drone!" Kotua yelled. He fired another missile. "Oh good; I was staring to miss people calling me a Drone," Databoard muttered as he leapt over the missile. As if matters couldn't get worse, a ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon appeared. Kotua immediately turned and began firing at it. The black helicopter started shooting at Kotua, with no luck. "Why can't people fight away from here?" muttered Databoard. Databoard aimed the laser rifle at the black-colored vehicle. He fired a few shots at the helicopter, but it did very little damage. It fired at Databoard, who jumped out of the way. Seconds later, the spot where he had been just been standing seconds ago was a smoking crater. Kotua charged his Beam Rifle, and fired at the cargo section of the copter, where the side gunners were. Databoard saw as two burning bodies fell. Kotua then fired again, but the copter flew upwards and began firing all its weaponry on Kotua, from missiles to laser blasts. Databoard used the opportunity to fire at the copter. Databoard fired lasers at the black T-1 Typhoon like crazy. He didn't hit the pilot, but that didn't stop him from trying. The copter shot at him again, but he leapt out of the way. Databoard returned to shooting at the black helicopter, trying to hit whoever was piloting the vehicle. Kotua flew away from the copter, and grabbed an Urban Avenger. He swung it around and threw it at the helicopter. The copter quickly blew it out of the sky. Kotua found another Dino Attack vehicle, and swung it in the direction of the copter. Databoard also fired, but at the right missile pod. Soon, it got so hot it started burning, causing the missiles to explode. "Nice fireworks display," Databoard muttered as the missiles exploded. The helicopter was still largely intact, though. It shot at Databoard with the left missile pod, but Databoard dodged it again. He returned fire, but again missed the cockpit. He jumped as another missile shot at him, then fired back with his laser rifle. A Steel Sprinter hit the left missile pod, destroying it. Kotua swung another, but the helicopter backed away, as the mission turned harder than they anticipated. The copter flew away. Kotua, still crazy, flew for a Fire Hammer. "Kotua, no!" said Databoard, but Kotua swung it. And stopped. Kotua dropped the vehicle, and flew towards Databoard. "Tell the others, I'm sorry about earlier with the dino..." said Kotua, and then he flew off to the warehouse... ---- Rev drove around, not planning to go to the HQ or his base. He was heading to the sea's black mark, LEGO Island, even though it was thought a suicide mission because of the Mutants' colors. Rev had lights mounted all over his car; he had a plan. Rev drove into the middle of island and, for a second, did nothing. Rev flipped the switch on the dashboard and became a ball of light. He heard the dinos coming, and he gave the signal to his teammate, agent Dragon, so he would know to shoot in the faces of the dinos. Raptors, 50 minimum. The one in front was the first one to be fired upon, and since that just knocked it down, it was caught. 3 mutants down, 1 to go, Rev thought. Then the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher was set to Auto-Rapid Fire. Rev grabbed something he knew would slow anything down: a double-barreled shotgun. He aimed roughly for one's head and pulled the trigger. The raptor stopped then began charging again. Boom. And with that, it fell over, knocking a few down and was then trampled. He was out of shells since he only brought 4 so he turned back to his chainguns which he had named Lethal and Injector. He started pumping tranqs into them but without avail. Soon he was out of ammo. Oh well, twenty have been stopped, Rev thought to himself. He started to drive towards the ocean, the ship just pulling away from the cliff. "Well, I knew this thing has over 1000 horsepower for something!" Rev said as he accelerated. He watched the raptors as he dimmed his lights so they couldn't see the cliff ahead. As Rev flew off the cliff, 5 raptors jumped after him but fell in the stormy waters below. Rev had added an adjustment to his Fire Hammer. He held out a small device designed to bring the Fire Hammer to him, or send it back to base. It also was a portable commlink for the Fire Hammer so he can receive a mayday anywhere. At the moment, cornered by about 100 lizards, he was glad he did. The Fire Hammer pulled up as the pack jumped towards him. Well, that was worth the time it took to install it, Rev joked to himself. He hightailed it out of there. "There'll be no carnage today, my scaly friends!" he yelled. ---- Rex looked around Castle Cove. Once home to many knights - including the Dark Forest bandits, the knights of Morcia, the Fright Knights, the Royal Knights, and many more - it was now very empty. Rex drove to what seemed to once be Willa the Witch's fortress, now a looming structure. "Goodness knows how many Mutant Dinos are in there," Rex thought. He walked inside. Rex's eyes widened at the sight of the interior of the Night Lord's Castle. Potions were scattered and broken. All of Willa's portraits (of herself!) were lying on the floor. And, the further Rex walked, the louder he could hear the low growl. Rex listened to the growl. It didn't belong to Mutant Lizards, too low, but it was too high-pitched for a Mutant T-Rex. Rex stopped in his tracks, realizing what it must have been: Mutant Raptors. And he did not have any nets with him. He was thankful once he found a fork in the passageway. He took the corridor that the raptor growl wasn't coming from. But, he realized he had run into something else blocking the path. A dragon - black and red in color - guarded the passage. Rex just barely dodged a fire blast. The dragon flew up into the air, and Rex slid under it, running for his life. The dragon was furious that its prey had escaped. Suddenly, a Mutant Raptor appeared. Rex had to change directions. When he saw a Mutant Pteranodon, he turned again. Now, he had a dragon, Mutant Raptor, and Mutant Pteranodon chasing him. Rex looked desperately for his Iron Predator. Although he didn't find the vehicle, he found Chompy. The T-Rex noticed the danger, then lowered himself down and snorted to Rex. The Dino Attack agent was surprised, but he knew what Chompy was telling him to do. Rex climbed up onto Chompy's back, riding the T-Rex as his steed. Then, Chompy took off, running as he looked for a safe way to avoid the dragon, Mutant Raptor, and Mutant Pteranodon. Chompy roared as he picked up speed. The Mutant Raptor was falling behind, but the dragon and Mutant Pteranodon were still hot on their trail. When the Iron Predator was found at last, Rex hopped off Chompy and ran for the Iron Predator. Chompy stayed back and braced himself for a battle against the dragon and Mutant Dino. Rex drove away as quickly as possible. He wished never to return to Willa the Witch's Fortress again. Rex drove through the burned Dark Forest, barely dodging the burned trees along the way. The Dark Forest made way to the Royal Knights Kingdom. Once a peaceful, quiet village with a few castles, it was now a sign of death. Skeletons hung around the place, and the small rivers were dried up. Next was a barren desert, which led to Morcia. It almost seemed as if the Moorlands had stretched out and taken over the kingdom itself. A few Mutant Lizards were nearby, but Rex didn't stop to catch them. He wanted to get out of Castle Cove as quickly as possible. ---- Kotua arrived at the warehouse. Suddenly, two ShadowTech T-1 Typhoons appeared. He flew away from them, but the black copters followed Kotua and began firing at him. Kotua activated his Beam Shield, and flew into the cargo bay of one ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon. "Hey!" said Kotua, firing into the T-1 Typhoon's engines. The pilots jumped off the copter in parachutes. The other T-1 Typhoon waited until the men were out of the way, and then sent missiles at Kotua. The missiles flew to the side. Smart missiles? thought Kotua, firing at one. The missile dodged the blast and headed towards Kotua. Kotua adjusted the Beam Rifle, and fired. The blast hit one missile, but there were more missiles. The Robo-Blade was losing power, which forced Kotua to retreat. Unfortunately, the missiles followed him... Kotua flew through the streets. He noticed a storm on the horizon. Kotua quickly fired at a car nearby. The explosion triggered one of the missiles, destroying it. The rest flew around it, and continued pursuing Kotua. The ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon followed him... ***** "Now what, Sir?" asked the pilot of the ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon. "Fire again. If it doesn't destroy him, then retreat," said his commander, agent Cane, over the radio. "Easy for you to say. You're in base, I'm on the sky, following a maniac," said the pilot. "Well, it's going to be worse if you don't..." said Cane. "Yes, Sir!" said the pilot, trying to hide his anger. ***** Kotua fired low power shots, but the missiles easily avoided them. Where is help when you needed it? thought Kotua. Kotua looked back at the missiles, which oddly enough, backed away. I have a bad fee- thought Kotua, before the Robo-Blade smashed into a skyscraper... ---- Snake of Spades just got his Urban Avenger, so he had to install some important stuff. Soon, he heard some breathing. He looked up, and saw a Mutant Lizard. Snake of Spades hopped into the Urban Avenger and hit 210 m.p.h.! The lizard swerved and hit a rundown building. "Alright!" Snake thought. "A perfect target." POW! The Sonic Screamer hit the lizard. "Great! One down, a million to go." Soon, a few Mutant Raptors surrounded Snake of Spades. He swallowed nervously and attempted to calmly say, "Nice raptors, nice." They responded by growling viciously at him. "REX!!!" screamed Snake. "HELLLLLPPPPP!!!" Then suddenly, KER-SLAM!!! Specs and his Fire Hammer blasted through a wall. "Need some help, agent?" asked Specs. Snake said, "Yup." "Then let's take them down!!!" Specs cried. Together, they fired upon the Mutant Raptors. Snake's weapon did not have much effect on the Raptors, but Specs's Cosmotronic Ray was able to pierce their force fields. "Wicked," Snake said. Digger, Viper, and Shadow flew in, arriving in their T-1 Typhoon. "Hey! Over here!" yelled Snake of Spades. "What's up?" said Digger as he came out of the helicopter. "Well, I need a transport to Adventurers' Island." "You see it right behind me!" said Digger, gesturing back at the T-1 Typhoon. "GRRRR..." "D-D-Digger," stammered Snake, "l-l-l-look be-h-h-hind y-y-you." Digger looked behind him, and stared into the eyes of a Mutant T-Rex. They screamed. "GET IN THE COPTER, NOW!!!" screamed Shadow. Snake and Digger ran into the T-1 Typhoon and flew away. When they arrived at Adventurers' Island, a pack of Mutant Raptors were running into the Sphinx area. "Land by the Sphinx," said Snake of Spades. When they landed, Snake grabbed a Sonic Screamer and got out. The founding members flew their T-1 Typhoon back to LEGO City while Snake went on his mission. Snake looked inside the Sphinx. A pair of glowing eyes stared right back at him... ---- Rev found himself at his secret base again. He went to the roof to find no Pteranodons anywhere around here, which didn't surprise him because a storm was coming, a storm that was big enough to scare even the Mutant Dinosaurs. Rev sat over the edge envisioning… daydreaming… or, in his case, a nightmare. The pack of lizards surrounded him, when he pressed the button. Moments before the pack jumped at him, the Fire Hammer should have been there, but the button failed. They hurtled themselves at him and became a huge shadow and absorbed him. A mirror was there. He ran for the mirror, only to find himself Half-Dino, Half-Human. The mirror morphed into a crystal ball and he couldn't stop looking at it. In it, he saw himself facing the rest of the Dino Attack Team in battle. "Die, Dino Attack goons, you can't stop me from heralding an age of Mutant Dinosaurs!" he heard himself say as he fired a huge barrage of missiles at them. Then, he went for Sereve and brought his clawed hand into a strangle hold and started to kill him. "No, I won't let you kill Sereve, you 4+ Figure!" Rev screamed, waking in his bed in Dino Attack Headquarters. "Won't let who kill me?" said Sereve, whom he hadn't known was there. Rev jumped backwards in his bed. "What are you doing here?" "I came and visited your base, like you said I should, and I noticed you on the roof and brought you in moments before the storm started," Sereve answered. He helped Rev up and said, "Had a bad dream?" "Oh yeah," replied Rev. Then Sereve said, "Thank Builder it was just a dream." "I'm beginning to doubt Him; I mean, why would He let this happen?" Rev replied. Sereve glanced out the window. "Yeah. This storm is a bad one. Bailey's been barking at the sky all day." "Speaking of your dog, you were looking a little nervous around him. Why is that?" asked Rev. "Because, well, this is going to sound farfetched to you, but… I think he might've been mutated." "What?" Rev asked, very puzzled. "I don't know, I could just be imagining it, but he's been acting weird recently, especially around the Mutant Dinos. I mean, he looks normal, but lately he's been showing an aggressive and violent streak that wasn't there before. Considering that he somehow survived the attack on Chicago all by himself… well, what if he was affected by whatever's causing all of this?" "Interesting," commented Rev. "Tell me about it," said Sereve. Just then, a loud crash was heard. "Want to go check it out?" asked Sereve. "You know I do," replied Rev. They then ran out of the room, Bailey running after them. A huge lizard/human-like creature was standing in the conference room where everyone was supposed to meet. He wore what appeared to be the tattered remains of a lab coat. He was a mixture of all of the mutants. He had glowing, fierce, red eyes that burned with madness. Shocked, Rev stared at this horrible creature, which bore an uncanny resemblance to the monster from his nightmares. The creature started walking toward Sereve, with movements like a zombie's unbalanced gait. In a wavering, unsteady voice, he said, "I… I am… Landro. You, Sereve… I have been searching for some time now." "Me? Why me?" asked Sereve. "You see, Sereve, you have something of mine. Yes, yes, of course you do. You have the crystal of Crux!" Confused, Sereve said, "A jewel? What? No, I haven't-" Landro's eye twitched. "Sereve, you don't get it, do you? Oh, no, no, you don't, but… but you will! Crux is where these dinosaurs are coming from. Oh, yes! We… we sent them down. We caused the mutation wave, yes, we did. I'm their king, yes, I would know, I would know." Landro then came face-to-face with the scared-to-death agent. He said with a lower tone, "We know you have the crystal, Sereve. You can't hide it. You take it, they… they will come. Yes, they will. They always do!" Sereve furrowed his brow. Landro was rambling incoherently and was not making much sense at all, but he was certainly scary-looking enough that Sereve did not want to anger him. "I... I swear I don't know what you're talking about," Sereve replied. Landro shook his head, gritting his teeth. He mumbled, "No, no, no. You're lying, Sereve." Just then, Landro grabbed Sereve by the throat and continued, "Lying is bad. Yes! Bad!" Rev then yelled at him, "No, I won't let you kill Sereve, you 4+ Figure!" Landro turned around and, for the first time, looked directly at Rev. Rev's eyes widened, and he felt his heart skip a beat as a terrible realization dawned upon him. He did not know how, but he knew one thing for certain: he had met Landro before. Suddenly, Landro cried out. A familiar black-and-white dog was biting his leg. Distracted, he let go of Sereve, who fell to the floor. The Dino Attack agent looked up and said, "Bailey?! Look out!" Snarling, Landro kicked Bailey aside. "I'll get you both!" hissed Landro, glaring at Sereve and Rev. "And your little dog, too! Yes, yes! You'll be mutants, just like me! Oh, but… but maybe you already are, much like the mutant wearing man's skin… maybe, maybe." Pointing at Bailey, he said, "You can't fool me, Ba… Banchito! I know who… who you are!" Angered, Sereve got to his feet. "His name is Bailey!" he said, and then he punched Landro hard in the face. "And don't you dare come near him again!" Recoiling, Landro said, "Fools! I'm not… not defeated! You… have just angered me! More waves of dinosaurs and chaos will hit your planet! Yes, yes! There's no hope for you! No hope!" Before either Sereve or Rev could stop him, he jumped out a window and fled the base. Turning towards Rev, Sereve noticed that his partner was very pale. "Something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Rev then said, "This is very bad. Very, very bad. Landro, he's…" "I have no idea what the heck he was talking about," said Sereve, shaking his head. "And I don't think he does, either. Did you see the way his eye twitched? He's clearly a madman… lizard… thing, rambling about crystals and chaos. We can't trust anything he says." Glancing at Bailey one more time, Rev wondered, "But what if some of the things he said… were true? That thing, Landro or whatever, I… I transformed into him… the dream, the storm, the whole team they were all there but I was Landro. I destroyed the Dino Attack Team and the guy I yelled at in my dream there, all me!" Rev was worried. "It's impossible for a dream to be anything more than a dream, don't worry," Sereve reassured him. "Right?" Rev fell silent, and so did Sereve. ---- The ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon flew away as the missiles flew into the Robo-Blade. "Mission accomplished," said the pilot. "Good job, now get back here!" shouted Cane. "Yes, Sir!" said the pilot. The T-1 Typhoon left as a black Steel Sprinter pulled up. The driver, dressed in black ShadowTech suit and helmet, slowly and stealthily entered the skyscraper. His mission was simple: Check Kotua was dead. He walked into the building. The building seemed to be for business, as desks were around the first floor. There were a few skeletons in their suits, just sitting there... ***** Kotua coughed, and pushed away some rubble. Obviously the Robo-Blade was damaged, but it didn't matter. If he could get access to either the building with the black vehicles, or Dino Attack HQ, he could probably rebuild the Robo-Blade. He looked around. He noticed an elevator. Too bad the power is restricted to shelters and places like Dino Attack HQ, thought Kotua. He opened the door. He looked at the wall. '26TH FLOOR' read a sign. Kotua groaned, and walked down slowly. ***** The ShadowTech agent was already on the 3th floor. He opened a door, and peeked in. "No Kotuas here..." muttered the man, before closing the door silently... ***** Kotua was by now on the 23rd floor. The ShadowTech agent was barely at the 5th floor. Kotua at last decided to enter one of the floors, rather than walk all the way down. Kotua entered the 22nd floor, which was odd. Large tanks of water were on the walls. Unfortunately, the water was green, and the dead fish floated there. "Ugh," said Kotua. He walked further, where he noticed a vending machine. Kotua looked around. He noticed a closed office. He walked to it, and kicked the door open. Kotua looked around the room. Then he saw what was on the chair... Cookies! Kotua quickly tried getting them, but then he realized they weren't good to eat, as bacteria were growing on it. He threw the cookies away. He then headed back to the stairs, and continued walking down the stairs. Kotua ran down the stairs, hoping to soon reach the bottom. Now he was on the 18th floor. Kotua looked down. There was still a long way down, unless... ***** The man searching for Kotua sat down. He was going to wait for Kotua to pass through here. The ShadowTech agent was falling asleep, when he heard somebody screaming. He looked up. Nobody was there. "Oh boy," muttered the man, taking out a gun... ***** Kotua sat on the floor. He had thrown himself down the 18th floor, and he was barely able to grasp anything to break his fall on the 10th floor. After resting for a while, Kotua got up, and walked down the stairs. After a while, Kotua had reached the 8th floor. He stopped to rest again, and after an hour, he began walking down again. Kotua soon reached the 5th floor. He heard a gun fire, and the bullet pass by him. "D'oh!" grunted a voice. "Who's there?" asked Kotua. The ShadowTech agent dropped his gun and ran at Kotua, then jumped and tried doing a midair kick. Kotua ducked beneath his kick, and punched him in the stomach. The man punched Kotua in the face, making him stagger back. Kotua rolled under the ShadowTech man and kicked him again. Kotua quickly got up while the man collapsed in pain. Kotua ran outside. He raced towards Dino Attack HQ... The ShadowTech agent got up. "He's going to pay for this!" he growled, walking towards his black Steel Sprinter. He rode it back to ShadowTech's base... ---- Bailey smelled the air anxiously. "Another storm is coming is coming," Sereve said. "It's going to be the strongest yet." "Well, what can we do?" asked Rev. Sereve sighed as he looked at his small dog. He wondered if there was any truth to what Landro had said. "I think it's best if I find a place for Bailey to stay," he decided. "Our best bet is Antarctica. Rev, stay here with Specs and the rest of the team, and let them know what's happened. I'll be back to base as soon as I can. In the meantime, we will plan our next move." "Good luck, you two," said Rev. "Same to you," said Sereve. Then he left with Bailey. He drove his Urban Avenger to the nearest evacuation point. They boarded the next helicopter to Antarctica, along with a few civilians that had been rescued by Dino Attack Team. Sereve decided to try talking to Bailey to keep the little dog calm as possible during the flight. He chuckled softly as he reminisced on his childhood. "So, I guess you didn't like it when I baby-talked you when I was a kid, huh?" Bailey's ears perked up, and he replied with a bark. "Yeah," said Sereve, "I figured I was taking it too far somewhere along the line. Still, I'd never have imagined you'd be an apocalypse survivor, you tough little indestructible pup. Heck, I think you're going to outlive me at this rate." He looked out the window as they crossed the ocean to get to Antarctica. The helicopter was moving quickly over the water, but he still fell asleep and woke up multiple times during the trip. Finally, they reached the border of the deserted continent. Soon enough, they landed at the Antarctica refugee facilities. Although there were certainly complaints that life in the facilities left much to be desired, Sereve still marveled at the fact that Alpha Team and their allies could get such a large base set up so quickly. I could hardly build an igloo out here, he thought, let alone a sturdy facility designed to hold most of the world's population. The cafeteria alone must be at least an acre long! Sereve and Bailey met up with some old friends from Chicago, who agreed to look after the dog while Sereve was gone. They then sat down and started planning a way to destroy the endless upcoming army of dinosaurs... ---- Kotua continued running towards Dino Attack HQ. The guards there surrounded him. They took him inside the HQ, and put him in a little padded room in the base's detention blocks. The guards of Dino Attack HQ sent a message to all the agents, telling them they had captured Kotua. Kotua sat in his cell. He hoped his fellow agents weren't going to kill him for what he did, but he might be safer in here than in ShadowTech's hands... ***** "What?! You let him escape?!" shouted Cane. "He took me by surprise!" said the ShadowTech agent. "Where is he now?" demanded Cane. "I don't know..." replied the agent. "Well, you better find out where he went... or else," said Cane. "Yes, Sir!" replied the agent, obviously still in pain. ---- Finally, Rex was out of Castle Cove. Then, he began his journey to the hideout to check on Trouble and Sapphire. "I sure hope that they - and their eggs - are okay," hoped Rex. He was still amazed at the fact that they laid eggs. Rex found that the eggs were no longer there. But... hatchlings were in their place! He noticed that the hatchlings were also mutated. "That's interesting," Rex said, "both parents mutated, so are their hatchlings. And they hatched so quickly, too… is this part of the mutation?" Trouble grinned at Rex, clearly proud of his offspring. Rex smiled as he noticed one troublesome baby Mutant Lizard that already appeared to be pulling mischievous pranks on its siblings. "Hey, it's Trouble Junior!" he said, laughing. After feeding the Mutant Dinos - and the new family of Mutant Lizards - Rex walked out to his Iron Predator. Then, he drove off to Dino Attack HQ. Checking the database, he also found out that agent Gojira had joined the team. "Always good news to know that our team is expanding," Rex said. "Now, I'm going to capture a few Mutant Dinos." He drove through LEGO City. To his surprise, there was no dinos in sight. ---- Gojira approached the Urban Avenger. Suddenly, a hiss came from behind him. He turned and stared into the face of a Mutant Raptor. Surprised, Gojira jumped back into the Urban Avenger and tried to fire the Sonic Screamer at the Mutant Raptor. It dodged the sonic blast and jumped onto the Urban Avenger's roof. "Aw great," muttered Gojira, "now I got an overgrown raptor on top of my own car." Gojira turned the ignition on. He tried to shake the Raptor off by going down low-roof tunnels at 60 mph, but when he stopped the buggy, he was shocked to see the Raptor still clinging on. He hit the acceleration and sped down past the HQ. As he passed, Gojira yelled back: "Hey, a little help here, anyone?!" A black ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon noticed an Urban Avenger diving at full speed. "Hey, look, target practice!" said the pilot to the left gunner. "Fifteen bucks I can blow it up from here," said the gunner. "Might as well pay now," replied the pilot as the gunner aimed at Gojira's Urban Avenger. Gojira drove at full speed, activating his weapons to try to get the dino off, but with no success. Suddenly he heard a sound. "Hmm?" He turned and screamed, because a missile was headed for him! Oh man, thought Gojira, gotta think fast gotta think fast. He made a sharp U-turn to see if he could get past it. The missile flashed by in a blaze of speed and sound. "Wow, that was close!" he exclaimed. "I hope it isn't a heat seeker..." "See?" said the ShadowTech pilot, laughing. "He moved!" the gunner angrily retorted. "This is how I do it," said the pilot, pressing a button. Gojira noticed the Mutant Raptor was gone. "At least it helped," muttered Gojira. Suddenly, he heard the sound again, but louder this time. He looked up. Four missiles were flying for him! Gojira quickly them shot down with the Sonic Screamer mounted on the Urban Avenger. "Yeah, real sweet," said the ShadowTech gunner, with a smug grin. "Shut it, fool," the pilot snapped. Well, thought Gojira, if this works on their cheap missiles, maybe it will blow that thing out of the sky. He turned his Urban Avenger and fired a shot at the ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon's cockpit. "Hey!" said the pilot, flying towards Gojira. The helicopter fired back, launching four more missiles in retaliation. Oh great, thought Gojira. Out with the raptor, in with the copter. I guess I'll have to find a way to make this thing kill itself. First, I might as well fry those missiles. Gojira continued firing his Sonic Screamer in rapid succession, but soon his mounted gun was blown off by one missile. "Uh-oh!" exclaimed Gojira. Immediately, he drove off, with the black T-1 Typhoon in pursuit. He began driving back toward one of the low-roof tunnels. The pilot of the ShadowTech T-1 Typhoon noticed Gojira driving into a tunnel. "Let's go after it!" said the gunner. "That thing doesn't have a gun," replied the pilot. "Sooner or later, a dino is going to do the job for us... get it?" "Yeah, I do," muttered the gunner. The ShadowTech gunner noticed a Mutant Pteranodon flying around. "Dumb bird," he muttered, firing a net at it. "But dumb birds are good for experiments... Cane will be pleased when I bring this to him..." "It's my copter, so I claim credit for catching it!" said the pilot. "I was the one who caught it!" said the gunner. ***** As Gojira drove into the tunnel, he expected to hear a crash behind him as the black T-1 Typhoon gave pursuit. But he noticed that no such explosion came. Odd, Gojira thought. Might be a trap. Let me just keep driving. Gojira kept driving, when suddenly... "ROAR!" Gojira had driven into a Mutant T-Rex's foot, and the T-Rex doesn't like when somebody squashes its foot... "Aw no, a T-Rex!" exclaimed Gojira. He hit the reverse in the Urban Avenger and make another U-turn. Unfortunately for Gojira, the tire ran over its foot again, getting it even madder. With no defense or place to hide, Gojira drove toward the other end of the tunnel, hoping that the T-1 Typhoon was gone. As Gojira approached the end of the tunnel, he noticed that the ShadowTech helicopter had left. He muttered under my breath, "Today just isn't my lucky day. First I get attacked by a Raptor, then a T-1 Typhoon, now a T-Rex. Just great." The Mutant T-Rex roared behind him and started to pick up speed. Gojira hit the acceleration and sped by countless roads he could have driven away on. Cursing, he finally turned onto a side street. Too late did he notice that it led to a very narrow alleyway. "Aw great, I'm gonna be trapped!" The T-Rex roared behind him again, and Gojira made up his mind it would be better to keep going that way than being eaten. As the Urban Avenger came to a loud crash at the back of the alley, another louder crash came as the Mutant T-Rex tried to squeeze its way through the alley. For now, he was finally safe. This gave Gojira a while to sit down and think. Mostly, it brought along the following thoughts: Why are all of the mutants carnivores? What was causing the rapid growth and mutations of the mutants? For example, these Raptors are growing almost four times their normal size! ---- Rev decided to hightail it out of the base as soon as he could. He knew Sereve wasn't completely comfortable with what he had heard. Rev wanted blood and he was going to stop any possible Mutant Dinos. He was on his way back from Dino Attack HQ to the city where he had set up his secret base. He had bombs, and he was going to bring down the buildings (other than his) in that city and trap the creatures in there so he could bomb them from the air, half certain that he was going to become an elite agent real soon. The wind and rain chilled him and he had to put a protective barrier around most of his car because the hail was the size of basketballs. In a matter of minutes, he had the bombs set and designed to blow everything away from the skyscraper in the middle of the city. Rev heard no explosion when he triggered the bombs... just cement cracking and smashing buildings. Rev had set up the bombs differently than he was going to at first; now, they were rigged to collapse and bury the dinos in the four walls. Rubble and dust were thrown into the air and collapsing in front of the city gates. Rev was glad Sereve had left before this because Rev had just realized how idiotic he had been. He had no way out. "Mayday, Mayday! This Agent #153012-D Rev Raptor of Dino Attack Team. Trapped in dinosaur-filled city. Gate purposely blocked to stop Mutant Dinosaurs here from rampaging through the island. Requesting arial pickup from the tower that's still standing ASAP. Over." And Rev hoped he'd be picked up soon. ---- Gojira sat up with a start. "Oh man, what happened?" he said as he noticed the passage of time. "I must have fallen asleep." He looked back to see if the Mutant T-Rex was gone. It was. Gojira put the Urban Avenger in reverse and backed out of the alley. "Now, just gotta make some repairs." "Some" was an understatement. The Sonic Screamer had been blown clean off, and the back right tire had been knocked off, not to mention the front end was in a misconfigured position causing the progress of the car's movement to slowdown. As Gojira searched for someplace to get repairs, he found an abandoned ammunition shop. All that was inside was a rifle and a bunch of tranquilizer darts. "This ought to do well for now," he muttered and dragged the weapons into the back seat. Gojira drove around some more and found an Octan automobile repair shop. From the first glance, it seemed empty, and he began the repairs. Then he had completed as much work as possible: finding a new axle and refitting it to the Urban Avenger; discarding the broken axle; and beating out some of the damage on the front end with a hammer. Suddenly a hiss came from behind Gojira, and a Mutant Lizard crawled out from a pile of old boxes. "From what I've seen today," scoffed Gojira, "you're just a small fry." He grabbed a couple of tranquilizer darts and loaded them into the rifle's barrel. He aimed and fired just as the Mutant Lizard jumped forward. The Lizard flipped backward in midair and landed on the ground. ---- It had been an hour since the mayday, but now Rev could hear it: a T-1 Typhoon. "Rev, what are you doing here?" said a familiar voice. "Specs! It's about time you got here," Rev answered. "I see you made a base and trapped yourself in here," Specs observed. "I needed my own place to stay, and plan, and stuff," said Rev. "Get in the back," demanded another voice. "Shadow, still grouchy as ever," Rev commented. He heard two more voices say, "Listen to Shadow. Or else you could ride the rope and ride the cable all the way home." They started murmuring amongst themselves in agreement. "Digger, Viper," said Rev, "I know you wouldn't do that." Mischievous smiles crawled over the four faces of the founding members. "Yes, we would," replied Viper. Rev turned pale. Although he loved flying, he was actually scared of heights outside the safety of a cockpit. "Okay, fine, I'll go in the back," Rev said as he jumped in and slammed the side door shut. ---- The bickering gunner and pilot landed the black T-1 Typhoon at ShadowTech HQ. "I have better aiming than you!" said the gunner. "Quiet," said Cane, who went out to meet them. "You wish you did!" replied the pilot. "I said be quiet, you two," said Cane, raising his voice. "At least I caught this!" said the gunner. "Silence!!" shouted Cane. Another black T-1 Typhoon flew towards Dino Attack HQ. The Dino Attack guards readied their weapons, but the ShadowTech helicopter launched gas grenades that put them to sleep before they could fire back. The helicopter landed, and four armed ShadowTech men went in. They searched everywhere until they found the detention blocks. Right now, there was only one occupant in the complex. They shot down the door, and grabbed Kotua, who had his hands tied behind his back. "Hello there," said Kotua. "You're coming with us," said the squad leader, agent Obsidian. The ShadowTech men then escorted Kotua back to the copter... ***** Rev was finally set down not far from Dino Attack HQ. I'm such an idiot, he thought. Those dinosaurs will be able to dig out soon, and I will have detonated all those bombs for nothing. He knew there was a lack of T-1 Typhoon pilots to destroy them but he knew these would count towards his score. Rev then decided that he would park in front of the rubble so that when the dinos escaped, he'd be able to pick them off. Rev found himself wondering, What if Landro isn't the main source of the Mutant Dinos, like he claims? Maybe his memories were altered when he was mutated. Or... would that mean my own memories could be altered? Rev just wasn't sure anymore if he ever was. Rev noticed the sleeping Dino Attack guards and the black T-1 Typhoon. "Something's not right here..." he said. Suddenly, he noticed ShadowTech agents walking towards the helicopter, taking along Kotua. "What in the world?" said Rev. "It's too complex for you to understand," said one of the ShadowTech guards. "That's why I decided to hurt you until you tell me," Rev said, punching and knocking one of them down. The other one lunged at Rev, and Rev flipped over his opponent. Finally, having Jecht Raptor as a father has an advantage, Rev thought, thinking of his famous father who insisted upon giving his son physical training. Rev then pressed the button to remotely summon his Fire Hammer while he focused on blocking most of the ShadowTech guy's punches. After a grueling fight, he saw the Fire Hammer coming. He flipped over the ShadowTech agent again, landed in the Fire Hammer and knocked the guy over his hood, then stopped and watched him go flying into a wall. "Jeez, Kotua," Rev said putting him in the Fire Hammer again. "Lose some weight... and these guys." "No idea who these ShadowTech guys are..." replied Kotua. "Okay," said Rev. Suddenly, a missile whizzed past the Fire Hammer. Rev looked back. A black Fire Hammer was firing at them. "Oh boy," he muttered. Rev started driving in reverse, hitting the ShadowTech Fire Hammer. Then Rev drove off, with the black Fire Hammer and two black T-1 Typhoons following them. "Kotua, you don't know who ShadowTech is, but can you tell me why they're after you?" "Just trust me here," Kotua said, "and focus on escaping." "Ya know," said Rev, "I can escape from anything on the ground, but T-1 Typhoons are next impossible to shake off." Rev was near the blocked-off city when he shot one T-1 Typhoon down with the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher. It hit the ground, and Rev realized he could use its wreckage like a ramp. He pulled a Dukes of Hazzard jump and drove into his tower hideout. He made his way to the roof and was on top of the building in less than a minute. Manning the Land-to-Air missiles, he shot down the other T-1 Typhoon down. As it crashed down, it cleared enough rubble to make a path out of the city. Rev and Kotua left the destroyed city, and both let out a long sigh of relief. As they made their way back to Dino Attack HQ, Rev said, "Kotua?" "Yeah?" Kotua responded. "Avoid them from now on." Kotua chuckled humorlessly. "Trust me, I try." They were joined by Hyrode. "I can't leave you guys alone for a second, can I?" he joked as he saw the black wreckage of the ShadowTech vehicles left behind by Rev and Kotua. Suddenly, he got serious. "What is going on here?" Kotua just shrugged. Hyrode replied, "Then let's find out." ---- Venom ran through the courtyard. He had just been to Castle Cove and, in one of the castle libraries, he found a book with an illustration: armies of draconic beasts emerging from the eye of a violent storm to wreak havoc upon the world. But when he peered closer, he realized that these monsters looked less like traditional dragons... and more like Mutant Dinos. When Venom got to his Fire Hammer, he radioed Rex. "I think I've found a clue behind where the dinos came from," Venom said into the radio. "It is..." ***** Rex heard Venom's message, but he couldn't hear the last part of it. "Say the last part again?" asked Rex. No reply. "Venom?" The line was dead. "This is not good," Rex said to himself. Not only do I not know what Venom potentially learned about the Mutant Dinos' origins... but I fear something has happened to Venom! Rex hopped into the Iron Predator. He had to rescue Venom and find out who was the cause of all these Mutant Dinos before it was too late. But, where was Venom? Rex groaned. One thing was for sure - Venom was not in LEGO City. So, Rex drove out of there. He was barely one mile away from the edge of LEGO City when a Mutant T-Rex appeared. "Not good at all," mumbled Rex... Rex fired the Cryothermic Cannon. It hit a wrecked building, causing it to collapse. The loud noise and commotion distracted the Mutant T-Rex, giving Rex the time to drive out safely of the way. Then, he resumed his search for Venom. ---- Cane looked through the window. "Your team failed me," he said. "Maybe they anticipated the attack..." said Obsidian. "Doesn't matter," said Cane. "I traveled south of LEGO City, into a LEGOLAND military factory. I've seen the project they're working on. Their newest vehicle will do the job better than you will ever be able to." "No it won't, because this time, I'm going with the next squad," said Obsidian. "If you don't succeed 'next time', don't bother showing up here," said Cane. "Not if you want to live." Two black Iron Predators moved from the ShadowTech HQ and drove towards Dino Attack HQ, weapons loaded... ---- Kai checked about. Not a dinosaur was to be seen. Soon, he heard more thumping, only twice as frequent. It didn't look good. Looking out, there wasn't one, but two Mutant T-Rexes towering over him! Kai sent a message: Help requested -- I'm being targeted by two Mutant T-Rexes! Coordinates are 596-305, and get an Iron Predator here if possible. ***** Rex received Kai's message. "Just great," he muttered. He had to find Venom but also had to rescue Kai. Which first? Rex weighed his options. "I'm much closer to Kai's coordinates," he reasoned, "than I am to Castle Cove. Besides, there's the possibility that Venom isn't even in any danger; his line went dead, and there might be nothing more to it than that. Kai, on the other hand, is in clear and present danger... so that means I should rescue Kai first." As he set out towards Kai, Rex chuckled to himself. "Mutant T-Rexes, eh? This is gonna be good!" Rex found Kai pursued by two mammoth Mutant T-Rexes. Rex smiled, knowing what to do. He fired the Iron Predator's cannon to catch their attention, then launched a net at them. He specifically designed this net to capture the T-Rexes, calculating what it would take to hold them. To Rex's surprise, the nets were quickly ripped apart by the strength of the Mutant T-Rexes. Evidently, his calculations were not correct, and that net would have to go back to the drawing board. "Not good at all..." mumbled Rex. ***** Cane walked down the hall as he made his way through ShadowTech HQ. Perhaps it's time to take real action, thought the commander. Cane contacted the two ShadowTech Iron Predators. "There's been a change of orders..." said the commander. "Yes Sir!" replied the drivers of both units. Then, they split off, heading in separate directions. One of the black Iron Predators arrived at Dino Attack HQ and fired at the base. A Dino Attack Iron Predator came out and started firing back at the black vehicle. ***** Rex saw in his radar that another Iron Predator was approaching. He hoped that they were going to help them. He knew that his Iron Predator alone might not be strong enough to fight off two Mutant T-Rexes. "Get in!" Rex shouted as Kai climbed aboard his Iron Predator. They sped off towards the other Iron Predator, but he knew that they couldn't outrun the Mutant T-Rexes for long. The T-Rexes were gaining on them. At last, they reached the arriving Iron Predator. When Rex saw the tank's black colors, he suddenly felt uneasy. Still, he knew the importance of strength in numbers. Together, the two Iron Predators fired multiple shots at the T-Rexes, bringing them both down. Rex sighed sadly. He hated resorting to violence against the Mutant Dinos. I would have liked to capture those T-Rexes, he thought, glancing at Kai. And I risked your life because of it. Several men jumped out of the black Iron Predator. They were all dressed in black combat gear with armored vests and helmets. One of them beckoned to Rex and Kai, who traded glances before climbing out of their own Iron Predator. "Is there a problem?" asked Rex. The man walked towards them. "So, you're part of Dino Attack Team..." he said. "Yeah, so?" said Kai. "We don't like Dino Attack Team..." Suddenly, the ShadowTech agents had surrounded Rex and Kai. Within seconds, both Dino Attack agents were restrained with special high-tech electromagnetic handcuffs. Despite their protests, they were dragged into the black Iron Predator. Hyrode watched the scene unfold. He had arrived in response to Kai's distress signal but was too late to save them. "Aw, durn," said Hyrode, noticing his captured teammates and recognizing the black-wearing ShadowTech agents as the same guys who captured Kotua earlier. On an impulse, he ran out, yelling: "Hey! Hey you! If you're going to take them, you might as well take-" Before he could say anything more, he was caught by ShadowTech and taken away in handcuffs as well. "Durn," he breathed. ---- Rev sat atop the mountain and watched T-1 Typhoons bomb the city to exterminate the trapped Mutant Dinos. Dang, looks like I'll have to fix her up again, Rev thought, looking at the central tower that was his secret hideout. A warm breath crept across Rev's neck. A Mutant Raptor was reflected on the glass of his dashboard. Rev backed up quickly and the thing tumbled perfectly over. He landed a shot, hitting the Raptor in the rear and knocking it down the mountain. Well, it could have been worse, Rev thought. Kotua could have been captured again. ---- Hyrode was dragged into the holding area of the black Iron Predator. "Hey, what's going on-" he said, interrupted by a swift blow to the neck. Rex wasn't happy about being held captive by these men. The ironic thought crossed his mind that this is probably how the Mutant Dinos felt whenever he captured them. The difference is that I catch the dinos to bring them to safety and spare their lives, he noted. I doubt these guys will be so merciful. He watched as Kai and Hyrode tried to pull apart their electromagnetic handcuffs, to no avail. He wanted to help them, but could not find a single weak spot on this gadget. That didn't improve his mood. "So, agent-uh..." asked Obsidian. "Rex," he replied tersely. "Agent Rex, I want you to call off all your team members... or else..." said Obsidian. "Why?" asked Rex. "Now, now... I won't want to reveal my secrets now, would I?" "So what do you mean by 'or else'?" said Kai. "Or else you will face something worse than anything you've seen in your nightmares." "Worse than my nightmares, eh?" repeated Rex. He rolled his eyes. "Well, that sets a high bar. The current state of the world is pretty nightmarish, don't you think? And yet, you 'don't like Dino Attack Team', founded specifically to end that nightmare. Do you even care for this planet, or do you-" As he spoke, Rex did an exaggerated shrug. Obsidian's eyes widened in shock, and Kai and Hyrode were equally surprised. It took Rex a second to figure out why. "What the-?" he murmured as he looked down at his hands. Somehow, while shrugging, he had effortlessly pulled the magnets apart. "Who gave you defective cuffs?!" Obsidian demanded. He glared angrily at one of his subordinates, who quickly shook his head in a futile effort to escape blame. Before Rex could react, the ShadowTech men acted quickly: they removed his handcuffs and promptly placed a new set of cuffs upon his wrists. "This all seems excessive," commented Rex. "Do you think I'm a fool?" said Obsidian. "If given the opportunity, you would break free and help your friends escape, wouldn't you?" Rex glanced at the numerous ShadowTech agents surrounding them in the Iron Predator's holding area. "There's no way I'd be able to get very far..." he protested. However, he knew that the ShadowTech agent was right; Kai and Hyrode were already looking to him to come up with a plan for escape. As soon as the ShadowTech men were not looking, Rex quickly looked down at his wrists and attempted to discreetly repeat the casual gesture that pulled apart the magnets. To his surprise, his handcuffs came apart very easily once again, with very little physical effort on his part. The electromagnets locking my cuffs together must be really cheap, he thought to himself. Still, he held his wrists together, glanced at the ShadowTech agents to make sure they hadn't noticed, and pretended that he was still their helpless prisoner. "I do care for the planet," said Obsidian. "However, our goals require humanity to properly fight off the Mutant Dinos. In order to get rid of these mutant disasters, we need to kill them, not trap them... they don't deserve to live as your little pets. And we need to talk with agent Kotua..." "You're wrong," retorted Rex. "Those dinos aren't any more monstrous than you, for wanting to kill them... so no, I'm not helping you." "Well, we're doing it the hard way, then?" said Obsidian. He signaled to his squad, and they pointed their guns at the Dino Attack agents, with Rex guarded even more than Kai and Hyrode combined. They moved out and drove off. "Where are you taking us?" demanded Hyrode. "To your base?" "No," replied Obsidian. "We're taking you to Castle Cove, far from the prying eyes of modern minifigure civilization. The perfect places for 'aggressive negotiations'. You have one last chance to help us, Agent Rex." Rex smiled as he remembered something: he had last seen Chompy in Castle Cove. Hopefully, the Alpha Team T-Rex was still there. And watching out for them. And already thinking up a plan to help them escape. As the black Iron Predator passed through the Dark Forest, they heard a loud growl coming from the nearby bushes. A few men of the ShadowTech squad were sent to investigate. They rushed over to the bush, prepared to kill whatever was in there, only to find it empty. Then they heard another growl, this time coming from a tree. The squad rushed from the empty bush to the tree, only to discover that there was nothing there either. They started to panic in confusion, desperately trying to find the source of the growl. If that's Chompy, keeping them on a wild T-Rex chase, thought Rex, this is going to be entertaining. But then the squad backed off, and the black Iron Predator fired its Cryothermic Cannon, destroying the trees and bushes in its path. There was no sign of Chompy or any other dinosaurs in the vicinity. The Iron Predator took a turn, and they reached a cliff. "You're not thinking... of throwing us down the cliff, are you?" asked Kai. "Easy way to get rid of those that don't cooperate," said Obsidian. Two other men dragged both Kai and Hyrode to the cliff, while he turned towards Rex and said: "This is your last chance to save them, Rex. All you have to do is stand down." "You might as well throw me off the cliff, too," declared Rex, glaring defiantly at his captor. "Very well then. Any last words?" said Obsidian. Rex smiled and said, "Yes, in fact, I have just two words... I'm free!" With that, he pulled apart the handcuffs. Before Obsidian could react, Rex had darted forward, grabbed the pistol off his belt, and pointed it at him. "Great... just great," muttered Obsidian, just before Rex opened fire. The ShadowTech squad leader fell to the ground; Rex knew his bulletproof vest would keep him alive, but the sheer kinetic force would surely knock the wind out of him. Wasting no time, Rex turned and fired at the two ShadowTech men guarding Hyrode and Kai. "Come on!" he urged his teammates, beckoning for them to follow. Rex, Kai, and Hyrode quickly made their escape. They took off, pursued by the rest of the ShadowTech squad. They ran back into the Dark Forest, where Rex had a feeling that they would find a good place to hide. They took refuge in a dark cave, and Rex quickly covered up the cave mouth with foliage so that the ShadowTech Iron Predator would not see them when it passed by. Having narrowly escaped danger yet again, Rex let out a long sigh of relief. Then he turned towards his teammates and said, "Don't worry, I'll have you out of those cuffs in no time." "How'd you break free?" asked Kai. "I just pulled them apart like this," replied Rex, demonstrating the particular motion he used. "Oh, that looks easy," said Hyrode. "Why didn't I think of that? I can do that myself!" But Hyrode and Kai both struggled to break free of their own handcuffs, to no avail. Nothing happened no matter how hard they pulled; the electromagnets held firm. "Here, let me try to help," said Rex, putting his hands on Kai's wrists as he attempted to guide them through the motion. When Rex assisted Kai, the electromagnets came free just as easily as they had for Rex before. They stared at him with wide eyes. "I don't think those electromagnets are defective," said Kai. "Strange," murmured Rex. "I guess machinery has a knack for falling apart when I touch it?" "Better keep you away from Databoard!" joked Hyrode. "Either that," suggested Kai, "or you're just... strong?" Rex shook his head as he helped pull apart Hyrode's cuffs as well. "I don't think so. I never experienced anything like this before. I guess that the only thing I'm doing is finding a weak spot, because I'm certainly not nearly as strong as other guys on the team. You should see this one guy, Bear..." Rex, Kai, and Hyrode waited for the ShadowTech squad and their black Iron Predator to pass the cave. Thankfully, they could hear them keep going, unaware of their hiding spot. Soon, the roar of the Iron Predator's engine faded away... only to be replaced with a different kind of roar. "Uh, Rex?" called Kai. "What?" asked Rex. "There's something else in this cave..." Kai said. "And I think our conversation disturbed its sleep..." A reddish-orange glow came from the other side of the cave as a dragon opened its jaws and breathed fire. "RUN!" yelled Hyrode. The trio brushed through the foliage blocking the cave and darted away, thankful that they would not have to deal with ShadowTech and an angry dragon at the same time. "We're going to have to be careful here," Hyrode said. "We don't have our vehicles or weapons." "Or nets," mumbled Rex, who thought he glimpsed a pair of Mutant Raptors stalking them through the trees. "So, how are we going to find a way out of here - on foot - before ShadowTech catches up with us?" "Who said we're going on foot?" asked Kai, pointing to the familiar form of a dinosaur running towards them. Fortunately, this one was not mutated. "Heya, Chompy! How are you doing?" "You know him?" asked Rex, surprised. "Sure," replied Kai as Chompy came to a stop in front of them. "I was in the Alpha Team a few years back and that's when I met Chompy, along with Kotua, Databoard, and Frozeen." Rex chuckled softly. "Why is it that seemingly everyone has connections to Alpha Team, except for me?" Fortunately, Chompy was big enough to carry all three Dino Attack agents on his back: Kai in the front, Hyrode in the middle, and Rex in the rear. The dinosaur ran across the terrain. Due to accommodating the extra weight, Chompy could not run at full speed, but he still covered ground much faster than the minifigs could have on foot. Since they were in a different area and had a different destination, their path was different from the last time Rex was in Castle Cove. They started in the Dragon Masters' territory (which explained the dragon cave), then passed through the Wolfpack's hideout, then the Black Knights' kingdom, and the Crusaders' kingdom. Each castle they saw was older than the last, but the Dino Attack had taken its toll on all of them. Once they finally made it out of Castle Cove, Chompy escorted the Dino Attack agents to an outpost where they could arrange transport to LEGO City. Soon, they returned to their vehicles, finding them left behind at the site of their kidnapping. Rex was so tired, he barely could drive back to Dino Attack HQ. When he got to his bed, he plopped down immediately. But to his surprise, he couldn't sleep. He couldn't think of anything more unpleasant than being very tired but unable to sleep. He groaned, waiting for him to drift off to sleep. He didn't. The next morning, Rex was more tired than ever... ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Act 1: The Kotua Crisis Chapter 1: Looking for Trouble ---- Rex hopped into the Iron Predator. He was ready for action. So far, he had seen none of the Mutant Dinos, not even the Mutant Lizards, but Rex knew the day was just beginning... Only a few weeks had passed since Rex's first assignment as a Dino Attack rookie. In that time, he participated in dozens of missions and quickly climbed the ranks to become an elite agent. Now, he looked up to by his teammates and considered among the best of the best soldiers in the team, trusted to lead squads into battle, coordinate strategies, and personally man the impressive Iron Predator tank. He had worked hard to get here and was proud of his accomplishments, but he knew that this was no excuse to take it easy. After all, the hard work had only just begun. Rex breathed in the cool morning air and let it out in a long, content sigh. Every day in the life of a Dino Attack agent was an exciting day. So many adventures, so many stories to tell. And, as more and more people signed up for the team, he could share these experiences with them. All of them fighting together in this worldwide war… that would be the greatest story of them all. Smiling, Rex logged into the Dino Attack database to see who were the newest recruits to the team. "Time to see who I'll be sharing my story with today," he murmured. Rex looked at the Agent Database. Two new agents had joined the Dino Attack Team: Kotua and Venom. "Well," Rex said to himself, "I'd better go and meet them!" But suddenly, a Mutant Raptor appeared in front of Rex. He launched a net, careful not to hurt the Mutant Raptor. With its deadly claws and teeth tied up, Rex loaded the dino into his Iron Predator. "In time, I'll learn how to tame Raptors..." he said to himself. He checked the database again to see that agent Sereve had joined the team. ---- Kotua walked towards his Urban Avenger. Kotua had just gotten the vehicle, and needed to install an aiming system, as he had poor aim. Soon, he began working on the vehicle. Little did he notice a Mutant Lizard approaching... Kotua put a small computer system on the Urban Avenger, and began wiring it to the lens he had attached to the weapon on top. Kotua had added a few weapons on the side, mostly missiles to distract the Dinos and lizards. After finishing, Kotua hoped into his vehicle. Kotua heard something, and turned around. A Mutant Lizard was running towards him! Kotua quickly turned on the engine, and drove the Urban Avenger out of the way of the lizard. Finally, a mutant animal appears, thought Kotua. He activated his weaponry and began firing at the Lizard. The Lizard avoided most blasts and hopped onto the front of the Urban Avenger. "Hey! The paint was barely put on yesterday!" said Kotua. Immediately, he drove the Urban Avenger in reverse, making the Lizard fall off. "I hate to do this..." said Kotua, driving the Urban Avenger forward. The Lizard jumped onto the Urban Avenger again. D'oh! thought Kotua. Kotua began firing at it, forcing the Mutant Lizard to jump off the Urban Avenger. Kotua drove in reverse, and then drove towards the Mutant Lizard, firing at it. The lizard ran off, but Kotua chased it through the street, avoiding parts of the city that were on fire. Kotua kept on firing at the lizard, until it finally collapsed. "Yeah! I took one down!" said Kotua, getting off the Urban Avenger. He walked towards the Mutant Lizard. Suddenly, he heard a roar. He felt the ground shake. A Mutant T-Rex walked towards him. Kotua ran towards his Urban Avenger, and drove in reverse, and then turned around and drove towards the Dino Attack HQ, with the T-Rex running close behind... Kotua drove through the streets. A fact sank in: He was lost. Man, next time I'm putting a shield and an electronic map in this thing... hey! I still got my weaponry! thought Kotua. Kotua pressed a button on the computer, and the missiles turned to face the rear. Hopefully this will distract it... thought Kotua. He pressed a button, and two missiles flew out. They hit the T-Rex and exploded harmlessly. The T-Rex stopped, surprised by the explosions. Soon, it was after Kotua. Kotua drove like crazy all over the city, until... SMASH! Kotua drove through an abandoned fire station and crashed into a Lizard nest. "I need to put an airbag or something on this thing," muttered Kotua, getting out of his Urban Avenger, and realizing where he was. Had he looked towards the front of the Urban Avenger earlier, he would have noticed the Mutant Lizards moving towards him. Kotua walked out of the fire station to look for the T-Rex. After making sure the T-Rex was gone, Kotua turned to get on his Urban Avenger. He screamed and backed away slowly, because Mutant Lizards were walking towards him, and they seemed hungry, very hungry... ---- Venom ran around the broken city of Chicago, searching for an experiment lab called Mutation Lab. It seemed so far away. When Venom reached it, he hacked a computer and got in the lab when he could have stayed in the safety of the outside. Venom ran out of the Mutation Lab, hoping the dino in there never would come out. But sure enough, the strange hybrid dino came out. The Mutant Dino, which Venom had nicknamed the "Dino-Nui", was a huge dino about 100 feet high and 150 feet long. It had the head and lower jaw of a Mutant T-Rex; the upper jaw of a Mutant Raptor; the wings of a Mutant Pteranodon; and the body, tail, and limbs with features of all three Mutant Dinos. Venom had also found out that the Dino-Nui could create an electric shock that can destroy anyone in ten seconds. Venom had just encountered it. He knew it was powerful and was running as fast as he could. He was hoping he could find his Fire Hammer soon. Little did he notice that the Dino-Nui wasn't the only thing after him. Venom jumped over a blast from the Dino-Nui. He had just left Chicago and was in an underground subway tunnel in LEGO City. He arrived at the Smithsonian Station. But that wasn't where his attention was focused. It was on the Dino-Nui. The Dino Nui spat lightning bolts all over the room. Venom managed to jump over them, only to be hit with another round. Venom was only shocked for a second, then he jumped up and tried to kick the Dino-Nui on the jaw. The Dino-Nui responded with a stun blast; it was lucky that it only wanted him paralyzed, not dead. Venom almost saw the Mutant Raptors run over him before he fell, stunned. Fortunately, Venom heard the sounds of gunfire. A Dino Attack squad stationed at the Smithsonian Station were quick to respond to the Mutant Dino threat. Although Venom could not move his muscles, agents Connors and Anju quickly lifted him up and slung his arms over their shoulders, carrying him to safety. "We're getting you out of here," promised Connors. She glanced back at the battle that was unfolding. The Mutant Raptors were defeated, but the Dino-Nui was just getting angry. "Your survival depends on it." "Thanks…" Venom said, his speech slurred. Anju laughed humorlessly. "Just another day of staving off our impending doom, right?" she asked. ---- Sereve walked toward his Urban Avenger, helmet in hand, confident not to mess up this mission as he had the last one. Though he killed a dino, he also destroyed half of the base. It wasn't his fault he missed the shot, though. A Mutant Lizard was on top of his Sonic Screamer and knocked it off target, hitting the base. That little pest became roadkill several seconds later. Sereve hopped in his Urban Avenger, helmet on, opened one of the many garages lining the rear of the Dino Attack Team base, and then drove off to the next mission. While Rex was checking the database, agent Sereve drove up at top speed, came to screeching halt, and then asked, "What did I miss?" "Not much," said Rex, "just my latest catch. Name's Rex, nice to meet you." As Sereve watched Rex leave, he decided to go back to his home town, Chicago, to reflect on what's happened to him over the years. And maybe kick some Dino butt. ---- Kai heard a loud thump. He heard another. And another. The thumps were getting closer. Kai turned around and saw a Mutant T-Rex. He attempted stunning the T-Rex with the Sonic Screamer. No use. It started chasing him. "Bad day, bad day, bad day!" he yelled, as he took tight turns to lose the dinosaur. He swiveled his Screamer and fired at the T-Rex repeatedly in hopes of deafening it. His efforts were futile. While keeping his eyes on the road, he rummaged through his glove compartment -- and found a grenade. He pulled the pin and hurled it at the dinosaur, but inertia made him miss. BOOM. Next thing he knew, he still had the monstrous dinosaur gaining on him, and only a dozen Mutant Lizard carcasses between them. Nearby was Kotua, staring open-mouthed at what just happened. Kotua watched Kai's Urban Avenger leave, and he walked towards his own Urban Avenger, shocked. Kotua decided to drive back to the HQ, and took off at high speeds. Soon, he arrived at the HQ garage. He drove the vehicle in, and began adding a map system among other upgrades. ---- Several days later, Sereve reached Chicago, which was a smoky foggy wasteland. The Sears tower was gone. The top of the building was on the ground. He looked around with tears in his eyes. Then he remembered his old home. He sped off to the suburbs into his cul de sac where he used to live. He reached his house, which was in complete ruins. His whole family was dead from the lizards' rampage. He got out of his Urban Avenger, and knelt before the ruins of the place he was raised for most of his life. He started sobbing, until he heard a faint "Ruff!" He looked up, gasped, and said, "Bailey?" As the barking continued, he ran to where it was coming from, until it was loudest under a pile of charred wood. He dug through the wood like a bulldozer until he found a cute little dusty black-and-white dog shivering in fear. And when he saw Sereve, he jumped on the Dino Attack agent and started moaning with sadness. He said to the dog, "I know, Bailey, I know. Come on. Let's go home." Sereve then strapped him in another seat, drove him to the Dino Attack base, went through the doors and said, "Bailey, welcome to your new house!" Bailey then started running around ready to explore. But there was one problem: what will the guys think of him? "Oh well! We'll just have to wait and find out!" And so they waited for everyone to get back. ---- Kai did a diagnostic on his vehicle. Screamer, wheels, body... everything was good. He drove out of his garage, towards the site of carnage. Kai checked around. The T-Rex had disappeared... somehow. He had a rough day and decided to return to base and fix up his roughly damaged car. Not only that, he would not like seeing the T-Rex again. ---- While tracking one Mutant Lizard, Rex found that another agent - Kai - had joined the team. "The more, the merrier!" he said to himself. Then, as he cornered the Mutant Lizard, a dozen more Lizards surrounded him. "Err, forget what I just said!" He fired the Iron Predator's Cryothermic Cannon to distract them, then launched nets to trap them - without hurting them. Rex brought the trapped dinos to his small hideout: an abandoned prison complex on the LEGO City coast. Here, he kept the dinos when they were not being trained. And still, he only managed to tame the Mutant Lizards. He also fed the dinos daily. Some of the dinos - especially those which were tamed - he gave nicknames, such as Lizzy, Marlin, Toothy, and Terry. To most of his teammates, he could not explain why he tamed dinos instead of killing them; those who knew about his tendency simply regarded it as a very strange habit. But he knew why he did it, and his mind wandered back to his first assignment as a rookie Dino Attack agent… Rex had found out that Hyrode had just joined. He wondered how many more agents would join. Then, he set to work feeding one of his captured Mutant Pterosaurs - Terry, Rex called him. After he finished feeding the others - and making sure those two particularly nasty Mutant Raptors would stop fighting - he hopped into the Iron Predator and drove off. ---- Kotua then started repainting the Urban Avenger, as the Mutant Lizards had scraped part of the paint off. "Annoying little creatures," he muttered as he painted his vehicle. Sereve decided to introduce Bailey to the gang. Sereve picked up the small dog and carried him into the garage where Kotua was painting his Urban Avenger. Sereve walked in the door and said to him, "Hey man! We got a new member of the squad! His name's Bailey. He's my old dog! What do you think of him?" "Fascinating," muttered Kotua. "What's wrong?" asked Severe. "Mutant Lizards scraped off some of the paint. I hope the team doesn't mind me taking the opportunity in repainting it in another color," said Kotua. "I meant about Bailey," said Severe. "As long as he doesn't mess with my stuff, he's okay. Where did you find him, anyways?" said Kotua, turning to repaint the Urban Avenger. "Near my old home," said Severe. "Wow, that dog survived the Mutant Dinos?" said Kotua, painting the tan part of the Urban Avenger black. "Obviously," said Severe. Kai stopped in the garage and just got off the Urban Avenger when he heard Sereve and Kotua talking. Ignoring it, he continued on with his repairs and attached a tranquilizer device to his Sonic Screamer. Now, he only needed to see if that worked on Mutant Dinos… After Kotua finished painting the tan part black, he painted the dark-red parts of his Urban Avenger teal. "I hope nobody minds this color change," said Kotua. With that, Severe and Bailey left the garage, and headed into the rest of the HQ. After that conversation with Kotua, Sereve really got wondering about Bailey. How could he survive such a catastrophe? Could it possibly be that he has the key to unlocking the secret of how to get rid of the Dinos? He entered his room with the small dog. Sereve then said to him, "Now Bailey, I need to do some things that are important. You have to stay here." Once Sereve started leaving, Bailey started crying. Sereve couldn't help but feel sympathetic for him, so he got a plate and some eggs, and made him some scrambled eggs. He put the eggs on a plate and carried it back to his quarters. He gave the plate to his dog, and then Bailey knew he had to go, so he went on his bed. Sereve closed the door and then went on to his next mission. As he closed the door, his radar/watch, which was compatible to the one in his Urban Avenger, started lighting up. He pushed a few buttons, and then a radar should have showed up, but the whole screen was taken up by a gigantic blip. Sereve said to himself, "This is bad. Very, very bad." He then got into his Urban Avenger and drove off to see what this gigantic monstrosity is. ---- Strange... Isaac stood on top of a building. He was overlooking the city, burning and in ruins. The sky shared the orange color. The sunset was nice. Strange contrast. He didn't have any encounter with the Mutant Dinosaurs today. He sat down and looked at the stars as the curtain of the night was covering the Earth. Isaac moved forward cautiously. He knew the Mutant Raptor had to be here somewhere. He had his blade raised, ready to block anything. He peeked around a corner. Nothing. He entered the ruins of a building. There were maybe a couple of walls still standing. The pitch-black night made it difficult to see anything. He noticed a moving tail. He slowly stepped forward. He raised his blade, ready to strike. But then he saw something he didn't expect to see. A nest. The Raptor he had been chasing was a mother, and she had brought some food for her young ones. He lowered his weapon and backed off. If he were to be noticed, the mother wouldn't be so happy. I just hope the father won't be here soon. And just as that thought flew through his mind, he felt something in his neck. Breathing... ---- Rex walked out of the Iron Predator - and stumbled into a nest of baby Mutant T-Rexes! "They don't look hungry," Rex sighed in relief. "Perhaps I'll finally learn how to tame one of these-" "ROOOAAARRRR!!!" Rex looked up to see a Mutant T-Rex - the mother - looking menacingly down at him. Rex, separated from both his Iron Predator and nets, transmitted a message on his PDA. HELP! I AM SURROUNDED BY SEVERAL YOUNG AND ONE FULL GROWN MUTANT T-REX! S.O.S! - AGENT REX Then, Rex prayed that someone got his message... ***** Rev looked into the pitch sky from just outside the HQ with his headlights on just enough to see in front of him without having dinosaurs attracted to the light. He didn't trust the air that night. He began muttering to himself, "I guess the finger could be pointed at radioactive power plants, but even if they hadn't dumped the sludge there, those Ion Rays probably would have revived them anyways." He shut up for a moment and listened to wind, not even the scent of blood in the distance. "We've got all this technology so that we can beat our enemies and we're being destroyed, and if that's the case what good is technology?" The Fire Hammer's GPS blared into action as Rev received the S.O.S. As Rev drove toward the nest, he thought, This is a suicide mission unless I do this right. Rev then dimmed his lights again. "If I come up behind the mother and shoot her knee, he may be able to escape. I just hope this works." Rev then picked up his radio and directed the message to Rex. "Rex, listen, I'm gonna come up and shoot the mother in the back of each knee. That way, she'll fall. You just need to back up quick when I fire and then we can escape the nest. P.S. I've locked your current position into my computer so the whole team can come down here tomorrow and destroy it. OVER." ***** Kotua finished painting his Urban Avenger, and was about to see what else he could add, when he received a message. He read it and headed towards his Urban Avenger. Kotua quickly turned it on, and headed towards Rex's position. Rev heard Kotua's Urban Avenger and sent his own message to him: "This is a rescue mission, not a fight, so get behind Rex and shoot a few babies in non-lethal positions so he can escape, and tomorrow we get the rest of the team and defeat them. OVER." Rev realized he was closing in and slowed down and shut down any unnecessary systems to quiet his engine for the sneak attack. Kotua got behind Rex and they both fired so he could escape. The great T-Rex fell to the ground at just the right time; the plan was a success. Rev, Rex, and Kotua all left the area and prepared for tomorrow morning when everyone would come down on there and wipe them out. ***** Hyrode jumped in his Fire Hammer and took off towards the building being attacked. He sincerely hoped the blips on his radar weren't T-Rexes. This job wasn't exactly going three laps with Mr. Schumacher at Nürburgring. It was much worse. Hyrode received Rex's message just in time to handbrake in a 360 degree turn. Taking a sharp right, and then through an alley, headed towards his location. He reached it and realized the fight was over. Or was it? he mused. He noticed something odd. Bad odd. His Fire Hammer was in the middle of a T-Rex nest. And the eggs were hatching. Darn it, darn it, darn it! Hyrode yelled in his head as he handbraked around the eggs. He thought he was home free until a baby T-Rex popped out of nowhere. He switched to reverse and ramped over the edge of an egg. Gunning the engine, he got out of the nest. ***** Rex still didn't like the idea of destroying the baby Mutant T-Rex nest. Then, he set out in his Iron Predator to capture - and rescue - the T-Rex family before they could be destroyed. If he was lucky, he could also save the mother Mutant T-Rex. What other agents did not realize was that Rex's secret ambition was to tame a Mutant T-Rex. Even if it meant risking the very fate of the world itself... Rex, in the Iron Predator, looked at the nest. The mother T-Rex was gone, but the babies were still there. Rex smiled. He launched a net, trapping them. When they began squirming, he began to start feeding them some raw meat, which quieted them for a moment. Then, he loaded them onto his Iron Predator. He then drove off for his hideout. When he arrived, he deposited the Mutant T-Rex hatchlings in a cage. Most of them were still unfriendly, and Rex could imagine that they were not especially happy about being taken away from their mother. Still, one of them seemed to warm up to him fairly quickly, sniffing his gloved hand with curiosity. Looking at the T-Rex's big toothy grin, Rex decided, "I think I'll call you Maw." ---- Rev found himself patrolling outside again and, after sitting there doing nothing, he caught a scent: the scent of Mutant Lizards, at least five. He sent his GPS to show him everything in that direction. Ten Mutant Lizards over an abandoned Steel Sprinter. Beginning to fall off a cliff. Rev saw the ten mutant creatures long before they saw him. Four of the freaks were holding onto the Steel Sprinter. He fired one missile, not at a Lizard, but at the gas tank of the overturned vehicle. It hit and caused it to explode and fly off the cliff. He heard mangled hisses from the cliff and knew that the creatures couldn't survive. He also noticed that one had been mostly vaporized by the explosion. He shot two missiles at two trees and took out one more by the trunk's weight. Then, Rev sped up to 90 mph to match the lizards' running speed and drove towards the cliff, with four following beside him and one behind him. He stopped with his nose overhanging the cliff as the dawn began to break, and two lizards went flying into the ocean, where they vanished down into the black waters. Now, it was one-on-one, and Rev turned around so that he wouldn't fall to the same fate as the other eight Lizards. His tires glided along the muddy ground and began to charge at the creature. The Mutant Lizard jumped moments before they would have collided. Rev instantly pulled a donut, and the airborne critter hit the launcher and was slingshotted into the forest with a broken neck. Rev looked at the slaughter he'd done and had set up a memorial for them. It was the first time he had killed anything; even though he thought it'd be fun being a hero, it wasn't. That's when he decided to go to HQ and, even though it was his own idea in the first place, try and stop them from killing the T-Rexes. After all, Rex was attacked because he went into their territory, and if the mother attacked you could kill her, but Rev decided instead to use his nets to capture the babies and hopefully the mother, too. As Rev rode to the nest, he noticed two things: tank treads towards the nest, and the momma T-Rex's footprints leading towards the HQ. Rev turned so quickly, his two right wheels came off the ground for a few seconds as he shuttled towards the base. From a distance, he saw her. The mother picked up an unlucky trainee known as Condr and ripped him to shreds. He knew he'd have to kill her, and this time it wasn't a sneak attack. He grabbed a chain gun customized for tranquilizer darts and, when he got close enough to get the T-Rex's attention, his guilt was ripped to pieces, but this thing was going to die by lethal injection, not by missiles. The T-Rex turned around and, in a moment, 20 darts were lodged into her left eye. She staggered towards the Fire Hammer and collapsed. Rev decided he had been nice; the T-Rex died in her sleep and felt no pain. ---- As soon as they arrived at HQ, Kotua started working on adding even more stuff to the Urban Avenger. One of the new additions was two lights at the front. Kotua added a windshield to the Urban Avenger. He put more programs in the Urban Avenger's computer. After finishing, Kotua headed out and drove around, in hopes of catching more dinos. After a while of nothing, Kotua decided to go back, when a Mutant Raptor landed. "Oh boy," muttered Kotua, going in reverse. The Raptor held tightly to the Urban Avenger. "Why must they land on the front of my Urban Avenger?!" said Kotua, opening fire at the Raptor. The raptor flew off as the blasts hit it, and it landed on the ground unconscious. Unfortunately, more Raptors surrounded Kotua. Kotua opened fire at the Raptors, stunning some of them. He pressed buttons, and missiles flew everywhere, hitting some raptors. He drove over two stunned Raptors as the rest chased him. He pressed a button, and the top gun turned to face the rear. "I liked fighting Ice Drones and robots better," muttered Kotua, once again opening fire at the Raptors, making them collide with each other. "See ya!" Kotua said cheerfully, heading into Dino Attack HQ... ---- A Fire Hammer drove down the streets of a ruined World City. Databoard sat at the controls, remembering this city just a year ago, and it looked much different. For starters, the skyscrapers were less damaged, and there was less fire everywhere. He could see a park, once green and filled with life, now it seemed brown and dead. He had seen much in his life, but this seemed the worst. He had never seen a place with so little life. He soon found some life: four Mutant Raptors waking down the street. He charged up his Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher and aimed it at them. He knew he could hit about two of them before they attacked, and then - well, Databoard hadn't thought about it that far... ---- Another agent - Databoard - had entered the team. "Williams wasn't kidding; looks like quite a few Dino Attack recruits are former Alpha Team agents," Rex observed as he quickly skimmed over Databoard's profile. Then, he set to work feeding one of his tamed Mutant Lizards, the one he had nicknamed "Trouble". Trouble was very special to Rex. He was none other than the same darkness-breed Mutant Lizard that Rex had bonded with in the Tzenovich's Sandwiches deli on Playwell Avenue, the one that had forever changed his outlook on the war against the Mutant Dinos. Sometime after his first assignment, Rex had recaptured the lizard. He knew it was the same lizard; he recognized the scars on his snout and tail, and the dino seemed to recognize his scent. After that, Trouble became the very first Mutant Lizard that Rex had successfully tamed. As he brought his daily meal to Trouble's cage, Rex realized in shock that Trouble was missing! "Well," Rex thought aloud to reassure himself, "he's tamed, so I know that he's not going to wreck the city." But, a less reassuring thought entered Rex's mind: the other Dino Attack agents did not know about Trouble or the other tamed Mutant Dinos… Rex quickly made sure that all the other Mutant Dinos were not able to leave the hideout, and then he hopped into the Iron Predator. He had to find Trouble before trouble found him. ---- Rev found himself at the computer screen studying the Mutant Lizard he caught. Bigger. Stronger. More destructive. Human hating. And no known reason for their transformation. Blood Analysis nothing, Reproductive Fluids nada, Flesh Sample clean, Droppings and still nothing, no chemical reactions, no abnormalities and of course the other dinosaurs would be useless to test since we know nothing, and the food preferences still showed nothing. The only remaining idea was injecting one regular lizard blood into one person, and a mutant one into another to see the results, but that was not optimal. ---- "Is this thing recording?" he glanced into the lens of his video camera, "I hope so... 'cause this is gonna be this reporter's biggest accomplishment!" He grinned as he put his finger against a headphone, listening to what seems to be static and a vague voice. He began to slide down a pile of rubble and paused, glancing around the area, until he spotted a shop window. ".... Mathias. My name is Mathias." His name, however, wouldn't matter to the Mutant Lizard he was standing on. The lizard bust through the rubble, making Mathias a passenger. He tried grabbing onto the beast's neck to avoid being thrown, but it was too late. Rolling his body to protect the camera, he skidded to a halt. He smiled briefly, enjoying what could best be described as insanity. Sanity quickly set in as he leaped into a full run, heading to a small wall he could climb onto. He climbed over, with his camera filming the Lizard's snarling attempts to get him. Glancing back, he groaned, "Out of the pan... and into the fire." A pack of Mutant Lizards was watching. He quickly put a dark lens over his camera and darkened his glasses. Pulling out what could be described as a flare gun, he launched a blinding light into the middle of the pack, hoping to blind the creatures in the back and distract the ones in the front to deal with their panicked brethren. He ran a short distance, then decided to film the creatures fighting against one another. He glanced around the area, now hoping this would not be the last thing he did. Mathias's plan had gone as he hoped; he recorded for a few moments more, then turned off his camera, slinging it behind his back as he ran off, trying to find a place to recoup. He panted a bit and said, "Didn't expect to meet the locals so soon..." He looked around to see vehicle tracks on the ground. He wondered briefly if the dinosaurs have learned to drive vehicles, before deciding to go ahead and follow. ---- Kotua decided to continue driving through the city instead of going back to the HQ. Kotua drove around the city, when he noticed an abandoned warehouse. What was odd was that light was inside. There are more survivors? thought Kotua. He drove his Urban Avenger into the warehouse. As he got closer, Kotua noticed other buildings. Kotua ignored them, and headed into the warehouse. He parked his Urban Avenger, and took out a flashlight and a blaster, just in case. He walked towards the warehouse and entered. Once inside, Kotua realized where he was. He ran to the other end, where a giant piece of cloth was over something. "I thought I got rid of you," said Kotua. Kotua pulled the cloth off, revealing an Alpha Team vehicle resembling a small sand-blue mech. It was known as the Robo-Blade, and Kotua had used it as his personal vehicle during Mission Deep Freeze. ---- Kai saw the S.O.S. He took his binoculars and looked around. Nothing of "interest" was to be seen. "Phooey. Looks like he took care of himself already." He stopped and got into his Urban Avenger. He had to have a "test run" for his tranquilizers. And there it was. Kai saw the same pack of four Raptors which Databoard was targeting. He armed his tranquilizer attachment and fired. It hit, and a Raptor slumped to the floor. In that moment, the other Raptors noticed him and charged. Databoard saw the Raptors rush at Kai's Urban Avenger. He fired the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher at the Raptors. It missed, but sent rubble flying, temporarily blocking the Raptors from reaching the Urban Avenger. Only now, they turned to face Databoard! "This didn't go as I planned..." Databoard muttered. One of the Raptors leapt onto his Fire Hammer and prepared to smash Databoard. He put the Hammer into reverse, causing the Mutant Dino to lose its balance. He drove backwards through the city, pursued by the Mutant Raptors. Databoard fired the Multi-Mode Launcher again and managed to hit one of Mutant Raptors. It tumbled to the ground, unconscious. He had been so busy fighting the Raptors, he hadn't noticed he was about to drive what was left of a bridge. He leapt out of his vehicle, but he didn't get out in time. The Fire Hammer, Databoard, and the two Mutant Raptors all plummeted into a river below. The Mutant Raptors managed to get to shore unharmed, but Databoard had bigger problems. His Fire Hammer was slowly sinking, and he would have to get to shore fast. He managed to swim to the surface, and watched the Mutant Raptors fleeing into the shadows. But Databoard was wondering how he was going to get back to HQ without his vehicle? Databoard walked through the ruined streets. Once he got back to HQ, he could get another Fire Hammer. The only problem was, without his vehicle, he couldn't get to HQ. He soon remembered the other DINO Attack agent he had seen earlier, Kai. If he could find him, he might be able to get Databoard to HQ! But that presented another problem: he didn't know where the other agent was... ---- Dust and smoke blew into Rev's face as cried out, "Whoohoohoohoo!" He had decided that, as long as people are attacked by the dinos, he hated them and he was hunting. "It's good to be out here instead of that lab. Out here, you can breathe," he muttered. 100 yards ahead of him, he saw it: a Raptor over a Sedan, and all that was in the vehicle was a long bloody piece of denim. He grabbed his chain gun, but not to shoot at the Raptor. "Yeehaww!!!" Rev yelled as he started emptying a chain of tranquilizers into the air to make some noise. And when the raptor turned, a metal missile met with its chest and broke some ribs. The large lizard stood up and started running away, but Rev watched and he was hunting. ---- The Robo-Blade flew over the city. A few Mutant Pterosaurs tried pecking at him, but Kotua simply got rid of them with the Vulcan head guns. After a while, Kotua decided to land. He landed on a building, when he noticed a small dino walking through the streets. "Time to test the effects of Beam through a dino," said Kotua, activating the Robo-Blade's Beam Rifle, little knowing he was aiming at Rex's tamed Dino. Trouble quickly dodged the Robo-Blade's Beam Rifle. He snarled at the giant unknown vehicle. Then, he scampered off. Something overcame Kotua. "Come here, little dino," he said. Trouble ran off, but Kotua flew after him. "Dumb thing," muttered Kotua, pressing a button. Immediately on the Robo-Blade's shoulders, a missile bay retracted. "I like fireworks," he commented, firing the missiles. The missiles flew at the dino, but Trouble easily dodged four of them. The fifth hit the asphalt, sending part of the street's rubble into the air. "Perfect," said Kotua, aiming his Beam Rifle at the confused Trouble. Trouble ran through the streets. He did not understand why he was being chased by missiles. He had to find help before he found his doom. Trouble saw the familiar form of an Iron Predator come into view. But, in horror, Trouble realized that Rex wasn't the one riding it. Normally, Kotua would have stopped and let the poor dino go, but once again, a strange smell told him that wasn't happening today. "Here, chomper! I'm not going to hurt you that bad," said Kotua, firing at the dino. The blasts hit the buildings to the left of Trouble. Kotua flew towards the dino, who scampered away. Kotua then noticed an Iron Predator. "Back off! I'm on Alpha Team business!" said Kotua. ***** Rev was tracking the large creature; for what it had done, he wanted blood. For the first time, Rev entered the city ruins. As he saw the raptor run down a street, he also saw a little Mutant Lizard. He aimed one of the missiles at the raptor's feet to knock it down, but an Iron Predator got in its way and it ended up with its artillery in the wall. Rev looked at the lizard, seeing no blood on it and a tame look in its eyes. He waved to it to get in and it did so. He guessed Rex would want to know about a tame Mutant Lizard who wouldn't kill him. But, Rev was going to kill that Raptor and he couldn't let the Lizard see it, so when the raptor turned, a missile blew up the roof of a building and crushed it. And then, Rev turned to look for Rex. ***** Rex was desperately looking for Trouble. Where was that little Mutant Lizard? He was so busy worrying about looking for Trouble that he nearly ran over a T-Rex. There were two strange things that he noticed right away about this particular T-Rex. First, it was not a mutant, unlike every other dinosaur he had seen; it appeared to be one of the natural ones from Adventurers' Island. Second, it wore an armband, marked with the insignia of Alpha Team. Rex could not decide which detail was more unusual. The T-Rex growled at him, but it did not attack. Rex saw a look of intelligence in the eyes of the dino, who appeared to be a young adult. Then, the T-Rex ran off. Somewhere in the back of his head, Rex felt the oddest sensation that he had known this T-Rex before… but when, and where? Like so much else, he could not remember. ***** Kotua flew his Robo-Blade away to look for the dino, but it was too late; it was gone. "Oh well," said Kotua. He continued flying, when he noticed another Iron Predator. "Hey you!" shouted Kotua. "Huh?" said Rex, looking up. "Have you seen any small dinos run around here?" asked Kotua. ***** Rev heard another Iron Predator enter the city. He hoped it would be Rex, but he also heard Kotua and wasn't sure what to do. So, after five minutes of thinking, the Lizard pointed towards voices and whined quietly, and it sounded like "nice guy" just barely though. So he decided to head off in that direction. Kotua noticed Rev. "Dino!" said Kotua. Rev noticed the Robo-Blade fly towards him, one of its hands reaching for the dino. Rev saw the hand of the Robo-Blade and began to wrestle it down to the city floor. Rev kicked and opened a sewer lid. "Find a dino down there, you freakishly strong machine!" he said as he threw it down there and closed it off and went looking for Rex. "What's your problem, Kotua? It's tame! You'll have to kill me to get at this!" he yelled. "Fool," replied Kotua. He pressed a button, and his Urban Avenger silently followed Rev. "Soon, all dinos will cease to exist, even if it means destroying humans along with them..." decided Kotua. Rev prayed the moment he set his radio to send a message to Rex: "Mayday, mayday! Rex, this is Rev! I've got a small Mutant Lizard that is tame and Kotua wants it dead and, since I won't let him kill me, I'm next on the list!" And Rev turned and aimed his Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher at Kotua. "I respected you, not just as an officer and an equal, but when you helped Rex, I thought of you as a friend. So, is this your choice? Harming a tame dinosaur? Because, if it is, then I won't spare a single bit of power to show my respect." "I'm on Alpha Team business," said Kotua. "Your choice. This is mine!" replied Rev, firing at Kotua. Kotua activated his beam shield, making Rev's blasts bounce harmlessly off the shield. "I thought you wanted humanity to survive!" said Kotua, activating his Beam Rifle. Kotua's Urban Avenger drove behind Rev, and aimed at him. "You're working for Ogel, that's why you're protecting the dinos!" "What?! Have you gone crazy!?" Rev shouted in disbelief. ***** Just about then, Hyrode noticed the mayday on the radio. Listening carefully to the message, he hurried towards their location. He detached the turret, as his plan would need some extra speed. Flooring it towards Kotua's Robo-Blade, swinging the end of his Fire Hammer right into the Robo-Blade, he then continued to press his Fire Hammer against the Blade. ***** Databoard walked around for quite a while. He was no longer in World City, having not found the Urban Avenger. He wasn't sure where he was, but he heard noises up ahead. He turned a corner to see an Urban Avenger, but it was being driven by a different person. It was fighting a… Robo-Blade? "What the...?" Databoard muttered. Rex drove to the scene. He couldn't believe his eyes. Kotua was riding a huge unknown robot-like vehicle, trying to attack Rev, who was riding with… Trouble! But, Rex knew that he wouldn't stand a chance against the giant vehicle. "Alpha Team agents…" muttered Rex. "Where do they always get such wonderful toys?" Rex was not the only one watching. Chompy, the T-Rex that Rex met earlier, was also watching this scene from a hidden vantage point. He felt a mixture of confusion and anger as he observed the events unfolding before his eyes. Why was Kotua trying to harm someone innocent? Chompy growled. Kotua had probably changed throughout the years... Kotua noticed Databoard. "Data! Rev is an Ogel Drone! Let's get him!" said Kotua, firing his beam rifle. The blast missed, hitting his Urban Avenger. The Urban Avenger blew up with all the weaponry, Kotua fired again, deflating the tires of Hyrode's Fire Hammer. Kotua then aimed at Rev again. "Drone..." he whispered. "What?! Have you gone crazy?!" shouted Rev in disbelief. "I've studied the Alpha Team since before these dinos came out so I could be of help when the world's in danger! How do you think I got the skills to use a Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher properly?!" "Then why do you keep that dino with you? Don't you like humanity?" Kotua answered. "Of course, but it's completely tame, though. Don't you think I would have killed it otherwise? I mean, what's the point of killing a tame creature other than mindless death?" Rev answered. Come on, Rex, get here already, I don't want to open fire again, he thought, knowing that this talk was delaying both sides. "And, of course, I'm no drone. Please stop! This is the Dino Attack Team you joined, and these Dinosaurs aren't like Ogel. They can be changed, like this one who I'm trying to bring to Rex!" Databoard had severe doubts that Rev was really an Ogel Drone. "Kotua, snap out of it!" he shouted. "Why would Ogel be saving dinosaurs?" Kotua didn't believe him. "You're not Data!" he shouted. "You're a Drone, too!" He shot at Databoard, who leapt out of the way. "Kotua, what's come over you?" Databoard shouted. "I'm not a Drone!" "You probably trained the Dino to listen to you, so that when Ogel invades the HQ, he can be aided by Dinos!" said Kotua. "Kotua, listen to yourself! This is crazy!" yelled Rev. "I've had enough talking," said Kotua, activating his head Vulcan guns. Where are you, Rex? You can stop him, not us, Rev thought, again face-to-face with the insane Kotua, and with little but some help from Databoard. "If you want to protect a dinosaur, then you must prove that you're not affiliated with the Dino Attack Team, so fire on me!" Kotua yelled. Rev shook his head. "Not again, not ever again. Kotua was my friend and he's in there, so wake up." Chompy burst out of his hiding place with a huge roar. Something wasn't right about Kotua, and Chompy was about to put an end to it. His sudden movement and noise caused Rex to flinch in surprise, and Rex accidentally activated the Iron Predator Cryothermic Cannon, hitting a building and causing debris to rain down upon them. Chompy glared at Rex, then continued charging forward, determined to stop Kotua from killing the innocent. Mathias arrived at an area nearby Kotua's Robo-Blade, looking up with some curiosity. "A mech, huh?" He then glanced at Rex's vehicle, decided to take out his video camera and record footage of the mech, Rex, and his vehicle. "Who knew a ruined town could be so interesting..?" he mumbled to himself. Mathias glanced around to make sure he wasn't being tailed by any Dinos. He leaned back, placing his hand on a scale-like object, glancing above his shoulder he saw a much larger Dinosaur than he'd seen before, but one smaller than the T-Rex. He cringed, and went into a full run again. "I wish I brought more flares!" Hyrode decided it was time to end this, now. Jumping out of his Fire Hammer, he landed on Kotua's Robo-Blade, and began causing as much damage as possible for an eighteen-year-old to cause. Which is, surprisingly, a lot. Pulling on a power cable, he began yanking on the motor. No time for finesse, he thought, gotta do this now. "Rex, you made it! Thank Builder! Put an end to this madness and arrest him, and then we can make some sense of what's going on!" Rev quipped. He saw Databoard looking just as relieved as he was. "Wait a second. Rex, you're from the Alpha Team; you have to know what's going on here and how to stop it." "Alpha Team?" repeated Rex. "I'm not from Alpha Team! I don't know anything about this!" He did not mean to be shouting at Rev, but what he had just seen left him feeling rather agitated. At the mention of Alpha Team, Chompy growled. "And what's with that T-Rex, anyway?" asked Rex. "Sorry, it's just that you've got the best skill here so I naturally assumed…" said Rev. "Also, you sorta look like Alpha Team agent Zed, so..." "It's the goatee, isn't it?" replied Rex, rolling his eyes. Databoard saw the T-Rex, which he remembered well. "Chompy?" he said. Rex was confused. "Who?" he asked. "Who's Chompy?" "That's Chompy," Databoard said. "He either belongs... or did belong... to an agent Frozeen." Chompy growled again. "I don't know what's gotten into him..." Databoard muttered. Then, Rev noticed the hazard that Hyrode was about to get caught in: the Robo-Blade's engine was going to blow. One Xenon Uppercut Shot knocked the Robo-Blade, just as planned, and Hyrode landed in Rev's Fire Hammer just in time to see an engine fire start. "You Drones never learn," said Kotua, pressing a button. The Robo-Blade charged in electricity, shocking Hyrode. He fell down, but luckily Databoard ran and caught him. "Next time, Drones, I won't be so merciful..." said Kotua. The Robo-Blade flew into the sky, and before anybody could do anything, he was gone... but was he really gone? Rev dropped Hyrode in his car. "You know, Hyrode, I'm almost the same age as you, and I don't do stuff that, um... I can't decide if it's brave or idiotic." "That fool!" Hyrode said to himself. Jumping on top of Rev's Fire Hammer, he swung the turret in the direction that the Robo-Blade had gone, and he fired two bursts. "Listen, Kotua, we are not Drones! Now, I don't believe in taming Mutant Dinosaurs any more than the next guy, but killing humans, your friends, for one measly lizard is where I draw the line!" With that, he jumped off the turret and got in his Fire Hammer. Now that they were safe, Rev remembered why he was looking for Rex in the first place. "I thought you might want to see this dinosaur, it's completely tamed," he said as he unknowingly returned it to the tamer. "Hey, this Mutant Lizard you were protecting is Trouble!" Rex exclaimed. "Well, I hope it isn't more trouble than it's worth," said Rev, and Rex could tell from his tone of voice that Rev misunderstood his statement. "No, no, the name I gave this Mutant Lizard is Trouble," explained Rex. "I tend to tame dinosaurs rather than kill them." Chompy nodded. He knew it would be just plain foolish for a T-Rex such as himself to befriend someone who mindlessly killed dinosaurs. "Interesting, so I take it you're the reason the babies of the T-Rex were missing?" Rev asked. "Yup," Rex answered. "You're right about not destroying them. In fact, unless I know they've done something, I leave'm be. But, I kinda had a hunch about the T-Rexes, though; you left tread marks towards where ever you went. But… I had to kill the mother. It killed Condr and got 20 tranqs in the eye." Chompy then ran off into the destroyed city. "Where is he going?" asked Rex. "Only he knows," Databoard answered. "He could be looking for Frozeen and PBB; he could be looking for others to help; he could be looking for a cure for these Mutant Dinos..." "So I see," Rex answered. "Well, I'm going to have to bring Trouble to my hideout." Then, he drove off. Databoard returned to HQ and got a new Fire Hammer. Before he left, he grabbed a small microphone. Years ago, some of Ogel's Drones had used strange microphone on Databoard and Kotua, to make them try to kill each other. The one they had used on Databoard was destroyed, but Databoard had kept the one used on Kotua to examine it. He doubted it even worked after five years, but it might come in handy if Kotua showed up thinking he was a Drone. ---- Rex put Trouble back into his cage. "There you go, little buddy!" he said. Then, his attention turned towards the two Mutant Raptors who were always fighting. "Break it up, you two!" he yelled. "I sure wish that I will be able to tame other dinos one day." After Rex finished feeding lunch to the Dinos, he hopped back into the Iron Predator to see if he could capture a Mutant Dino or two at LEGO Studios – or, at least, what was left of LEGO Studios... ---- Kotua landed his Robo-Blade on the warehouse. He got out and looked around. He walked into the other buildings in the same lot as the warehouse. He noticed the rooms in the buildings contained scientific equipment, specifically some sort of chemicals. He noticed a model of a dinosaur skeleton. Kotua quickly kicked the skeleton model. It fell onto the floor, breaking into different pieces. Kotua noticed some computers on the left side of the room. "Let's see..." muttered Kotua, reaching to turn on the computer. The computer began humming. Kotua turned on the monitor, and began peeking around the computer. "Who would leave a computer with important info without a password?" asked Kotua to himself. "To lure people like you..." said a voice. Kotua turned around, but there was no one. Kotua got up. "Anybody there?" he asked. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around. No one. "You better show up, or I won't have any mercy when I catch you!" said Kotua. The lights went out, plunging Kotua into darkness. Soon, the lights went up, and Kotua got in a defensive stance, for men with guns had surrounded Kotua... ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

Welcome to the review topic for Dino Attack RPG: Director's Cut. This might very well be my BZPower swan song... bringing it all back for one last hurrah and tribute to all the great memories and friends from my time on this website, before I depart into the great unknown. ---- Announcements: July 1, 2023 Version 1.3 of the Director's Cut is now available for download. July 9, 2022 Chapters 60-79 have been updated to version 1.2. July 8, 2022 Chapters 52-59 have been updated to version 1.2. ---- Table of Contents: Act 0: Prologue 0. Welcome to Dino Attack Act 1: The Kotua Crisis 1. Looking for Trouble 2. Black Operations 3. High Voltage 4. The Great Escape 5. Search and Rescue 6. Ground Zero 7. The Monsters Within 8. Blacktron Legacy 9. Unleashing Chaos 10. Love and War 11. Entropy Act 2: Opposing Forces 12. Dark Horizons 13. Cane's Labyrinth 14. Eye of the Hurricane 15. Clone Wars 16. Mech Assault 17. Staging a Fight 18. Skyfall 19. Shadow Strike 20. Our Inner Demons Act 3: The Dino Island Laboratory 21. The Reunion 22. Forgotten Memories 23. The Scientist King 24. Mad Science 25. Hazardous Environments 26. Homecoming Act 4: The Goo Caverns 27. Typhoon Turbulence 28. Island Intrusion 29. Conundrums of Philosophy 30. Rubble Trouble 31. Inferno Act 5: LEGO Island and Antarctica 32. Divided We Fall 33. United We Stand Act 6: Adventurers' Island 34. Call to Adventure 35. Dust Before the Wind 36. Team Fortress 37. Ghosts of the Past 38. Countdown to the End 39. Bearings 40. Among Us 41. Deadline 42. Launch 43. The Ringleader 44. Forbidden Ruins 45. Ashes to Ashes 46. Redemption 47. Trading Bishops 48. Trigger Warning 49. Architect of Darkness 50. Waking Nightmare 51. Imagination Act 7: Mole Hunt 52. Loose Ends 53. Many Happy Returns 54. Stirred Hive 55. Right Behind You 56. Until Proven Guilty 57. Imposter Syndrome 58. Out of the Frying Pan 59. Into the Fire Act 8: The Final Battle 60. Calm Before the Storm 61. Beginning of the End 62. The First Wave 63. Enemy Advances 64. Shock and Awe 65. Till Death Do Us Part 66. Rising Stakes 67. Most Worthless of Causes 68. Worsening Odds 69. Desperate Times 70. Fight or Flight 71. Working in Unison 72. At War's End Act 9: Epilogue 73. Dawn of a Newsday 74. One Last Battle 75. Denouement 76. Sorrow and Joy 77. Let the Celebration Commence 78. As Time Goes On 79. Sunrise ---- FAQ: Q: What is Dino Attack RPG? A: Dino Attack RPG (concluded as Dino Attack: At War's End in 2012) is a "play-by-post" text-based roleplay game on BZPower that ran from July 1, 2005 through December 21, 2012. For those who aren't familiar with this type of forum RPG, different BZPower members take turns writing an ongoing story that was largely overseen by me, the RPG host. It was primarily inspired by the LEGO Dino Attack line in 2005, but also incorporated many other popular LEGO themes and games at the time including Alpha Team, Adventurers, LEGO Island, Agents, Power Miners, and LEGO Universe. Q: Why does the story jump around so much? I can't keep track of everything that's going on! A: This is a side effect of the RPG's "play-by-post" nature. When players directly interact with one another, you can have long stretches of posts telling a single story. But, when players are acting independently, then each post tells a different story. Furthermore, "double posting" generally isn't allowed on BZPower, so one player would often have to wait for another player to post before they could continue their own story. In the early days of the RPG, posts were only a few sentences long on average, meaning you might only get a short paragraph of one story before it changes to a different story, admittedly giving the RPG a chaotic, messy feel as you're constantly quickly jumping between different characters and stories. This issue becomes less prevalent later on as the players started writing longer posts. The Director's Cut does attempt to mitigate this by reordering posts so that the story does not jump around as frequently as in the original play-by-post forum topic, although this is still unavoidable to a degree. Q: Why are certain original characters, particularly those inspired by the LEGO Alpha Team theme, introduced as though the reader is expected to already be familiar with them? Is there some backstory that I'm missing? A: Dino Attack RPG was created as a direct successor to BZPower's most popular LEGO RPG at the time, Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG. Much of the playerbase from Alpha Team RPG carried over to Dino Attack RPG. As a result, many players were indeed already familiar with characters such as Chompy, Little Bot, PBB, Guardian, Frozeen, Phantom, Chaos, and General Evil, as well as other story elements such as Robo-Blades and G.E. Bodies, and so they required no introduction at the time. When necessary, the Director's Cut provides the essentials needed to know who these characters are. Q: Why are some sections of the story glossed over as brief summaries, while other parts of the story seem to be omitted altogether? A: In February 2013 (less than two months after the RPG's conclusion), BZPower was maliciously hacked. The entire pre-2011 BZPower Forum Archive was deleted as a result, including the original Dino Attack RPG. About one-third of the RPG was successfully recovered through the Wayback Machine's Internet Archive thanks to an incomplete 2007 backup, but even this archive was still missing a number of pages, and coverage of anything from 2009-2011 is scarce at best. With about two-thirds of the RPG lost forever, the missing content had to be reconstructed using summaries from the Dino Attack RPG Wiki or else extrapolated from the recovered content. In some cases, it's just no longer possible to know what is missing, leading to unavoidable gaps in the story. This led to the creation of a downloadable archive for Dino Attack RPG, preserving as much of the original RPG as we can. Q: What is the Director's Cut? A: The original RPG was written by dozens of people, each with their own writing style. Plot holes frequently arise, and other portions of the early story are later deemed non-canonical as the canon became stricter around 2008. And, if I'm perfectly honest, I really do hate my old writing. The goal of the Director's Cut is to address all of this in order to create a more cohesive reading experience. I playfully call it the "Director's Cut" since I, as the RPG's creator and game master (i.e. its "director"), am providing my own personal re-edit of this story as an alternative version for our audience to experience. There are three general "tiers" of edits made to RPG posts: 1. The majority of posts are kept largely intact, with only minor editing for consistent formatting or correcting spelling/grammatical errors. Posts that are written in first-person or in script style are rewritten as third-person prose but otherwise kept intact. If it makes sense to do so, then the order of posts may also be shifted around. Since the canon was firmly established by the time At War's End began in March 2012, the overwhelming majority of edited posts from At War's End only fall into the first tier. 2. Posts with non-canonical content are rewritten in a way that reinterprets the material so that it would fit the current canon. For example, posts that use the BIONICLE settings Mata Nui and Metru Nui are rewritten to instead feature Enchanted Island (from LEGO Pirates) and Astor City (from LEGO Ultra Agents). I considered it important to retain the general gist of the original post and keep as much of it intact as possible, but I allowed myself to take some major liberties as needed. 3. When it comes to my own posts, I go full George Lucas! Quite a few of my posts from 2005-2007 are extensively rewritten, sometimes from scratch, in order to better match my own personal standards for writing. I still made sure to retain the gist of the original posts and many of my early posts still have not been radically altered, but otherwise I felt free to rewrite as much as I wanted to. There are a few other special cases that do not fall into the above tiers. In some instances (e.g. Rev and Sereve's final confrontation with Landro, or Rex's battle with Sharptooth), I've completely rewritten the RPG's missing content from scratch because merely summarizing it did not feel satisfactory. There are some other brand-new scenes added here or there, which should entice those who have already read the RPG. Additionally, I've taken some of Dino Attack RPG's "Expanded Universe", a series of short stories written after the RPG ended, and directly integrated them into the RPG so that they now read as part of the ongoing narrative. Q: Is the Director's Cut the definitive canonical version? A: Yes... and no. As explained above, one of the main goals of the Director's Cut is to rewrite non-canonical posts so that they would fit the current canon. However, what I've offered with this Director's Cut is one possible interpretation of the canon that applies some creative license to make it all work. You can take it or leave it. It's possible that some material that I've left in the Director's Cut (such as Coldwire, or Magma's mutant arm) might no longer be considered canonical by their original writers, while other parts I've altered (such as Kotua learning Cane's name during their first meeting) are actually non-canonical but included here to improve the reading experience. It is also important to note that the Director's Cut will not be replacing the original Dino Attack RPG; I shall continue to support the original downloadable archive and make it available for posterity's sake. ---- List of Authors: While edits and changes made in the Director's Cut are largely my own, the original RPG was a collaborative writing effort by dozens of BZPower members. Not all of their writings made it into the archive, but it would not have been possible without their passion and support, so I must credit each and every one of my fellow RPG players along with their main character(s). Due to being a long list, it is placed in the spoiler box below. I am still trying to locate all BZPower members' current usernames so I can link their profiles. In addition, while she was not a direct contributor to the RPG itself, I would like to give special thanks to Hahli Husky, the friendly and helpful LEGO General Discussion moderator back in mid-2005. All these people I met, all these writings we shared, all the happy memories of Dino Attack RPG... it was all made possible thanks to one fateful PM where she granted approval for the RPG to be started. For this, I will always be grateful. ---- Additional Links: Download the Dino Attack RPG Downloadable Archive in DOCX format (v3.0): https://www.mediafire.com/file/q4i0zlxe2rzkprn/Dino_Attack_RPG_Archive_v3.0_%28DOCX%29.zip/file Download the Dino Attack RPG Downloadable Archive in PDF format (v3.0): https://www.mediafire.com/file/35i4csbxjc9p08x/Dino_Attack_RPG_Archive_v3.0_%28PDF%29.zip/file Download the Dino Attack RPG Director's Cut in DOCX format (v1.3): https://www.mediafire.com/file/zpbdup7cjkfljz3/Director%27s_Cut_v1.3_%28DOCX%29.zip/file Download the Dino Attack RPG Director's Cut in PDF format (v1.3): https://www.mediafire.com/file/s41xgyk1j71tdnf/Director%27s_Cut_v1.3_%28PDF%29.zip/file Read the Dino Attack RPG Wiki (beware of spoilers!): https://dinoattackrpg01.fandom.com/wiki/Dino_Attack_RPG_Wiki Listen to the Dino Attack RPG Complete Soundtrack for an enhanced reading experience: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUSNpflzdMIljXevcppmGVcqMNK-q-55Q ---- Play well!

July 1, 2005: Dino Attack RPG was born. BZPower's longest-running LEGO roleplay game has left a lasting legacy. Now, 15 years later, experience Dino Attack RPG all over again like never before. From the ashes of the BZPower Forum Archive, the definitive Dino Attack RPG reading experience shall rise anew. Dedicated to the dozens of BZPower members who joined me on this seven-year-long journey and made my time unforgettable, and to Hahli Husky for making Dino Attack RPG possible in the first place. Thanks. ---- Act 0: Prologue Chapter 0: Welcome to Dino Attack ---- Rookie agent Rex walked through the garage. All around him, engineers and mechanics worked on building and repairing vehicles, ranging from small ATVs to large jeeps. He also caught a glimpse of a massive tank that was being assembled, as well as a helicopter in the hangar above. An exalted sense of newfound purpose filled Rex's body with a sort of euphoria. He was now officially signed up as a soldier for the D.I.N.O. Attack, dressed in the standard black and grey uniform. He felt proud to be able to serve on behalf of the world. Now, he would have the power to bring the fight to the Mutant Dinosaurs that had rampaged across the planet. And now, he was assigned his first mission. Rex found a small group consisting of three soldiers gathered by one of the jeeps. One of them was a man who appeared to be middle-aged, with a round face partially masked by glasses and a full beard. His features were soft and his eyes glinted with a hearty and compassionate light. As Rex approached, the man smiled gently and extended his hand in greeting. "Good morning! You'll be training with us, right?" "That's right," said Rex, nodding as he shook the man's hand. "My name is Williams," the man introduced himself. Then, he gestured towards his two companions. "His name's Walker, and her name's Lisa. We're all rookies here, so don't worry if you haven't got any experience yet... we're all in the same boat." "You'll need a bigger boat, Williams," joked Walker, who also shook hands with Rex. He, like Williams, wore glasses and had a beard, but their physical similarities ended there. He was tall but rather lanky, and although he appeared to be younger than Williams, his thin face had hardened features that hinted at a more caustic outlook on life. As Rex took note of Walker's appearance, he felt as though Walker was scrutinizing him in return with his narrow, beady eyes. Lisa was a young woman with a pretty face, doe eyes, and short blonde hair. She looked Rex up and down and smiled, batting her eyelids. "Hello, handsome. Got any plans later this evening?" "Oh, come on, Lisa," Walker said as he rolled his eyes, "do you have to flirt with every single guy you see?" He leaned in close to Rex and muttered, "Trust me, don't go out with her. She'll just break your heart, tear it into little pieces, and throw every piece into the incinerator." "I'll take your word for it," whispered Rex. To him, the dino attack hardly seemed like a time to be pursuing romantic relationships and crying over broken hearts, so he saw little purpose in investigating Walker's claim. Raising his voice, he introduced himself to the others: "Nice to meet you all. My name's Rex." "Rex?" repeated Walker, with a small smirk. "Really, we're going with that? Is that supposed to be your real name, or just a nickname?" Rex shrugged. "It's just a nickname, but about as close I can get to a real name for now." He quickly told them about how he met Frank Einstein, their escape from Mercy Hospital, and the incident with the raptor and the rope that had given him that name… ***** Slowly, I regained consciousness. I was surprised to find myself waking up trapped between several slabs of rubble. The small space I had was dark and cramped, and I did not like it at all. This felt very, very wrong. I struggled to remember. Where am I? How did I get here? How do I get out? ... Who am I? I could vaguely hear some shouting from what sounded like a middle-aged man, maybe a little older. As I struggled to comprehend what the voice was saying, I coughed; it was very dusty where I was. The shouting stopped, then briefly resumed before silencing again. I heard footsteps once again, then the voice spoke again, and this time I could make out the words: "Hello? Is anyone in there?" Weakly, I tried to reply, but my throat was so dry that I only coughed again. That was a good enough for the voice, because a second later I heard the sound of brick moving against brick. Then, one of the slabs was moved aside, and I could see out from my prison. Then, another face appeared outside. It appeared to be the middle-aged man I had heard shouting. His face was thin and wrinkled, giving him a somewhat-elderly appearance. His gray hair was a mess and looked as though it had never known a comb or a brush. He wore glasses, and from behind these spectacles his eyes twinkled like the stars. "Ah, good!" my savior said, smiling as he reached a hand down into the concrete prison. "You're still alive! Here, let me help you out!" Gingerly, I reached out and grabbed the hand of my middle-aged savior, who proceeded to pull me out of the slab prison. Looking around, I saw that I was in some sort of ruined facility. One of the walls had been smashed down, allowing me to see out into a devastated apocalyptic city. "The lab must have been attacked," my savior murmured. Looking at him again, I now saw that he wore a lab coat and must have been a scientist. "Looks like the two of us were trapped inside when it collapsed. I'm afraid that I could not find any other survivors, but I have found help!" The scientist looked me over, then scratched his head. "You know, I'm afraid that we haven't met before." He extended a hand again, but this time as a greeting gesture. "My name's Frank Einstein. And you are...?" I stared blankly at the scientist, desperately searching for an answer. None came to mind. Biting his lip, Frank Einstein laid his hand on my forehead and looked me over. "Looks like you had quite a nasty fall," he murmured, "and a bump on the head to prove it. You might have a slight case of amnesia. Can you remember anything at all?" I thought and thought, but weakly shook my head. Actually, I vaguely remembered a group of scientists, but it was a very unclear and confusing memory. "Hmm," Frank said as he stroked his chin, "I'll see about giving you proper medical attention once we get to safety. I'm not sure if you heard me shouting, but I saw a helicopter pilot and wanted to get his attention. Unfortunately, the closest place he can land is atop Mercy Hospital, but it's only a few blocks away. Come; we'll have to get there before we get attacked again." Frank Einstein laid a hand on my shoulder, then we walked towards a stairwell. Looking up, I saw that the upper floors were likely unreachable since the stairs had collapsed. In fact, the stairs leading to the ground floor were barely intact. One step at a time, we descended the staircase. Luckily, it seemed to hold out just long enough to get us safely on the ground. The ground floor was also a mess, and I could help but notice that the floor was covered with dust, rubble, debris... and blood. Beside me, Einstein grimaced. "This is most disturbing," he muttered. "I must warn my superiors about this as soon as we get you to safety. The Nexus Force needs to know what has happened here." I had no idea what he was talking about. Nexus Force? Never heard of it before. But I had the idea that it was something important. As it turned out, the door had been blocked by a slab of rubble. Einstein stepped forward and attempted to push aside the debris, but to no avail. "Hey, can you lend me a hand here?" he requested. Nodding, I stepped beside him and assisted him in pushing the rubble aside. Our combined strength, it seemed, was more than enough, and the slab moved aside easily. Einstein looked at me quizzically, but then shrugged and reached out to open the door. The very moment he touched it, the heavily-damaged door fell off its hinges, and the street of a ruined city lay before us. "We must move with haste," the scientist whispered. I nodded. Then, we bolted out onto the street, running as fast as our legs could carry us. All around us were wrecked buildings and burning skyscrapers. Lightning flashed from the skies, but no rain fell from the dark clouds. Once or twice, I could have sworn that I saw a pair of glowing eyes peering at us from the shadows of darkness. At last, we came to a stop in front of a large building, which I assumed to be Mercy Hospital. The doors had been smashed in, and upon entering the lobby, we found more rubble, debris, dust... and blood. "The elevator is probably a bad idea," muttered Frank Einstein. "Let's check the stairwell." We approached the stairwell, but all the lights were off. Einstein flicked a light switch, partially illuminating the staircase... and revealing a large yellow-skinned reptile, grinning at us with saliva dripping from its jaws. "MegaBloks!" shouted Einstein, who appeared horrified. He grabbed me by my clothes and pulled me away before the creature snapped at us with its tooth-filled mouth. We ran away from the stairwell. Although I did not dare to turn around, I could tell we were being pursued. Einstein rain to the elevator doors and repeatedly slammed on the button, frantically whispering: "Please work on emergency power please work on emergency power please work on emergency power...!" There came a dinging noise, and the elevator doors opened. My scientist companion grabbed my shoulder and we charged inside, then he slammed on the close doors button. I could see the yellow-scaled reptile running towards the elevator. As the elevator doors shut, it reared back, as though it were about to spit. But that was ridiculous, a spitting lizard? Seconds later, acid burned a hole through the elevator doors. Einstein and I jumped back, recoiling from the acid. The reptile reared back, ready to spit again, but luckily this time the elevator was already ascending. Breathing heavily, I said my first words since being trapped under the rubble pile: "What... was... that?" Hearing me speak made Frank Einstein startle in surprise. He recovered quickly and replied, "Those... things are all over the city. They are a major reason why the city is in ruins... unfortunately, they are not the only reason. If you thought that one was bad... just wait till you meet some of the larger ones." I nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." I stared at the hole that the acid had burned through the elevator door. Was that creature spitting the acid? At last, the elevator came to a stop at the top floor of the hospital. As the doors opened and we stepped out, Einstein told me: "We still need to find a stairwell to the roof. That's where the helicopter landing pad is." No sooner had these words left his lips when everything went pitch black. I had known darkness, but this felt unnatural. I could not see anything at all. It was as though I had been blindfolded. Footsteps. Then, I heard a hissing noise. Was it another one of those reptiles? Did this one spit acid too? Could it see in this pitch blackness? "Stay perfectly still," Einstein whispered, his voice barely audible. The footsteps briefly stopped, as did the hissing. Then, the footsteps resumed, but this time they sounded like they were becoming more distant. Then, at once my sight returned to me. I turned to ask my scientist companion if he knew what happened. I saw his entire face contorted and wrinkled, with his eyes shut tightly and sweat on his forehead. At first, I thought he had been afraid, but when I later looked back on it, I realized that he looked as though he had been concentrating incredibly hard. Slowly, Einstein relaxed and opened his eyes. "It's gone now," he whispered. "Was that another one of the reptiles?" I inquired. Einstein nodded. "Yes, I do believe so." He wiped the sweat from his forehead, then declared: "Come! We must hurry!" We walked down a hallway to the stairwell on the far end. I thought I glimpsed another one of the reptiles down an adjacent hallway, but this one appeared to have black scales. We passed a pair of double-doors, and just as we were about to step into the stairwell, the doors swung open and another reptile burst through. This one was larger than either of the ones I had seen before and bore several small crests on its head. It roared at us, exposing teeth even sharper than that of the other lizard. "Look out!" I shouted to Einstein. "It's a raptor!" gasped Einstein. We jumped onto the stairwell and ascended the staircase, but the raptor roared furiously and pursued us. I swung open the door at the top of the staircase, and we burst out onto the rooftop of Mercy Hospital. Painted onto the rooftop was a large yellow circle with the letter "H" in the center. I heard the sound of a chopper, and looked up to see a small helicopter descending upon the rooftop. "Let's go!" I said to Frank Einstein, and I ran for the helicopter. I did not stop running until I was safely aboard the air vehicle. I gave a sigh of relief and nodded to the pilot. The pilot stared at me. "Weren't there two of you?" I blinked, then glanced back at Frank Einstein, only to see that he was not there. I couldn't believe it. One moment, Einstein was there, running beside me - the next, he wasn't there anymore. In horror, I looked back out to the rooftop and saw Einstein lying on the floor, being dragged away by the raptor. I knew immediately that I could stand back and watch the raptor drag Dr. Einstein to a horrible death. But, I was not aware of what was running through my head; everything just happened so fast. I turned and saw emergency rope aboard the helicopter. I grabbed it and jumped back out of the vehicle onto the rooftop. Despite the pilot's protests, I ran towards the raptor and its prey. I tossed the rope to Einstein, who grabbed it and clutched it tightly. The raptor noticed me and snarled. Taking advantage of its split-second distraction, I tugged on my end of the rope and pulled Einstein a few feet away from the raptor. My triumph did not last long. The raptor pounced onto Frank Einstein again, but this time the scientist was ready and kicked the beast in the snout. Dropping his end of the rope, he crawled away from the raptor, slowly making his way to the helicopter. I knew that unless I did something, he would not make it. I ran towards the raptor. The giant reptile was angry, baring its teeth at me. I did not hear Frank Einstein or the helicopter pilot shouting at me to back down. As the raptor lunged for me, I jumped out of the way and whipped my rope at it, causing the creature to recoil. Then, the raptor jumped on me. It slashed at me, tearing at my clothes. I took the only thing I had, my rope, and struggled to tie it into a lasso while attempting to crawl away from the beast. When the raptor looked ready to sink its teeth into my flesh, I made my move. Flinging my lasso at the raptor, I rolled out of the way of its attack. The rope caught the creature's maw, and with a slight tug, it tightened and clamped the tooth-filled mouth shut. Acting quickly, I took the rest of the rope and tied it around the raptor's legs. It collapsed on top of the roof, rendered immobile. I breathed a sigh of relief. I had won. I had actually won! I defeated a raptor with nothing but rope! And yet, I knew my victory would not last long. Rope could not possibly hold the beast for more than a minute. Helping Einstein to his feet, I turned and ran for the helicopter. Once we were safely aboard the air vehicle, I was breathing heavily. Whatever adrenaline rush I had during the raptor fight was gone, leaving me sore all over. Einstein's expression was stern. "You fool!" he snapped. "Taking on a raptor on your own? You could have been killed!" Despite his appearance, it was plainly obvious that he was grateful that I saved his life. "You're quite handy with that rope," the helicopter pilot commented even as the vehicle began to ascend off the rooftop. "And I've never seen such recklessly brave behavior from anything less than a T-Rex. Those things go to great lengths to accomplish anything... I guess that's what makes them so scary." I shrugged. "Just making stuff up as I go along." Now that the helicopter was safely in the air, the pilot turned over his shoulder to get a good look at us. He stared quizzically at Dr. Einstein. Pointing a finger at the scientist, he murmured, "You... look familiar. I think I've seen your face before." Frank Einstein introduced himself, and the pilot laughed. "Oh, of course! Frank Einstein, the famous scientist! I almost didn't recognize you... what happened to your equally-famous thick bushy mustache?" Einstein smiled lightly and chuckled. "Even I feel like shaving it off sometimes," he said. "I might just grow it back over the next few months, but that depends on... well, a number of factors." "And you?" The pilot gestured towards me. "What's your name?" I bit my lip. "I... don't have a name," I muttered. Frank Einstein quickly explained to the pilot about my amnesia and how he found me in the ruined laboratory. "Hmm," the pilot murmured. "Looks like you might have been wearing a labcoat, at least before that raptor tore it up. And your bravery rivals that of even the T-Rexes. You need a nickname to fit this... how about... Doctor Rex?" Einstein visibly tensed. "No!" he cried, drawing stares from the helicopter pilot and myself. "I mean," he began in a quieter tone, "that's a little lengthy for a nickname. Why don't we just call you Rex?" I thought it over. Rex. Seemed like a good enough name. "Sure," I said, nodding. "Rex sounds good." Turning his attention back to flying the helicopter, the pilot continued his discourse. "Rex and Dr. Einstein, glad to see that you both made it. There have been so few survivors. Sometimes, I've gone days patrolling the city without finding someone. It's a wonder I haven't been struck down by one of those flying things... Pterosaurs, I think they're called." "So," inquired Einstein, "where are we headed?" "I've been dropping most people off at an outpost at the outskirts of the city," the pilot explained. "There, passage is arranged to Antarctica. That's the only confirmed place that is not affected by this dinosaur outbreak. I guess the dinos hate the cold." "Isn't anyone going to do something about all these dinosaurs roaming the city?" I asked. The pilot nodded. "Yes. Alpha Team's currently a little busy handling and overseeing the construction of refugee facilities. The Agents have been doing some work to try stopping the beasts, but they often don't accomplish much. The bulk of the work is being done by this new organization. Those who don't go to Antarctica join the fight against the dinos. They join the Dino Attack Team." As soon as these words left his lips, some connection in my brain was made. I could not tell why, but I knew that I suddenly had only one goal in mind. Join Dino Attack Team. ***** "So you don't remember anything?" said Lisa, blinking. "Not even your own name?" Rex bit his lip and thought for a moment before answering. "I think that I used to be a scientist," he murmured, "and, as you can see, my memory is intact enough that I can still speak English, so it's not as though my mind is the blank slate of a newly-born infant... it's just... well, it's almost as though I remember the lessons, but I don't remember learning them. I can read, I can speak, I can tie my own shoes... but I can't remember my own name. So, unless I recover from my amnesia, I'm just sticking with 'Rex'." "A scientist?" repeated Williams. "At least I can see such an occupation being beneficial to Dino Attack Team. They need all the scientists they can get so they can study the Mutant Dinos and figure out the root cause of their mutation. I'm a musician, on the other hand. I once went to Adventurers' Island to see the dinosaurs for inspiration for a song I wanted to write, but that's about as far as my experience goes. Lisa is an actress, and Walker's a director. We're neither scientists nor soldiers; we were drafted into the team by the conscription. You'll probably be a greater asset than the rest of us combined." Rex shrugged. "Well, I suppose being a scientist would be useful... if I remembered anything more than working with other scientists and waking up in a labcoat in a wrecked research facility. Not that it matters; I'm just happy to serve the team in any way I can." "Doesn't this worry you at all?" inquired Lisa. "I mean, if I had lost my memory and woke up in a ruined city overrun by dinosaurs, like you did..." "... then I'd have bigger problems to worry about than my own memory," replied Rex, dismissively waving his hand. Rex knew he was not telling them the whole truth, but he decided it was for the best. Why should he have to burden them with his own problems? Having nothing, not even memories to look back upon, left him with a terrible, overwhelming emptiness that often kept him awake at night. He often felt as though he was peering into a black hole, fearing that what little remained of him would soon be dragged into the darkness as well. At times, he could feel that it was only his sense of purpose in joining Dino Attack Team that kept him grounded in reality. Walker nodded. "I see," he said. "Don't worry; if you happen have any more memory problems in the future, you can count on me to remember everything for you. At least you have an excuse for going by a nickname like 'Rex'. Frankly, I don't get this whole nickname business that some soldiers are so fond of. Why do I have to call you by some ridiculous nickname? How would I look if I went around telling people to call me, uh, 'Classical Snob' instead of Walker? I'd look like a pretentious hipster, wouldn't I?" "I think this whole 'nickname' thing got started by Alpha Team," suggested Williams. "They have to operate under codenames, being spies and secret agents and all. Quite a few Alpha Team agents were assigned to Dino Attack and were among the first members. Then, when Dino Attack started recruiting from the refugee facilities, some guys must have thought it was standard procedure and signed up under codenames, too." "I think there's even this one guy," added Lisa, "who insists that everyone call him 'Batman'." Walker's face turned bright red and contorted into an exaggerated scowl. "That guy? I hate that guy! I ran into him last night in the mess hall, and he wouldn't shut up about his credit card! What's even the point? It's the freakin' apocalypse; nobody cares about your stupid credit card since you can't even buy anything with it now that all the stores are all out of business! And he has the gall to call himself 'Batman'? It's a disgrace! An insult to the name of Batman! And-" Rex bit his lip. "Uh, does he do this often?" he whispered to Williams and Lisa. "Oh boy," sighed Williams, "here he goes again. Once Walker goes on a rant, not even the apocalypse itself can stop him." Lisa rolled her eyes. "We probably shouldn't even get him started on that, or else he'll start ranting about how nonsensical and ridiculous the whole concept of a mutant dinosaur apocalypse is." Rex laughed. "Let's hope things don't get any more ridiculous than this." "G'day, mates!" Rex, Lisa, Williams, and Walker turned around to see a Dino Attack elite agent marching towards them. He wore a sleeveless vest that showed off his arm muscles, with a large knife strapped to his belt. On his head, he wore a wide-brimmed fedora and grinned proudly through a face full of stubble. "Name's Rick, and I'll be trainin' you rookies today!" "Look out," muttered Walker, "it's the poor man's Johnny Thunder. What pretentious nickname do they call you, 'Adventure'?" Rick shook his head. "Nah, string bean, but I kinda like the sound of that. Adventure. Now that's a word that perfectly sums me up in one word. Although, 'Testosterone' or 'Explosions' would also work. And that's just what I expect to see from you. Now, I know you're just rookies and one of you is a mighty pretty lady," he paused to wink at Lisa, who returned the gesture, "but by the end of today, I wanna see the Fourth of July out there! No, even better... we'll make our own holiday, one with even more fire and explosions!" Walker rolled his eyes. "So, we're making a Brichael May film?" With a gleam in his eye, Rick dramatically pointed at Walker. "Now that's more like it, string bean! We're going out there and makin' the biggest Brichael May film ever to hit theaters!" Although Williams and Lisa both stifled giggles, the reference was completely lost upon Rex. He frowned in his confusion, wondering if he would have understood what they were talking about if he were not still suffering from amnesia. Then again, he was not sure if he wanted to understand. "Now," continued Rick, "if you wanted an easy training mission, you should've gone and joined the Headquarters Squad goin' down to Gold City to build an outpost, or maybe you should've gone marchin' up and down the square with that Sarge guy instead. No, what we're gonna do is a real man's work! A large nesting site for those overgrown reptiles has been found downtown at the old shopping center. It's up to us to neutralize the nest and exterminate those buggers before they run wild." Rick pointed to the jeep parked next to the group. "Now, this beaut here is the Fire Hammer. Unfortunately, it's the only one available in the lot right now; production hasn't yet caught up to demand, though Bill Ding says he's working on that. I'll drive it into battle with you and keep you covered, but the rest of you gotta drive 'em Steel Sprinters instead." With that, he gestured to a nearby group of small ATVs. The rookies looked on in undisguised disdain. "Hey, now, wait a second," said Lisa, frowning. "You're expecting us to be able to take on mutant dinosaurs... in those things? There's nothing separating the driver from a lizard's jaws! We're supposed to feel safe driving those around the city?" "Sure," said Rick, shrugging. "Fast, reliable, good for quickly getting out of a pinch. Makes up for a lack of armor with speed and maneuverability. Besides, those reptiles will be the ones needing protection when you're packin' these guns!" The elite agent handed out weapons to the rookies. They were the not rifles or machine guns that Rex was expecting, but rather futuristic in appearance, colored black and adorned with neon-green lights. They were big and bulky, but Rex was surprised to discover how light one felt in his hands. However, Lisa and Williams struggled to hold them, and Walker outright refused, declaring that his trusty pistol was a much better weapon of choice than some oversized possibly-unreliable prototype. "Unreliable?" scoffed Rick. "These babies won't fail you! These Sonic Screamers are the products of the latest technology designed specifically to knock those mutants senseless! In fact, they were designed by Specs himself." Specs. Rex had yet to meet the leader of the Dino Attack Team, but based upon what he heard from his fellow Dino Attack agents, he knew that Specs was a renowned multidisciplinary scientist, an unfaltering commander, and a man to be held in high regard. Looking over the Sonic Screamer in his hands, Rex nodded. "Seems good to me." This time, Rex was the target of Rick's dramatic index finger. "I like your attitude, mate!" he said as he grinned. Then, scratching his chin, he looked Rex over. "Hey, ain't you that fellow who saved Dr. Einstein using nothin' but rope? That takes some real bricks, son, and that's what I wanna see! Rookies, I'm gonna call this guy 'honcho' because the rest of you should follow his lead!" Rex suddenly found himself feeling uncomfortable as Williams, Lisa, and Walker all stared at him. Being thought of as a leader or a role model was not something he was accustomed to. He was also surprised that Rick had already heard about his rescue at Mercy Hospital; apparently, even if the other rookies had not yet heard about it, word spread quickly through Dino Attack Team. Rick clapped his hands together. "Right! Now, let's see... you've got your guns, your vehicles, and you've all been given standard-issue radios, I'm sure-" "That's correct," said Lisa, nodding as she held up her handheld radio. "My friend Danny showed me how to operate these a few years ago. What frequency should we use?" "Set your frequencies to 140.15," continued Rick, "and keep those things on at all times. You'll hear some comm chatter from other squads, but that's normal. This way, we can keep in close contact even if we're far apart, and if you're in danger, send out a S.O.S. immediately." He turned away to turn on the radio on the Fire Hammer's dashboard. He also grabbed a bundle of rope, which he casually tossed to Rex. "Here, honcho, see what you can do with this!" Rex wrapped the length of rope around his torso, allowing both hands to be free. Just as Rick said, he could overhear some chatter on the jeep's radio: "Come in, Swerve. I repeat: come in, Swerve!" "We just located four civilians who were trapped in a broken-down elevator at Mindstorms, Inc. We need a rescue vehicle so we can evacuate them out of the city as soon as possible." "Steer clear of the water. I don't know what's in there, but it's big, it's got tentacles, and it's not friendly." "Has anyone else seen these black vehicles?" Then, Rick turned around one last time to face the rookies, and Rex saw that his expression had turned uncharacteristically serious. "Oh, and one more thing," he added. "Just remember. These mutants are practically machines. Killer machines that are programmed to terminate you. Don't bother bargainin' or reasonin' with them, 'cause they don't understand any of that. They don't know fear. They will always go for the kill... so you gotta shoot first." Rex nodded firmly, remembering the savage behavior of the Mutant Lizards and Raptor he had encountered at Mercy Hospital. He locked and loaded his Sonic Screamer, prepared for battle. I'll stop at nothing until they're extinct once more, he thought with grim determination. ---- Surely, thought Roger Remous, we are cursed. For only a few weeks, everything was perfect in the Remous family household. Then suddenly, the world ended. Was it nuclear war? Catastrophic weather? A zombie apocalypse? No. It was the most ridiculous and ironic apocalypse a professional paleontologist such as himself could have imagined: dinosaurs. Out of nowhere, prehistoric beasts swept across the globe, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Roger's whole neighborhood was decimated. His house was flattened. And now, once again… Roger and his sister Amanda were the sole survivors of a terrible Remous family tragedy. His beloved wife Elisabeth, his son Tyler, his daughter Sarah, his newborn Theresa… gone. All gone. Now, Roger sat down next to Amanda. They were in the cafeteria of a hastily-constructed refugee facility, located in the freezing tundra where the cold-blooded dinosaurs could not get them. The quality of life here was dismal enough; these facilities were overcrowded and understaffed. But, Roger suspected that this was not the reason why Amanda had looked so sullen the past few days. He recognized this look… it was the same one she had throughout her years of post-traumatic depression. After all it took to bring her back, this was a very alarming development to Roger. In a vain attempt to lighten the mood, he picked up his sandwich and said, "If the blizzard outside doesn't kill us first, then this so-called 'food' will do the job." Amanda glanced up at Roger, seemingly asking how he could possibly be joking at a time like this. Didn't he understand the gravity of their situation? Roger sighed heavily, putting the sandwich down. "It helps me cope," he explained. "I have to be strong. Doubly so, for your sake as well as mine. If I'm not strong, then I'll surely collapse under the weight of all we've been through." Amanda looked down and started picking at her food in the same manner as someone who had already lost their appetite. "It has been more than anyone should bear," murmured Roger. "Even though there was nothing I could have done, I still feel survivor's guilt. I wish I could've been there for them. Maybe I could've saved them… or maybe we would've been united in death, instead of cruelly separated by fate. My children… my little children… Elisabeth… oh, Elisabeth…" In that moment of vulnerability, he became too choked up to continue. He was overwhelmed with emotion. He buried his face in his hands in a futile attempt to hide it from Amanda. How could he be strong for her like this? Amanda looked up in alarm, and then she leaned in and wrapped her arms around her brother in an effort to comfort him. Roger chuckled softly as he wiped away a tear on his cheek. "Perhaps I can't be strong for you any longer. Now, you're the one who's strong for me." Amanda intently locked eyes with Roger, reminding him that family looks out for one another. "Yes," said Roger. "I just hate the feeling of being powerless. As I've said before, we can't change the past… we're bound to feel helpless if we try. That's why I look out for you, because it's something I can do. That's why I have to be strong. I just wish there was more I could do." Roger and Amanda sat together in silent contemplation. Then, he glanced up at a poster hanging on a nearby wall. He stood up and walked over to it, taking off his glasses and cleaning their lenses, and got a closer look. It depicted a stylized capital letter D printed against a lime green background. He recognized that this was a recruitment poster for D.I.N.O. Attack. There were many of these posters hanging throughout the facilities, trying to recruit as many volunteers as they could so they would not have to rely so heavily on conscription. Some of the more cynical refugees even speculated that the less-than-stellar quality of life in these overcrowded facilities was deliberate, to encourage more people to join the team and escape this gilded cage. As Roger stared at the post, it dawned on him just how appealing the idea could be. "This is it, Amanda," he realized. "This is what we need." He turned to face his sister, who was looking at him quizzically. "Don't you see?" he exclaimed. "We don't have to be powerless! This is our chance to do something, not just sitting helplessly on the sidelines. We can do our part in ensuring that there will never again be a family taken by this apocalypse. No one will suffer the losses that we have. Children will grow up with their whole lives ahead of them… which Tyler, Sarah, and Theresa never got to experience. Never again will these mutants take the life of your dearly beloved better half, as they have with mine. Elisabeth… this is what she would have wanted." Amanda stood up and walked over to the poster, examining it alongside Roger. She gave her brother a skeptical look, a raised eyebrow asking how they would be qualified in fighting prehistoric mutants. "It's perfect, really," explained Roger. "I'm a paleontologist; I know these dinosaurs better than nearly everyone else in this cafeteria, and that's not an exaggerated claim. Furthermore, I've overheard reports of underground nests that Dino Attack has been hesitant to neutralize due to last year's seismic activities; since they've had difficulty finding Power Miners or Rock Raiders to recruit, I'm certain that my studies in seismology would prove useful there. I'd be able to guide the team, knowing which tunnels are safe and which would be prone to earthquakes or volcanic eruption. And you, Amanda… you already have a lot of combat experience, don't you? You know how to use a gun, a knife, a sniper rifle, and other weapons… you'd make a good soldier!" At this, Amanda winced and averted her gaze. Roger sighed. "I didn't mean… Look, I know we both promised that you'd leave that life behind for good. This… this is something different altogether. You'll be fighting as part of something far greater than ourselves… a fight to save the world and all those who live in it. You already have the skills… these are merely tools that can be used for good just as much as for evil. It's your choice how you use them… and deep down, you already know the right choice to make." Amanda looked up at Roger as he echoed the words that meant so much to her. "This isn't just turning over a new leaf… This is redemption." Now, Amanda seemed to seriously consider it. Roger watched as the gears turned in her head. "Once again, the best way to avenge a death is to save a life," said Roger. "And maybe… just maybe… one of us will do something significant. Something that will be written about in the history books for future generations. Everyone will know Amanda Remous as the hero, long after the world has forgotten about villains like Silencia Venomosa and Don Bricassius. And I promise to be right here beside you for as long as you need me." Now, Amanda no longer seemed depressed. She stood upright, her hands clenched into fists and a firm expression on her face. Roger saw her confidence restored, but where there was once cold indifference to the world around her, there was now a fierce determination. She looked… heroic, even. It was as though she came to terms with who she was and what she could become. She turned to face her brother and nodded. She was going to do it. Now that he had finally saved Amanda, it was time for Roger to save the world. "Welcome to the Dino Attack cause," declared Roger, "my dear sister." ---- "We need backup!" "Since when do T-Rexes shoot lasers from their eyes?" "Excuse me! I'm in need of medical attention!" "There's a raptor nest here, but some street gang keeps harassing us and won't let us neutralize it. Requesting authorization for... uh, aggressive negotiations." "I'll slay every last one of you dragons!" "Never give up, never surrender!" "Did Zed just join Dino Attack Team?" Just a few moments ago, the parking lot outside the ruined shopping center had been as quiet and still as the grave. Rex thought it was incredible how the arrival of Rick and his squad suddenly transformed the area into a chaotic battleground. He steered his Steel Sprinter through the maze of rubble and abandoned cars, but the remains of downtown's pre-apocalyptic days were the least of his concerns. All around him, dozens of ferocious Mutant Lizards snapped their jaws at him, sometimes missing by mere inches. The air was filled with snarling and hissing as the lizards pursued their prey. Rex took aim with his Sonic Screamer and fired. Without any prior experience in firearms, he struggled to aim the large weapon, but luckily, the lizards were so numerous that nearly every shot was guaranteed to hit a target. He already taken down a few, but for every one he shot down, another took its place. "Looks like we've stirred the hive!" he called out as a pack of Mutant Lizards chased after his Steel Sprinter. Fortunately, the sounds of growling and hissing gave way to the firing of the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher as Rick's Fire Hammer provided cover. "Yeah!" Rick's voice rang out on the radio. "How do you little buggers like that? There's plenty more where that came from, so come get some!" "There's plenty more where they came from, too!" retorted Walker, who drove past Rex with at least dozen Mutant Lizards pursuing him. Rex drove after Walker and tried to provide backup. He successfully shot down a few of the lizards, but was suddenly forced to swerve to the left to avoid a flying glob of acid. Turned around, he fired upon the lizard that had spat at him. As the mutant fell, Rex took note of its yellow scales. He remembered that the acid-spitting lizard he and Einstein had encountered in Mercy Hospital was also yellow. "Interesting," he murmured under his breath, wondering if the colors of the lizards' scales denoted particular strains of the mutation. "Hey, Walker!" Rex heard Lisa's voice on the radio. "Just pretend they're all carrying credit cards!" Seconds later, gunshots rang out as Walker started madly firing his pistol while yelling incoherently, followed by the sounds of screeching lizards. Rex laughed and shook his head, impressed that Lisa's idea had worked so successfully. Then, frowning, his glanced around and looked for Williams, whose Steel Sprinter was nowhere to be seen. He briefly listened to the comm chatter, hoping to hear Williams' voice. "... until SUDDENLY DINOSAURS." "That's odd. Are the trains still running?" "Bogey on my six. Get this reptile off of me!" "Dinosaur activity has been reported at Enchanted Island. I'd recommend sending a squad of six heroes to take care of the problem." "Last one to the Res-Q station is a rotten egg!" "Nah, I think that was Raines." "Dinosaurs, Francis! They're mutant dinosaurs, not dragons!" "What? Don't be an idiot!" "Hey, don't use that word. Say 'cool dude' instead." "Did they send me children when I asked for men?" "Williams!" Rex called out, feeling worried. "What's your stat-" He was cut off by the unexpected sound of music. A bombastic military march resonated through the air as another Steel Sprinter raced past him. Rex felt relieved when he recognized the ATV's driver as Williams. "Hey, are you playin' music, mate?" inquired Rick. "Why not? I figured it could boost morale and make the action even more exciting," explained Williams. "And it's workin', alright!" said Rick, laughing. "Why didn't I think of this? Remind me to install some subwoofers in the back of this Fire Hammer when we get back to the garage. Life calls for some adventure music!" Rex steered his Street Sprinter around an overturned pickup truck and was immediately greeted by a group of Mutant Lizards. They eyed him hungrily, sneering with sharp teeth. He aimed his Sonic Screamer at them but did not get a chance to shoot. A large van barreled through the parking lot towards them, plowing through everything in its path. Rex swerved out of the way even as the lizards scattered to avoid being run over. As it passed, he could see that the van was covered with makeshift armor composed of steel plates, lattices, and chains. The windows were barred and he could not make out the faces of those inside. Just as quickly as it had arrived, the armored van was gone. Incredulous, Rex spoke into the radio. "Rick, did you see that van? It doesn't look like a Dino Attack vehicle to me." "I'd reckon it's one of them survivors," suggested Rick. "Most civilians are still unaccounted for. Those who haven't been rescued and evacuated over the past two weeks learned to fend for themselves and make use of whatever scraps they can salvage." Rex nodded. "How resourceful," he murmured. "We could use more men like that in the team." "I found one of the nests!" reported Lisa. "It's over by-" Rex did not hear the rest of the message. A Mutant Lizard with black scales screeched shrilly before pouncing onto the front of his Steel Sprinter. Startled, Rex scrambled to point his Sonic Screamer at the creature, but with a swing of its tail, it knocked the weapon out of his hand. Growling, it bared its teeth at him. Thinking quickly, Rex slammed on the brakes. As the ATV skidded to a stop, the lizard was flung off his vehicle and landed beside a large black truck. The impact left the lizard with a large scratch across its snout. It was back on its feet in seconds and snarled angrily, ready to attack once more. Adrenaline kicked in as Rex found himself in the primal choice between fight or flight. His eyes narrowed, he gritted his teeth, and he balled his hands into fists as he made his decision. Although he had lost his weapon, he was not going to back down. In an attempt to intimidate his opponent, he yelled: "Get some, you freak of nature!" Then, a gaping red eye opened on the side of the large black form that, Rex now realized to his horror, was not actually a truck but rather the head of a colossal beast. Rudely awakened from its slumber, it produced a deep, guttural rumbling from its throat. Then, it lifted itself off the pavement and reached towards the heavens, bellowing an earth-shaking roar like the sound of thunder. The Mutant Lizard screeched in terror and scampered away as quickly as it could. Rex was awestruck by the sight, finding that he could not help but admire the behemoth. Such raw power, such unbound strength. A feral force of nature with the terrible wrath of a hurricane. "It's... beautiful..." he whispered, unable to pull his eyes away. "It's a MegaBloking T-Rex!" screamed Walker. "Retreat!" Rick laughed, almost maniacally. "Now this is more like it! C'mon, mates! Let's give it a burl!" "Are you mad?" gasped Lisa. "You're gonna get us all killed!" "What's the matter, sheila? Afraid of dyin' young? March forward, Williams! Tear those lizards apart, Lisa! Keep firing that pistol, Walker! And Rex, you-" Rex did not hear his order, as it was cut off by the Mutant T-Rex's second roar. He shook his head, snapping himself out of his awed stupor and back into a very dangerous present reality. The T-Rex leered down upon him, and Rex was willing to bet that, after being rudely awoken by screeching and shouting, it was not in a pleasant mood. The T-Rex raised one massive foot, easily the size of the Steel Sprinter, and Rex suddenly knew that he would be crushed like an insect if he did not act in that instant. He threw the ATV into reverse and floored it, backing away just before the foot came crashing down upon the pavement. The whole city block shook with the impact. Even if Rick thought that a team of rookies in ATVs could possibly take down a T-Rex on their first mission, Rex knew that he would be dead meat if he did not regroup with the others. Shifting the gear back into drive, he turned around and sped away, making a hasty retreat. The Mutant T-Rex roared in indignation. Daring to glance over his shoulder, Rex saw that the dinosaur was now pursuing him. Each footfall of the great beast felt like the firing of a cannon as it crushed everything in its path, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Although the Steel Sprinter had a head start, the small vehicle would quickly be overtaken. Unless... Rex remembered what Rick had said about the Steel Sprinter ATVs: their greatest strengths were speed and maneuverability. It would not be fast enough to escape a T-Rex, but a beast that size would have difficulty reacting to the movements of a smaller, more agile target. With that thought in mind, Rex waited until the T-Rex had nearly caught up to him before making a sudden sharp turn to the right. Sure enough, the T-Rex's bulk made it difficult for it to react, and so Rex was able to buy himself a few extra seconds as the dinosaur's momentum carried it in the wrong direction. In those extra seconds, Rex came up with a plan. He unlimbered the rope that he had wrapped around his torso as he made another sharp turn to throw off the T-Rex again, then began tying it into a lasso. In his head, he could see the scenario playing out perfectly as he used the Steel Sprinter's agility to his advantage, weaving in and out between the T-Rex's legs while wrapping the rope around its ankles. "The greater the beast," he murmured to himself, "the harder he will-" A shrill screech was the only warning Rex had before a dark shape hit him. Suddenly, he bore a great weight on his back and struggled to keep himself from falling off his vehicle. Straining his neck, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the face of a black-scaled Mutant Lizard staring back at him, with a familiar scratch across its snout. "Great," Rex muttered. "The last thing I needed was an uninvited hitchhiker." He tried to shake the lizard off his back, but it clung on tightly even as he swerved the Steel Sprinter left and right like a drunkard. The lizard tried to snap at him, so Rex responded with a quick punch to its snout. This only enraged the creature, which snarled and started to claw at him. Rex realized that he would not have a chance to use the rope against the T-Rex as he had planned if the Mutant Lizard killed him first. Gritting his teeth, he threw his lasso up at the hissing, scratching, biting creature on his back, and then tugged with all of his strength. The lasso had wrapped around the lizard's neck. Feeling itself caught, the lizard began writhing wildly in an attempt to get loose, but its erratic movements only got itself tangled in the rope. "Yes!" whispered Rex, grinning in triumph as the Mutant Lizard screeched again. And then everything went black. It was a strange sensation, to say the least. Rex could still hear, feel, and smell the world around him, so he knew that he was still alive and conscious, and there was nothing that hit him or could have otherwise impaired his vision. His eyes were wide open, and yet, as if he had been blindfolded, he had lost his sight and became trapped in a world of pitch-black darkness. He remembered a similar incident in Mercy Hospital. Could it be the black-scaled Mutant Lizard that was casting this field of shadow? With a feeling of panic, Rex realized that he was still driving his Steel Sprinter through a debris-filled city with a Mutant Lizard on his back and a Mutant T-Rex chasing him... and he was completely blind while doing so. He scrambled through the darkness to pick up his radio. "Mayday!" he shouted. "Mayday! I'm driving blind and-" CRASH! Rex's stomach lurched as he felt a brief sensation of flying through the air before crashing down upon the ground. At once, his sight returned to him, and he was seeing stars. He ached all over and felt as though a rockslide had fallen on his head. Still, he was alive, and he found the strength to slowly pick himself up and look around, trying to get his bearings. He found himself in what appeared to be a small deli, though much of the food was gone, most likely scavenged by survivors or dinosaurs. There was broken glass all over the floor, and he winced as he wondered if he had crashed through the window and potentially cut himself with glass shards. Fortunately, with most of his skin covered by his Dino Attack uniform, he appeared to be safe in that regard, though he was still sure that he must have been bruised from head to toe. He found his Steel Sprinter, overturned and nestled between a smashed table and pair of chairs. Although Rex was no mechanic, he was willing to wager that it was in no condition to drive. Searching through the wreckage, he recovered his radio. "This is agent Rex," he spoke into the radio. "My Steel Sprinter crashed in a deli on... uh..." He poked his head outside the building just for a moment to look for a street sign. "It's a deli called 'Tzenovich's Sandwiches' on Playwell Avenue. Please send help!" In response, he only received white noise. There was not even any comm chatter from other squads. Rex bit his lip. He prayed that the radio did not break during the crash. It appeared to be working, with a frequency set to 141.12, but for whatever reason, he could not contact his teammates. Worried, he paced around the deli as he considered his options. If he left the deli, he would leave himself at the mercy of a dangerous city overrun by dinosaurs. If he stayed in the deli, he had no idea how long it would take before he could be found, and would he be found first by Dino Attack or by a hungry dinosaur? Rex was so lost in his own thoughts that he nearly tripped over a body lying on the floor. Snapping back to reality, he regained his balance and then looked down to see who it was. It was the black-scaled Mutant Lizard. It was still alive, but the creature was so tangled in rope that it could barely move. Several large shards of glass were embedded in its tail, which bled onto the floor. Immediately, Rex knew what had to be done. He ran behind the counter and found a large knife for cutting bread and meat. Then, he walked back to the lizard, stood over its body, raised the knife, and prepared to end the miserable creature's life. The Mutant Lizard stared back up at him. It whimpered softly and slightly raised its injured tail off the floor in a futile effort to ward him off. Rex's hand stayed. Here he was, finally able to bring an end to this monster that had caused him so much trouble. This was doing his part to save the world from the threat of these beasts. So why was it so hard for him to finish the job? Rex shut his eyes, and his breathing became heavy. "Just do it!" he whispered to himself through clenched teeth, but his arm muscles would not obey. He stole just one more glance downward at the pitiful creature. There was no mistaking it now: there was fear in the Mutant Lizard's eyes. He could not handle it anymore. Rex threw the knife down upon the floor, and it rang with a clatter when it hit the tiles. Angry with himself for his own weakness, he let out a disgusted sound as he sat down beside the lizard and buried his face in his hands. Out there in the shopping center's parking lot, when it was Rex and four other soldiers up against a whole nest of Mutant Lizards, he did not find it difficult to shoot them down. It was different then. To him, they were a bunch of nameless, faceless, mindless monsters driven by urges to destroy and kill, and he was doing his proud duty to the world by exterminating them. The only thing holding him back was his inexperience in aiming firearms, for he surely could have taken even more lizards down if he had been trained beforehand. However, this particular Mutant Lizard, which now lay beside him in a tangled mess of rope, was more than just a faceless shadow. Twice, it had pounced onto his Steel Sprinter and tried to kill him. The first time, they inadvertently woke up a T-Rex. The second time, they crashed into the deli and left him stranded without radio contact. For all intents and purposes, Rex knew that he had more reason to want to kill this particular lizard for all the trouble that it had caused him. And yet, when he stood there over its fallen, vulnerable form, and they looked at each other eye-to-eye... he suddenly found himself unable to perform the act of ending this creature's life. But why? Rex glanced back at the Mutant Lizard beside him, which was still staring warily at him. "Why," he murmured, "would a mindless killing machine know fear?" He exhaled slowly as an epiphany dawned upon him. Dino Attack's purpose is to destroy these monsters, he thought. How can we achieve that goal if we let ourselves become monsters in the process? The tremors of great footsteps snapped Rex out of his thoughts. He looked out the broken window to see a Mutant T-Rex, most likely the very one that they had woken up, prowling Playwell Avenue. The beast's red eyes scanned the street and shops for prey, and Rex guessed that it was hoping to find those two pesky nuisances who dared to disturb its sleep. I'm too close to the window, thought Rex. If it sees me, it can just poke its snout in and swallow me whole! Slowly, he rose to his feet, then took a couple steps back. He froze when he heard the high-pitched crunch of glass beneath his boots. The T-Rex instantly turned its head in his direction, and he could feel its red eyes boring into him. Once more, the primal instinct of flight or fight kicked in, and this time, Rex knew that flight was the appropriate response. He turned on his heel and sprinted towards the deli counter, as far away from the broken window as he could get. However, halfway there, he skidded to a stop and glanced back at the Mutant Lizard on the floor, still helpless and tied up in rope. Already, the T-Rex had lumbered towards the deli. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered. Before he could second-guess himself, Rex was running back to the Mutant Lizard's form. He grabbed the ropes and tugged with all of his might, dragging the lizard across the floor and towards the counter. He did not get very far before the T-Rex poked its head in through the window. A pair of great nostrils loomed over Rex and the lizard, sniffing the air between them. Razor-sharp jaws were mere inches away, and he could taste its rancid breath as hot air washed over him. Fortunately, the window was not large enough to allow the beast to get any closer. Beads of sweat dripping down his forehead, Rex continued to tug at the ropes and pull the Mutant Lizard to safety, putting as much distance as he could between them and the T-Rex's jaws. He did not stop until they were both hidden behind the counter. The Mutant T-Rex let out a low growl as its prey literally slipped out from under its nose. Then, to Rex's relief, it pulled its head out of the deli and resumed lumbering down Playwell Avenue. While he had no doubt that the T-Rex could have easily ripped the building from its foundation, he guessed that, perhaps, the towering behemoth had decided that a pair of scrawny snacks would not have been worth the effort. Rex's heartbeat did not return to normal until the beast's great footfalls were distant and no longer shook the street. Only then did he let out a long sigh, easing his tense muscles. The trail of blood along the floor drew his attention back to the Mutant Lizard's tail. He pursed his lips. It would have been pointless to save the lizard from the T-Rex's jaws only to have the poor creature die from blood loss. He bent down and gently laid one hand on the lizard's tail. Then, with the other, he carefully grabbed the largest of the glass shards embedded in its flesh, then slowly pulled it out. As he predicted, the lizard screeched and writhed in pain, but he kept his hand placed firmly on the tail, holding it in place so it would not hurt itself. "Hush," he whispered. "I know this hurts, but I'm trying to help you." He knew that the lizard would not understand his words, but he hoped it could understand his tone. One by one, in a slow and meticulous procedure, Rex removed each glass fragment from the lizard's tail. They left deep, open cuts in the flesh, so when he was finished, Rex ripped off his left shirt sleeve and wrapped the fabric around the lizard's tail. It was, by no means, a sterile bandage, and he wondered if the wounds would become infected, but at the very least he hoped that it would help stop the bleeding. "There we go," he murmured, gently patting the lizard. "That's better, isn't it?" The lizard stared at him, then quickly glanced at a few strips of corned beef laid out on top of the counter. Rex nodded, understanding what it wanted. He stood, took the corned beef, and put it down beside the lizard. It sniffed tentatively at the meat, then snapped it up in a couple quick bites. Once more, Rex sat down beside the Mutant Lizard. He took out his radio and looked it over one more time. He sighed, shaking his head. It did not appear to be damaged. No dents, no snapped parts, no missing pieces. It just simply was not picking up anything at the frequency of 141.12... "Wait a second, that's not right." Rex blinked as a realization dawned upon him. For several minutes, he adjusted a dial and set the frequency to various different numbers before finally settling upon 140.15. Instantly, the radio crackled to life with comm chatter: "Don't be ridiculous. He's got to be, what, a hundred years old by now? I don't care if he'd be up for a quest next year; he's too old to be fighting dinosaurs." "Seriously, are you two still arguing about that?" "I swear, this whole thing is just a shameless rip-off of that one movie with the dragons!" "I love the smell of dinosaurs in the morning!" "How many times do I have to tell you? This comm chatter is for serious discussions only. No more movie quotes or pop-culture references!" "Ah, you're no fun anymore!" "I repeat: come in, Rex, do you read me?" "Backup has arrived!" "Loud and clear, Rick!" Rex spoke into the radio. "This is Rex!" Rick responded with a hearty laugh. "Honcho! You had us - uh, I mean, you had the other rookies worried! What happened?" "I got blindsided by a Mutant Lizard and crashed my Steel Sprinter," explained Rex. "I've got more bruises than I'd care to mention, but otherwise I'm okay. The Steel Sprinter's busted, though, and it took a while to get the radio working again... the crash must have knocked it off the right frequency. I'm in a deli called Tzenovich's Sandwiches, located on Playwell Avenue." "Stay where you are, mate," ordered Rick. "We're comin' for you! Now, just hang on tight, and we'll be there as soon as we can!" With a sigh of relief, all tension seemed to leave Rex's body. They were on their way, and he would be rescued. Then, he turned back to look at the Mutant Lizard. It still stared at him, unable to move or escape from the rope knotted around its form. Rex frowned. When Rick and the rookies arrived, they would surely notice that the creature was still alive, and he could not be sure that they would understand why. Rex sighed. "You're nothing but trouble, aren't you?" Slowly, he rose to his feet and returned to the broken window, where he retrieved the knife. Then, he walked back to the lizard, bent down, and solemnly raised the blade once more. I can't take any chances, he decided. I have to do this now. And he cut the rope. No sooner had he done so that the Mutant Lizard sprang to its feet again and then pounced upon him, tackling him to the floor. Caught by surprise, Rex dropped the knife and now lay pinned beneath the lizard's claws. His heart pounded in his ears and he swallowed hard, knowing that he had just made a foolish mistake and was about to pay the ultimate price. The lizard locked eyes with him and pulled back its lips, hissing as it bared its teeth. And then, to Rex's astonishment, the Mutant Lizard turned and scampered away. Rex lay on the floor for a few more moments, unable to do anything more than blink in incredulity. He could not believe what just happened. The Mutant Lizard did not go for the kill. When his breathing returned to normal, he stood and walked to the broken window. He only caught a brief glimpse of the black-scaled Mutant Lizard, with his left sleeve still wrapped around part of its tail. It briefly glanced back in his direction before quickly disappearing into a dark alley. Where was it going? Off to stir up more trouble for Dino Attack Team, he supposed. Despite himself, Rex chuckled softly as he shook his head. "That's right. That's what you are. Trouble." Only a few minutes later, Rex heard a triumphant militaristic march announce the arrival of the rest of his squad. The Fire Hammer, followed by three Steel Sprinters, parked in front of the deli. Rick climbed out of the jeep, looked Rex over, and grinned. "Well, there you are, honcho. Too bad you missed out on all the fun!" Rex wiped sweat off his forehead and shrugged. "I think I've had plenty of fun today." Walker rolled his eyes. "Yeah, 'fun' is one way to describe it." Williams smiled gently. "It's a relief to see that you're alright, Rex." Lisa ran up to him with a worried look on her face and started asking a dozen questions too quickly for him to answer any. "Oh my First Builders! What happened to you? Are you okay? Were there any dinos? Why wasn't your radio working? I was trying a bunch of radio frequencies to reach you! What happened to your shirt? You're missing a whole sleeve!" Rick laughed, patting Rex on the shoulder. "I see you just wanted to show off a little manly muscle, eh? Good on you! Keep followin' my lead, and you'll be an elite agent in no time!" "I don't think being sleeveless has anything to do with ranking," muttered Walker. "And that little bugger who blindsided you," continued Rick, "I trust you took care of it, right?" Rex nodded firmly. "I took care of it, sir." That was all he said. "Good, good," said Rick, grinning. "Now, you see, I could have easily beaten it with my bare hands the same way I wrestled 'em crocs back home, but I imagine you city folk don't see much of them, so this was a very good learnin' experience for you!" "Yes," murmured Rex. "It was a very good learning experience." Rick clapped his hands together. "Alright, rookies! I'd say this trainin' mission went brilliantly! Let's get back to base, because you earned a good rest. Be up bright and early tomorrow mornin', though, because we still got plenty to do! Another day, another adventure!" With a beckoning gesture, Lisa said, "Come on, Rex. Let's take you away from this place." Since they were now one vehicle short, Lisa volunteered to let Rex drive her Steel Sprinter while she took the passenger seat in Rick's Fire Hammer. Dino Attack Team would later retrieve the crashed ATV from the deli and bring it back to base for repairs. As he climbed onto the Steel Sprinter, Rex leaned in close to Williams, who was parked right next to him. "What do you think about all of this?" he whispered. Williams frowned. "What do you mean?" "Exterminating the Mutant Dinos," explained Rex. "I mean, I understand why we're doing it... after all, they created the apocalypse... but maybe they're not the monsters we make them out to be. Perhaps they're just wild and confused animals trying to act on instinct in a world that's 65 million years beyond them. I don't think Rick, Walker, or Lisa would understand, and I'm asking you because... well..." Williams chuckled. "I strike you as the sort of fellow who would rather see the dinosaurs as majestic, beautiful beings than dark, evil monsters?" "Well... yes." Williams shook his head. "I cannot deny that what we're dealing with is no ordinary outbreak of prehistoric reptiles. For whatever reason, these aren't like the dinosaurs at Adventurers' Island. These are mutants, and they seem far more volatile and vicious than their natural brethren." "I know," sighed Rex, "but that being said... perhaps we should be focusing on capturing them and studying them so we can learn about their true nature and finding a cure for the mutation... you know, instead of just mindlessly killing them. It's the apocalypse, but we can't afford to sacrifice our humanity and become monsters in our fight for survival." "Darkness cannot drive out darkness," murmured Williams. "Only light can do that." Rex's eyes widened, and he nodded. "Yes, exactly!" Williams smiled gently. "For what it's worth, Rex, I do believe that, in the end, life will find a way. It always does. And life... life is an awfully big adventure." As the Dino Attack agents started up their engines and departed from Playwell Avenue, Rex shot one last glance down the dark alley where the Mutant Lizard had gone. He thought he might have imagined it, but he saw a pair of eyes in the shadows watching him leave. For some reason, Rex thought, I've got a feeling that I haven't seen the last of that Mutant Lizard. He continued to let his mind wander as he followed the others back to Dino Attack Headquarters. If we ever saw each other again, would we recognize one another? Yes, of course we would. So long as my left sleeve is still wrapped around that lizard's tail, I'd certainly recognize him. When we return to base, maybe I'll have the opportunity to speak with the founding members about this. I could try appealing to Specs' scientific nature. Perhaps, even, they could grant me permission to catch that little troublemaker the next time I see him. That way, we could study him and learn the truth about this mutation. We could certainly learn a lot more from a living specimen. Who knows? I might even learn how to train a Mutant Lizard! Rex smiled to himself as he reflected upon Williams' words. Life is an awfully big adventure. ---- Link to review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/29406-review-dino-attack-rpg/

A young Vortixx hailing from Xia, Roodaka has traveled far and wide across the Matoran Universe to lend a healing hand to those in need. With her extensive knowledge of medicine, she provides cures to a wide variety of ailments, from the poison of Lerahk to the venom of Visorak. Her staff generates a protective barrier to block incoming attacks, while her Rhotuka can restore anything to its original state. Her reputation is so great, the name "Roodaka" has become synonymous with "mercy". No one is sure why a Vortixx, a member of the race that deals only in business and profit, would go out of her way to act so altruistically. Rumors have circulated that she once saw a vision... a dark mirror of the person she could become. Perhaps then, Roodaka has adopted this solemn duty out of determination to never follow that path into darkness. ----- When BS01 announced their "Legends and Infamy" contest, I immediately had an idea for which villainous character would be fun to reimagine as a hero. Turned out it was quite the popular idea, since two other entries also tackled the same subject. With a villain as memorable as Roodaka, that shouldn't be too surprising. The canonical Roodaka is the archetypal seductive femme fatale, visually illustrated by her design that emphasizes certain features. With that in mind, my method of taking the character and making her heroic meant distancing her from her original sultry appearance, especially since there's a certain trope for associating heroes with modest clothing and villains with revealing outfits. Therefore, if the original set looked like she was wearing a silver bikini, then this MOC would be wearing a white dress instead. That's where I got the idea for a more angelic visual motif, since the good pure angel is about as far as you can get from the evil sexy seductress. In turn, interpreting the design of an angel in a series with a futuristic aesthetic led to some loose inspiration drawn from Mercy in Overwatch, as you might be able to tell from this MOC's name. I even sketched some quick concept art just to get my thoughts down on paper. I considered including more angelic qualities such as a halo or wings, but I thought this would risk taking it too far; still, I decided to keep the visual motif by incorporating the design of feathered wings into her staff and dress. Imagining the MOC in my head was the easy part. Actually building it was an entirely different story. Since my entire BIONICLE collection is currently boxed up in storage, I was restricted to using LEGO Digital Designer and its limited library. I put together an initial "sketch" model, just to establish the "bottom of the barrel" and see what needed improvement (basically, everything). As goofy and terrible as the "sketch" model looks, it was actually really useful for teaching me what I needed to focus on, such as anatomy. All in all, I'm very satisfied with the end result. I haven't done nearly as much BIONICLE MOCing since the end of G1, so the BS01 contest gave me a good opportunity to stretch these muscles. I think I've struck a ideal balance between building an original model from scratch and keeping it recognizably Roodaka, with several pieces (such as the gears in the staff) chosen specifically as a callback to the original set. It's far from perfect, and the other contest entries blow mine out of the water... but for me personally, this was a very successful MOC, and I'm happy with how it turned out. Some other images of interest: Closeup on the head Closeup on the Rhotuka Alternate model with Roodaka's original color scheme Roodaka versus Roodaka Full Brickshelf gallery Comments are appreciated. Constructive criticism is welcome.

A LEGO set called "T-Rex Transport" that includes an adult T-Rex, a baby theropod, a truck with a detachable cage trailer, a vehicle with a predominantly blue and grey color scheme, and one female minifig in a set otherwise populated with male minifigs? Huh, I could've sworn that LEGO already released this set 18 years ago...

I'm afraid I don't know too much about this... but I do know who to ask! The folks over at [REDACTED] are very good at figuring out how to run old LEGO games (like Rock Raiders or Soccer Mania) on newer computers. If there's not already a topic for supporting Soccer Mania on Windows 10, you can always ask them yourself. I'm sure they'll be able to help you out! EDIT: I can no longer in good faith recommend this website. I am sorry.

No, I meant what I said: the Electric Spiders (named here). Note that the Electric Spider and Fikou-Nui share the "Roborider head" abdomen and "ball joint" eyes. Aside from that, it's admittedly difficult to see any more similarities from the tiny sprite size, but it does lend enough weight to Pereki's hypothesis that it seems rather likely that the rest of their bodies (minus the larger abdomen, legs, and jaws of the Fikou-Nui) should be built very similarly. Judging from Pereki's recreation, the Cliff Bug has a considerably different and much simpler build compared to the Electric Spider and Fikou-Nui. EDIT: I figured I'd share a preview of what I've been working on recently... EDIT (again): Well, since my project fell by the wayside a while ago, I'll just share the LXF files for QftT Rahi and TLoMN Rahi.

The last time I wrote a long post about BIONICLE Heroes on BZPower, the forums got hacked later that night and my post was deleted in the aftermath. Let's hope I have better luck this time... BIONICLE Heroes has a lot going for it. You may certainly find it cathartic to demolish your way past waves and waves of Bohrok, Visorak, and Vahki, which could be just as mindlessly addictive as munching on junk food snacks. There is some replayability in the form of certain collectibles that cannot be collected until Vezon and Fenrakk are defeated and all the Toa Inika have been upgraded, so completionists will find some longevity. The graphics are rather nice for the time, with the large environments giving Voya Nui a similar scale of mystery and history as the island of Mata Nui, and so many objects in the game can be built with LEGO, BIONICLE, and Technic pieces from your own collection. If you find slapstick to be funny, the cutscenes will give you plenty of laughs. The soundtrack is simply fantastic, with each zone having its distinct musical style so that you're bound to find at least one you'll enjoy. Honestly, what's the one major problem with the game? It's the game itself. It's a third-person shooter, which means the whole game is focused on combat and shooting. In this genre, a major source of challenge is being able to accurately aim at your enemies so you can shoot them. This game strips away that challenge by having the Toa automatically aim and lock onto a particular on-screen enemy or object, indicated by the green line of sight. The result is that you're just mindlessly pressing the shoot button over and over while the Toa does all the work of actually aiming. Think about how aimbots are considered cheating in online multiplayer games, and then realize that this entire game has an aimbot that can never be turned off. To be fair, you have games like Metroid Prime where you can lock onto enemies to keep them at the center of the screen and make aiming much easier. But, Metroid Prime is classified as a "first-person adventure" game, not a first-person shooter... the combat is not the main focus of this game. Besides, the lock-on is manual, not automatic; the player doesn't let the game do all the work for them. Additionally, in the Metroid Prime games released for the Wii (Corruption and Trilogy), the lock-on only keeps the enemy on the center of the screen... it's still up to the player to actually aim at the enemy. Last, but certainly not least... even with the lock-on, Metroid Prime still offers a significant challenge. BIONICLE Heroes doesn't offer that challenge. Enemies don't deal a lot of damage per hit, you can fully heal yourself by picking up a Kanohi mask, and your only penalty for losing all your health is losing your current Toa Inika. You can even take advantage of the latter two, since you can switch to a Toa whose mask is nearby, lose that Toa, and then immediately regain that Toa upon collecting his/her mask. But the worst offender of all is Hero Mode. As soon as you collect a certain number of Technic pieces, Hero Mode is automatically activated. Your Toa turns golden, your health is fully replenished, a shockwave damages all enemies within a certain radius, the music switches to one particular track, your attacks receive a huge boost in strength, and you are complete invincible. This lasts until you activate a Golden Constraction. In Piraka boss battles, this may happen right away... but in the levels themselves, you'll fill up your Hero Mode meter LONG before finding a Golden Constraction, because enemies and destructible objects drop a lot of Technic pieces. Hero Mode strips away any semblance of challenge from the game. You'll spend the majority of your gameplay completely invincible with just one song playing on loop ad nauseam (which is all that it takes to turn an exciting song into an ear-grating annoyance). You know what's even worse? As I said, this is automatically activated. You have no choice in the matter... well, actually, you do. The only way to avoid Hero Mode is to deliberately avoid picking up Technic pieces. After blowing a bunch of enemies to smithereens and having their pieces litter the floor in front of you, you need to sit there and wait for them to fade away before progressing. That's not fun. What's particularly surprising is that the game wasn't always like this. The PC demo, available for download before the game was released, has a different version of Hero Mode. You still fill up the meter just as fast, and you still get all the perks of invincibility and such, but... it's only temporary. Using Hero Mode drains the Hero Mode meter, and once it's down to zero, you're back to normal. Therefore, instead of being automatically activating Hero Mode, filling the meter gives you the option to manually activate Hero Mode. This is a small difference with profound impact. It changes Hero Mode from "thing that makes the majority of the game way too easy" to "temporary power-up to be used only when you need it". This is so much better... why did they change it before release? The result is that BIONICLE Heroes offers no challenge. It's mindless. I can't even call it an experience, because that would imply that I experienced something. And it's a real shame, because I can tell that a lot was put into the presentation of the game... like I said, the graphics are nice and the soundtrack is amazing. If TT Games had gone with the LEGO Star Wars style of gameplay, they could've had something fun here. But in their effort to try a different genre, only to dumb it down for the little kiddies, they lost everything that makes that genre enjoyable to play. Overall, I give the PC and console versions of BIONICLE Heroes a "junk food" out of 10. It's tasty and addictive, but lacks substance and satisfaction that a real fulfilling meal would give you. If you want my advice... play the Nintendo DS version instead. It's a completely different game. It's a first-person shooter, which is the most obvious difference... but it strips away almost all of the PC/console versions' problems with difficulty and challenge (or rather, lack thereof). There is no automatic aiming. Enemies can and will kill you if you're not careful. The only way to recover health is to find a few seconds of cover, which is often easier said than done when enemies are firing at you from all over the room. And Hero Mode? It's just like in the PC demo, but it doesn't even make you invincible! The only major criticism of the DS version is that its controls are a little janky... using the touch screen to aim doesn't feel right to me, while using A/B/X/Y to aim feels more comfortable at the sacrifice of precision and accuracy. But still, if you want a game that actually challenges you and therefore feels satisfying to beat, pick up this version. I also hear that the Game Boy Advance version is pretty fun, though I haven't played that one myself so I can't vouch for it one way or the other.

Very interesting! I can't believe I've never noticed that the Electric Spider and Fikou-Nui share the same basic build... then again, since we've only seen one from tiny sprites and the other from a single screenshot and a low-resolution video (up until last weekend), perhaps it shouldn't be that surprising after all. Either that, or it's a real testament to how much adding a large toothy lower jaw changes the design from rather cute (i.e. Electric Spider) to rather monstrous (i.e. Fikou-Nui). Good call with the Roborider body piece. I know I've previously had to work around its exclusion from LDD when building the Muaka, Kane-Ra, and Kuma-Nui for the Eurobricks "Official LEGO Sets made in LDD" index... and it's a bit of a pain to retain both its shape and functionality. Surprising that unique Technic elements such as this haven't been seen in years (the most likely reason for its exclusion from LDD); I imagine it could be useful.

While we're on the topic of Rahi from The Legend of Mata Nui (and Quest for the Toa, for that matter), I was just trying to recreate the Small Bug, Scorpion, and Fikou-Nui in LEGO Digital Designer. Given the fact that I could only work with screenshots currently publicly available on the internet (since I do not have the software necessary to view the models in a 3D viewer), I'm sure there are a few inaccuracies... plus the lack of BIONICLE heads and masks in LDD means that there is a simple placeholder used instead. But, it's considerably closer to the original model than the recreation by kocour454's friend, so you might still find it useful as a "starting ground" for constructing the Fikou-Nui model and instructions for this database. Also there's an additional disembodied Fikou-Nui leg in there for reference purposes so please just ignore that. [LXF download link]

I admit to being biased towards orchestral music... and I also admit that I prefer Christine Lorentzen over Niels Brinck... but even with that said, when compared to the original, I feel like this new version is a much better fit for the weight and drama of the 2008 story. I hope to see more collaborations between Cryoshell and the Budapest Art Orchestra in the future. It would certainly be interesting hearing orchestrated takes on other Cryoshell songs written for BIONICLE, such as "Creeping In My Soul" and "Closer To The Truth".

I have been waiting over a decade to listen to "Follow the Light / Mask of Time". It was well worth the wait. Nathan Furst could have released this track on its own without the rest of the score, and I would still have been more than satisfied. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate "Bad Things Happen In The Desert"? Not because of the music itself... now, don't get me wrong, the music is fantastic. I'm talking about the track title. I am aware that it is a direct quote from the film's dialogue, but... when taken out of context and used as a music track title, it sounds like Nathan Furst gave up trying to come up with a creative title and instead just resorted to poorly describing the relevant scene. "This track will be titled 'Faithful Matoran to Mighty Toa', because it represents the growth of these characters and the new roles that they must play. This track will be titled 'Heart of Metru Nui', because Lhikan reveals that the Matoran, not himself, are what the Toa are destined to protect. And this track will be titled... uh... 'Bad Things Happen In The Desert'. Because... um... bad things happen. And it's in the desert."

Awww, thanks for the mention! It's always great to see familiar faces on these forums. ---- I can still hardly believe it's been over a decade. In that time, I've had a lot of treasured memories here on BZPower. Sure, whatever contest this topic was hosting has long since ended, but I still feel like sharing my experiences. 2006-2008 was around the time of my peak activity, during which I'd spend long hours in LEGO General Discussion chatting with Onuki, Tahraau, Tacku, TakunuvaC01, -Sidorak- and others about Rock Raiders, LEGO Racers, and LEGO Island. They were all very friendly, knowledgeable, and all-around great people to hang out with. It was like a prototype version of [REDACTED], minus all the crazy community antics. I've also got a lot of cherished memories in the Library forum, even if my own writing was laughable at best (and not in the intended way). It was always lots of fun reading stories from well-known BZPower authors like SPIRIT and GaliGee. Darth Jaller, Primis, and I were a pretty tightly-knit group back in the day, always bouncing ideas off of one another and providing feedback on each others' stories (from The Search to the Mask of Light to The Rock Raiders Meet BIONICLE to Ask Hafu). I also remember that Macku: Toa of Bubbles was always there to provide constructive criticism in the most sincere and friendly manner possible. And hey, maybe my writing wasn't all that bad... more recently, Scene 24: Johnny Thunder Blows This Taco Stand quickly became one of my favorite BZPower memories when it won the LEGO Movie Caveat Scriptor Contest. But undoubtedly, my favorite BZPower memory of all time would have to be Dino Attack RPG. Shortly after joining in 2004, BZPower introduced me to play-by-post games in the form of Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG, during which I was taken under the wing of its host Victor Draven and became close friends with fellow players Kotua In Space and Chronicler Of Ko-Koro. A year later, I wanted to try my own hand at hosting a LEGO RPG, and with the help of Hahli Husky, I made that dream a reality. For over seven years, from 2005 through 2012, I had the pleasure of being the host to Dino Attack RPG. It was confusing as heck. It was filled to the brim with death, despair, betrayal, violence, and destruction. It was wacky and nonsensical... cliched and trope-overdosed... overly dark and dramatic for a LEGO-based game. And I loved every moment of it. But the most important part about Dino Attack RPG was not anything that I had done... it was my fellow players. By all accounts, Dino Attack RPG should have been doomed to failure, since it was based on a relatively unpopular LEGO theme in a forum where LEGO RPGs die rather quickly (even the popular Alpha Team RPG had died a slow death by 2006). What kept this one alive all those years were the devoted players who kept coming back day after day, developing their own characters and stories while always building upon the contributions of everyone else. We grew up together, learned from one another, matured as writers and as people, united by our desire to see our silly game reach a dignified conclusion. Friends like Jacks, Atton Rand, Andrewnuva199, that guy from that show, Brikman McStudz, and avmatoran... they are what made Dino Attack RPG special. I'm hardly active on BZPower anymore these days, but it's telling that I'm still in touch with my old Dino Attack RPG buddies through other websites. Thanks for all the memories.

Worth noting, since it had not yet been directly confirmed in this thread: Jala does mention Lhii in Mata Nui Online Game... but only in the German translation. He gives this response to the question "Wer bist du? (Who are you?)". While he only says "I am Jala, Captain of the Guard" in the English version (before changing the subject to talk about the Rahi attacks and the Tren Krom redoubt), here he goes on to mention that he is of the tribe of the surfer Lhii and that he stands beside Vakama during "the great Haka dance" (which might be the German translation of the Great Takara EDIT: read Pereki's post below for more info): "Ich bin Jala, Kommandant der Wache und vom Stamm der Lhii Surfer. Beim großen Haka-Tanz stehe ich Vakama zur Seite. Meine Aufgabe ist es, die Stadt gegen die Rahi zu schützen. Ich merkte schon lange, dass sie immer stärker wurden, aber keiner in der Stadt schenkte mir Glauben - bis die Bestien die Kluft von Tren Krom stürmten." It's nothing new, but we have another Lhii-namedropping source dating back to 2001. Still no information on his physical appearance or pre-Encyclopedia mention of his death, which I'm guessing were details retroactively made canon by Greg Farshtey.

Sorry for making you do something you hate. I did not mean to disparage your work; on the contrary, I did say that I thought it was fantastic. If the contest were a different theme (for example, putting a new spin on Gen 1 scenes and characters), I might've even voted for it instead. Technically, anything could adhere to the contest theme, so long it was something that the artist/builder/writer wanted to see in Gen 2. So, if someone wanted to see a scene in Gen 2 consisting entirely of Tiribomba saying his name over and over again, it would be fair game for this contest. With full seriousness, that is the impression that I got from "An Axe to Grind" - whoever submitted this to the contest must have really liked 2006 and wanted to see it faithfully recreated in Gen 2. Perhaps a little too faithfully, for my own personal tastes as a voter in this contest. I suppose I was just thinking of how "An Axe to Grind" compared to its fellow entry "Wairuha, Uniter of Storms". Wairuha is instantly recognizable as a Gen 1 character, but (even despite the artist's own artistic style) is also instantly recognizable as a Gen 2 reinterpretation of that character. In contrast, Hewkii and Zaktan adhere so closely to their Gen 1 counterparts that they are not instantly recognizable as Gen 2 reinterpretations and the key word is "instantly" - the first-glance impression is that it is Gen 1 artwork with some artistic license. The mask, the torso, the shoulder armor, the weapon... they all looked just like the Gen 1 set to me. I even dismissed the prevalence of red in Hewkii's color scheme as stylistic choice; seeing color schemes that do not precisely match the original set is nothing new in BIONICLE fanart. Of course, as I said before, the CCBS influence can be seen upon closer inspection. You even pointed out that taking the trans-red color from his weapon and turning it into a tertiary color for his overall color scheme is reminiscent of the transparent colors in the Gen 2 sets, and I can definitely see that now. Unfortunately, the problem is that you had to point this out to me, and it's like having to explain a joke to someone who didn't get it. After all, I had no idea what the artist intended... I only knew what I saw before my own eyes as I looked at each entry. Again, I think "An Axe to Grind" is fantastic, and I commend you for your hard work and well thought-out approach. But, as a voter, it simply wasn't what I wanted to see in Gen 2.

Personally, it was a tough choice between "Tapestry of Time" and "The Brothers Corrupted", but I ultimately went with the latter. On the surface, it's a really simple concept... just fancy portraits of Ekimu and Makuta. And yet, the longer I look at it, the more I get a strong vibe of history, mythology, and culture... a sense of the crucial world-building elements that Gen 2 sorely needed. Perhaps it's because it looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings, which is known for its rich world-building of Middle Earth. I really appreciate all the detail that went into "Tapestry of Time". Seeing Gen 1 retold entirely through a series of images is wonderfully nostalgic. Even seeing the Muaka and Bahrag (two of my favorite Gen 1 sets) placed side-by-side hit home for me. In the end, I decided not to vote for it because I was looking for a Gen 2 entry that could stand on its own merit... rather than relying on Gen 1, which is an unfortunately common theme among entries in all three categories of this contest. For example, "An Axe to Grind" is simply fantastic... but, let's be honest with ourselves, it's just Gen 1 fanart that was submitted into a Gen 2 contest. Aside from Hewkii's lower arm loosely resembling the CCBS system (but this could just as easily be attributed to stylistic choices), there's nothing about this that says "what I wanted to see in Gen 2" to me.

"Kulta Kal and the Skull Army" won my vote as soon as I had laid eyes on it. I always felt that Gen 2 had some fantastic concept artwork (especially the more tribal-evocative designs), and sadly the final sets did not always do it justice. Somehow, this entry not only recaptured the look and feel of the Skull Army (while showing off builds that are impressive, yet still believable as sets), but could also combine them all to form the Kulta Kal model, just as implied by the original concept artwork. It might not necessarily be the most original entry, but it accomplished exactly what it set out to do. "Bionicle G2 Master Builder Set" was also another great concept that I would have also loved to see in Gen 2. Unfortunately, much like the original Gen 1 Master Builder set, some of the models in this entry are hit-or-miss. If the execution was as strong as the concept, I think it could have gotten my vote instead.