Spare No Expense

[Enzo Matrix]

The sun was just rising on Cinnabar Island when Matrix and AndrAIa's boat approached one of the few docks on the island. Almost immediately they could tell this place was much more low tech than any of the Empire's civilizations scattered across the Vasty Deep. But to them that was a good sign. It meant there was likely little to no Imperial influence here, and that was what they wanted in a place where they could settle down for the time being.

Matrix jumped from the boat, landing on the dock while AndrAIa stayed at the controls. He found a few cleats and tied the boat's ropes to them, securing it tightly to the dock. As he stood up, he heard the motor die down. AndrAIa hopped down to the dock with little trouble, landing next to Matrix.

"Quiet, here," Matrix commented, looking around the area they'd arrived in.

The small port looked like it was home to two or three fishing vessels, at most, though none of them were there at the moment. Instead the small pier was completely empty, except for a some fishing supplies scattered about. Matrix stepped over a few nets, with AndrAIa following him off the dock and onto dry land.

"It's a little creepy," AndrAIa had to reply, feeling that something in the air just wasn't right.

They took a few steps onto the dirt, observing the area as they did. The dock simply led to a dirt trail, giving them the option to go left or right. If they continued straight, they would walk right into a large rock wall situated about fifty yards from them. Plenty of bushes and shrubbery were scattered along the side of the trail, as well. Matrix paused for a moment, wondering which route to take, before suddenly his instincts kicked in. All of a sudden, he knew they weren't alone.

"AndrAIa!" Matrix immediately shouted, holding his left arm out to the side, preventing her from walking past him. She got the point and stopped right away.

As he made his realization the cliff face began to move, and three rock beings stepped out of their perfect camouflage. Matrix couldn't believe he missed something hiding in plain sight like that, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. In an instant, Gun was in his right hand, while he was positioning himself between these creatures and AndrAIa. AndrAIa, herself, was reaching for her expandable trident on her belt.

Matrix's robotic eye was quickly scanning and assessing these three foes, but as that was happening more unusual creatures began emerging from hiding places all over the area. He couldn't believe he'd walked them right into an ambush. His eye told him that the center, snake-like rock being was called an Onix, and that it was flanked on either side by Geodudes. He looked around to see they were completely surrounded, and even saw a serpent creature he quickly identified as a Gyrados floating in the water, behind their boat. They were trapped.

One of the creatures stepped forward, a blue skinned dinosaur that upon a scan Matrix learned was called a Yoshi. This Yoshi creature had two black equipment straps running across it's chest, at the center of each were pistols, and it appeared tools and ammo took up the remaining space. He did not draw his weapons simply because it was obvious he didn't need to. Matrix, on the the other hand, kept his own firearm trained on it.

"Who are you?" the Yoshi abruptly demanded, locking eyes with Matrix.

"Enzo..." AndrAIa hesitantly said from behind him. Matrix could hear the sound of her trident extending as her back pressed against his. They didn't have a lot other options.

"Some welcoming party," Matrix replied sarcastically.

"If you're from the Empire, you've made a big mistake," the Yoshi instantly said back, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

"Empire?" Matrix responded, clearly confused and caught off guard by the accusation.

"Wait, we're not Empire!" AndrAIa shouted from behind Matrix, stepping to the side and turning to face the Yoshi now. She saw an opportunity to end this confrontation peacefully, so she was going to take it. "We're here because we're trying to stay away from the Empire!"

The Yoshi's eyes narrowed even further, indicating suspicion towards that comment.

"Then why are you here?" the Yoshi asked, now shifting his eyes to AndrAIa occasionally, but still keeping most of his attention on Matrix and his gun.

"She just told you," Matrix snapped back, still seething with anger over this situation.

The Onix let out a low growl. It was getting tired of this stand off. AndrAIa sighed, because she was too. She suddenly retracted her trident into it's much smaller carry mode, and clipped it to her belt. Once she did that she stepped forward and put one hand on Matrix's right arm and another on his shoulder. Matrix tensed up at her touch, but she gently pushed his arm down so the barrel of Gun was pointing at the dirt. It seemed to defuse the situation a little bit, because the surrounding creatures all stepped back a little bit and seemed to relax slightly.

"Please, listen," AndrAIa continued. "We've only been in this Omniverse a little while, and we ended up here in the Vasty Deep. We've been looking for a place away from Imperial influence where we can get our bearings."

The Yoshi silently listened, but when it made no further movements AndrAIa just continued.

"Look, we just want to lay low and figure this world out," AndrAIa explained. "We'd like to just take shelter in your home for a little while, if you'll allow us."

The Yoshi stood there for a moment, it seemed to be contemplating what she said for a moment. Finally, it spoke up.

"This is Cinnabar Island," the Yoshi explained. "We have nothing to do with the Empire, and we do everything in our power to keep it that way. Your boat looks like Imperial tech, so we were on alert as soon as you came near the island. The Empire has been trying to get a foothold here, sometimes aggressively."

"It's because we stole it," Matrix answered, letting go of his gun and letting it snap to his hip.

The Yoshi nodded. "We'll take you to the main settlement, let you talk with the council. They may be willing to let you stay, if you can earn your place. It's their call."

"Fine by me," Matrix replied, though he was unimpressed by the idea he might have to jump through some hoops. However, he would hear them out.

AndrAIa felt much better about the situation, so she gave a gracious nod and a smile. "Thank you. I'm AndrAIa, and this is Matrix."

"Syril," The blue skinned Yoshi replied with his own name, then nodded his head down the trail. "Follow me."

Matrix and AndrAIa watched as the Yoshi began to walk down the trail, and the other creatures in the area began to disperse. AndrAIa shot one last look back at the boat, hoping their temporary home would be safe for the time being. They slowly began walking after Syril, wondering if the whole trail had hidden defenders. Even more importantly, they wondered what awaited them at this village.

[Enzo Matrix]

Matrix and AndrAIa followed Syril into the main town of Cinnabar Island. AndrAIa was looking around in absolute awe of the hodgepodge of species that populated this odd island. Like Matrix, she quickly noted that they were the only human-like creatures in sight. Sure Matrix had green skin, and she had some scales on her back, but that was minor compared to what she saw around here. That same thought obviously crossed the minds of the inhabitants, because they were getting plenty of odd stares.

They passed through the doors of one of the larger structures on the island, ascended a flight of stairs. At the top were two slightly larger than usual doors, and Syril stopped before them.

"Wait here," Syril said, before opening one and entering it.

Matrix quietly looked around, looking around the area. They had been ambushed so well earlier that he was certain there was a guard of some sort hiding in plain sight even now, but he didn't see anything. What was so strange about this place was that he simply did not know what to look for. The potential this civilization had was very apparent, and he was beginning to put the pieces together.

The door opened again, and Syril was standing there.

"Come on in," the Yoshi merely said, holding the door open for them.

AndrAIa walked in first, followed by Matrix. As he passed Syril, Matrix locked eyes with the dinosaur, both of them glaring at each other. Syril closed the door behind them as they entered.

The room itself was nothing too fancy. The most noticeable thing was the four Pokemon that each sat at a respective desk, studying the newcomers carefully. They were vastly different from each other. One appeared to be a large boulder with arms, another was a yellow skinned bipedal, the third was a a purple ghost, and the final was a four armed creature with blue skin. Matrix carefully looked between each one, waiting on them to speak.

"So, you seek refuge on Cinnabar Island?" the ghost spoke abruptly. "We will discuss your merit, here. I am Gengar. This is Alakazam, Golem, and Machamp."

"Thank you for seeing us," AndrAIa politely replied. Matrix crossed his arms, silently.

"Why should we shelter you?" Machamp asked them. "We know nothing of you, and this island has struggled greatly with the Empire. We have our own problems, and don't want to invite any more in."

"We're not bringing problems, we just want to stay away from the Empire," AndrAIa explained. "We've only been in the Omniverse a little while, but we haven't quite been able to escape the reach of Imperial influence. We've had troubles with groups like them in the past, so we just want to take shelter somewhere and figure out what our next step is."

"The Empire wants control of Cinnabar and all it's inhabitants, for likely terrible purposes," Golem explained. "We have our own problems, but we're not above letting people prove their loyalty."

"Prove our loyalty?" Matrix skeptically asked.

"There is an Imperial fleet serving as a blockade just off our coast," Alakazam's voice rang into their minds. "Their presence makes it impossible for us to accomplish much off the island, as our best warriors must always stay here in preparation for an Imperial assault."

"That unorganized bunch of ships?" Matrix laughed back at them. "You guys are worried about them?"

"We are not a hidden warrior society," Alakazam snapped back at him, mentally. "We are simply trying to survive in an unforgiving reality."

AndrAIa put a comforting hand on Matrix's shoulder, to keep him calm. "What would you like us to do to help?"

The four Pokemon looked at each other for a few seconds, then back to each other. Matrix wondered if the mind speaker was talking with them privately.

"Go to the fleet, disrupt it," Machamp ordered. "The more ships you can force to leave, the better. We don't want to start a war, but we want them gone. And we certainly don't want them shipwrecked on this island."

"Forget it," Matrix replied without missing a beat. "You want us to stick our necks out for you, when you won't do the same for us? We don't owe you anything, either."

"You seek shelter here," Gengar curtly reminded him.

"And you want us to go antagonize a super power, just for a way to stay away from said power?" Matrix said back. "We're not marked enemies of the Empire, yet, and if that's the only way to earn temporary shelter, then forget it. We'll find another island. Let's go, AndrAIa."

"What you say is fair," Golem replied before Matrix could even begin to turn. "You are right. The Empire is our problem, but it's not every else's...yet. It is not fair to force you to become involved."

"But they pilot an Imperial vessel, this man has technology like that of the Empire," Gengar said as he turned to the other council members. "Even now, this man studies us with that same technology."

AndrAIa looked over to Matrix. Sure enough, his eye was glowing red. It was all too obvious he was scanning each member of the council. She slapped him on the arm, which caught him so off guard that he jumped in place.

"Stop that," she ordered.

"Sorry," Matrix quietly apologized, his eye losing it's glow as his scanners deactivated.

"We're not Empire, but Matrix is right. We won't join a war without knowing more facts," AndrAIa explained.

"There may be another task you can do for us," Machamp suddenly said, rubbing his chin with his lower right arm. "We have another issue that we are unable to pursue. It is just as pressing, if not more."

Gengar looked to Machamp, and shook his head. "We cannot trust them."

"We have no choice. The blockade prevents us from helping them," Golem replied suddenly.

Matrix and AndrAIa exchanged glances. What were they talking about?

"If there's some other way we can help, please tell us," AndrAIa implored, trying to take advantage of this opportunity.

A silence fell over the four of them as they thought. Matrix again wondered if it was a private, telepathic conversation, but was starting to doubt that given the last discussion.

"Several younger members of this society have ventured off the island, and may be in extreme danger," Machamp suddenly explained. "It was against everyone's advice...but they are young and reckless. When we couldn't find them, we knew they had gone."

"Where to?" Matrix asked.

"Do not tell them!" Gengar snapped. "If they know, the Empire could find out. We cannot trust these strangers!"

"We have no choice," Golem replied. "They are in extreme danger. We cannot send a rescue off island as long as the Empire looms."

"And if the Empire learns of the children and captures them?" Alakazam boomed into everyone's minds. "They will hold an advantage, and even Mewtwo will be unable to stop their demands. They are our children. With them, the Empire can manipulate us."

"Exactly. They are our children," Machamp shot back. "For them, we should spare no expense."

A silence fell again, as the four pondered the implications of trusting these strangers. Matrix, however, had heard enough.

"This is basic," Matrix said to AndrAIa, turning towards the door. "If they won't trust us, why should we bother? Let's get out of here."

AndrAIa shot one more glance back, studying Machamp and Golem. They seemed to be the more open ones to this suggestion, but they simply stared back at her.

"We are sorry. This is too sensitive. If you will not deal with the Empire, we cannot trust you," Golem replied. Even his logic was different now, to her annoyance. AndrAIa shook her head and followed Matrix out the door.

Matrix shoved the door open, but AndrAIa calmly closed it behind her as she exited. They were surprised to see Syril still waiting in the hallway for them.

"Well?" the blue skinned dinosaur asked.

"Will you show us the way back to the boat?" Matrix asked bluntly. "Your council doesn't trust us to do anything except get ourselves killed by charging at Imperial warships."

"They didn't mention the children?" Syril asked, looking surprise.

"Oh they mentioned them," Matrix scoffed.

AndrAIa sighed. "They won't tell us where they are. They're afraid of them falling into Imperial hands. Sorry, Syril. We're going to move on."

"Isla Nublar," Syril suddenly said, keeping his voice low.

"What?" Matrix said, surprised.

"I'll show you on a map, and explain it on the way," Syril replied. "Come with me to your boat. I won't leave the children to a horrible fate on that island."

Matrix and AndrAIa looked at each other, nodded, then looked back to Syril. The Yoshi began to descend the stairs, and they followed. They didn't know what the council would think if they recovered children they weren't supposed to be able to find, but they seemed to have the same mindset as Syril on this one. Ensure their safety, then deal with whatever may come of it later.

The council may have merely said it, but this warrior Yoshi had meant it. Spare no expense.

[Enzo Matrix]

Isla Nublar.

The name alone sounded ominous. Syril had shown the two of them the location of the island on a map, and explained the situation just a little bit.

It was simple enough. Five adolescents, who were still young enough to think they could take on the world and old enough to have the means to try, had taken a boat to this island so that they sound "train" themselves against fearsome opponents. It was their goal to become strong enough to defeat the Empire and purge them from the Omniverse forever. Typical youthful dreaming.

Matrix had asked what was so special about Isla Nublar, and what Syril had been quick to explain. Dinosaurs of all sorts roamed the island. From harmless herbivores to the most ferocious carnivores, it was an ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the Omniverse. Most people knew to avoid it completely, but for a bunch of children looking to be heroes the thought of bringing down the mighty beasts was the best first step they could imagine. Matrix and AndrAIa themselves had some limited experience with these creatures, having battled them in their adventures in the Games.

A few days had passed since they left Cinnabar and followed Syril's directions. Matrix and AndrAIa stood at the bow of their boat and simply looked at the large island. Much of it was obscured by the large mountain range that made a ring around the central area. At least, that was according to the map. Information on this island was slim, given the extreme dangers.

Matrix calmly drew and holstered his weapon a few times, each time bringing it all the way up to eye level before letting it drop back to his hip. It was nothing more than his standard exercise, just simple repetitions to train his muscle memory. From what Syril said, he had a good feeling he'd be making use of Gun on this island.

"Ready?" AndrAIa asked as Matrix holstered the firearm for the final time.

"Guess so," Matrix calmly replied.

They turned and went back to the controls of the boat. Matrix started the engine back up and pushed the throttle forward, and they easily cut through the waves on their journey to the shore. There were no docks in sight for obvious reasons, but what they had spotted already was a ruined wooden boat in a small cove. It seemed like the best place to start.

Matrix pulled their boat into the cove, thankful that they could dock here instead of dealing with the open beach. Though the cove was fairly wide, it was surrounded by rock ledges on most sides. Near the destroyed wooden boat there was a grassy incline that they could use to get to a higher elevation. Once Matrix got the boat near it, AndrAIa hopped from the front of the boat to land, holding a large rope in her hands. While Matrix shut down the boat, AndrAIa tied the rope to a nearby tree, securing the boat to land.

Matrix stepped off and looked over the ruined vessel they had parked near. Inside were a few trinkets and poorly crafted weapons. AndrAIa picked up a small book, and opened it up. While she skimmed a few pages, Matrix was already looking up the incline.

"Cinnabar Rangers log book," AndrAIa read aloud, unable to suppress a chuckle. "I think we found our superheroes."

"They got shipwrecked, but there's no bodies," Matrix replied, kicking at the boat with his right foot. "They must have wandered inland."

AndrAIa tossed the book onto their own boat. "Let's see if we can find any tracks."

Matrix nodded, and the two of them ascended the hill. At the top were more trees and ledges of various sizes. This seemed to continue all the way to the mountains that were shortly ahead of them. Matrix looked to either side to see that they had ascended a decent ways. The drop from here to the water wasn't short. He then looked down and just faintly made out some tracks.

"Here's something. Moving away from here," Matrix commented as he looked at the various footprints.

AndrAIa looked at the markings as well, and immediately noticed they they were also monster tracks.

"Cinnabar is a haven for a lot of strange species. How can we know if they're dinosaurs or friendlies?" she wondered aloud.

"This is a pack of different species roaming together," Matrix deduced. "My guess is that dinosaurs will all stick to their same families."

AndrAIa nodded, accepting that logic. She looked around, too, and only saw an empty jungle. It was eerie. It made her wonder if they were being watched by some hungry creature, and they just didn't know it. She glanced over to her boyfriend to see his golden eye glowing red, a good sign that he was scanning the area. He looked over to her and nodded, and she nodded back.

The two of them quietly began to move through the jungle, stepping over roots and walking up more ledges as they got closer to the mountains. The jungle was quiet, too. Only the sounds of a few birds chirping could be heard. Matrix admitted to himself that he might actually be more comfortable if he heard a growl or a roar, because the silence alone was just as bad.

A sudden snapping of a branch seemed to be the answer to that wish. The sound of something bolting behind them got the attention of the two sprites. Matrix spun and drew his gun while AndrAIa extended her collapsible trident to full length. They were ready to fight whatever predator was coming their way.

Instead, they just saw a deer disappearing into the brush. They'd startled it just as much as it had them. As they put away their weapons, they both laughed uneasily. It was obvious to each other that they were both a little more scared of this place than they'd like to admit.

The tension was broken, at least a little. Still chuckling somewhat, the duo resumed their trek towards the mountains.

[Enzo Matrix]

The sun was beginning to set when Matrix and AndrAIa completed their trip over the mountains and found themselves in another forest. This one was much thicker than the one they'd first trekked through on the island, but to them it simply looked like more woods. As they entered the area, Matrix was quick to look down at the three sets of tracks.

"Does your eye tell you what we're looking for?" AndrAIa broke the silence they'd fallen into, wondering if the prints were complete enough that Matrix's database might say something.

"No," Matrix responded, shaking his head as he did. "But we've got to be catching up with them. The tracks look fresher."

AndrAIa opened her mouth to respond, but a sharp and high pitched roar nearby silenced her. She paused and stood in place, looking around carefully. Matrix was already scanning the area as well, while listening for any movement.

"Dinosaurs," AndrAIa whispered. For all the stories they'd heard of the terrors of this island, they'd yet to encounter a single hostile life form. That had been fine by her, too. The easier it was to get in and out of this place, the better.

Matrix narrowed his eyes as he saw a bush moving, and slowly pointed to it. AndrAIa watched quietly as Matrix carefully drew Gun, aiming it at the bush. At the same time she was looking around, making sure there was nothing else sneaking up on them. She knew Matrix had the common sense to identify what was in that shrub before blowing it away, so she just wanted to make sure that was the only thing they had to worry about.

What stumbled out was not at all what they expected. A tiny dinosaur, standing on two legs and at no more than two feet tall, entered the clearing and looked at the two of them curiously. Matrix rolled his eyes as he saw the puny little thing, and returned his weapon to his belt. AndrAIa looked over at it as well, and couldn't suppress a giggle even after putting a hand to her mouth.

"What in the Net is that thing?" AndrAIa asked Matrix, noticing that his eye was already scanning when she looked over to him.

Matrix frowned as his eye slowly analyzed the creature that was staring at him curiously. It took a lot longer for his implant to work in the Omniverse, and that drove him crazy. It wasn't like he could just hit it to make it work faster, since it was on the inside of his head. Finally, some basic information appeared in his robotic right eye.

"Compsognathus," Matrix announced, his tone completely unimpressed by the creature before him. "It's a pack animal, and it's a..."

Matrix paused as he read the information, and then suddenly looked at the little creature with a much more serious expression. All of a sudden, he knew they were in danger. An ambush was imminent.

"Watch out!" Matrix shouted as he snapped his gun back into his hand. AndrAIa didn't question him in the slightest, and instead grabbed her trident from her belt and fully extended it.

In an instant, the area was filled with these tiny, yet savage, creatures. AndrAIa wasted no time in swinging her trident at the nimble monsters, stepping away from any trees or bushes so she would have plenty of reaction time. She managed to knock a few away, and even stab some other little ones, but they seemed to be coming from everywhere.

"Gun! Command line! Burst Fire Mode!" Matrix shouted as he watched the small dinosaurs scurry around. His weapon made a few sounds as the firing mode changed to the most accurate feature he had available on it.

Before he could pull the trigger even once, though, one of the many Compsognathus leaped from the side and bit him on the arm that was holding his firearm. Matrix yelled in agony at the bite, but just as quickly he reached over and ripped the dinosaur from his arm with his left hand, and threw the beast at another one as hard as he could, sending the two rolling away. After that, it didn't take him long to begin systematically shooting the swift creatures.

Together they thinned the attacking herd considerably, with Matrix making his way to AndrAIa so she would be the defense and he would handle the offense. There were still plenty left, but the creatures quickly determined that these two were not easy prey, and began retreating into the woods.

Matrix snarled, not quite over this battle yet. He moved a few steps forward and fired wildly at the retreating dinosaurs, missing most of them but blasting a few and killing them outright. Two of the ones he hit didn't die from the gunshots, but they were limping badly when they disappeared into the brush.

They both scanned the area, satisfied that they were alone again and that their first encounter with the dinosaurs of Isla Nublar wasn't lethal for them. Just as they were beginning to relax, though, a voice called out to them.

"Who...who are you!?" the slightly high pitched voice shouted.

Matrix and AndrAIa immediately turned towards the source of the voice, holding their weapons ready. Before them were three monsters, each slightly more bizarre than the last, but they were talking and they were grouped together. Not to mention they seemed scared, but were trying their best not to show it. These were the ones they were looking for without a doubt.

Already Matrix's eye was scanning the three creatures. He watched them silently for a second before identifying the three monsters by species. The one at the center, who had spoken, was called a Charmander. To his left was a hooded creature called a Jawa, and to his right a short, green monster known as a Tonberry.

AndrAIa looked to Matrix with a smile, but he only returned an annoyed glance. She simply nodded with confidence, causing Matrix to gesture his head in their direction. It was the silent communication they were so good at, after all their travels. Matrix returned his weapon to his side, while AndrAIa put away her trident and stepped forward.

"I'm AndrAIa, and this is Matrix," the game sprite calmly explained, gesturing back to Matrix when she introduced him. "Are you the Cinnabar Rangers?"

"We are! We're going to grow up and be the best fighters in the world!" the Charmander instantly shouted, holding up his fists. "We're going to liberate the Omniverse from the Empire!"

Matrix rolled his eyes, but let AndrAIa continue.

"Well, the people of Cinnabar are really worried about you," AndrAIa explained. "That's why we're here."

"Thank Omni!" the Jawa shouted this time. "Our boat was destroyed, and we can't leave!"

"We don't want to leave!" the Charmander was just as quick to say. "We want to be here until we're the most powerful creatures in the deeps. The best training is these dinosaurs!"

"...No, I think we're ready to go," the Tonberry quickly interjected. "We've been running for our lives ever since the velociraptors got our scent."

"Raptors?" Matrix spoke up at that comment, and immediately began to look around.

Several howls and roars could be heard in the distance with impeccable timing at that comment. AndrAIa looked around as well, and glanced back to the young and scared monsters. She looked back up at the sky. It was past sunset, and they had very little time before it got pitch black dark.

"Matrix, we're going to have to camp," AndrAIa said, her voice was uneasy as she suggested it.

"I agree," Matrix replied, still looking around as he spoke. "We'll take turns on guard and be ready to get out of here quick if we need."

AndrAIa slowly nodded, then looked back to the three monsters. "Do you have any supplies or a camp?"

"We've been moving around, but we've got some gear nearby," the Charmander said, and began to turn around. "Follow us!"

The Charmander and the Jawa disappeared into the bushes quickly, but the Tonberry committed itself to more of a slow waddle as it slowly tried to follow it's companions. Matrix and AndrAIa looked at the creature in disbelief, and then to each other. Suddenly, AndrAIa winked at her boyfriend and took off to catch up with the other two.

Matrix bit his lip and loudly grunted. As the Tonberry eased along at the slowest speed he could imagine, Matrix knew he was in for a long night.

[Enzo Matrix]

Crickets chirped and a campfire roared. The three young monsters slept soundly, clearly exhausted by the trials they'd faced on this hell of an island. Matrix sat calmly on a log, watching the fire roar and keeping his eyes and ears alert. It was his shift on watch, which he didn't mind. On the dirt beside him AndrAIa slept as well, leaning against both the log and his leg. The hours passed somewhat slowly, but Matrix had found ways to pass the time. In his left hand he casually played with a red yo-yo. Long ago he'd given it to a young Sprite, and he felt like in doing so he'd given away the last bit of his childhood. But now he was in the Omniverse, where he could summon anything he desired, so long as he had the Omnilium. It wasn't much, but he'd summoned this trinket back to him. Not only did it remind him of home, but it was a nice time waster.

Just the same, he'd managed to summon up a bit more functionality for his cyborg eye. He now had it linked to something called the Dataverse, and had been casually browsing through sites and messageboards. It had helped him learn a lot about this strange world, but it also invited many more questions.

Matrix gently reached over AndrAIa's sleeping form and picked up a log. He tossed it in the fire, making note of their three sleeping friends at the same time. They obviously hadn't gone anywhere, but he was simply on high alert in these woods. He wasn't exactly sure a fire was the best idea for deterring any flesh eating dinosaurs out there, but it's uses outweighed the risk at this moment.

So he let out a bored sigh and continued to flick his yo-yo, while scrolling through any available information on Cinnabar Island on his right eye. There wasn't much to read, which was good news to him. Not only did it mean that these people were serious about staying off the radar, but they were also good at it.

The Charmander's tail twitched in it's sleep, and Matrix's eyes snapped over to it, making sure that was all he'd heard. He then looked back to the fire, pondering the trek in the morning. In a little while he would wake AndrAIa up and try to get some sleep, himself. They'd decided quickly that the two of them would be the only ones taking shifts, as they didn't quite trust the kids to do a good job of it. They'd been talkative and energetic while setting up camp, and it was obvious they had the heart to be the warriors and adventurers they desired, just not the experience yet. They'd shared their names, and Matrix had committed them to memory. Coal the Charmander, Kero the Tonberry, and Zlick the Jawa.

As he mused that over, he suddenly spotted a pair of eyes staring at him from the darkness. Matrix's own right eye immediately turned red, and the pair of eyes disappeared just as fast as he'd noticed them.

"Scan modes, cycle," Matrix ordered his eye aloud, paying no mind to the volume of his voice. He did gently reach down and use his left hand to guide AndrAIa's sleeping body to the log he'd been sitting on, while he stood up.

His cybernetic eye scrolled through various forms of imaging technology, trying to catch a silhouette that he could use to identify whatever had just been watching them.

"Mmm?" AndrAIa began stirring, having sensed in her sleep that she had been moved. She slept lightly, knowing they were in a dangerous jungle. "Enzo?"

Finally, Matrix caught a glimpse on his scanning mode. For a brief second he caught the faint outline of an unmistakable dinosaur. The kids were worried they were being chased by velociraptors. In that moment, Matrix knew that they were right.

"Raptors," Matrix announced, the word alone causing AndrAIa to shake off her grogginess. She jumped up and was beside him in an instant. "Wake them up."

Matrix looked around, carefully looking at all angles they could be coming from. Unfortunately, the answer to that was "everywhere." Meanwhile, AndrAIa was instantly at the sides of the monsters, shaking them in a hurry to get them moving.

"What...it's still dark," Kero mumbled as he sat up. The Tonberry let out a loud yawn as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"The fire..." AndrAIa said as she glanced to their large campfire. "Matrix, we attracted them here."

"I think so, too," Matrix agreed, drawing Gun in his right hand. "We're going to have to escape in the dark."

"But they're out there!" Zlick shouted in panic at that suggestion. At least here it was light, and they could somewhat see.

A branch snapped, and leaves could be heard rustling. Matrix spun and dropped to a single knee, firing a single shot from his weapon at a leaping velociraptor. The dinosaur roared in agony as it's chest was blasted, and it collapsed right into the fire. Logs scattered and the fire spread, but the main thing they all noticed was the immediate scent of thick, burning flesh. Black smoke billowed from the center, where the flames were suffocated by the large mass on top of it. The monsters shouted in surprise, but Matrix quickly got back to his feet.

"Time to go," AndrAIa announced, looking to her boyfriend.

Matrix nodded, and while looking around he spat out a quick battle plan. "Take them and move towards the boat, use the night as cover. I'll deal with these things and catch up."

"You're going to take on these murderous dinosaurs by yourself?" AndrAIa was in disbelief. She didn't like that plan, in fact she outright hated it, but she didn't dare say she couldn't come up with a better one.

"Worst case...I'll come back," Matrix suggested, remembering Omni's vague words about a Prime's ability to reincarnate. His voice was confident enough for the three would be superheroes to buy it, but AndrAIa could sense the subtleties in his voice.

"You don't know that," AndrAIa was quick to shoot down that suggestion.

"No, I don't," Matrix admitted. "But we do know that the four of you won't. We have to chance it, AndrAIa."

AndrAIa looked hard at Matrix, and bit her lip. There was no good way out of this. She would have to do her part and trust him. After all, if there was anyone she knew that could take on a pack of carnivores, it was Matrix.

"Just come back to me," she relented, then looked to the kids.

"Of course," Matrix nodded seriously. He then looked to the Charmander, all business. "Coal, if they like fire so much, let's let them have it."

The Charmander hesitated, but then gave a determined nod. It was just happy to be a part of the team. So he took a deep breath before bellowing out a large wave of fire that immediately caught the jungle ablaze. Matrix stepped towards the center, firing a few shots into the darkness while his eye glowed a bright red.

AndrAIa recognized the purpose of the distraction, so she scooped up Kero in her arms, knowing that the slow moving Tonberry wouldn't be able to cover any distance in a hurry. She then moved into the darkness of the jungle, with her Charmander and Jawa companions close behind. As she ran, she looked around, doing her best to watch for the raptors or any other unseen predators.

Matrix, meanwhile, watched as the flames grew. With it, the roars of the dinosaurs also slowly increased in volume. His eye locked onto a raptor as it circled him, and he just missed locking onto another. He caught glimpses of eyes and heard the rapid movement of heavy feet around him. They were circling faster and faster, and would soon be moving in. Matrix simply raised his gun and waited for the first opportunity to fire.

[Enzo Matrix]

The flames rose steadily, engulfing the jungle in a raging inferno. Matrix felt the heat, and it was more real than anything he'd ever experienced. This wasn't the time to ponder the details of this world versus the one he knew, though. Now it was simply time to fight. And that was something he was good at.

The heavy sound of thick feet smashing into the ground was distinct, even among the crackling of the flames. Leaves rustled and sticks split into pieces at the impact. The creatures had him surrounded. That was just fine by Matrix, because he wasn't going anywhere.

His eye had locked onto one of the raptors, and with a red circle around the creature he could track it's location with ease. It didn't tell him how many others he was dealing with, but it gave him just a bit of insight into the behavior he might expect from the others. They lurked and they prowled, and it was obvious they were waiting for the right opportunity. He didn't know what that would exactly look like, here in the middle of the burning jungle, but he was content to wait. He didn't have the reputation of being a patient man, but in a combat situation he could slide into a relaxed, zen state of mind.

A branch snapped and the air changed slightly, just like before. With his adrenaline pumping and his training and experience taking over, Matrix was able to identify the subtle change and literally feel the attack coming. He quickly turned around, keeping his gun leveled. Sure enough, there was a velociraptor closing in on him, trying to flank him just like the previous one had. With a single trigger pull, the renegade ended that creature's life just like the one before it.

The raptor collapsed onto the ground nearby, but Matrix was already watching another. It's head could be seen between the bushes, quickly running in a circle around Matrix. The sprite turned and followed the dinosaur, when he noticed the one he'd locked onto moving in. Luckily his eye allowed him to see the outline of that one through the foliage, so he redirected his aim at that one. He fired another shot and blew a large hole in the dinosaur's skull.

As it fell into a heap at Matrix's feet, he quickly looked around and tried to locate the one he'd been trying to follow, again. He just barely heard it, and turned towards the bushes where it was emerging. The dinosaur roared, and Matrix aimed the gun at it. Before he could shoot, the raptor retreated back into the flaming brush.

"Gun! Command line, spread shot mode!" Matrix shouted out loud, and his weapon quickly altered it's firing capability.

Now that he could shoot it like it was a shotgun, Matrix raised the firearm and blasted into the bushes. The shrubbery ripped apart and embers launched in every direction, but the raptor was quick and began running through the foliage. Matrix fired three more shots, shredding through the burning scenery with every short ranged blast, but the dinosaur was just a little bit ahead of his shots. The raptor seemingly had enough of this chaos, and suddenly bolted in the same direction AndrAIa had taken the children. Matrix ran forward a few steps and held his weapon to eye level. He fired one burst of energy pellets, and connected with the fleeing raptor's backside. It was thrown forward before collapsing, limp, to the dirt floor of the jungle.

That victory was short lived, however. Before he could even think about looking for any remaining threats, a velociraptor collided with Matrix with incredible velocity. Gun was thrown from Matrix's hands, while the dinosaur forced the large sprite against a tree. The raptor was incredibly strong, but Matrix's own physical prowess was nothing to laugh at either. As his back hit the tree, Matrix had his right arm on the raptor's neck, and his left pushing against it's chest. The beast's mouth thrashed wildly, and it was all the strength he had to keep it from ripping away at his flesh.

"Not...today!!!" Matrix roared in pure, primal anger. As he said that he grabbed the raptor by the neck in his other hand as well, and threw it to the ground with all the strength he could muster.

The raptor roared as it hit the dirt, but Matrix kept a firm grip on it's neck. He then put his left foot on the dinosaur's prone body, and using that as leverage pulled and twisted it's head. The velociraptor's neck snapped with a loud crack, and the struggling stopped immediately, with the exception of a few more kicks as it's life left it.

Matrix stumbled back and scooped his weapon up from the ground. While taking hard breaths he looked around, looking for any other velociraptors.

Instead, he heard much heavier footsteps. With each step the ground would shake. Soon, the entire island felt like it was trembling. Matrix altered his gun's firing mode to the default shot pattern, and stepped back into the clearing in this burning area. He struggled to take in breaths now, as he was exhausted and the fire was sucking the precious oxygen from this arena. Every fiber of his being told him to get out of here, but something even deeper told him it wouldn't matter.

Two red eyes peered out of the darkness beyond the fire. Slowly, an impossibly large dinosaur emerged from the shadows, walking past the flames unconcerned. It only watched Matrix. The sprite didn't need to scan it, he already knew what he was staring down. The king of the dinosaurs, the Tyrannosaurus-rex.

Matrix pulled his gun up and fired three shots at the monster in desperation. They connected with the large dinosaur's face, but the Tyrannosaur only let out a loud roar in response, unphased and still hungry after the impacts. That reaction was enough for Matrix, and he knew it was time to get away from this thing. He fired at two trees on either side of him, blasting the bottoms away and causing them to fall forward.

He didn't wait to see the results. He had already holstered Gun and taken off into a full sprint towards the mountains. The roar of the Tyrannosaurus echoed behind him, and the heavy footsteps resumed. It was hunting him. Normally, he'd stick around and try to find a way to kill this monster, but today there were more important things to worry about.

So he ran into the mountains as fast as he could, not turning to look at his pursuer. If the dinosaur wanted him that badly, it would have to catch him.

[Enzo Matrix]

AndrAIa jumped onto the docked boat, putting the Tonberry down far rougher than she intended to. As Kero rolled across the floor and then down the stairs into the cabin, Coal and Zlick jumped aboard as well. AndrAIa shot a look towards the mountains, where the morning light was just starting to shine. They had made it back safe and sound, but she wouldn't entertain the thought of leaving until Matrix was aboard as well.

"Utini!" Zlick shouted as the Jawa hunched over and appeared to take several deep breaths. It was difficult to tell through the thick brown robe that shrouded him.

Coal, meanwhile, climbed up to the bow of the boat, standing on the open area that served as a roof to the cabin. He looked around and put his hands on his hips, standing in a slightly victorious pose.

"We did it!" the Charmander proclaimed. "We made it off that island and we're stronger for it!"

AndrAIa rolled her eyes, but as she looked in the distance, she figured that they had a little bit of time to kill. She wanted to go back and help Matrix, but knew she needed to stay with the kids. That meant the best thing to do was divert her attention.

"What in the Net possessed you to come to this place?" AndrAIa asked the Charmander and the Jawa as she looked over the controls to make sure the boat would be able to start.

"We told you! Training!" Coal replied in an instant, almost sounding indignant.

"Don't you think it would have been a little safer on Cinnabar Island?" AndrAIa questioned back, glancing to the cabin to see that Kero was slowly making his way up. The small, green creature seemed to be having a difficult time climbing the stairs, but he was making it.

"Everyone there wants to just sit around and try to hide!" Coal countered, now turning to face AndrAIa and Zlick. "We want to get out and help the Omniverse."

"Well, everyone's worried about you back home, and you almost put them in a bad spot with the Empire," AndrAIa responded, trying to show him some logic. But at the same time, she understood his thinking all too well. The parallels between them, Coal especially, and Matrix were uncanny. "Believe me, I've seen plenty like you guys. You'll get your chance to make a difference."

"I want it," Zlick confidently announced, but his voice wavered just a little bit. "...but not as much as I just want to get off this island right now."

"You and me both," AndrAIa mumbled.

A loud roar suddenly caught the attention from all four of them. It was a good distance away, but the ferocity of it was enough to demand their attention despite that. AndrAIa grabbed a pair of binoculars from one of the boat's storage drawers, and couldn't believe what she saw.

Matrix approached one of many rock faces and leaped from in as fast as he could. He hit the ground and fell forwards, but was back on his feet after a quick roll. The Tyrannosaurus ripped out of the trees behind him, determined to catch it's prey after this long. Matrix knew he was close, so he was done trying to outsmart or defeat this thing. He wasn't the fastest runner, but he had taken his breaks when he could hide in the mountains. There was just a little bit more to go, and he could push himself. All he wanted to do now was get to the boat.

He waved his arm a few times as the boat came into view, just a few more ledges down. AndrAIa and his ability to communicate silently and quickly was famous, but this time wasn't a shining example of that skill. This one was much simpler. AndrAIa saw the dinosaur chasing him and already could tell that it wouldn't be able to swim. So she set to ordering the three around, and between the four of them they had the boat quickly untied from land and she was steering it back into the water while Matrix ran.

Matrix dropped fifteen feet to another ledge. Every time he descended the T-rex would have to find another way down, which bought him valuable time. As he dropped to this cliff he saw another small herd of Compsognathus gathered around the corpse of a deer, ripping the meat from it's bones. The tiny dinosaurs looked at Matrix upon his arrival, but with their confidence in their numbers as well as their determination to keep their meal, they didn't back down upon seeing him. Instead, they lined up and bared their teeth while letting out sharp hissing noises.

Forced to choose between this pack of tiny dinosaurs and the monster of one behind him, Matrix never broke stride. He charged right at the tiny creature in the center, connecting his boot with it's chest. The puny Compsognathus was punted straight up into the air, flailing and hissing as it flew. The other ones scattered and panicked at the aggression this green man had shown, but when the Tyrannosaurus emerged from around the corner, they fled in all directions. The T-rex let out a loud roar, but Matrix had already jumped to the next ledge.

Matrix jumped and grabbed a low hanging vine, which swung him out over the final cliff. He let go at the end of the swing and dropped almost thirty feet into the ocean below. The whole way down he hoped the water would be deep enough for him to land, so he was relieved when he hit the sea and nothing else.

After landing, he swam to the surface, only to see that AndrAIa had already steered the boat towards him. She threw out a rope and he instantly grabbed it. After his girlfriend pulled him back to the vessel, Matrix climbed aboard and sat in the first chair he could, breathing deeply, still.

"That was incredible!" Coal shouted, jumping up and down.

Matrix and AndrAIa shared a deep and relieved look. Anything else would just have to wait, since they had company on the boat this time.

"It was right behind you but you got away!" Kero joined in, getting a little worked up too.

"Yea...yea," Matrix could barely pant out the words.

They looked back at the island with one more glance, only to see the Tyrannosaurus-rex standing on the cliff that overlooked the ocean. It opened it's mouth and let out a powerful roar that seemed to be it marking it's territory and establishing dominance over the island. Matrix could only look back, satisfied that they'd all made it in one piece. If it wanted the island so bad, it could have it.

Matrix climbed to his feet, walking over to the throttle and putting his hand around AndrAIa's waist. She simply smiled as she watched Matrix push the lever forward, and they left the land of the dinosaurs behind.

"Let's get you guys home," AndrAIa told the three monsters with a simple wink.

Matrix looked at them, then back to the ocean. They'd braved the island, found the kids, and fought their way out. That was the type of adventure they were used to, and that they were good at. The next part would be dealing with the close minded politicians, who were determined to find the error in anything.

And that was going to be the real challenge.