PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

LVIII. Fight or Flight

"You need to take deep breaths, and remind yourself that Darius is good at what he does, and he can handle surviving on the island a little longer, okay?"

Brooklynn nodded. She held out her arms, and Eva pulled her into a long hug, Bubblegum's arms wrapping tightly around the blonde's torso.

"I just..."

"You're so worried about Darius cause you've grown to like him?" Eva guessed.

"How— how'd you know?"

"Ignoring anything happening between Kenji and I meant I had more time to focus elsewhere, and Brooklynn, you and Darius would be so fucking adorable together. Like, fingers crossed, I'm hoping you guys make it."

Brooklynn blushed the color of her hair. "Don't tell anyone, okay? Especially not Darius."

"My lips are sealed, B."

~~~

The campers returned to the docks as dark grey clouds rolled over the sky, blocking out any sunlight. The air was sticky and warm, ruffling Eva's hair. Eva reached out her hand, taking Kenji's as they walked up the docks. He offered her a soft smile, to which Eva happily returned.

When they reached the ramp, they ducked down at the site of a long tail.

Eva was the first to sigh in relief. "Oh thank god, it's just a stegosaurus," Eva explained.

"No Scorpios," Brooklynn sighed in relief.

"Yet."

"Oh my god, guys!" Sammy shouted.

The girls ran to the top of the ramp. In the distance, the limo was smashed and hiked up, resting against a tree. Every surface was covered in scratches, and the windows were shattered, barely keeping together.

"What is it?!" Kenji shouted. "Describe it with words!"

The girls approached the limo.

"Oh, just walk over here, Kenji!" Sammy shouted at him.

"What do you think happened?" Eva asked.

"Oh no... Darius and Ben?"

Sammy gasped and knealed next to a spot of mud. "They got away! Look!"

Footsteps led away into the jungle.

"We should follow them," Eva suggested.

"Duh," Brooklynn replied.

Eva rolled her eyes, setting off into the jungle, and the other campers following after her.

~~~

"More footprints! Over here!" Sammy yelled.

The campers followed their black haired friend to a portion of the jungle revealing dozens up-ended trees and a set path of destruction.

"Something big came through here. Like, lots of something bigs," Yaz said.

"So?" Kenji said with a shrug. "We're looking for Ben and Darius, remember? That's just dinosaurs doing dinosaur stuff."

"No, look." Sammy knealed next to a fallen tree branch. "They destroyed the trees they like to eat. Something spooked them real bad."

Nearby, a dinosaur roared.

Kenji picked up a tree branch. "I swear, if that's the Scorpios Rex..."

"It's not! That's not the noise the Scorpios makes!" Eva cheered.

"A-are you sure!"

"I'm sure! It sounded like a brachiosaurus!" Eva ran away from the campers, following the noise. She gasped loudly when she spotted a baby brachiosaurus near the rubble, looking around confused.