Summary: Kenji is back on the island with some very bad people. Serenity doesn't quite know what to make of them.
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Serenity placed the barrel of water by their fresh stash and looked around the slightly improved camp. Hap had pushed two beds together and had made it more sheltered from wind and rain with a wooden wall and a tarp. Chaos and Limbo could now sleep inside the fence because Hap had made the door bigger and they could all be safe from predators and other things that went bump in the night.
Their stash of food consisted of Dinosaur meat, canned fruit and vegetables, and fresh fruit that Serenity picked from the trees. It wasn't an extremely balanced diet, but it could be survived on. Chaos and Limbo also filled up their meat every few days when they made a new kill.
"How's the water?" Hap asked as he climbed the ladder.
"Good," Serenity replied.
It had been three days since the kids had left and Serenity felt lonely, but she still had Hap, Chaos, and Limbo so it was fine. She had to adjust to being with a few people again, but that was going to be fine. She had lived most of her life alone, she would be okay.
"That's great. I've fixed the slide, so you can go down that again if you want," Hap said, pointing at it.
Serenity smiled and did so, sliding down it and running to Chaos to give her sister a big hug. Limbo joined in and they fell into a big pile. Serenity chuckled and hugged her sisters tightly, glad they were with her. She had to go see Bumpy in a bit, to say hi and bring her some berries. She'd promised Ben to look after the Ankylosaurus, after all.
"I'm going," Serenity shouted up.
Hap appeared and gave her a thumbs-up before vanishing and cursing loudly as something fell. Serenity chuckled and climbed on Chaos's back, instructing Limbo to stay and guard Hap. Chaos ran through the forest, now familiar with the route to Bumpy's herd. They got there quickly and Serenity hopped off, letting Chaos go her own way so she wouldn't startle the herd.
Bumpy! Serenity shouted, calling for her friend.
The Anky came bounding into view and almost flattened her in her excitement. They talked for a little bit and Serenity was introduced to the herd, and accepted by them and she told them all about how Ben had been the caretaker of Bumpy for most of her life. They were thankful for his help and promised Serenity that they would protect Bumpy with their lives.
After a few hours, Serenity noticed it was becoming dark and she returned to Chaos, who was sleeping on the grass behind a fallen log to keep out of sight. Serenity woke her up gently and they went on their way back to camp, picking up some more fruit and watching the sunset as they neared the shore for the shortest route.
She sometimes thought that she saw the boat with her friends on it glimmering on the horizon, but she knew they were just tricks her eyes were playing on her. Her friends would not return, they were safely going home and she would likely never see them again.
It hurt her heart, but it was what was best for all of them.
They returned to camp shortly thereafter and she stashed away the food, climbing on the roof to look at the stars. Hap came to sit beside her with a plate of food sometime later, his steaming from being cooked over the fire, hers cold and raw.
They ate in silence, leaning into each other's space and looking at the stars far above their heads. The sounds of Dinosaurs bellowing in the distance calmed Serenity's nerves and when she was done eating, she put her place to the side and leaned against Hap fully.
He wrapped an arm around her and rested his head on hers, silent still. The night grew dark, and Chaos and Limbo went to sleep. Serenity climbed down the roof and got into her bed, opting to sleep beside Hap that night instead of with her sisters. Hap came to lay beside her and they snuggled together, listening to the sounds of nature around them.
Serenity was lulled to sleep, and when she woke up, a new day waited for her.
OOO
Hap crossed day number ten off their list, and Serenity looked at the crosses on the wood with a scrutinizing gaze. She wondered how long it would take for anyone to come to the island again, and she wasn't surprised when Chaos came bounding into camp with the news that a boat had moored at the dock by Kenji's condo.
"I look," Serenity said to Hap, who looked reluctant.
"Fine, but keep out of sight, I don't want to have to rescue you," he relented. "And take Chaos or Limbo with you."
Serenity nodded and chose Limbo this time, riding the Baryonyx as she ran full speed to the other side of the island. They arrived at the condo not too long after and Serenity instructed her sister to stay out of sight in the tree line. She didn't want her to get shot like Grim, that would be terrible.
Serenity quickly found tracks of people and they led to the condo, but she didn't go in. She didn't want to get stuck in a building with people she didn't know. So she waited outside, only to be surprised when Kenji came out with some unfamiliar people. She growled softly and kept watching from her spot in the tree. When the men were talking, she made her pack call and Kenji's head shot up, as did the heads of the other people.
"What was that?" the man in the suit asked.
"Just an animal," Kenji said. "It's a common call around here," he assured. "It's not dangerous.
The man huffed and then turned back. Kenji looked at the tree she was in and Serenity made herself visible to him, wiping some of her hair out of her face to gaze at him. He had to find a way to get to her, without being suspicious or having her seen.
"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back," Kenji said to the men and went back into the building, though he exited out the back and made his way into the forest. Serenity met him there, raising a brow at his state of dress. He was wearing something fancy and Serenity didn't like it. He didn't smell like the pack.
"Where others?" she asked.
"I uh," Kenji began.
Serenity squinted at him and watched his nervous body language. He'd left them behind, she realized. She growled at him and smacked him on the arm.
"Pack for life, stupid," she hissed. "No friends left behind," she added. "You being stupid and mean and idiot. I not believe you!"
She almost shouted in desperation and Kenji quickly covered her mouth, looking apologetic. He let her go when she growled at him and he sighed deeply.
"It's my dad, he's here with me," he explained. "We got stranded on another island full of Dinosaurs and it's been hectic. I want to believe he's doing something good, but there is no way that whatever this is, is good," he mumbled.
Serenity placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him in for a hug, reassuring him she wasn't angry anymore. He told her more about what had happened and Serenity told him that his father was definitely a bad man. But before they could talk more, a roar startled them, and Serenity shot up when she recognized it as Limbo.
"Limbo!" she said, shooting toward her sister.
"No, don't!" Kenji said, holding her back when he heard the mercs shouting. "They'll see you."
"But sister!" Serenity protested.
"She won't be harmed," Kenji said. "I promise."
She looked at him and found only truth and sincerity in his eyes. She stopped struggling and climbed a tree, instructing him to go back to his father. She watched from her safe place as Limbo stood by the strangers and didn't attack them. When Kenji came out the front door, he also saw her and his face paled, but Serenity knew her sister wasn't in any danger. Not life-threatening danger anyway.
She still growled and was angry that her sister had gotten caught up in the men's schemes, but there was nothing she could do now. Kenji looked at her and conveyed with a simple hand signal that he would talk more with her later that night, and she nodded, disappearing into the foliage to spy on them from further away.
She was going to find out exactly what these people were doing here, and then she would sabotage their plans. She smiled, realizing Darius had a bad influence on her, but she didn't care. It was time to inform Hap as well. With a finely timed jump, she landed on the grass and sprinted into the forest, her long white hair flapping behind her as she ran, eyes ablaze with anger that wouldn't go away for a long time.
OOO
Kenji looked frightened when she next saw him. His clothes were a mess and he was shaking a little, eyes wide and terrified.
"What?" she asked, motioning for him to explain.
"I got buried by a landslide," he told her shakily. "Toro got me out..."
"You control Toro?" she asked. "Like Limbo?"
Kenji nodded his head sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Is okay," Serenity said. "Not your fault. I keep Chaos away."
Kenji smiled, "That's a good plan."
They were in the condo; Serenity had used the vents to get to the room Kenji was in and nobody had seen her. Limbo and Toro were in the garage, sleeping probably. Serenity knew that there were more Dinosaurs that were being captured at the moment, but she had no way to stop these people, they were too dangerous. She didn't want to risk Chaos getting caught, or Hap, or even herself.
She would wait it out and see.
"The others have probably escaped by now," Kenji mumbled. "I'm sure they're ruining dad's plans as best as they can. I need to find a way to help them."
"You can," Serenity said. "Be yourself," she added.
Kenji sighed. "It's not that easy, dad expects me to be someone I'm not. I don't want to disappoint him."
"No," Serenity interjected. "You are you, and if he don't like you, then he no good. Not worth it."
Kenji was silent, but he nodded. She sat down next to him on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. They stayed like that for a good while, embracing each other deeply. She had missed them all, and hearing that they were experiencing trouble again was making her very sad.
"You're right," Kenji said after a while. "But I have to play along for now."
"Okay," Serenity said.
"Go back now," Kenji told her.
Serenity nodded and hugged him one last time before making her way home, the darkness of the forest keeping her hidden from the men with flashlights. She wanted to attack some of them just to scare them but didn't feel like it would be the right time.
When she got back to camp, Hap was roasting some meat over the fire and he offered her some. Chaos was sleeping close by, harboring hate and anger towards the humans who took her sister from her, though she was at least glad that Limbo was not dead.
"Here," Hap said, handing her a skewer.
Serenity thanked him and ate the warm meat in silence, thinking about what she would be doing to help Kenji. Perhaps she didn't have to help him. She didn't need to get involved so long as he didn't try to get himself killed.
"What do I do?" she asked Hap.
"Nothing," Hap said. "Let it play out."
Serenity nodded. Perhaps that was the right way to go after all. It felt wrong on some level, but Serenity knew that not everything that happened on the island was her concern. She had to let some things go. Even if they had her sister.
OOO
Serenity growled low in her throat as the men loaded Bumpy into a crate. Kenji had said his dad wouldn't take Bumpy, but the man had lied. Serenity wanted to rip his throat out but refrained from harming him as she knew that Kenji would hate her if she did so.
But when she told him about it, Kenji was mad, and she had to stop him from confronting his dad. Kenji promised he'd make sure Bumpy would see Ben again and that was that. They had solved that issue.
The woman with them all, Mae was her name, seemed to be as angry as Kenji and Serenity wondered if she could help that person. She'd asked Kenji about her, and he told her that Mae was a good person, a strong woman with a strong will. She had taken care of them when they had first gotten to the island. Serenity wondered what she could do, but she was uncertain if she should do anything.
"What do I do?" she asked Hap that evening, contemplating what she should be doing and what she shouldn't be doing.
"Let it play out," Hap said, as he had earlier.
"I worry," Serenity told him.
"Me too," Hap said, pulling her in for a hug.
The night was warm and they had decided to sleep beside Chaos to keep her company now that Limbo was gone. Chaos had her tail placed over Hap and her head pressed to Serenity's thigh, growling softly.
I'm sorry, Serenity said to Chaos.
Hap was silent as he listened, not understanding a word of their clicking and growling conversation going on right next to him. But he didn't mind it, instead keeping watch of the fire crackling a little in front of them and gazing at the night sky.
What for? Chaos asked.
For always dragging you into danger. Grim died because I interacted with Humans and now Limbo is being mind-controlled by Kenji's dad, Serenity mumbled.
It is not your fault. You are my sister and you didn't cause Grim's death, nor did you cause Limbo to get caught, Chaos assured her. Even if you are a Human, you are still part of my life. I don't want to lose you.
Serenity smiled, tears dripping down her cheeks. She leaned into Chaos and hugged her tightly. She never wanted to lose anyone again and she was so scared of what the next day might bring them. She didn't want to see Limbo like that and she didn't want her to go, but she knew she couldn't save her. Limbo belonged to Kenji's dad now, and they had to accept that. Kenji was the one who would save her, not Serenity.
And it stung her, in her heart, that she wouldn't be the one by her sister's side when she woke up.
You are not to blame for this, sister, Chaos repeated. Be sure of yourself and your friends, it'll work out. I have faith.
"Thank you," Serenity said in Human tongue, glad and sorrowful at the same time.
"You okay?" Hap asked curiously.
"Yes," Serenity said, leaning into his side. "Sad," she added.
"I understand," Hap replied. "It must be hard knowing your friends didn't get home safely."
Serenity nodded, brushing a hand through her long white hair. It probably needed a trim, but she hadn't cared much for it. Maybe she would, someday, but now was not the time to fret about hair and girly things. It was time to take action and make sure that Kenji wouldn't be destroying the friendship he had with the campers. It was time to make sure that his father didn't succeed in all of his plans and it was time to just be a general nuisance.
Serenity smiled and stroked over Chaos's snout, looking up at the night sky with mischief stirring in her soul.
OOO
Serenity sat in the tree, quietly looking down upon the Humans below her. They were searching for more Dinosaurs to take home with them. Kenji was with his father and couldn't leave the man's side, and Hap had stayed at camp to make sure Chaos wouldn't go after her and get caught. Serenity didn't want that.
So, instead, she sat there, alone, watching the woman and the man guarding her as they looked for samples. She had sensed the presence of a Ceratosaurus not far from them, and it had probably picked up their scent by now. They also weren't being very quiet.
The man was chopping away at the vegetation while the woman was sighing loudly, though she was a lot quieter than the man, who grunted loudly with each chop. Serenity had half the mind to warn them when she felt the rough stomps of the Cerato as it came closer, but she didn't make a peep and decided to watch what would happen instead.
The Cerato showed up, and the man shot it with a tranq but the woman argued that it needed more than one shot. She was right, of course. Serenity watched as the Cerato opened its eyes and went for the man, but was quickly shot down again.
She'd seen enough. Serenity climbed down the tree and carefully made her way toward them, hiding behind the downed animal to keep herself concealed. The man snarled at the lady and they argued some more, and Serenity took her chance.
She shot from behind the Cerato and conked the man on the head with her fist. He went down instantly with a startled cry, falling onto the forest floor in a crumpled heap. The woman stared at her in shock with her jaw open, silent.
"Come," Serenity said to her.
"Uh," the woman managed.
If Serenity remembered correctly, her name was Mae. Kenji had told her that this woman had helped them all when they first got on the island and that she wasn't a bad person. So Serenity was taking a chance with her.
"Come, Mae," Serenity said.
The woman looked startled, but picked up the case she had with her and nodded, though she looked reluctant to leave the man lying out in the open. Serenity knew what she wanted, and she placed two fingers in her mouth to whistle loud and high.
Mae startled, flinching, and then yelped when an Ankylosaurus burst through the bushes. It stopped by Serenity's side and she asked it to take the unconscious man to a safe place, preferably close to the condo. The Anky agreed and Serenity thanked her, saying she'd bring some berries as a gift later.
Keep an eye out, they're everywhere, the Anky said.
Serenity nodded, I will, thank you.
Then she placed the man onto the Anky's back and it lumbered off. Turning to Mae, Serenity motioned to the man on the Dinosaurs back as they disappeared.
"Happy now?" she asked.
"Uh, yes," Mae managed. "Who are you?"
"Serenity," she answered. "Friend of Kenji."
"Okay?" Mae said quietly. "And you didn't go on the boat with your friend?"
Serenity shook her head and even managed to smile at that. No way in Hell she would ever get on a boat that wasn't going to take her sisters. She would rather die.
"I am not Human," she explained, using more words than she was comfortable with. "Come."
Mae stuttered out some words, but ultimately gave up and followed Serenity through the forest for a long while. Mae took her time to study Serenity, noting her dark complexion and the culmination of many scars on her flesh. Her nails were long and most of the were broken, and she was barefoot. She wore a simple pair of shorts and a torn and bloodied t-shirt. Her hair was immensely long and white, held into a tangle by a vine and a stick.
"Where did you come from?" Mae asked after they had walked in silence for about half an hour.
Honestly, Serenity didn't know. She had no idea where her mother had been born, or where she had been born, but she had spent most of her life on Isla Nublar. Only the first six years of her life had been spent elsewhere.
"Here," she answered after a moment.
"That can't be right," Mae said, murmuring to herself.
She kept on murmuring for the entire journey to the camp, and when they got there she promptly shut up because Chaos met them at the edge of the forest. Mae kept as still as she could, hardly breathing while Serenity paid the Dinosaur no mind at all and passed her without a glance. Mae squeaked and didn't move anymore, so Serenity motioned for Chaos to stop staring.
What a peculiar Human, Chaos huffed. Is she okay?
She's fine, just shocked and probably scared, Serenity said with a chuckle. Where's Hap?
Upstairs, Chaos answered. I'm going to hunt, be back in the evening.
Serenity wished her luck and Chaos disappeared. Mae began breathing again and shakily followed Serenity to the makeshift camp.
"I'm back," Serenity called up as she climbed the ladder.
"Welcome back," Hap said, not at all surprised to see Mae.
They had discussed their plans with Kenji the night before. Kenji had wanted them to "kidnap" Mae and take her far away from his dad so she would be safe. Kenji would help look for her but lead them away from the camp instead and then when they would leave, Mae would stay on the island with them and be safe.
"Who are you?" Mae asked, very confused to see an adult.
"My name is Hap, welcome," he smiled at her, and his tough exterior melted a little. "You're a friend of the kids, right?" At her nod, he continued, "Me too, and Serenity as well. We've been staying here since they left. Kenji wanted you to stay here, too."
"You know the kids?" Mae asked. "Why didn't you go with them?"
Hap flinched a little, but Serenity stepped in.
"They have a home," she said, trying very hard not to sound stupid with her shaking words. "We don't."
Hap nodded, "She's right. Serenity has lived here all her life and I don't have anyone on the mainland waiting for me. I kind of became her father figure..."
Mae looked skeptical but sighed in the end. She put down the case she had been carrying and dropped onto the couch, deflating from stress and relief. Serenity smiled at Hap, the day had gone well.