Chapter Text
The sea air makes Alexei scrunch up his nose, the salty taste in his mouth making him want to gag. He hastily leaves the boat in favor of the concrete dock, stepping far enough from the ledge that the water splashing from the waves doesn't reach his feet.
A pink-haired girl bumps his shoulder as she passes him, holding up her phone to the scenery. He glares at her back, frowning, but she doesn't notice his ire. He reluctantly joins the group of teens gathering in front of a fair-skinned man with a bandanna, sticking to the back of the group.
“Welcome campers!” The bubbly man greets. “You are the chosen few, the first kids in the entire world to ever experience the awesomeness that is Camp Cretaceous!” He starts pacing in front of the group, hands placed behind his back. “I know the trip was rough on some.”
He nods to a short, brunette boy leaning over the side of the dock. “Hello, Ben.”
Ben, apparently, gives the man a thumbs-up before vomiting over the side again. Alexei’s face twists in disgust at the sight, and he turns back to the counsellor.
“But you made it!” He continues. “I'm Dave, head counselor, Head Honcho, big shot!”
The campers blink at him, clearly unamused by his speech. Then a truck screeches to a stop behind Dave, and a woman hops out, wiping her hair out of her face before approaching the group.
“So sorry I'm late.” She apologizes, her British accent thick, and stands beside Dave. “I'm Roxie. Head counselor here.”
The teens look at Dave, unimpressed. He gives them a nervous smile. “It's sort of a co-head counselor thing…”
“Is it?” Roxie asks with a smile.
“Anyway!” Dave clears his throat. “Some of you won contests to be here, some of you had VIP invites. But for the next two weeks, you will be getting five-star treatment!”
The pink-haired girl pans her camera to the group, a few of them waving at it, but most hiding their faces. Alexei gives her a stern glare, hoping the phone would crack in two if he stared at it long enough. It doesn't.
“As our first campers, we've lined up exclusive behind-the-scenes tours of Jurassic World.” Roxie gains the camper’s attention again.
They light up, some cheering. Alexei simply frowns. He does not want to be here. He'd much rather be at home, but his father wanted him here. And Alexei wouldn't dare upset his father.
“So, ready for an adventure?” Roxie asks with a smile.
“Absolutely!” The pink girl beams, holding up her phone. “But I'm gonna need that speech a little shorter and really try to lean into the majesty of his place.”
Dave looks at her with a matching smile, laughing a little. “Okay, we’re going now. Let's get the seven of you to camp.”
“Uh, there are six of us.” Ben raises his hand.
“Wait.” Dave pauses and starts a head count. “Dino Kid, Track Star, Internet Girl, Barfy, Texas, Alexei…”
“How come he doesn't get a nickname?” Dino Kid questions, then turns to look at Alexei. “Oh.”
“Hes right, where's seven?” Dave asks Roxie.
She checks her clipboard and scoffs.
They all stand together, watching the helicopter slowly lower itself onto the black landing pad. The propellers stir up dust, and Alexei glares at it, pushing his hair out of his face. Once it lands, a boy in a pink polo and donning black sunglasses hops out.
He walks up to the group with an air of confidence, holding his bag over his shoulder. “Greetings, my dudes. Kenji is here, so let the party commence!”
Kenji then throws his bag at Roxie. “Put this in my room.”
He's promptly knocked down by his own bag, chucked at him by no other than Roxie. She huffs, brushing off her clothes, and addresses the group. “Let's go!”
The campers follow behind her and Dave to the truck she arrived in, jumping into the trunk. Dino Nerd, Kenji, and Internet girl all sit on one side while Texas, Track Star, Ben, and Alexei sit on the other. Alexei decided to sit beside Ben, deeming him the least annoying of the group. Though now he's stuck next to Texas.
Roxie speeds off, and the campers shout, then fumble to put on their seatbelts. Alexei sighs and settles in the seat, trying his best to ignore the girl at his side. She's not talking, but her presence just irks him.
“I hope you got my mom’s note,” Ben shouts to the counselors. “I don't do well on windy roads!”
Alexei frowns as the smaller boy huddles against the side of the truck. He would rather not get puked on, but he feels bad for him. Annoyingly enough.
“What's up, Brooklanders?” The pink girl greets her phone. “It's your girl, Brooklyn! Coming at you from the best place ever: Camp Cretaceous!”
She pans the camera to the jungle, then puts her phone in her lap and turns to the campers. “Okay, I need you all to say who you are and a little bit about yourself.”
She points the camera at Dino Nerd. “Action!”
“Oh–uh…” He stumbles for a few seconds. “I beat this super awesome VR dinosaur game, I’m Darius, by the–”
“I'm sorry!” Texas interrupts him. “I just can't believe you're Brooklynn! I'm Sammy Gutierrez, total Brooklander!”
She reaches out and shakes Brooklynn’s hand wildly, smiling. “Oh! Also, my family supplies all the beef for the park, that's how I got here.”
“Great to meet you, Sammy.” Brooklyn matches her smile.
“Uh–” Darius directs the attention to himself. “What's a Brooklander?”
“It's what my online followers call themselves,” Brooklyn answers.
“Yeah, all 27 million of us!” Sammy butts in, making finger guns.
Kenji seems to light up.
“Hold on, rich,” He points to himself, then to Brooklynn. “And famous? Oh, meant to be.” He grins and snatches her phone, taking a selfie of the two of them.
Brooklynn huffs and snatches her phone back, then pans the camera over to Alexei.
“No.” He growls, glaring at her.
She immediately moves it away just as the truck comes to a halt, jostling the campers again. Ben tips over the side, but Alexei snatches him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back in before he can fall. He gives him a grateful smile, then looks at Dave.
“What's going on?” He asks.
“Nothing for you to worry about,” Dave assures, then flicks on his shock prod. “But you should all stay in your seats.”
Ben whimpers and turns back around, holding his stomach. The other campers all gather to get a better view of Roxie and Dave as the two adults stalk towards the bushes. Alexei sighs and unbuckles his seatbelt, standing up to avoid being too close to the teens. He can hear Darius say something, but not what.
Suddenly, a dinosaur leaps out from the bushes at Darius. The boy shrieks and falls back, and the dinosaur lands on his chest. The teens scream and jump out of the van, Ben falling out, and a few of them backing up against the back window. Alexei stares down at the thing, face twisting into a grimace.
It squawks at Darius, who slowly raises his head to look at it, then jumps off him and straight into Roxie’s arms. She wraps it up in a blanket and quickly stuffs it into a cat carrier in the back seat.
“Crisis averted.” She smiles, shutting the barred door. “These things are always getting out of their enclosure.”
Darius scrambles to get a good look at it. “A real-life Compsognathus!”
“Oh, please,” Kenji slides back into his seat, rolling his eyes. “It took a blanket and a cat carrier to catch it. Boring.”
“Scared you pretty good,” Darius says with a smug smile.
The girls giggle, and Kenji turns to look at them, only for Brooklynn to snap a picture of his shocked expression. He frowns and turns away, pouting like a child.
Alexei holds out a hand to Ben to help him back in the trunk, and the boy takes it, smiling at him again. Alexei returns it with a frown, then sits back down himself. He buckles himself back in just as the truck starts moving.
They all arrive in a clearing with a massive tree in the middle, the truck coming to a halt. The counselors hop out, and the campers do the same, following both of them to the steps in front of the tree. Which, upon closer inspection, is the camp.
“Welcome to Camp Cretaceous!” Dave announces from the top step.
Alexei steps away from the truck and looks around, watching Brooklynn try to talk to Track Star but being unsuccessful. He doesn't care all that much.
“Listen up!” Dave calls out. “Announcement time from your co-head counselors!”
“Still not a thing.” Roxie smirks.
The campers all gather in front of them.
“Okay, there are some ground rules to cover.” Roxie starts as she paces along the bottom steps. “Curfew is at 8 pm and lights off at 9 pm, sharp.”
A few campers groan, but Ben quietly pumps his fist. Alexei just blinks at her. Roxie explains why the rule exists, but he doesn't listen; he's not keen on breaking them anyway.
“Cabins are up, that-a-way!” Dave points up to the platform about halfway up the tree.
“First one up gets the top bunk!” Track Star shouts, pushing Kenji out of the way and rushing to the entrance. The other campers quickly follow her.
Alexei frowns, but does the same, albeit much more slowly. He's the sixth to reach the top, the seventh being Darius, and chooses the bed underneath Ben. The other option would be Kenji, but Alexei finds his confidence insufferable.
The campers all stand at the railing of the observation tower, Darius pointing out various species and the rest of them looking down at the animals in awe.
“Wow, you really do know your stuff, Dino Nerd.” Brooklyn compliments.
Kenji seems to panic before thrusting a hand out to point at a random dinosaur. “Check out the…Brontosaurus.”
“They don't have those here. A common mistake.” Darius corrects, not unkindly. Kenji glares at him.
“Enough banter!” Dave shouts and ushers them all to a large pole. “It's zipline party time!”
He quickly straps Ben in while the boy protests. “Me? Maybe–uh…maybe Alexei should go first! Or Darius? Anyone really, I don't–”
Dave promptly shoves Ben off the ledge, and the smaller boy shrieks as he flies down the line, gripping the pole for dear life. He screams for a while before relaxing, admiring the dinosaurs below.
The rest of the teenagers are strapped in and pushed off, cheering and giggling as they zip down the wire. Alexei smiles at the feeling of the wind in his hair, his braids trailing behind him as he passes a Brachiosaurus’ huge head.
It's gorgeous.
Alexei sits silently on the couch in the lounge, sketchbook in his lap as he draws the compy from before. The lines are sharp, but detailed, and he uses his pinky finger to smudge the lead into vague shading. He's unable to sleep just yet; new places do that to him.
“Gah!” He raises his head at the sound, finding Darius standing awkwardly in front of the elevator. “Heyyy Alexei, what are you doing up?”
“What are you?” Alexei asks back, accent thick.
“Uh– I was thirsty!” Alexei raises an eyebrow and nods to the nearby water fountain. “...hungry?”
“Liar.” Alexei glares at him, the younger boy practically withering underneath his gaze.
“Hey, Dino Nerd. Whatcha doin’?” Kenji pops up from behind Darius, grinning smugly.
“Nothing!” Darius jumps and turns around to face Kenji.
“Look, bro,” Kenji moves closer and loops an arm around the younger boy’s shoulders. “I don't want you to be intimidated by me just because I'm rich.”
“Uh, I'm not intimidated by you,” Darius assures, giving him a tight smile.
“Oh, good.” Kenji smiles and dusts off Darius’ jacket. “I just want us to be friends, and friends tell each other stuff. For instance, what they're doing out of bed past curfew. What do you think?”
“I think you'd best get your arm off me, friend.” Darius smiles, leaning closer.
“Why don't you make me, friend?” Kenji challenges.
The flash of a camera makes them both move away from each other.
“So that's what toxic masculinity looks like.” Brooklynn grins, looking down at the new photo on her phone.
“Sorry we woke you, I–” Darius starts, pulling farther away from Kenji.
“He,” Kenji interrupts. “Was sneaking out. But I set him straight.”
Darius starts to protest, but Kenji just steps forward.
“Look, I–I try to look out for the younger kids. It's who I am.” He smiles at Brooklynn as he approaches.
“Guys, you don't understand.” Darius starts. “I've been waiting my whole life to get here, and I'm going to make the best of it.” He points out the window. “Those lights, they have to be from the compy enclosure. I gotta check it out.”
“Sneaking out to see dinosaurs in the dead of night,” Brooklynn hums. “Mad danger of getting caught, great mood lighting…guess that means we're going rogue! Kapow!”
Alexei cringes at her words, frowning. He doubts Kenji or Brooklynn has realized he's sitting right there, and he'd like to keep it that way. But, the little voice in his mind adds, these idiots could get hurt, and Alexei would be guilty for not stopping them.
“Crazies.” He mumbles, and, as expected, both Kenji and Brooklynn jump at the sound of his voice.
“Jesus! Alexei, were you there the whole time?!” Kenji asks, putting a hand to his racing heart.
“Yes. I am large. How did you not notice me?” Alexei deadpans, blinking at them.
“You like blended into the couch or something, I dunno.” Kenij shudders.
“Do you want to come with us?” Darius questions, tilting his head like a curious dog.
“Yes.” Alexei sets his sketchbook on the coffee table and stands up, walking over to the three teenagers.
“Great!” Darius smiles up at him, and Alexei frowns back.
The four of them climb the stairs of the enclosure, reaching the raised balcony. The pen is large, too big for compies, but Alexei isn't the dinosaur specialist, and Darius doesn't seem bothered.
Alexei moves to look over the railing, trying to get a glimpse of the dinosaurs inside. He can vaguely hear arguing but decides to ignore it, at least until he sees Kenji start to clamber down the side of the pen.
“What are you doing?” He asks with a frown, watching as the teenager falls into the barred-off section of the enclosure.
“He dropped my phone, so now he's getting it.” Brooklynn supplies, and Alexei nods.
“See? Good as new!” Kenji lifts the phone and waves it around, showing off its condition.
“Great. Now just climb back up and gently hand it to me.” Brooklynn snarks and crosses her arms over her chest.
“Sure, sure.” Kenji raises the phone to the bars. “Right after I get a sweet dino-pic for your followers.”
Alexei hears Darius call to him and Brooklynn and looks up. “Guys? This isn't the compy pen.”
“Quiet, Junior!” Kenji shouts up at him. “The adults are talking.”
“This isn't the compy pen!” Darius yells at Kenji, leaning over the railing to further his point.
“What is he–” A raptor suddenly sprints at the bars, banging into them and clawing at the metal to try and get to Kenji. The boy screams and stumbles back, then starts running towards the large metal door. The dinosaur follows.
Brooklynn runs toward a control panel and slams a button, setting off a blaring alarm. But instead of the gate that would save Kenji, the gate that currently separates him and the raptor opens instead.
The raptor stalks towards Kenji, hissing. Darius runs back to the platform and starts kicking one of the pipes lining the enclosure, the metal creaking until it snaps, releasing steam into the pen. The smoke covers the raptor, blurring its vision as Darius jumps down into the pen with Kenji.
“Please tell me you have a plan!” Kenji shouts, backing up against the door.
“Let's move, the steam should keep it busy!” Darius says while turning around, only to stop when he sees three more raptors join the first.
Brooklynn panics and starts slamming button after button. Alexei rushes to the railing and peers down, watching the raptors slowly approach the two boys.
“Oh, crud.” Darius mumbles.