Chapter Text
Maybe this is strange to think at such a perilous time in his life, but Kenji is having fun right now.
It’s barely been an hour since he and Sammy were caught under a ton of ice, having just survived an avalanche, and now they’re cracking jokes and singing with Smoothie. The little dino is having the time of his life, chirping happily to himself. Unfortunately, the drive into the valley is proving longer than they thought, and the road leading in has seen better days. If he had a weaker stomach, Kenji thinks he’d have been sick by now.
“You’d think with Dodgson, this road would be covered in gold-inlaid solar panels or something.” He says dryly, keeping his eyes both on the road ahead and on Smoothie who is playing on the dashboard. As if on queue, their tiny car rocks almost violently as they hit a couple of uneven patches.
“Maybe this is on purpose.” Sammy posits. “A way to deter people who show up uninvited to their dinosaur sanctuary.”
“Or maybe it’s to make it harder for things to escape…” He says gravely.
“Let’s not worry about our exit strategy just yet. We’re still a ways away.”
For a moment, nothing but silence fills the air. The lighthearted atmosphere disappears, and the weight of what they need to accomplish suddenly hangs heavy between them. A hallmark of the Camp Fam, without Darius around at least, is going in guns blazing with no real plan– just acting on instinct and vibes.
Vibes, however, cannot rescue Bumpy, who is being held in BioSyn’s sanctuary.
They don’t have a plan, really. A checklist, yes– find Bumpy, take her with them, escape uneaten and undetected, get everyone home. Now, the first item is something they can handle. Theoretically. But the rest? Still a work in progress.
Maybe they can steal a dinocarrier? That would definitely set off some alarms. Well, so too would ‘stealing’ a ten ton dinosaur, but that’s a given. Riding her out of the valley is probably a no go. No offense to Bumpy, but she’s not as fast as a Fiat, and frankly, even with the Fiat, the journey is a slog. Could she fit in one of those helicopters that keep flying in and out? Maybe, but they’d probably run into the same problem as stealing a container truck.
Maybe they should just ask? Who knows? It may work out... Psh. Fat chance.
Ugh. If only Darius were here. He'd have a solid plan already.
Well, there’s nothing for it. It’s just them, and frankly, they need something before they find themselves in too deep with no way out.
“You know, there’s something that Yaz taught me that–” Kenji cringes to himself, realizing what he just said. He glances over at Sammy, who looks amused at his reaction. “Sorry, Sammy. I didn’t mean to–”
“Kenji, just because we broke up doesn’t mean we have to pretend she doesn’t exist. You can say her name.”
Oh. Huh.
After his own break up, he’d flinch every time someone would say her name. It wasn’t a problem after a while, but he remembers feeling bad every time Ben had to censor himself around him. Hearing that Sammy doesn't have a problem talking about Yaz, without a hint of awkwardness or deceit, makes him feel a little embarrassed.
“C’mon, what’d she teach you?” Sammy tries kindly, and Kenji unconsciously grips the steering wheel tighter.
“It’s, uh… well, honestly I was gonna make a joke about how she’d talk to me about our problems.”
“Kenji Kon, are you saying you wanna be vulnerable with me?” Sammy teases, and he cringes even harder than before. God, why is this trip taking FOREVER??
“What?? No. Forget I said anything.”
“Nonono! I’m here for you. Let’s try it!” She starts grabbing his arm, smiling ear to ear. Why is she so excited about this?? Has… has he never been open with her before? Emotionally? Moments of them hanging out alone over the years flash in his mind's eye, and… yeah. Maybe he hasn’t.
He had a similar thought about Ben when they first started hanging out more, and he realizes how much of his time was spent around Brooklynn and Darius mostly. That's probably why that 'incident' affected him so badly, and why he lashed out at his brother. Well, it’s better late than never to get closer to his friends. An awful way to put it, but he tries not to linger on it.
For a moment, he says nothing. Then, the floodgates open before he can stop himself.
“How the hell are we supposed to get her home? Convince Dodgson to let us take her? That’s the only way I can think of that wouldn’t end with us getting eaten or shot. And we know the kind of guy he is. I mean, the last time I saw him, I was just a kid and trying so hard to impress my dad.” Kenji takes a moment to breathe, then carries on. “They’re alike– Manipulative, deceptive…”
“Selfish, self centered.” Sammy tacks on. Her eyes go wide, realizing she just insulted his dad as well. “Sorry.”
Kenji shakes his head. “Don’t be. You’re right– people like them don’t care about anyone but themselves and they certainly don’t care about who they hurt.” Kenji absentmindedly pets Smoothie as he talks, letting the soothing sounds of his chirps ease his mind a bit as he talks about something unpleasant. “I would do anything to make sure Smoothie and Bumpy have the kind of life they deserve. Even… even stooping low enough to ask jerks like Dodgson for help.”
“Hey, you’re not alone.” Sammy reminds him. “I want them safe too. How that happens doesn’t matter.” He nods in agreement, happy she's on board.
“Good. We have our plan, then.”
“You know, you’re a good guy, Kenji.” The admission takes him aback, as does her genuine tone.
“Yeah..?”
“You’re nothing like them– Dodgson or your dad. You care.” Oh. Wow. That's... that's really nice to hear. It’s silly, but he feels the corners of his eyes sting with unshed tears.
“You’re also a sick rapper.” She tacks on. He laughs so hard, it startles Smoothie. There it is. This is what he can expect from Sammy– love and laughter. Even in their quiet moments, he seems to find himself having a good time.
“Word? Want me to spit a few bars?”
Sammy grimaces at the offer, making him laugh harder. “I’d love that, but I think we’re finally here.” Ahead of them, a massive iron gate and a perimeter fence come into view, as do a couple of parked vehicles and a couple of small buildings. “Next time, for sure.”
“Don’t you worry, I got some rhymes that’ll make your head spin.”
“I don’t doubt it…”
As they pull up, Kenji feels his stomach drop. The whole setup is a bit too simple, and there’s no one around. Frankly, he thought it’d be bigger– which he voices to Sammy. The perimeter fences back on Nublar were grander than this, and yet, this is supposed to be the entrance to BioSyn’s sanctuary. Function over form, maybe.
Did they accidentally find a side gate? Is this even the sanctuary? The cars parked here have the BioSyn logo, so they have to be. If this is it, could it be they've been overestimating Dodgson?
“We’re on the outskirts.” Sammy speaks up as she taps away on the tablet. “This may not be the main entrance, but look– according to the calendar, this is where the ‘integration event’ is supposed to happen. Whatever that is.”
“Event, huh? Sounds like something the boss would show up to.” Kenji muses. “Cool. When he shows up, we’ll–”
“Wait, we’re really going to ask him?”
“We don’t really have any other plan, right?” Sammy doesn’t respond, though she still looks dubious. Honestly, he also has hit doubts. But right now, they can't be caught unprepared-- despite feeling that is absolutely the case. They need to stick to one plan and follow through. Decided, or at least close to it, Kenji parks the car, and waits.
And waits.
And waits.
--
Kenji should have known better than to underestimate Dodgson. Despite his somewhat disorganized and dorkish behavior, he’s a ruthless capitalist through and through.
After waiting forever for the ‘event’ to start, four people exited one of the nearby buildings– which they realized was actually an elevator– one of which was Lewis Dodgson himself. The ‘event’ was the release of a Tyranossarus into their sanctuary, which was witnessed by the four employees. A special occasion to be sure, but after hearing what he has in store for the predator, Kenji realizes he doesn't hate this man nearly enough.
God, just seeing him again puts Kenji on edge. This is the guy who made the great Daniel Kon kowtow to his every desire, and seeing him again stirs up some repressed memories and the unpleasant emotions that are attached. Cold. Uncaring. Calculated. He remembers the guy looking at him cruelly, saying offhanded remarks about him and his Dad, and glaring daggers at Kenji as he convinced him not to take Bumpy, all those years ago.
He also remembered that Dodgson, and his raptors, are the reason his dad is dead.
So he marched over and talked to him without any hesitation.
Surprisingly, he recognized Kenji– even offering him condolences about his father. The fake sentiment almost made him lose control, but Kenji quickly took control of the situation. Acting in front of people is unfortunately second nature to him– it was his way of surviving the kind of world he was exposed to at such a young age. It made him hard to like outside of certain circles, yes, but he eventually found people he didn’t need to be anyone other than himself around.
What he’s saying is, though it’s been years, Kenji perfectly slipped into his ‘rich douchebag’ persona, talking shop with Dodgson. A little bit of his father is thrown in as well– slightly condescending and overly friendly. Of course, the BioSyn CEO is clever, calling him on his bluffs about being able to pay for Bumpy. Though, Kenji didn’t really think that was going to work.
He might have proved difficult to trick, but maybe he’s easier to rile up.
As if inhabited by the spirit of his father, Kenji went straight for the blackmail angle. He threatened Dodgson– saying he’d expose all his crimes, to which he does have evidence despite what the man might think. Maybe not enough to make a difference, but Dodgson doesn’t know that. That, and, Kenji irritatingly kept blocking the man’s view of his precious new ‘asset’, not allowing him to enjoy this ‘event’ anymore.
For the first ime since meeting him, Kenji saw Dodgson actually upset. It was the desired result, but deep in the back of his mind, he got the feeling this was going to bite him and Sammy in the ass. If looks could kill, was a thought that stuck to him, as was the memory of his glare. Despite this, the man agreed. In exchange for Bumpy, they won’t expose him.
Now, they find themselves on an underground train. Their host left them to their own devices, leaving them alone to board the train. It gave Kenji pause, but they were so close to finding her, he left it alone. It’s just as well– Kenji wasn’t sure how long he could keep up the act, let alone get away with pissing him off without any backlash.
As they ride alone in the cold, metallic tube, Kenji can’t help but think of the monorail back on Nublar, and how futuristic this is in comparison. Masrani was always ahead when it came to Biological research, thus why everyone kept trying to steal from him, but BioSyn seems more technologically advanced. If nothing else, they seem to have money to burn on state-of-the-art underground trains.
Thinking of the monorail reminds Kenji of the night the last rode it, when Ben got snatched away. There were times it played over and over in his head, and he hated how slow he was. He wanted to move. He wanted to find him after, but…
Kenji shakes his head, though he can't unfurl his frown. They’re not on Nublar anymore. Ben is fine-- he’s safe, and he’s alive. He tells himself over and over.
Besides, he has to focus on their mission. Smoothie deserves to have his mom, and Bumpy deserves to meet her son. And he promised Ben to make sure the two were reunited, and nothing is going to stop him from fulfilling that promise.
“Uh-oh.” Sammy says in a baby voice, interrupting his thoughts. “Looks like someone needs a visit from the huggy-wuggy monster!” She holds Smoothie up to his face, the little dinosaur chirping happily at him.
He takes him from her gratefully, holding Smoothie up to his face and snuggling with him. “One cuddle from my boy and it’s like everything that happened today just disappears.” And he means it– Smoothie just makes his life better. At the very least, he distracts him enough to not linger on unpleasant thoughts. He tickles his belly, earning him what he thinks is a laugh, and makes baby noises at the Anky. Kenji suddenly remembers he’s not alone and looks over, seeing Sammy smirking at him with a brow raised in amusement.
Kenji steers the conversation towards something Dodgson mentioned in passing before leaving them– that BioSyn has a contract with the Gutierrez Ranch for all their meat. He took note of it, finding it shocking, especially since Sammy never said anything. She explains that she told her family not to take the deal, but because of money problems from failed collaborations (His dad's company included), they couldn’t refuse. One thing had led to another, and now she’s practically estranged from them.
This revelation breaks Kenji’s heart– he knows how close they were, before all this, and he can only imagine how hurt Sammy was by this turn of events. She says she can’t complain, because at least they’re alive. A mortified look rests on her features, realizing what she said, but he can't argue with that– his Dad wasn’t a good guy but he wishes he were still around. Still, they commiserate over having families whose decisions they don’t agree with, and that's enough to assuage her.
It keeps happening, but even years later, Kenji realizes just how many similarities he shares with everyone in the fam. Even if it's over something that's kind of a bummer.
In no time at all, the train comes to a stop. The doors open into a station nearly identical to the one they departed from, as are the hallways that lead to the elevator. Everything here feels futuristic, yes, but also… sterile. Like, they’re in some kind of hospital on the moon or something– the perfect setting for some freaky sci-fi monster to call home. Though, if Kenji thinks about it longer than a second, he’s met some freaky sci-fi monsters in his time.
There is no information anywhere about where they are or where the elevator will lead– a credit to the sameness of everything. Still, Dodgson preset the destination, so this must be where Bumpy is. They board and press the only button available inside. This place must only have a hyperloop access and the ground level, so no others are needed.
“Are you excited to meet your mama, Smoothie?” Sammy coos at the little dino as Kenji smiles. Part of him is nervous, he guesses. He’s taken care of Smoothie until now, and the idea of someone else taking over, even Bumpy, makes his palms sweat. He knows the anky will be safer with his mama more than he ever will be with Kenji, but still– it’s hard not to be nervous letting someone you love leave your side.
He thinks of tousled brown hair, deep blue eyes, and a crooked grin. Yeah, it was hard to see him leave too.
He dismisses his fears. It’s silly. It’s not forever, and he’s not being replaced. If anything, he’s happy his two favorite dinosaurs in the world will finally be together. They’re gonna get Bumpy out, go home, and they can all live together. Whether that’s a naive dream remains to be seen.
When the doors open, he almost immediately realizes that it was absolutely a naive dream.
Forest in every direction, no other sign of buildings or people or anything, and the distant sounds of dinosaurs echo in the distance. The elevator doors close behind them, and despite Sammy’s efforts, they refuse to open again.
Dodgson set them up. He was never going to give them Bumpy– and Kenji feels like a fool for thinking he ever would, even under threat. Of course, why would he? He just needs to get rid of them, and all that ‘blackmail’ goes away. And what easier way to get rid of someone while leaving little to no evidence behind? He's done it before and he'll do it again. God, he was so stupid to think his plan actually worked!
A chirping catches his attention, and the sound sends a shiver up his spine. He’s only ever heard that sound once in his life– the same night he and Brooklynn got together. He, Darius, and Doctor Mae Turner were stuck in the swamp biome on Mantah Corp Island, and some freaky, frilled lizard dinos turned up. They shot gunk from their mouths that Darius said not to let touch you, and made a medley of disturbing noises. One of them was a soft, almost playful chirping– the same one he heard moments ago.
The sound multiplies, and suddenly they’re surrounded. Dilophosourous, too many for his liking.
Run. They run, barely dodging the tar-like discharge from the hungry dinos as they go. Smoothie is tucked away in Gia’s bag, hopefully safe from their pursuers. He's not sure if the footsteps her hears are his and Sammy's or the dinosaurs', but he doesn't dare look and check. They only stop when their legs can’t carry them anymore, hiding behind a massive log.
All Kenji can hear is his and Sammy’s ragged breaths, exhausted from the sudden sprint through the forest. Sammy finally looks behind them, and it seems the coast is clear. They both take a moment to catch their breaths and rest, but realization catches up. How is Smoothie? They check the bag, and are startled to find it covered in the tar.
As soon as they open the bag, the little dino coos up at them, confused as to what’s going on. He seems fine, a little rattled but unharmed. Both of them let out a massive sigh of relief.
“Oh, my baby boy. You’re okay, you’re okay.” Kenji sings, holding the baby dino close to him. In the back of his mind, he thinks he may have had a prophetic thought– that Smoothie would be safer with Bumpy and not him. And immediately after, that theory gets tested in the worst way possible. He really thought he lost his boy for a second.
“This is one heavy duty bag. The venom didn’t even seep through. We should get clothes made outta this.”
Kenji doesn’t have the heart to tell her that it’s probably leather, knowing the other is vegan and has an affinity for cows. Though, she did live on a ranch where they butchered them, so maybe it won’t be a problem. Still, all he can really focus on is Smoothie, refusing to let the baby leave his grasp.
“Kenj? You okay?” She tries. “He’s alright. Look at him.”
“I know, I know.” He says, somewhat unconvincingly. “I just… I really want to do right by this little guy. I can’t let him get hurt. Everyone should feel protected by their parents, and right now, until we find Bumpy, that’s me.”
A similar conversation took place years ago, and with a different baby dinosaur. Back when they were taking care of the hybrids, he told Brooklynn something similar about Rebel. As much as he loved that little dude, it doesn’t compare to what he has with Smoothie. He worries it’s to an unhealthy degree, like he sees himself in this dinosaur, and is living out some kind of fantasy of him being the father that his own never was. But that'd be crazy, right?
Sammy is suddenly very jumpy. Like, she’s avoiding Kenji. She says she can find Bumpy, deferring to the tablet to lead them, but she keeps changing directions almost arbitrarily. After it feels like they’ve been going around in circles for an hour, he finally speaks up.
“Hey, so, we’ve been kind of just meandering and–”
“Oh, did you learn that in your Word a Day calendar?” Sammy teases. Kenji huffs at that.
“Yes, I did, but still– We must have passed this area five times already. Are we lost?”
“What?” Sammy turns around, her eyes looking at anywhere but his own. “No… This is a forest, and all the trees look the same.”
“Uh, I live in a forest. Trust me, I know how to navigate them. Look, want me to take a crack at the map? Captain Kenji is a pro at that.” He tries to assure her, but she flinches away when he reaches for the tablet.
“Uh, rude?” Sammy exclaims, louder than probably necessary. “What, you think because I’m not some big strong mountain climbing man like you, I don’t know how to read a map?”
“What?? No.” He insists. “No, I’m just trying to–”
“Well, don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” She sings, even booping him on the nose after. He recoils, stunned by the exchange. Her twang is thicker than normal, and she refuses to look at him. He feels a little guilty, because he can certainly understand how his words may have come across. But combine this with her skittish behavior since earlier, and Kenji knows something is up.
“You’re acting weird.” He declares. Sammy is quick to deny this, but he insists. Kenji thinks he might know what’s going on with her, and why she’s so different all of a sudden– she’s weirded out by him now. Seeing him so easily slip into a different persona, not breaking character until they were away from Dodgson. He’d hate it if she thought a part of ‘old Kenji’ was coming back, that deep down, him and his father are the same.
His father's legacy was either his business acumen or how much he wasn't there for his family. Nothing positive. Kenji would hate to think what his legacy will be when all is said and done, and he'd hate for it to be anything at all similar to his father.
“Kenji, you did what you had to do. You’re nothing like him.” She says so easily, so simply. He’s glad to hear it. But the question remains–
“So, why are you acting strange?”
It became obvious it’s something to do with the tablet. She keeps shielding it from him, and from the quick glimpses he’s able to get, it looks kind of cracked– which makes sense, they were running around a forest for a while. It turns into a tug of war, attempting to keep the tablet from the other. Eventually he relents, hearing strange sounds coming from the woods.
“Just point us in the direction of the next station and away from the murderous venom spitters.” Kenji huffs in annoyance.
“...I can’t.” Sammy eeks out. “The tablet broke.”
Ah. That makes sense. But, why did she hide that from him? It’s been years since he thought of it, but this reminds him of when they first got in trouble at Jurassic World. Sammy had stolen, and then broke, Brooklynn’s phone, and lied about it. Looks like habits are hard to break. Honestly, he can relate– but unfortunately, that means they have no way to know where to go.
Lost in a forest full of dinos. Again. Great.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of time to contemplate how life is going because a familiar chirp comes from multiple directions. Without even seeing a single Dilo, Kenji can tell they’re already surrounded. One by one, the venomous dinos spring up, and suddenly they’re tumbling on the ground again. This time, however, he loses his grip on Smoothie, and bigger dinosaurs are quick to make him pay for it. He tackles the attacking Dilo, barely sparing the Anky from being its lunch. Sammy is fairing well, smacking her own assailants with the broken tablet.
Suddenly, Kenji’s stomach drops. One of the Dilos corner Smoothie, snapping its jaws at him as he hides in a little alcove under a log. He moves before he can think, ready to wrestle yet another one of these things away, when suddenly, it screeches in pain, blinking painfully. Smoothie slammed himself into its eye, the taller carnivore now scurrying away.
Wow. Despite being a fraction the size, Smoothie held his own. Kenji doesn’t even have a moment to feel proud because a handful of Dilos are still stalking around. He’s quick to scoop him up and call after Sammy to run for it, the Texan on the same page and already sprinting for her life.
They don’t stop this time, just keep on running. Maybe it’s unwise to run without knowing where you’re going, but anywhere has to be better than where they were. Smoothie chirrups softly in concern, and Kenji shushes him as assuringly as he can manage while running for his life. Maybe they’ll run into another hyperloop station on their own– though the more likely scenario is an even bigger carnivore. Or, maybe, they’ll reach one of the perimeter fences, and they can follow it until they find another gate. Oh, or maybe–
Kenji barely registers it before it comes to a screeching halt, but he and Sammy are almost run over by an SUV of all things. What a sucky way to go that would have been– survive countless dinosaur encounters, fires, and perilous oceans, but get taken out by a reckless driver? Who the hell is even driving around out here??
Then he sees them– blue eyes, big and warm and beautiful as he remembers. It can’t be.
But it is. Of course he is. Just like with Hap back in the day, Ben shows up to save him in the nick of time.
“Kenji?!” The taller man yells, just as confused as he is.
“There you are.” Kenji says to himself. "Wait, how are--"
“Hurry! Get inside!” one of the others yells, and Kenji sees why; as fast they ran, the Dilos were still right behind them. He and Sammy were barely able to scramble into the backseat before one of the dinos leapt at the car, the others also closing in. Ben steps on the gas and they speed away. Kenji has never been so grateful to be almost run over. It’s happened to him quite a lot over the years– almost getting run over, that is. Though, this is the first time it happened with Ben behind the wheel.
Kenji’s heart is pounding, threatening to beat out of his chest. And it’s not just from nearly getting attacked– it’s just kind of the default whenever Ben’s around. He just hopes that Darius, who he’s pressed up against as they escape, doesn’t ask. It's then he realizes that the accomplished their mission- they found Brooklynn. She sits in the front, next to Ben, and it's almost surreal seeing her again. But his mind doesn't linger on that, too busy to understand the implication.
They're all together again.
As nice as the sentiment is, he has a million questions. Like, why are they here? How are they here? Why do they have a car, and why are they driving around the sanctuary? Where are they going in such a hurry that they almost made roadkill out of him and Sammy?
But he doesn't ask. All that can wait. Right now, despite the clear peril they’re still in, Kenji feels so much of the stress of the day just floating away, a white noise in the background of his mind. In the rear view mirror, blue eyes meet his own again, and he feels safer than he has all day.
Ben, there when he needed him most. Just like always.
It seems like the only thing that could possibly keep them away from one another is death, and from how lucky they've been over the years, maybe not even that could stop them.