Into The Monsters Cave

No matter how hard you try to escape it, the past always finds a way back. Or at least that was Iodines train of thought as she stared at the wide door ahead of her. At her back the two acrocanthosaurus grumbled, Shadestealer hissing softly while Thor grumbled back in a hissed argument she did not care to focus on. The wide doors of the laboratory stretched before her, the broken down doors yawning into the darkness. Her mind flashbacked to the last time she was here, years ago during her escape from the facility. Iodine had been but an adolescent, living in this cold hell and trapped with no way to escape- until the door had opened, and she had made her escape.

Shadestealer was the first to step forward from behind her, his grey and black body looking like a great fit in the worn down alpha labs. “So this is the birthplace…” the carnivore muttered, looking at the open doorway with interest. If you could even call it a doorway- weather and sharp claws and teeth had torn away at the walls, leaving it covered in cracks and tinted in blood and greenery. “I was never able to visit this place. Mother sent me away before I could even hatch from my shell.” 

Thor huffed from his side, the yellow male casting a look at the lab with a slightly disgusted look in his place. “I'm not glad to be back here, either.” He scowled, lashing his tail hard enough it slammed into the wall. Iodine flinched, before looking back into the darkness. They were here for a reason, and they had to do this- for the sake of them, they had to find the medicine.

“Let's go.” Iodine shuddered. “And hope we don’t run into him.” Fear dripped from her mouth as she spoke, and the other two lowered their heads as it spread. All those lab borne had a fear of him, the monster haunting the deepest halls of the alpha labs. He had consumed countless dinosaurs in his never ending hunger, members of his species included. Iodine had lost count of how many of her clutch had ended up as bones scattered across his lair. However, since the meltdown event where most had freed the labs, no one had seen hair or hide of the monster. “Maybe he starved down there.” 

Shadestealer snorted. “Doubtful. The old skulk is too angry to die from something as pathetic as hunger. Now, let's hurry before the welcoming community arrives.” He brushed against Iodine as he stepped forward, almost pushing her over by force alone. Thor followed after, nudging Iodine consolingly as he followed after. Sighing, Iodine followed after. 

As they traveled deeper down ruined, twisting halls and stairs, the atmosphere became more and more eerie. No one stepped out to confront them- occasionally the trio would feel someone's gaze on them or hear distant footsteps, but once they stepped out of Zone B they disappeared. Zone C was covered in bones and bloodstains, the air forever filled with the scent of death and fear. Iodine shuddered as she stepped in a pool of sluggish liquid, stopping to shake it off her foot. 

Shadestealer, leading the way, suddenly stopped. Iodine instantly paused, every sense on high alert. Thor was the one who spotted it first, nodding towards a pile of bones on the ground. They were all but bare, completely consumed by something with large teeth. And they did not seem very old. The trio shot each other a glance, but had no choice but to push further into the darkness.

Soon, they came across the testing grounds. Iodine shuddered, long suppressed flashbacks fighting their way back into recent memory as she shook her head frantically as if she could dislodge them.

A sudden low sound jolted her out of her darkest thoughts. Thor was growling lowly, the feathers on the back of his neck raising. Shadestealer joined in soon after, his thrumming growl joining in with Thors.

A large doorway stretched before them, seemingly leading from some kind of offshoot of the testing grounds. Something was… glowing within it. Iodine had a quick moment of clarity- the lab had been shut down for months now, there was no power left. And then with a roar, the monster sprung.

Nidhogg charged from his lair, mouth opened in a chilling bellow that shook the very ground. Iodine froze, locked in place as he charged at her. It would have been the end had Thor not roared back, throwing himself at Nidhogg and crashing into his side. Nidhogg snarled, whipping his head around and biting at Thor only for Shadestealer to run in, grabbing the titans head in his own mouth. “Iodine! Go! Get it!” Thor snarled before turning back to the fight, hissing as Nidhoggs tail smacked him in the face. 

Iodine vanished down the hallway as Thor and Shadestealer broke off from Nidhogg, snarling loudly as they circled him. There was no time for words, no time to negotiate. Nidhogg was twice their size, and he was hungry. They had to buy time for Iodine to get to the laboratory and find item that had came for.

Nidhogg turned to the pair, snarling and growling as he snapped his jaws at them. He was much thinner since the last time they had seen him, with his supply of dinosaurs to eat running thin. It was no wonder he wanted to make them into a meal. Shadestealer sprang first, howling loudly as Nidhogg managed to lash around and clamp his jaws around his neck. Thor roared, lashing his own teeth in Nidhoggs dewlap in a desperate attempt to free Shadestealer. Nidhogg screeched in pain, staggering back and frantically trying to shake Thor off. 

Iodine charged from the way she had gone, a thin vial clutched in her claws. “I got it! Scram!” She screeched. Thor quickly unhooked his teeth, whirling around and speeding off as Shadestealer followed. Thor felt hot breath on his tail and barely managed to move it out of the way as sharp teeth clenched where he had been a moment beforehand. The stairway they had come down from was right ahead- just big enough for Thor himself, it was far too small for Nidhogg to fit.

 “Hurry!” Shadestealer was within the safety of the staircase, backed up just enough for Thor to fit in. Iodine was long gone, having fled as soon as she realized the two were following. 

Thor winced as Nidhogg slammed into the wall, the ancient building shaking but standing strong as the monster thrashed and twisted. “Lets go.” Thor whispered, limping up the stairs as Shadestealer followed behind. There was no reason for them to look back, so they didn't.