The soldiers approached to be certain Fang would not rise up again. The leader of the group confirmed this and turned to see that another soldier had fallen from behind while their attention had been diverted.
"What the hell happened there?" he asked.
"Green one must have attacked while the gunfire muted out the other noise," a soldier responded.
"Fan out and find him!"
The soldiers spread out and began to move slowly back toward their bunker, unaware that Scarface had once again moved behind them. Quietly he stalked his target and when the other two soldiers had their backs turned, he leapt upon the targeted soldier's rear flank and delivered a paralyzing blow. By the time the remaining two soldiers turned around, their comrade had fallen and Scarface was hiding once again.
"How is he using tactics like that?" the soldier asked. "This group hasn't learned ambush yet."
The soldiers turned in a slow circle, taking in everything around them. In a sudden burst of green, one found Scarface leaping at his face. Unable to fire, the soldier fell and succumbed to the electrical signals of his suit.
The last soldier emptied all of his bullets in a wild spray, but hit nothing. He quickly reloaded and approached slowly. He did not get far before Scarface exposed himself fully.
"You're gutsy, I'll give you that," the soldier said. "But I'm not going down so easily."
The soldier began firing, to which Scarface jumped out of the way and ran toward his aggressor. Watching where the barrel was pointed rather than other body signals from the soldier, Scarface was able to avoid the sprays of bullets being fired. Upon reaching his target, Scarface lashed out and struck at the soldier's leg. The soldier fell to one knee before glaring at Scarface with complete loathing.
Before he was able to fire again, Scarface was fast approaching and lashed out at the gun-wielding hand. The soldier's grip failed him and before he was able to recover found himself being knocked down. Lying on his back, the soldier could feel the weight of Scarface's body on his chest.
Scarface stared deep into the soldier's eyes. The soldier had been eye to eye with young raptors before, but this one sent chills down his spine. In those yellow eyes was not the expression of victory, but of malicious intent. Unable to move due to the electrical impulses, the soldier was at the mercy of Scarface.
The raptor attacked the fallen soldier, biting and clawing at the armor to find an opening. He did not get far when the far door slid open and several armed men entered. With the smell of gunpowder coming from the weapons, Scarface knew these were real. Reluctantly, he stepped off the fallen soldier. With a snort, he made his way back to the entrance of the training grounds.
****
"So what do you think?" Ryder said after reviewing the tapes of the raptor training with General Paddon. “They do show promise, especially for being so new in the training.”
"Scarface is still too independent," the General responded. "He single handedly took out a unit of soldiers, but lacks discipline. I have noticed him becoming more bold around the other raptors. That makes him a liability. He’s getting dangerous."
"Sir, with all due respect, these are still animals. They have their own way of doing things. Do you think Scarface will challenge Talon for supremacy?"
Paddon gave Ryder an annoyed look. "While these creatures are under my jurisdiction, they will behave as I see fit. This is the army. There is no challenging a superior officer for supremacy without consequences. Their failure to comply will be no different than if you fail to comply. Is that understood?"
Ryder snapped to attention. "Yes, sir! I will remember that these creatures are still considered soldiers, and failure to comply with procedure will result in the appropriate military discipline."
Paddon nodded. "You are dismissed."
Chapter 8
There was a nervous tension in the air surrounding Group Seven. The raptors had all seen Scarface's performance earlier that day. They could all feel something was off with their latest recruit. Talon felt most flustered, especially having been repeatedly outdone by Scarface. It was time to put him in his place.
Talon stood and made his way toward Scarface, who never sat with the rest of the group. The lead raptor spread his arms and hissed, threatening Scarface if he ever dared upstage Talon again. Scarface merely snorted and turned away.
Not to be denied, Talon took another step forward and snapped his jaws before growling and flexing his fingers. Scarface still did not respond. Outraged at the display Talon lunged and snapped at Scarface's tail, only to bite into empty air. Looking up, he could see Scarface already lunging with a counterattack.
Unable to dodge, Talon was struck in the side with a head butt that sent him slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the enclosure. Suddenly Scarface was the aggressor. Talon righted himself and lunged, only to miss again and be struck against the barricade. This time Scarface did not wait for Talon to recover.
Leaping onto the raptor's back, Scarface latched his jaws around Talon's head and began to twist. Talon began shrieking in surrender, but the cries went unheeded as the attacker sank his teeth deeper. Scarface continued to twist, overpowering the young raptor's protests until something in Talon's neck snapped and the raptor fell limp.
The other raptors of Group Seven stared in silence. Scarface slowly looked up, challenging the others for a fight. It was Howler who stepped forward and accepted. Knowing that Scarface was unworthy of being a leader, Howler wanted to take down the threat to his group. The two raptors circled each other and then charged.
****
"What is going on in there?" Ryder said in an annoyed tone. The technician shrugged and returned his attention to his monitor. Ryder pointed to one of the soldiers and said, "Come with me."
When the soldiers arrived outside the door of Group Seven's holding pen, all had grown quiet. Ryder unlocked the door, expecting all the raptors inside to line up at attention. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.
Fang was curled in a corner, shaking with fear. Talon was at the opposite end of the cell, neck twisted around, and in the center was Scarface tearing at two dead raptors. The bodies were so mangled that Ryder was unable to tell them apart.
Looking up, Scarface gazed deeply into Ryder's eyes, the bloodlust plain on the raptor's face. Without hesitation, Scarface launched himself as the pain and memories of how he hated the soldier rose to the surface all at once. Ryder was unable to react before the raptor was biting and clawing at his face.
"Get this damned thing off me!" Ryder shouted, trying to dislodge the frenzied raptor.
It took several tries, but finally Scarface was ripped away. He landed on his feet, sliding backward and spreading his feet to stop himself. At the moment he launched himself again, the second soldier lashed out with his shock prod. The snap of blue electricity illuminated the darkened hall, the force of the shock sending the young raptor flying into a far wall.
The threat neutralized, the soldier turned his attention to Ryder. A dozen crisscrossing gashes lined his face and the front of his nose was gone.
"Little cretin took my nose off!" Ryder shouted. He stood and made his way to Scarface. The raptor's chest rose and fell slowly, accompanied by ragged breathing. Ryder removed his side arm and cocked the weapon.
"Wait," the soldier said. "We don't have authorization to conduct an execution."
Slowly lowering his weapon, Ryder did not take his eye off the fallen raptor. "What power level was the prod on?" he asked.
"It was on full power. I'm surprised it didn't kill him."
Ryder wiped the blood that was dripping down his face and mouth with his sleeve, staring at the unconscious dinosaur. "Call Paddon."
Not five minutes later, General Paddon burst into the control room.
"Someone want to tell me what the hell happened that is so damned important?"
Nobody spoke, but a quick scan of the room told Paddon all
he needed to know. Ryder was being treated by a medical officer, bandages covering most of his face. Three black bags used for storing bodies lay next to an open door to which Fang was still curled in a corner and Scarface, now awake, was bound completely with leather straps.
"So he finally snapped, huh? I always knew there was something different about this one."
"Just give me the word, General," Ryder said through the bandages. "Give me the word and I'll execute that son of a bitch personally."
Paddon approached Scarface, who growled at the inability to do anything. Reaching out with his hand, Paddon touched the raptor's back, feeling the muscles tense. With a sudden burst, Scarface tried to lash out but the constraints held him firm.
"Even as a prisoner you are still defiant," Paddon said.
"So are you going to give the order or aren't you? He killed three of his comrades and nearly took me out!"
Paddon looked at the black bags, then inside the cell where Fang looked nervously at him. "This one was traumatized?"
"Yes, sir," a technician answered. "I doubt she'll be able to train any further."
"I see," said Paddon, slowly nodding his head. "Do what you wish with the survivor. It has no more use here."
The technician nodded and carefully scooped Fang up in his arms. As she was carried across the room, Fang looked at Scarface with an expression of fear and sadness. Scarface returned only anger and hatred with his own gaze, to which Fang shied away.
"So what about Scarface?" Ryder asked. "Were you going to execute him or not?"
The General thought for a moment, standing at firm attention as he did so. "No," Paddon said after several moments. "No, I have a better idea. Send him to the Pit."
Chapter 9
Khepri has had its fair share of criminals and outlaws since the first colonies landed. Jails and a standard police force did what they could to keep the cities safe, but there were those whose crimes were so violent that executions had to be ordered. Officially, these criminals were dead. But for those with high connections, or willing to pay whatever the black market was asking, they could be seen fighting each other in The Pit.
The Pit was a circular arena, protective glass shielding the spectators that watched from above. Inside, two contenders fought each other in death matches. They entered knowing full well only one would emerge, if they did not succeed in killing each other first. Weapons ranging from knives and spears to pistols, rifles, and even grenades were offered depending on the criminal's standing, or whatever the crowd demanded. The more spectacular the battle, the more people were willing to pay.
Officially, The Pit did not even exist. It was the brainchild of corrupt government officials believing that the price of tickets would help keep the military funded, as well as a hefty percentage to their own pocket. People came to watch from all over the colonized worlds. The events were always live, never televised or recorded in any way, and yet the crowds managed to find it still.
An event was already in progress as General Paddon marched, accompanied by four armed guards that held Scarface at bay in their midst. He approached a solid steel door and knocked in a specific pattern before a panel opened to reveal someone from the other side. The two exchanged a few words before the door opened and the General was escorted inside with his prisoner.
"If you breathe one word of what you see here outside of this area," the General warned the soldiers, "you can expect to find yourself in the arena."
The guards silently acknowledged and continued without breaking step. Down a corridor, Paddon led the group to an entry with a particular type of code written on the outside. The General knocked on the door, which opened a second later. "I have something special for you," Paddon said.
The arena master, a former military General himself, emerged and looked down at the bound Scarface. "It looks weak," the arena master said. "Are you certain it will give a good show? You know how much I hate to disappoint my customers."
"He killed three military bred raptors in his training unit," Paddon answered. "And he attacked one of my best men. Bit his nose off. Even bound he still despises me. Trust me, he'll give a good show."
The arena master nodded slowly. "If you say it, then I believe you. Put him in the waiting area. Don't want to keep the audience waiting."
The guards followed Paddon to a holding cell. On the other side of the steel bars was the arena, shouts of encouragement and outrage ringing out from the hundreds of spectators above. Keeping their weapons on Scarface, the guards unhinged his shackles and backed away slowly before closing and locking the door.
"The four of you are to report back to the base," Paddon said. "Say nothing of what you saw here. Dismissed."
The guards saluted and retreated from the hall, back onto the street. Though they had questions, they knew better than to disobey the General's orders. If there was one thing they knew, it was to remain silent when told. Too many times, they had seen a fellow soldier go missing after inquiring about some detail or mission. Officially, they had been discharged, but many soldiers had their doubts.
Paddon made his way to a viewing area reserved for special guests. Seeing the military uniform, many patrons moved away willingly to make a clear path for the General. When Paddon made it to the edge of the viewing area, he looked down just as a cheer erupted from the crowd.
Down below, two men were fighting with spears. Both were panting and had clearly been fighting for some time. Nevertheless, as were the rules of The Pit, the match would not be stopped under any circumstances until at least one contender was dead.
Paddon watched. He was the only one who knew the names of the contenders. But names had no use in the battles. Legally, they were already dead. All they had now were titles.
One of the men lunged with his spear and, either by exhaustion or miscalculation, overshot his target, and was stabbed by his opponent's spear. The crowd erupted in applause as two armed men came to retrieve the dead body while the victor raised his arms in triumph to receive his applause.
"Let's hear it for Marauder!" the announcer said, igniting another frenzied cheer from the crowd. "That makes twelve victories in his status. Will he continue his winning streak? Let's find out later. He's in no condition to give another good show, so how about we bring out Ravage!"
A door at the far end of The Pit opened and a well-muscled man of fifty years emerged. Head shaven and wearing a dirty white tank top and baggy black pants, he strode onto the field barefoot. The crowd began to chant the man's title.
"Ravage! Ravage!"
"That's right, he's one of your favorites," the announcer said over the intercom. "With brutal strength and animalistic killing instinct, who do we have lined up to face him? Well, you are in for a treat. We have some fresh meat for the grinder!"
At the mention of a new contender, the crowd erupted into hysteria, pounding the walls in excitement and bloodlust. Waiting for the noise to die down, the announcer did his best to make the new contender sound fearsome.
"After only a few months of military training, this contender killed three of his colleagues before turning on a superior officer. Sentenced to execution, we now have him here for your amusement. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the debut of Scarface!"
Upon seeing the three-foot raptor emerge from the doorway, the crowd erupted into laughter. Insults and booing ensued, many requesting a bigger challenge for their gladiator.
Ravage joined in the mocking. "Oh, are you lost little guy?" he said, bending over onto his knees. "Do you feel scared? Don't worry, this will all be over soon."
Grabbing a knife from the weapons available, Ravage threw the blade at the young raptor. Scarface jumped out of the way and found the man charging at him, teeth bared in excitement. Ravage threw two hook punches, the first missing but the second grazing the front of Scarface's snout.
Although it was only a glancing blow, Scarface could feel the power behin
d the punch. It was then he knew what was going on. The battle that he had only just witnessed, and now this, told him all he needed to know. Opening his jaws, Scarface formed a twisted smile. They wanted him to kill.
Ravage threw another punch, hitting only air as Scarface leapt upward and slashed with his arms. He landed and ran out of the way, distancing himself to study his opponent. Ravage turned to reveal three parallel tears in his shirt, slowly turning red with running blood. At the sight of this, the crowd began to cheer.
"Looks like you'll be a bit of a challenge after all," said Ravage as he readied himself. Spreading his arms, the gladiator crouched low and began to circle. Scarface, much to the amusement of the spectators, mimicked this and kept a watchful eye on his human adversary.
The two rushed at each other, Ravage readying for another strike but Scarface ducked down and slid between the man's legs. Ravage staggered and looked down to see the bottoms of his pants had been torn, drops of crimson falling onto the floor of the arena. Scarface hissed as Ravage’s face turned bright red in a fit of fury.
"Nobody has ever laid a hand on me twice and lived to tell about it," Ravage said loudly. "And you are no different!"
Ravage rushed at the raptor, which dodged the low swung fists of his opponent but failed to consider his feet. The gladiator struck Scarface in the ribs hard, kicking him across the arena. Hitting the wall on the opposite side, Scarface gasped and struggled to breathe. He looked up slowly to see Ravage taking in the applause, holding his hands high as if accepting the praise.
Dinoworld Scarface Origins Page 5
