Hell Creek Survival Part 5

Month Seventeen, Three Months Before The End

A month later, Sue was walking through the forests of Bone Butte. Strangely, she was alone; usually, she stayed with her family. However, she needed to make a kill by herself. She was nervous as she trekked through the wooded area, scaring off Thescelosaurus and Acheroraptor. The Rex ignored them; she was after something much, much larger: her species’ rival, Triceratops. It wouldn't be too hard to find one due to its wide range across North America. However, it's one thing to find a Trike; it's another to take one down.

Unsurprisingly, she found a herd of Trikes browsing on the vegetation in a clearing. Sue examined the entire group, looking for an easy target. She was nervous, evidenced by the constant contracting and expanding of her dewlap. The Tyrannosaurus watched the herd, still not finding a target. Mating season had passed, and there were now many new hatchlings and juveniles. The males were much calmer than when Trix had killed a Trike.

One young adult Triceratops was wandering off, even though the herd was already spread out. He was exploring his surroundings, unwittingly getting closer to Sue. Sue saw an opportunity--she seized it, darting forward. The Trike looked up - but not fast enough as nearly nine tons of tyranny charged towards him. He stood in shock as a pair of bone-crushing jaws snapped shut around his left brow horn.

The Rex pulled her head back, snapping the horn like a twig. She then clamped onto the frill of the Triceratops, scarring his skull with tooth marks that would stay for life. The two circled each-other, snarling and snorting before the Tyrannosaurus lunged forward. The Rex stepped to the side, pivoting on her feet as she sank her teeth into the neck of the Triceratops. She shook her head as the Trike bellowed, feeling his spinal cord being crushed beneath a set of jaws lined with railroad spikes. The world began to turn black for him…

However, before Sue could kill him, she felt an excruciating pain in her left leg. She lifted her head up, turning to see a Trike slashing at her left leg. The second Trike was a female, the mother of the one she attacked. Her son fled as Sue tried to bite the female, only to be met with a shield of solid bone to the face. She then received a slash across the chest that raced to her shoulder. Howling in agonizing pain, she staggered before limping off.

The Trike bellowed at Sue before turning to tend to her offspring. They nuzzled, blood still dripping down the male's wounds. Luckily, he had his entire frill intact. His left brow horn would grow back in time. They re-joined the rest of the herd, who was still browsing, unaware of the Rex attack that had just transpired. They watched the Tyrannosaur limp off, blood trailing behind her.

Sue panted like a dog, her lower jaw hanging open as her dewlap rapidly contracted and expanded. She had gradually slowed down, blood dripping down her leg. She was exhausted and hungry, her ribs visible through her muscular body. Pressing on, she attempted to continue walking--but collapsed on the ground, her vision becoming blurry. She could barely make out the iconic shapes of a Tyrannosaurus rex approaching, but couldn't identify them as her eyes shut.

A pair of Dakotaraptor approached Sue, tapping their toe claws on the ground. The female was the same one who had given Sue her neck scars, and she trilled to her mate. They would have an easy meal. Hopping on top of the Rex, they prepared to eat her, before a bellow scared them off. They looked up to see a Tyrannosaur approaching. The new Rex was fifty-two feet long, standing eighteen feet tall. His muscular body, covered in reddish-brown scales, dwarfed Sue. A long scar ran down his torso to his thigh.

The Rex nudged her with his snout, and her eyes slowly opened. Cooing in fear, she clambered to her feet and started to flee before the alpha-male let out a guttural bellow. Sue turned around to get a better look at him. He was the same Rex who her family had seen when they first arrived in Bone Butte. He also recognized her, the two gazing at each-other. The male, the Tyrant King, Tyrance, trilled to Sue, asking where her family was.

Sue chirped, stating that she did not know. Tyrance raised his head, sniffing the air as he picked up Thunderstorm's scent. The Tyrant King began to follow what he smelled, chirping to Sue, who followed with a slight limp. Hiking through the forest, Tyrance eventually squinted, making out six Rex quickly approaching in the distance. Sue chirped in joy, beginning to stagger towards her family. Tyroca nuzzled her, before thanking Tyrance with a chirp. He let out a low snort in acknowledgement, before walking off, his tail, of which the last third was feathered, swaying from side to side.

Sue watched him leave, grateful for his assistance. She also had respect for the tyrant, who was the greatest animal that ever lived. Tyroca then looked at her daughter, examining her wounds. She wouldn't be able to make a kill for a month because of her leg injury, but in the long term, she would be alright. She then trilled, getting the attention of Sue, Stan, and Trix. Tyroca told them that in the next month, they would have to work together to make a kill. It would be hard, but she had faith in her offspring.