PTERANODON
Alan hauled the reporter back from the creature’s claw as Eric and Josh swung their bats at the trapped flyer. The Pteranodon dodged the flying sticks of wood, and its powerful beak fastened on the closest bat. It wrested the bat from Josh and whipped it around, keeping the humans at a distance as it pried at the doors.
The tram picked up speed and sailed toward the tunnel. The Pteranodon looked to one side at the wall rushing its way and yanked itself free. The doors hissed shut and the flyer smacked against the wall, spinning and fluttering to the tracks behind the tram.
Manly looked a little pale. The gashes on his shirt were turning deep red.
“Gangway, mom with a mission here,” Amanda said as she brought one of the first-aid kits over. He took off his shirt, exposing his sweat-soaked, rippling muscles.
“Hmmmph,” Amanda said with a frown as she cleaned his wounds. They weren’t deep, but they bled a lot. “If I wasn’t married and you weren’t a jerk, I could almost be impressed.”
“Thanks.”
“I said almost.”
Eric nodded at a medallion Manly wore around his neck. “What’s that?”
“My first award. A journalism competition when I was in high school.” He looked away, a little embarrassed. “My good-luck charm.”
A saying was inscribed on the medallion: WITHOUT THE SPOONS AMONGST US, WHO WOULD STIR THINGS UP?
The tram passed a realistic-looking subway car torn from its track and a demolished police car near a gushing fire hydrant. Turning a corner, they saw Kong hanging from the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge, a police helicopter hovering nearby.
Kong charged at their subway tram, which shook and dipped toward the river. Manly and Amanda were almost knocked from their feet.
Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded from the tram’s rear. Eric spun and saw the flyer smacking its beak against their rear window.
Kong roared—and the flyer jumped away in surprise. The tram left Kong behind, but the flyer returned. The Pteranodon smashed against the window but couldn’t break through.
Suddenly, another Kong burst from the roof of a damaged building ahead. He reached out and grabbed the tram, giving it a mighty shake.
The Pteranodon held on to the rear window, smacking its beak on the glass. Then a fiery explosion from behind Kong made the flyer
screee
at the top of its lungs and take flight.
The tram settled into the station and the doors opened. The group leaped onto the platform, carrying what they could of the supplies they’d gathered. The
caw
s of the angered Pteranodon grew louder as the flyer closed in again. This end of the ride was so vast and wide open that there was nowhere to hide!
“The fish,” Eric said. “We can distract it with the fish—”
“No good!” Alan said. “Given a choice, these things will go for live prey every time.”
“Besides, it’s ticked off,” Manly said. “And so am I.”
Manly slipped his camera to Josh. “Just make sure you keep me in the frame.”
“What are you doing?” Alan yelled.
Manly darted back inside the tram’s open doorway, waving his bloody shirt around.
“Come on, you think you’re so smart,” Manly said as the flyer came into view. He waved his baseball bat in the Pteranodon’s direction to get its attention.
The Pteranodon eyed the situation: Alan and four humans with bats in one group, and a lone, unarmed human elsewhere. It went for Manly!
As the flyer shot into the air, folding its wings to soar into the tram, Manly tossed the shirt high. The flyer screeched as the fabric closed over its face, and Manly dove low, barely avoiding the flyer’s raking rear claws as it flew into the tram. An instant later, Manly barreled out of the tram, and the doors hissed shut, trapping the flyer inside.
The Pteranodon screamed in frustration and raced around frantically, its wings flapping wildly. It looked like a moth caught in a sealed jar!
“Okay,” Amanda said. “Now what?”
Manly took the camera from Josh.
Alan hauled the reporter back from the creature’s claw as Eric and Josh swung their bats at the trapped flyer. The Pteranodon dodged the flying sticks of wood, and its powerful beak fastened on the closest bat. It wrested the bat from Josh and whipped it around, keeping the humans at a distance as it pried at the doors.
The tram picked up speed and sailed toward the tunnel. The Pteranodon looked to one side at the wall rushing its way and yanked itself free. The doors hissed shut and the flyer smacked against the wall, spinning and fluttering to the tracks behind the tram.
Manly looked a little pale. The gashes on his shirt were turning deep red.
“Gangway, mom with a mission here,” Amanda said as she brought one of the first-aid kits over. He took off his shirt, exposing his sweat-soaked, rippling muscles.
“Hmmmph,” Amanda said with a frown as she cleaned his wounds. They weren’t deep, but they bled a lot. “If I wasn’t married and you weren’t a jerk, I could almost be impressed.”
“Thanks.”
“I said almost.”
Eric nodded at a medallion Manly wore around his neck. “What’s that?”
“My first award. A journalism competition when I was in high school.” He looked away, a little embarrassed. “My good-luck charm.”
A saying was inscribed on the medallion: WITHOUT THE SPOONS AMONGST US, WHO WOULD STIR THINGS UP?
The tram passed a realistic-looking subway car torn from its track and a demolished police car near a gushing fire hydrant. Turning a corner, they saw Kong hanging from the Fifty-Ninth Street Bridge, a police helicopter hovering nearby.
Kong charged at their subway tram, which shook and dipped toward the river. Manly and Amanda were almost knocked from their feet.
Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded from the tram’s rear. Eric spun and saw the flyer smacking its beak against their rear window.
Kong roared—and the flyer jumped away in surprise. The tram left Kong behind, but the flyer returned. The Pteranodon smashed against the window but couldn’t break through.
Suddenly, another Kong burst from the roof of a damaged building ahead. He reached out and grabbed the tram, giving it a mighty shake.
The Pteranodon held on to the rear window, smacking its beak on the glass. Then a fiery explosion from behind Kong made the flyer
screee
at the top of its lungs and take flight.
The tram settled into the station and the doors opened. The group leaped onto the platform, carrying what they could of the supplies they’d gathered. The
caw
s of the angered Pteranodon grew louder as the flyer closed in again. This end of the ride was so vast and wide open that there was nowhere to hide!
“The fish,” Eric said. “We can distract it with the fish—”
“No good!” Alan said. “Given a choice, these things will go for live prey every time.”
“Besides, it’s ticked off,” Manly said. “And so am I.”
Manly slipped his camera to Josh. “Just make sure you keep me in the frame.”
“What are you doing?” Alan yelled.
Manly darted back inside the tram’s open doorway, waving his bloody shirt around.
“Come on, you think you’re so smart,” Manly said as the flyer came into view. He waved his baseball bat in the Pteranodon’s direction to get its attention.
The Pteranodon eyed the situation: Alan and four humans with bats in one group, and a lone, unarmed human elsewhere. It went for Manly!
As the flyer shot into the air, folding its wings to soar into the tram, Manly tossed the shirt high. The flyer screeched as the fabric closed over its face, and Manly dove low, barely avoiding the flyer’s raking rear claws as it flew into the tram. An instant later, Manly barreled out of the tram, and the doors hissed shut, trapping the flyer inside.
The Pteranodon screamed in frustration and raced around frantically, its wings flapping wildly. It looked like a moth caught in a sealed jar!
“Okay,” Amanda said. “Now what?”
Manly took the camera from Josh.
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