章 7: Predator And His Prey

The air in the laboratory stilled. Everyone froze. The predatory smile that was now plastered across Dino's face made everyone feel like they were face to face against the most fearsome creature on Terra. The soldiers instinctively raised their weapons. The doctor's backed away in fear of the potential confrontation.

Dino looked down to see the bindings that now held him in place. He once again looked at the admiral but the smile he once had was replaced by a cold smirk.

"Is this anyway to treat your guests Admiral?"

"Whoosh!!"

A pressure descended on everyone in the room, many fainted; doctors and soldiers alike. Few remained standing. The admiral glanced around the room to take in the devastation, his eyes instinctively returning to the one he knew was responsible; he couldn't help but gulp as he began to feel fear for the specimen he had helped give life to.

Dino looked down at his bindings and tensed his muscle to see just how strong the bindings were. He pulled and with one quick motion the bindings holding his arms snapped. The snap echoed around the room. The people who were still conscious couldn't believe what they were seeing. A child that looked no older than 10 or 11, managed to snap bindings that were made out of reinforced steel like an ordinary person would snap a rotten twig. It was fair to say that the majority of the people still conscious were now absolutely terrified.

Once his binding had snapped, and he managed to free himself; the overwhelming pressure filling the room vanished, leaving people to wake from their previous fainted states. The smile on his face now appeared somewhat friendlier than his previous predatory one.

He stood and began to stretch, his bones cracked as he was finally able to move after such a long time in his artificial womb.

The soldiers who had regained consciousness quickly re-took possession of their weapons pointing them straight at Dino in panic.

Dino smirked which the Admiral saw and quickly ordered the soldiers to stand down, fearing what may happen is they did not.

"So, I think it's about time we had a conversation, don't you Admiral?" This time there was no smile on Dino's face, but unlike previous times there was nothing malicious about it.

The Admiral sighed and thought to himself. 'I'm getting too old for this shit.'

The Admiral turned to the doctor.

"Doc, would you like to be part of this conversation too?" The Doc nodded.

"If you would like to follow us." The Admiral stated. Dino nodded and followed behind as they made their way to a separate room where the higher ups normally held their meetings.

Dino suddenly stopped which caused a lot of people in the laboratory to panic.

"Is there a problem?" Asked the Admiral carefully.

Dino smiled slightly embarrassed.

"Would it be possible to get some clothes, I'm not all that into exhibitionism."

Both the Doc's and the Admirals faces blanked before they realized the specimen standing before them was still completely naked.

The Admiral face palmed while the Doc awkwardly chuckled.

"Of course, one moment, let me grab you some military fatigues for now." The Admiral scuttled off to the side, quickly grabbing the fatigues and handing them to.

Dino nodded and thanked him. Reaching the meeting room Dino quickly changed into his clothes while the Admiral and the Doc sat and waited at the meeting table.

Dressed and no longer naked Dino made his way to the meeting table. Sitting opposite to the two before him, he could see the curiosity bubbling behind their eyes.

"Now I do believe you gentlemen have some questions for me?" They nodded in perfect unity.

"Well then, what are you waiting for? ask away?"

The first question came from the doctor.

"How can you speak so quickly after just being born?"

"Starting with the simple questions I see. The answer to your question is quite simple, during my time in the tank I overheard all of the conversations going on outside and like a child would, I learnt how to communicate pretty easily."

Both nodded happy with the answer. The next question came from the admiral.

"What happened just inside the laboratory? What was that pressure? Why did so many people faint? And why do experienced soldiers feel so much fear towards you?".

"Hmm that's also an easy question to answer and to answer it, I will ask a question. Doc, what happens when an animal meets an animal higher up the food chain?" Dino asked curiously.

"They instinctively feel fear and the need to run as the alternative is, they will die. Going against a superior predator is against the biology and mentality of all creatures." The Doc answered.

"Thank you Doctor and that right there is the answer to your question Admiral."

"Huh?" The admiral sat in confusion, while the Doc pondered.

Then a thought hit him, his eyes widened in realization. He shouted out in shock.

"But that's impossible."

"What's impossible Doc?" The Admiral asked.

"What he's implying, that's what."

"Care to fill me in?" Asked the Admiral.

"He's claiming to be the top of the food chain!!"

"And? I thought humans were the top of the food chain?" The Admiral asked not understanding.

"They are, but he's claiming HE is the top of the food chain not humans."

"So? What's wrong with that?" The Admiral asked still confused.

"That would make him the Apex predator!! The predator with no rival! The highest predator on the food chain and the reason we instinctively feel fear towards him."

The Admiral froze turning to look at Dino. Everything that had happened now began to make sense. He nodded and smiled, finally he spoke.

"Well that makes sense I guess."

Doc turned to him gobsmacked.

"What do you mean? It makes sense?" Doc asked mortified.

"We made a super soldier."

"Yes, And?" The Doc in spite of his intelligence didn't understand what the Admiral was getting at.

"What did you expect when we made him? That he wouldn't be bigger, stronger, faster and more intelligent than an ordinary human?" He asked with a smirk on his face that strangely looked like Dino's earlier.

It took a moment for the cogs in the Doc's brain to engage before shock once again filled his face.

"Holy crap, we made an Apex predator!!"

Dino smiled at the interaction before him.

"Now that's out of the way, do you gentleman have anymore questions?" Dino asked politely.

"Not at this moment in time, though I believe there may be more in the near future. I believe its your turn to ask questions now." Replied the Admiral, while the Doc nodded next to him.

Dino quickly went about asking his questions. He found he was on a planet called Terra in an underground research base, underneath the military compound located in a city called Nova. The Admiral's name was Jason Sky and the Doc's name was Eddie Dark. They had been best friends since their early childhood and they had both joined the military at the same time, completing many missions together and gaining the code name: Dark Sky. Leading them both to particularly powerful positions in the ISA.

When Dino asked them for their reason for creating him they explained that humans were far weaker than most of the other species in the universe and they wanted to even the battlefield by creating a human that was on par with the strongest aliens in the universe. Dino accepted their reason and had to agree that there were worse choices they could have made.

The talks continued until both sides gained the information they wanted.

Dino agreed to stay in the facility for the time being until other arrangements were made. He was allow to use the internet and the library to gain any information he needed and he had a place to sleep and relax when he was tired.

He also agreed to Let Eddie run his tests as long as he didn't go too over the top.

So it was a win win for all involved.

Admiral Jason Sky went to arrange everything else for Dino. In the meantime a week had passed and Dino had nothing to do, so he opened the system and began to investigate the rest of its functions and his recent changes in behavior.