Oh Sugar Honey Ice Tea!

Since going to the surface for the first time Hart was more than happy to return to the carnivorous plants of the Atlantean jungle. He had a rucksack twisted over his side made of crudely woven together hide- his job as an Oviraptor was to serve as a scout as well as bring back collectibles from the surface. He was expendable, but as long as he brought back goodies he hoped that the others in Atlantis would find him useful. Today in particular he had been approached by an odd Iguanadon with a particular request…

“There are no bees down here,” Tom had said,”No bees and that means no honey.”

The lack of honey bees became something that that the Atlanteans had only realized was bizarre after surface traveling became more prevalent. Sure, the plants were still pollinated by billions of other pollinators like wasps and butterflies, but not the honeybee. The first time they had encountered a beehive that patrol was sent home with dozens of stings.. As well as a sweet treat that Tom simply NEEDED to get his jaws on.

“So can you do it?” Hart played Tom’s words in his head with a stinging regret.

“O-Of course!” Hart had replied eagerly wanting the approval of the Iguanadon,”B-but I’ll need your help…” 

He had not expected the endeavor to be such a task- Tom was not super keen on going outside of Atlantis unless ordered, but the legendary ‘honey’ proved too sweet and desirable an idea for the large male Iguanodon. Apparently though Iguanadons were still one of the largest species on the island - just not the largest like they were use to being inside the Dome. Something the Oviraptors called a “giant turkey” and a carnivorous theropod were the only two things truly larger than them.

“The hive is close to the tunnel?” Tom asked nervously. 

“Pretty close, yeah,” Hart said with almost a pep in his step.

Hart had gotten so use to working it alone on the surface that having a giant, hulking Iguanodon companion was incredibly comforting. It did make Tom’s nervous disposition a bit bizarre to him though- it was almost as though the sweets loving dinosaur didn’t realize the power he had. Even as they walked Hart couldn’t help but side-eye the large talon like connections on the wrist of his beige toned friend.

“Whats it like?” Tom eventually asked,”The surface, I mean.”

The question was enough to make Hart almost pause in his steps. 

“Have you never been?” He asked,”Is this.. Is this your first time?”

The silence between the two was more than the answer that Hart needed. The air hung heavy between the two.. And for the first time Hart found himself questioning if the Iguanodon would be any good in a fight. Surely, just his existence and size would be enough to scare off most dinosaurs, but what if one did try? Would the beige dinosaur just run off or would he fight?

“Atlantis is safe.” Tom finally spoke to break the silence,”I’ve had no reason to leave. Not yet, anyways, until the full invasion starts.”

Hart frowned a bit. Whereas he had been mingling about on surface missions for what felt like months this Iguanadon had the pleasure of lazying about in the comfort of Atlantis.. It upset Hart in ways that he couldn’t fully explain.

“Were almost there,” Hart finally spoke after the silence. 

Tom seemed to perk up at the sight of a bright light shining through the dark tunnel. He was clearly nervous, but stepped forward nonetheless, only really hesitating right at the time when it would touch him. Hart stepped out into the sunlight first, turning back to Tom to show that he wouldn’t melt. Nervously, Tom stepped forward feeling the sun’s rays - the sun’s TRUE rays - on his skin and feathers for the first time. 

“Its actually just right over here- I just can’t reach it.” Hart said as he pulled himself out of the tunnel and began to strut his way towards the sight of a yellow holed-thing. Any fear that Tom felt was gone the moment that he laid eyes on its geometric shape. 

Tom was surprised by the lack of smell that radiated from what he knew to be called a “hive”. He could also see why Hart wasn’t able to reach it as it leaned heavily on a tall tree causing it to sag. It looked quite heavy, but Tom reckoned he could pick it up. He found himself instinctively reaching forward- mouth agape ready to snag into it-

“WAIT- WAIT-” Hart barked at Tom just enough for the Iguanadon to snap out of his sugar craze.

“What??” Tom said as he turned towards the Oviraptor with a puzzled expression.

“You can’t just.. Snatch it!” Hart said,”If you could every dinosaur up here would be eating them! And if you could, I would of tried to find a easier way to bring it to you rather than drag you all the way up here..” Hart said as he gestured for Tom to back up which the Iguanadon begrudgingly did.

“... Why not?” Tom asked as he turned towards the sugary morsel in front of him.

“The BEES?!” Hart said flabbergasted at the Iggy’s lack of danger.. Perhaps it was best they kept this surface visit as short as possible.

“... Right…” Tom said as he stared at the exposed honeycomb,”What do you suppose we do?” He said as he finally turned to look at the small fawn colored Ovi-raptor.

“Alright, so, how fast are you?” 

“What? What do you mean ‘how fast are you’?”

“Like, if your life depended on it, how fast could you run?” 

Tom stared at Hart for several seconds before blinking.

“You guided me all the way up here to tell me to haul ass?”

“Pretty much.”

The two stared at each other in unison before turning towards the hive. They were too inexperienced to know of any other way to get to the honey.. And Tom liked his odds. After all, bees were small, and they probably wouldn’t like going underground that much.

“I like our odds.” Tom said as he began to strut forward with enough swagger that Hart gulped.

Leaning his body against the tree he made it droop. He moved slowly, as to not upset the bees too much, but carefully. Slowly, ever so slowly, he leaned the tree forward until…

SNAP

The falling hive sent up a flurry of bees so loud that the air practically shook. Tom had not realized there were THAT many bees inside one hive! Quickly, they came out and he FELT IT too! In particular he felt the stings in his face and legs, as his feathers seemed to almost block out at least some of the stings. Still though, he had set out on a mission, and he was not going to return to Atlantis empty taloned.. He charged forward, grabbing the snapped twig in his mouth as he began to run, carrying the large hive best he could right there alongside him. Hart, too, began to feel the stinging and ran. 

The duo weren’t sure how long they were running for- bees stinging at their sides producing large welps. They left Hart’s eyes watery and Tom’s mouth sore from crawling inside. Eventually, the duo passed two unfortunate Euocephalus guards. They had looked at them in confusion, before they too started to feel the stinging.. In fact, once Tom and Hart passed them, the amount of stings they experienced seemed to lessen as the bees seemed to switch to the slower moving and unprepared Euocephalus. 

“Poor guys-” Tom had said through swollen teeth, taking a bite of the dripping honeycomb.

“Was it worth it?” Hart said, one eye comedically swollen.

“I think…” Tom said as he chewed on a piece of wax,”I think honey is maybe.. Just a bit too painful for me.”