The principal leaned over the balcony rail, his sharp eyes locked on the chaos unfolding below. On the gym floor, Anon's team was supposed to be sparring, but Stega and Anky had devolved into another argument. Anon didn't see what started it, but at least they weren't brawling—not yet, anyway.
The principal exhaled sharply, his tail twitching with irritation. "The damn monkey is more well-behaved than half the class this year," he muttered under his breath. His voice was low, but it carried enough venom to sting. "Damn. I didn't think dinosaurs would sink this low."Anon, standing off to the side, pretended not to hear, though his ears picked up every word. He had a knack for listening—or rather, eavesdropping—when it mattered.The principal turned to another teacher, leaning closer to speak in a hushed tone. "It's been getting worse each year," he grumbled. "This new policy, adding in non-dinos... what a disaster. We're lowering the standards just to satisfy some bureaucrat's diversity quota."The other teacher, a sleek, sharp-beaked therapod of some sort, nodded grimly. "I don't know what they're thinking. This isn't the kind of environment for... outsiders."Anon's eyes narrowed slightly as he adjusted his tie, pretending to glance at the scoreboard while his mind worked furiously. It was no accident he'd heard this. The principal's complaint wasn't exactly subtle.Interesting, Anon thought. So they hate the new policy. That much was obvious. What wasn't obvious was why they'd gone along with it if they resented it so much. Maybe they hadn't agreed to it at all. Maybe it had been forced on them.Anon's gaze flicked to the principal, then to the other teachers standing nearby. Their body language mirrored the principal's frustration, their disdain practically radiating off them. But disdain alone didn't explain everything. If the new policy was as hated as it seemed, someone—someone—must've been pulling strings to get it pushed through.The possibilities churned in his mind. Hmmm. Maybe this policy has opportunities I haven't considered yet. If someone powerful wanted it badly enough to override the staff's objections, then they might be an ally. Or at least a useful contact.But he couldn't ask openly—not without inviting more antagonism than he could afford. He needed to figure it out covertly. Who supported this policy, and who didn't? The teachers and staff were clearly divided, even if they weren't saying it outright. Alliances were there to be made, but only if he could navigate the lines without tripping over them.Anon leaned back against the wall, adjusting his posture into one of casual disinterest as the gym descended further into chaos. Stega's tail lashed violently as she gestured at Anky, who puffed up her chest in response. The Parasaurolophus stood off to the side, looking annoyed but staying out of it. And Trike? She was already stalking toward the others, probably about to escalate things even more.Anon sighed. One problem at a time. But even as he prepared to break up the squabble, his mind stayed focused on the bigger picture. The key to survival—and power—at Dino High wasn't brute strength. It was knowing who to trust, who to manipulate, and who to keep an eye on.And right now, the principal was firmly in that last category.That list would be growing soon.A loud thump echoed through the gymnasium, pulling Anon's attention away from the scheming principal and back to the chaos on the gym floor. The sound had weight to it, like something massive and commanding had made itself known. His gaze snapped toward the source—and then he saw her.Tyrannosaurus rex.The mortal enemy of humankind. The apex predator. The king—no, queen—of the dinosaurs.But none of that was what struck Anon first. What really caught him off guard was how different she looked. For one, she was fluffier than he'd ever imagined. So were most of the dinos here, but her feathers—well, pycnofibers, technically—seemed softer, thicker, and downier, a pale pink hue that shimmered faintly under the gym lights. It wasn't the kind of terrifying image that human textbooks had painted. No scaly, leathery beast snarling and dripping blood.No, this T. rex had a strange, almost disarming beauty. Her presence was majestic, her thick, muscular tail swaying behind her with a casual confidence. Every movement seemed deliberate, every step a declaration of power. Her strong, curvy physique radiated raw strength, but the way her feathers softened her silhouette made her seem almost regal.Anon blinked, caught between awe and unease. Damn... she's hot.He shook the thought off immediately, annoyed with himself. Her piercing eyes scanned the gym, full of an intelligence that felt unnervingly sharp—sharper than most humans he'd met, certainly sharper than his own on some days. She exuded an air of superiority that wasn't just for show. It was baked into her, as natural as breathing.She moved to the front of the gym, where the ex-principal still stood on the podium, trying—and failing—to maintain order."Hello, uncle," she said smoothly, her voice deep but feminine, resonating like a melody with weight behind it. "Where's my spot? Shouldn't my name have been called already?"Uncle? Anon blinked. She's related to him?The ex-principal's lips pressed into a thin line. "It'll be announced shortly," he said, though there was a stiffness to his tone that suggested he wasn't entirely happy with her interruption.She didn't respond, only nodding as if she had expected no less. Her eyes swept the room again, and this time, they landed squarely on Anon.Big, expressive eyes. Calculating eyes. Eyes that made his skin prickle with the uncomfortable feeling of being assessed and found wanting.Anon stiffened, instinctively taking a step back. Her gaze lingered, as though she were dissecting him down to his bones, peeling back layers to see what really lay underneath.He backpedaled a few more steps, then abruptly turned and made a beeline for the nearest cover—behind Anky, who was still mid-argument with Stega."—Es que tú no entiendes," Anky was saying, her hands gesturing wildly as her tail flicked in irritation. "Lucha libre is about strength, control, y grappling! Not... flashy kicks like your kung fu nonsense."Stega huffed, her voice sharp with frustration. "你根本不懂! (You don't understand!) Kung fu is an art—it's precision, speed, and focus. Your wrestling is just brute force! 太粗鲁了! Too crude!"Anky narrowed her eyes. "Crude? Are you saying mi cultura is crude? Say it again, I dare you."Stega crossed her arms, glaring. "我不是说你的文化不好. (I didn't say your culture is bad.) I said wrestling is too simple. Grappling isn't enough to win.""Simple?!" Anky barked, puffing up her chest. "Wrestling is the foundation of real fighting! All your fancy kicks mean nothing if you're pinned to the floor."Anon sighed as the two continued their verbal sparring, with neither understanding the other's language. Predictably, they turned to him."Hey, monkey," Anky said, jabbing a finger toward him. "Tell her that grappling is the best form of fighting, y nada más."Stega glanced at him too, her voice quieter but just as insistent. "Translate this: Kung fu has thousands of years of tradition. Wrestling is barbaric."Anon rubbed the bridge of his nose, muttering under his breath. "Why do I even bother...""Did you say something?" Anky snapped, leaning closer."No, nothing." He held up his hands. "Look, I'm not getting in the middle of this. You both have your strengths, okay? Now can we—""Strengths?" Anky interrupted, scoffing. "Claro que sí. Wrestling is the strongest. That's why I win all my matches."Stega frowned, her tone cutting. "That's because your opponents aren't skilled enough to counter your brute force.""Brute—!" Anky's fists clenched, but before she could say more, she spotted the T. rex across the room. Her expression immediately shifted from annoyance to something far more cautious."Uh... Stega?" she muttered, nudging the Stegosaurus with her elbow."What?" Stega turned—and froze.The T. rex was still standing near the podium, but her gaze was locked on the trio. Specifically, on Anon.Stega leaned closer to him, whispering in Mandarin. "她在看你.为什么? (She's looking at you. Why?)"Anon didn't answer. He wasn't sure he had one. Instead, he adjusted his tie, straightened his posture, and tried to look as unbothered as possible under the intense scrutiny of the queen of dinosaurs.His heart raced, but his face remained impassive. One thing was clear: This was going to be a long year.