Throughout the day, the work continued without further hitches. Although everyone observed Owen in a strange way, no one had gone to disturb him while he was riding the einiosaur. Who, by the way, had discovered her name was Tricky.

Around noon, it was time for lunch. The workers began to go to their tables and sit down, waiting for the ration. Normally, dinosaurs would eat on one side and humans on the other: it was one of the many unwritten laws that had formed in that short period of time. Neither Owen nor Tricky seemed intent on breaking that rule, in fact they were already about to say goodbye, when a mighty hand fell on the man's shoulder. "Hey friend! Won't you introduce me to your new helper? Who are you, brother?"

It was Barry. Of course, he also worked there. As a good friend, he had followed Owen wherever he had decided to go.

Three years earlier Owen and Barry had steady jobs as cops; but as soon as the economic crisis unleashed by the disastrous war and the dinosaur embargo hit them, they were both invited to leave their posts. After all, the police could no longer afford too much staff, so they started making cuts. And not only were Owen and Barry not very important in their plant, but they also had the infamy of having helped dinosaurs, even if in times of peace. Given the climate of hostility that had been created after the war, Owen and Barry had not been welcomed among the police, despite their decision having avoided unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, they remained unemployed. Fortunately, Owen knew how to fend for himself and by doing various odd jobs he managed to maintain a decent lifestyle. Barry, noticing how well his friend was doing, quickly decided to follow him. After the peace was struck a second time and Eden Union founded, the two tried to get hired in the new factories, but as they had no luck they decided to go to work on the reforestation project. That's why they were together in the same workplace.

"My name is Tricky. And I'm a female" replied the einiosaurus.

"Oh… I'm sorry, sorry" Barry said realizing the gaffe. Fortunately, the dinosaur didn't seem to care too much. "Thank you for helping Owen. He seems so strong, but in reality he can barely move a log"

"Shut up, idiot" Owen grumbled, who obviously knew there was not a half word of truth, considering that he was able to split small logs with his bare hands. "Anyway, now let's go eat. I was just thanking Tricky and..."

"What are you saying? She comes with us, of course! In short, she helps you in your work and you don't even invite her to lunch? " Barry interrupted. Owen glared at him, but his friend didn't stop and turned to the einiosaur: "Come on, come on! We'll get you some weed"

"But I really don't want to be a nuisance..."

"Nonsense. Owen's friends are my friends, and I always take my friends to celebrate with food!"

Eventually the einiosaurus gave up and followed them to a table rather apart from the others, on which two people were already seated. "Hi, Owen! Who is your new friend?" Franklin greeted him.

"Fuck you. I knew MCD was involved" Owen grumbled. "You convinced you Barry to drag us here, right?"

"No, we just asked him. He was the one who accepted right away" Zia said, who was sitting next to Franklin. "He said that if this could make you nervous, he would do it a hundred more times"

"Don't change the subject. What did you want, to show others something? Don't try to treat us like objects, "Owen growled, then turned to the einiosaur. "If you want to leave, free to do it. Don't feel constrained to stay here "

"Actually there are no problems for me" Tricky replied simply.

"Seriously? Aren't you afraid of what others might think?" Owen asked. "I don't want you to get in trouble. Indeed, I really want to avoid trouble"

"Actually, I don't see what those in my pack might think. For us dinosaurs, eating with humans is not wrong. In Beleriard we did it all the time" Tricky replied.

"See, Owen? There's no reason to worry" Franklin said.

"But I don't want you to get in trouble" the einiosaurus added. "If I am a nuisance, I can remove the nuisance immediately"

"Quiet, you are not. Nobody here considers you as such" answered Zia, gesturing for her to come closer. The einiosaur didn't look very convinced, but she sat down by the table anyway.

Owen barely refrained from letting out a grunt. First, because he knew what Franklin and Zia wanted to do: they were using the situation to show others that being friends with dinosaurs wasn't a bad thing. Owen didn't like being used and didn't like others being used. Secondly, because he wanted to avoid trouble, for others and for himself. It was for that reason that he had intervened that day during the discussion between Tricky and that rude man, certainly not because he needed help. And always for the same reason he would have preferred not to further tease those who despised the dinosaurs, because he knew they would cause trouble. Unfortunately, however, Barry, Zia and Franklin didn't see it that way.

Like him and Barry, Zia and Franklin had also lost their jobs following the war. Franklin for the same reason as Owen and Barry and Zia for her role as a veterinarian, not very popular at a time when animals were called enemies. However, unlike Owen and Barry, they had signed up for MCD, which allowed them to receive a small monthly salary. They had certainly not signed up just for the money: they both firmly believed in the coexistence of humans and dinosaurs, and consequently since Eden Union was founded and peace restored they had done everything to bring human workers closer to dinosaurs, obviously earning money. dislike of many.

When they were all finally seated, Zia immediately began to make conversation: "Did you really often eat with humans in the Beleriard?"

"Oh yes!" Tricky answered. "In Beleriard, humans are kind… as opposed to here. But it's not a problem, even down there at the beginning there was a lot of tension between our two peoples, so you have nothing to blame"

"We apologize for our behavior anyway" Franklin said.

"Oh, no, there is no need. We wouldn't have come here if we weren't prepared. We knew we would not be welcomed with open arms. I'm sure that if we give people enough time, things will change"

"We have learned that in Beleriard now dinosaurs and humans coexist in every way. It's true?"

"Enough. Yes, in short, most dinosaurs still prefer to live in nature, but some of us have chosen to get closer to humans. After all, coexistence between humans and dinosaurs is the pack leader's dream, and humans need to get used to our presence to make it happen. As a result, many of us have chosen to live in or near cities and work alongside humans. Basically we don't mind helping with construction, deliveries, or other tasks. Some of us even teach in schools..."

"I've heard of it!" Zia exclaimed. "So is it true? What do you teach?"

"Oh, a lot of things. I believe that in your jargon you could define them as biology, zoology or culture of the environment; from our point of view, we limit ourselves to describing the processes of nature in which we all participate and to educate the new generations on the importance of preserving the delicate balance of our world"

"Amazing. Do the students like it?"

"Apparently yes. And anyway, the thing is also true in reverse. There are a lot of dinosaurs who have asked humans to teach them something new..."

"For real?"

"Of course. You humans are a very interesting species. Several of us want to get to know you better. And all your discoveries are extraordinary. Art, science, music... many dinosaurs are interested in learning them"

Despite the initial embarrassment, the conversation continued in a rather calm manner. Indeed, it could be said that Tricky was a brilliant conversationalist. Talking to her, the four almost forgot that he was not a human being.

However, Owen was wary, and looking Barry in his eyes she knew he was too. The people from the other tables were watching them; even though most looked at them with simple curiosity, some even with a harmless disgust, a good chunk seemed rather pissed off. And in fact, just about twenty minutes after the einiosaur had sat at the table with them, a group of people approached with a grim look. The group ignored them as much as possible, but when their leader, a thug with a pronounced chin and a slight beard, punched the table, it was impossible to ignore it.

"What do you want, Hawkes?" Barry grunted looking at the brash. Hawkes was a well-known figure in the reforestation project, a troublemaker who repeatedly tried to strike a fight with dinosaurs who had simply gone to tell him that he was working in the wrong area.

"I want that thing to go away" Hawkes replied, staring at Tricky, who seemed to recoil under that gaze despite the fact that she weighed at least a hundred times more than the man and could kill him with a kick. "This is not her place. Here the humans eat. Not the dinosaurs"

"There is no such rule! She can eat here like all of us" Zia protested.

"There is no such rule, hmm? Well, then let's say it now. We don't want dinosaurs here!" Hawkes growled. "If you dinosaur sympathizers want to be with them, you can go to their area. We don't want them here"

"Okay, okay, let's all calm down" Tricky exclaimed standing up. "I'm leaving. Don't make a tragedy of it..."

"Don't talk about it! They have no right to kick you out!" Franklin exclaimed, almost rising to his feet.

Hawkes wrinkled his nose. "Do you feel like fighting, MCD?" he asked him. "You fucking dinosaur sympathizers are always around pissing off, continually trying to overturn the natural order of things. If it weren't for the fact that I need this job, I would have already smashed your face"

"I am a former government police officer. You can even try to smash my face, but it won't end well for you" Franklin replied.

"Yes sure! Would you be a former agent? But don't make me laugh" Hawkes said with a grin, looking at Franklin's lean build. "Don't bullshit, MCD. Instead of being tough, let that dinosaur go away so we can go back to eating"

"You make me sorry for you"

Everyone fell silent and turned to Owen. The former policeman was sipping a divine glass without even looking at Hawkes. "What did you say, insect?" he growled the thug.

"Didn't you hear me? Then you're deaf, as well as stupid" Owen said without giving him a look. "I said I feel sorry for you. You all"

"Oh yes? And why would you feel sorry for it?" Hawkes urged him.

Owen wasn't someone he liked to seek out. If he could, he avoided confrontation. However, if an idiot showed up at his table threatening his friends, he was certainly not the type he let go. "Because you are idiots. Everyone. You anchor yourself to an unhealthy idea belonging to a past that can no longer return and you behave like bullies only because you know that you will not be punished, since the dinosaurs will never react. But the truth is, you are just fools and cowards. You have noticed that the 'no dinosaurs' theme is in vogue at the moment and therefore you use it to convince yourself that you are worth something and that you are not completely insignificant, or rather, that you are not completely losers. After all, a loser would never have the guts to insult a dinosaur, would they? It doesn't matter if he does it secretly, or in the company of other losers like him, or when the dinosaur in question cannot defend himself. Pathetic. You are ridiculous people who do nothing but harm humanity. It is because of your mistaken mindset that countless calamities have befallen us in recent years, yet you continue to cling to it like mussels, just to justify your racism. When the parasites of society like you die out it will never be too late"

Many of Hawkes' followers snarled at Owen's words, and Hawkes himself turned red as a pepper. Quietly, the people seated at nearby tables got up and walked away, expecting what would happen next. "Are you calling us losers, son of a bitch?" Hawkes hissed. "Get up so I can break your nose"

But Owen didn't look intimidated at all. "Break my nose, you say?" he asked him putting down the glass he had just finished drinking from. "Yes... why not" and having said this he stood up.

Hawkes almost laughed. "Are you serious?"

"Do you think I'm joking?" Owen answered and then took off his shirt; he had no intention of crumpling it.

"Uh-uh, it's getting hot" Barry laughed.

Tricky looked rather uncomfortable. "Come on, there is no need to go that far..." he tried to say in a faint voice.

"Shut up! Let them fight!" Barry stopped her. "Don't worry, this is a human issue. Whatever happens, it won't fall on you. Hey, brother, wait for me! I can't fight with this jacket on" he added, taking off his shirt in turn.

"I didn't ask for your help, Barry" Owen said.

"Of course you didn't ask me. I'm the one who wants to break some ass" Barry replied, stepping next to him. "I've got your back, man. Come on, how you have old times!"

Hawkes grinned. "You have guts, I have to admit it" he said with a hint of admiration in his voice. "If you weren't dinosaur sympathizers, I could almost respect you. Well, guys, let's give these two bastards a good brush up!"

"Do you really have to do it?" Franklyn asked, disapproving of them with all his heart.

"Right! You're acting like fools!" Zia added with a reproachful look.

But Owen just smiled. "Let me teach you something, Zia. All of us men… well, most of us…" he added looking at Franklyn, who just sighed. "… are monkeys. We solve our problems in the way of the ancients"

"Well, it can't be said to be the wrong method" Tricky said. Zia looked at her in amazement. "What's up? We too resolve disputes by fighting!" the einiosaur defended itself. "If words fail to resolve the situation, we might as well let the muscles do it"

"Holy words. See, Hawkes? We're not that different" Barry laughed.

The thug decided that he had had enough. "That's enough. Get under it!"

"As you want!" was their reply.

Owen lunged forward, heading straight for Hawkes. Two of the latter's thugs tried to tackle him, but the former policeman punched both of them in the face, sending them to the ground.

The atmosphere changed immediately. Realizing that Owen was by no means a boaster who talked nonsense, but that he actually knew how to defend himself, Hawkes' thugs launched into the attack all together. Some of them even tried to take him from behind, but were intercepted by Barry.

"Behind? Fucking move!" Barry exclaimed as he grabbed the first striker and tossed him onto a nearby table. At that sight, many began to cheer, including dinosaurs, who obviously enjoyed fighting as a means of problem solving.

Owen was attacked simultaneously by at least a dozen people. The former policeman often found himself taking the blows, but he returned as much as possible. But unlike him, who had training and a good physical constitution behind him capable of withstanding multiple shocks, the henchmen Hawkes had brought with him were simple idiots a little exalted. There were many, but they attacked without any strategy and it only took a hit in the right place to send them to the ground.

Very soon, Hawkes' henchmen split up: most attacked Owen, while the others went after Barry. But even Barry was no less than Owen when it came to physical performance. Very soon, at the man's feet there were nothing but unconscious bodies and broken teeth.

"Stop playing with those weaklings!" Owen yelled at him as he threw a punch in the face of a guy who had held a chair like a weapon. "Come here, where there is the strong stuff!"

"I don't have to repeat it!" Barry exclaimed, and clinging to the table he kicked in the bellies of the few he still hadn't knocked out; after which he jumped from table to table and finally launched into the fray. In a short time he was at Owen's side; the two turned back to back and continued to push back their opponents.

Their movements were quick and very fluid. Their experience as policemen came to their aid: they knew exactly where and how to strike. With just one kick or punch, or in some cases head-butt, the opponent fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

By now the whole affair had turned into a single whirlwind of punches with Owen and Barry in the center. The spectators to be able to see well had climbed on the tables and some of them had even thrown into the fray, even if it was not known which side they intended to help. Many small dinosaurs climbed the sauropod necks to get a better look and the pterosaurs and birds had started flying over the brawl to observe it.

The battle lasted no more than six minutes. When calm finally returned, Owen and Barry were in the midst of a flood of people lying on the ground in pain; some were holding their bellies, others their heads, still others were even unconscious. The two former policemen were panting and had several bruises and cuts on their bodies, but nevertheless stood proudly with no sign of sagging on their legs. In his right hand, Owen held Hawkes by the scruff of the scruff.

"So?" he asked when he had recovered his breath. "Do you still want to fight, loose balls?"

Hawkes hadn't one, but two black eyes, a trickle of blood dripped from his nose and some of his teeth looked broken. As soon as Owen let him go, the thug left murmuring what seemed like threats, then quickly followed by all his followers.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Barry and Owen went back to their table and sat down again, though they both groaned from the bruises in their backs.

"You really are idiots" Franklyn grumbled.

"What can you do. We are like that" Owen replied pouring himself some wine again.

"Where did you learn to fight like this?" Tricky, who she seemed rather admired, asked.

"We were cops, they trained us for this. Besides, it wasn't our first fight" Barry explained. "When the gangs in the city we worked in raised the crest too much, that was how we reminded them of who was in charge"

Franklyn shook his head disapprovingly. "Seriously, only you could go around beating thugs"

"Someone had to do it" Owen replied with a laugh, choked shortly after by a pain due to a bruise on his stomach.

Unfortunately, Owen hadn't calculated that in the modern era, even in a time of extreme economic crisis, one of the few things that couldn't go away was cell phones. And if there was one thing that people were good at, it was filming certain events and then posting them on social networks...