Fireclaw's memories could either break him, or change him. Will they? You decide.
Chapter 10: Manic Rampage
Things were relatively quiet around Sara and David's house. Their parents had left for a trip and left them to tend to the house. Sara was watching the news while Ryan was washing dishes when the phone rang.
"Ok Paul, I'll tell her. Thanks again." Ryan said over the phone.
"Sara, turn on the news." Ryan called to Sara who was in the living room.
"What's going on, Ryan?" Sara asked.
"You might just want to watch."
Sara flicked on the TV and changed it to the Six O'clock news. There was a breaking news headline flashing across the screen. Sara and Ryan drew closer to the screen. The news ticker read "Dinosaurs captured! See them live!"
"What? What the..."
A knock at the door interrupted Ryan. Ryan opened the door to see David clearly out of breath and sweating standing on the front porch gesturing something while catching his breath. From the porch Ryan could see the main street that cut through town. He looked over his shoulder to see something sprinting behind him. It was Fireclaw!
"David? Fireclaw? What's going on?" Ryan asked frantically.
They all went into the house and Fireclaw slammed the door behind them and locked it.
"I stole my armor back, but that's about all I was able to get." Fireclaw said between breaths.
"Fireclaw, David, what's wrong? Who did they capture?" Sara asked.
"All of us. Redclaw, Chomper, Myself, Littlefoot, Ducky, Cera, Spike, Petrie, hell they got us all. That stupid son of a bitch Tyranno leader was the one behind it too!" Fireclaw said furiously. He felt a strangely familiar pulsing in his head.
"Who are the rest? We've never heard of any other Dinosaucers by those names." David said.
"They're not Dinosaucers, hell I'm not either. I'm a member of Dinosquad 6. Listen, that doesn't matter. They're coming here! Rex wants to show them off to the public as a terror act. They have no idea I'm gone yet!"
"Wait, how do they have no idea you're gone?" Ryan asked curiously.
"They didn't hinge the cages very well. All I did was pop a pin out and kick the door open. I know where the rest of my equipment is. It's in a truck at the rear of the convoy that's headed this way." Fireclaw said.
"Where is this convoy now?" Sara asked.
"About 5 miles out of town." Fireclaw said.
"You ran five miles?" David asked skeptically.
"I grabbed a semi. You think I'm that good at running?" Fireclaw said.
"Sounds like you got lucky. Any way we can get your gear back from that truck before it gets here?" Sara asked.
"Unlikely. The convoy was guarded last time I saw it. They're going to have protection from some security force along the way. I'll have to pick up a rifle or something if I want to get it back. Sneaking will be easier said than done at this point." Fireclaw explained.
"As much as I hate to go this route, we have to get his stuff back. Allo told us to make sure to keep an eye out of something went bad with the Tyrannos. You have Tier 11's firing codes." David said.
"What the? Firing codes? YOU MEAN ALLO GAVE ME FIRING CODES? FIRING CODES TO WHAT?" Fireclaw frantically asked.
"We thought you knew already. Tier 11 is an orbital laser that Rex is trying to bring into Earth's orbit. We've kept it away for a while, but we're not having much luck now that Ghenghis Rex supposedly has a new 'weapon'." Ryan explained.
"Shit. This just went from bad to worse really fast." Fireclaw said.
Fireclaw noticed police cars going up the main street and ducked a little.
"Listen, I'm going to find a rifle or something. Follow behind me and watch my back." Fireclaw said.
Fireclaw ran across the yard and climbed into a tree in Ryan and Sara's yard. The scouts started up the street casually as Fireclaw weaved his way in and out of vehicles, houses and yards. He was amazed that he hadn't been seen running across the street by anyone else. Most of the town was preparing for the showing in the park of the rest of the dinosaurs.
Fireclaw fished his communicator of a concieled pocket in his tactical vest.
"I hate to ask this, but do any of you or your parents have a hunting rifle that I could use?" Fireclaw whispered over his communicator.
"Mine do, but it's locked in a safe and I don't have the combination to it." Paul said.
"Paul, I'm so sorry for doing this, but could I possibly borrow it for... Well a bit?" Fireclaw sheepishly asked. He wasn't expecting him to say anything positive about that idea.
"If you can get it, go ahead. It's on you though, Fireclaw, not me or any of us else." Paul reassured him.
"I know Paul, I went over this with Allo already. Listen, go to the park and wait there. Let me know if you see the convoy coming. You really can't miss it. I'm not sure how close they would be by now." Fireclaw said.
Fireclaw made his way to Paul's house half way across town. He was nearly spotted twice by someone, but luckily dove out of the way.
"Paul, is the house empty?" Fireclaw asked.
"Yea, parents should be down at the park. You don't have long. Safe's in the garage." Paul replied.
"Thanks." Fireclaw said.
Fireclaw put his tail under the door and forced it up enough that he could get a good grip on it. He rolled the wooden garage door up snuck inside, closing it behind him. Once in, Fireclaw found the safe tucked in a far back corner of the garage behind some bikes and storage bins. Fireclaw was able to use his keen sense of hearing to listen for the sounds of clicking when turning the cylinder. After a few tries the safe opened. Inside he found a 12-gauge shotgun with a box of shells, a Smith and Wesson .357 magnum revolver, and a bolt action rifle with a scope. Exactly what he needed. Fireclaw took the rifle and a box of rifle rounds. He shut the safe without taking anything else.
Just as Fireclaw turned to leave, the garage light came on. A side door opened, and Paul snuck in. He closed the door quietly behind him.
"The trucks are close. Are you sure you'll be able to make this work? That's a loud gun." Paul said.
"I don't have much choice. I need my shit back, at almost any cost." Fireclaw replied.
"Alright, we'll go out through the front, think you can get somewhere and hide for a bit?" Paul asked.
"I'll manage. It's not like I haven't been hiding in plain sight for the past while now anyway." Fireclaw replied.
Fireclaw and Paul walked out the front door and saw three men in what looked to be Safari outfits running up the street. Fireclaw ducked behind the doorframe and waited for them to pass.
"I haven't even gotten the chance to sight this yet. Damn, I'm just going to have to assume it'll work and try not to screw this up." Fireclaw said to himself quietly.
"It's safe, lets go!"
Fireclaw and Paul made it to the park. In the middle of the grassy clearing were three trucks. One looked to be a stage platform of some sort, another was a moving van like vehicle that Fireclaw knew had his other equipment in, and the front was the driver of the convoy itself hauling the cages. Hiding behind a tree, Fireclaw searched with the rifle scope a route to get close to the trucks without being seen. He didn't want to have to use the rifle but he was prepared to if it came to that.
"Fireclaw, listen. To your direct left you have a grocery store. If you go through the parking lot, you can get around to the back side of the park. You can take up a position to aim at the stage from a bush if you can fit in there." Sara told him over the communicator.
"So glad you never take your scout rings off. I'll get there, be watching for me and keep me updated." Fireclaw replied.
Fireclaw quickly sprinted across the street with the rifle. The crowd gathering around the open clearing at the park was enough of a distraction to allow him passage to the parking lot, but he still had to be quick about it. Once in the parking lot, he weaved through vehicles on his knees to avoid detection. He was nearly found out a few times when someone would walk by, but they paid no attention to him. Fireclaw crossed the street again and took cover behind the bush Sara was talking about. There was a small divide in the bushes that sheilded from the apartment buildings to his rear, yet gave him enough cover to aim the rifle through the shrubbery. David and Ryan sat right next to him to let Sara know that they found him and knew where he was. They would serve a distraction while Fireclaw took aim and searched.
"Paul, I need you to try and borrow a camera or something. Pose as a photographer and get close to the truck. I need you to go stand somewhere where you're conceiled so that I can get close to you." Fireclaw said.
"Will do Fire, I actually have a lie already made up. Be watching."
"Good. Hurry."
Fireclaw watched Paul walk over to the stage, then quickly and discreetly slip under some cords. He was confronted by some workers, but whatever he said they bought. They parted and left hi m to do what he was doing before. The truck that held his equipment had a door that faced Fireclaw. It would be easy to get in, but the door also faced open apartments.
"Paul, open the truck. I'm moving in."
Fireclaw quickly left the bushes and sprinted to the truck. He entered before he was seen by anyone else.
"Ok Paul, stand outside. You don't want to be in here for what happens next. Take the rifle and stash it." Fireclaw told him.
He handed Paul the rifle and shut the door. He stood guard outside as Fireclaw rummaged through the various equipment in the back of the truck. He found his sword, the emerald gauntlets Allo gave him, his pistol, Redclaw's daggers, and the computer chip he hid in the gauntlets.
Suddenly the pulsing in Fireclaw's head that he felt before was even stronger. His sword began to vibrate rapidly in his hand as he felt overcome by anger. That anger grew stronger and stronger quickly, and he knew he didn't have long before it had to come out. He opened the door and stepped out. Paul noticed something was visibly wrong when Fireclaw leaned up against the truck and let out a low, demonic growl.
"Paul... Back... Away..." Fireclaw growled out.
He watched as Fireclaw's skintone went from the normal green with red spots on his back to a dark black. The spots on his back became crimson red and began to glow.
"It's happening again..." Fireclaw thought to himself.
"I can't let it go now, not now."
Fireclaw fought himself to hold in the fury that was now consuming him. His arm began to grow dark tendrils from his shoulder down to the handle of his blade. Paul looked on in horror. He quickly ran away as Fireclaw began to grow tendrils out of the other shoulder and down to his fingertips.
Final preparations were being made before the unveiling of his friends to the world. He knew that he'd have to find Rex here. Ghenghis Rex would be here watching, he knew it. Rex wouldn't pass up an opportunity to witness the defeat of an enemy, unbeknownst to him that something else was happening at the same time.
As the opening speeches rolled out, Fireclaw's anger began to direct itself towards the speaker. He couldn't handle his voice, he wanted to silence him. The urge to split his skull with the blade grew more powerful, but he continued to resist. Surprisngly no workers had come behind the truck. They were all tending to Fireclaw's friends to pay any mind to anything else anyways.
Finally, the moment came. Fireclaw walked over towards the center stage and crouched down. His vision was turning red. His eye color was already blood red and glowing intensely. The scouts all watched from where he was perched minutes before. They didnt' believe anything they were seeing.
"Fireclaw are you okay? Fireclaw talk to me!" David told him over the communicator.
He bellowed a deep laugh that sounded more like a powerful demon's roar.
"Woah there folks, calm down. He's probably just a bit grumpy from waking up from his nap." The announcer said.
Fireclaw was close to snapping. He could feel it powerfully, and that remark lit the fuse. It wasn't a matter of if he unleashed it, now it was a matter of when. He was quickly losing control. The sword began to form itself into a large broad claymore. The blade had grown to about six feet in length and was almost a foot wide. A dark cloud enveloped the blade and swirled angrily like a hurricane blowing full force.
"And folks, without further ado, I present to you, for the first time in human history, a small group of real live dinosaurs!"
Fireclaw could see them being lead on stage in chains and shakles. They were muzzled and quite groggy from the tranquilizers. Fireclaw's eyes widened and finally he snapped.
"DIE!" Fireclaw screamed.
A shockwave erupted from under him as he soared into the air, blade held high above his head. The police shot at him but missed. Workers with tranquilizer guns fired darts, but they plinked off of Fireclaw's now rock solid scales. He roared a deep and loud roar, then thrust his hand forward. The gauntlet's power was amplified by the stone of coldfire's power flowing through Fireclaw's body. The workers were thrown backward with such force that they flew through the grocery store window Fireclaw passed by earlier.
Fireclaw spun the blade around and cut down more attacking workers brandishing stun rods. One managed to knick his shoulder. Fireclaw redirected the small shock and shot lightning bolts through the smaller man's body. He was fatally electrocuted from the shock.
Ghenghis Rex watched on in amusement as he watched Fireclaw hack and slash at people with the blade. He would smile when Fireclaw unleashed power in some form, whether it was the fire breathing roars, the dark balls of energy he would throw at cop cars and national guard vehicles coming in to try to take him down, or even the shockwaves he would create with the gauntlets.
Fireclaw freed his friends from their bonds. Redclaw took Fireclaw's pistol from his vest and started firing at police. They took cover behind vehicles while Fireclaw cleared a path using the sword. He swung the blade in a downwards slice creating a wind blade that spun cars down the street and threw loose objects skyward. The national guard were quick to get in front of him though. Redclaw stole the gun from one guardsman and knocked him unconsious while firing at the rest. Fireclaw did a spinning slice to clear them away. Chomper radioed for an evacuation at the nearest location from the signal, in hopes that someone would get it.
The loud slicing sounds the blades of a helicopter made passed overhead.
"Shit, we've got trouble!" Redclaw shouted.
Fireclaw walked calmly as he destroyed anything he could see. He noticed the chopper just before it opened fire with an on board minigun. The rest took cover in alleyways as Fireclaw quickly dodged the spray. A few bullets grazed him, but didn't seem to phase him much. A shockwave jump got him onto the helicopter quickly. From the ground the others watched as Fireclaw overtook the back of the chopper threw out its occupants. He then ripped the minigun from it's stand and landed back on the ground creating a crater on impact. Fireclaw then turned the minigun on the chopper itself and took it down with a volley of tracer rounds.
"I like this weapon." Fireclaw said with a dark, evil chuckle.
"I hope so, that thing better last you a while you psycho bastard!" Chomper said sarcastically.
"I do not like any of this, no no no!" Ducky shouted.
"You think any of us like this? Where are we anyway?" Cera asked.
"I can't remember the name of this town. I've been here only a few times." Chomper replied.
As Fireclaw carved a path of destruction with the minigun and his sword, they group made it to the outskirts of town with just about every form of law enforcement on their tails. Luckily they managed to come across a shipping company loading a semi. Chomper pounced on the idea and motioned for Fireclaw to follow. With Fireclaw keeping the enemy away, they would be able to escape by stealing a semi. Fireclaw felt his power begin to fade.
"Come on! Hurry! We're almost there! Hold them off for a little bit longer Fireclaw and we can get the hell out of here!" Chomper shouted.
Redclaw rammed through a fence and ordered the driver out of the truck at gunpoint. The driver did as told and ran in terror. Fireclaw was losing his powers fast, and he knew it. Chomper climbed in the drivers seat and looked at the gears.
"Oh shit, please let this be like Fireclaw's car back on reptillon. Please let this be like Fireclaw's car back on Reptillon!" Chomper shouted.
Once Chomper got the truck rolling, Fireclaw let the rest of his power go in a final focused blast towards the crowd of law enforcement blocking the exit. Fireclaw tried to focus his power more towards a blinding light so that they could get away without being followed. with both hands on the handle of his sword, he forced the blade upwards. A bright white light travelled up the blade of his sword and fired into the sky as a beacon. The flare was so bright that all around him had to close their eyes. He then turned the blade on the army that was blocking their path. He swept the blade back and forth ensuring that the beam fried them all.
The damage done was evident. Charred black remains of what once was an army stood before them. The beam was so powerful it distintegrated everythign it passed over. Fireclaw piled into the back of the truck with everyone else and drove off down the highway. Fireclaw missed his chance with Rex this time, but swore to himself he'd hunt him down no matter what cost.