Countdown ✓

Drexel (21 days after)

The sky did clear up a bit, though the apocalyptic clouds still ruled above, and their smell never changed.

Perhaps it never will.

The air felt crisp and cool for once after many days of desert-like heat, and though we reptiles bask in the sun like usual, I despised of the heat today. Over the past days too, more and more earthquakes sudden sprang up from beneath the ground, wobbling Three-Toed Caverns in violent outbursts. Stella noted to me once that there were these sudden rivers of lava in some places that were once open clearings. Even the geyser that almost killed Shadow was flowing with blackened death of fire and rock. I felt silly to acknowledge to her that it wasn't anything major. But inside my gut, felt strangely wrong.

Dangerously wrong.

I saw Whiteclaw, Shadow and some strange looking Deinonychus come down from the Countdown Clock, and lifted up to my clawed feet, prepared to greet them on this darkened night. But that figure nearby Whiteclaw, who was that? And why did Shadow look the way he looked? Eventually, all three of them managed to set an imprint on their appearance through my eyes, as I walked out Three-Toed Cavern towards their location. Somehow immediately as I made my way to them, I envisioned something very wrong happened.

"Hey Whiteclaw," I began, yawning, "How's it...What happened?"

"Nothing."

"White-"

"Nothing happened to me," He grumbled, scratching these new black scabs on his whitened scales, "I'm fine." I went to speak to Shadow, but he just brushed passed me, looking even worse than Whiteclaw. The only one who seemed actually alive was the new Deinonychus, whom I haven't met. Unless he was the one who disappeared the night before.

"You're a friend of Whiteclaw?" The black scaled carnivore clicked, "You're a Utahraptor though."

"So?" I felt agitated from the desolate atmosphere from the two that passed me before, "Does it matter?"

"No, I was just..." He shook his head, flicking his tongue and tail simultaneously, "Nevermind. It was a stupid thought. I thought you guys were extinct."

No we're not.

"Okay..." I continued on, "I'm...uh...Drexel. And yeah, I'm a friend of Whiteclaw."

He grappled my claw with a tight strong squeeze and grinned.

"Blackclaw."

Blackclaw? I've heard that name before. I swear....I've heard that name before. Somewhere.

"You're a friend of Whiteclaw?" I wondered, feeling out of sorts. Or should I say, starting to grow nervous. I stared into his burgundy eyes.

I've seen those eyes before. And his skin, I recognized it. Black.

Black scales

Black clawed

Black Deinonychus.

"No," He narrowed his eyes still holding my claw, "We're brothers." I glimpsed closer at him. Why was he so familiar?!

Then something crazy happened.

Everything vanished. And a vision that I've forgotten for so long replenished in my mind.

The vision of me killing the Deinonychus who ended my mother. It looked so clear, so vivid, lifelike even, and I didn't even look or feel like myself.

I felt dangerous.

Deadly.

Abominable.