Over many years, I learnt about the cruelty of life- the cruelty of nature. I left the nest, still as the weakest of my clutch. But, over time, I changed. I changed a lot.
Using the way my family treated me as motivation, I fought hard to become stronger. Faster. Smarter. I constantly hunted, starting with small and easy prey at first, then building up strength, I moved on to hunt larger, more powerful creatures. I needed to prove to the world that even a weak runt like I could battle to the top, and become the most feared creature in a hundred million years. I had to show the world that I was the most powerful Utahraptor to ever live.
The most powerful predator in the land was a large, female Acrocanthosaurus. I still remember the day I found the giant predator- she was in an open area, sleeping. I was peering through a bush, watching her. She was a massive twelve meters long- big, even for her kind. She had a large head about 1.4 meters long, and a huge body. Her hands had large, intimidating claws, and she had a small sail stretched out from the back of her head to the tip of her tail. Her sail was black, her body, brown, her underbelly, white.
I snarled, softly. Back then, I was about four years old- a young adult, almost at my full size (I was six meters long during this hunt) I wasn't quite as powerful as I am now, but I was still very strong.
I narrowed my eyes. Many animals had grown familiar with them- they had become feared almost by all.
I pounced out of the bush, screeching. The female Acrocanthosaurus' eyes snap open. I sprinted towards her, mouth agape, still emitting my battle cry.
The Acrocanthosaurus lifted her head, but before she could do anything, I pounced onto her cranium. She roared in fury, but I clung on to her, digging my claws into the sides of her skull. She vigorously shook her head, snarling. Suddenly, I felt my hands lose their grip on her.
'No!' I growled, and I felt myself get catapulted through the air. I slammed onto the ground, and skidded across it. A throbbing pain pulsated through my torso.
The Acrocanthosaurus roared in victory, her booming shriek echoing throughout the land. She then glared at me, hungry for Utahraptor blood.
I got up, snarling. I didn't dare lose this fight. I had come so far- it cannot end here.
Suddenly, I sprinted towards my enemy, claws in front of me, ready to slash at her.
The Acrocanthosaurus growled threateningly, waiting for me to come. I pounced into the air, screeching, with the sickle claws on my feet at the ready. With no mercy, my opponent smashed her arm against my ribs. I screamed in pain, and I was thrown across the air like I was nothing. I could feel an open wound at my side, and could hear cracking in my rib cage. This pain was like nothing I had ever felt before- I could barely breathe, it hurt so much. She had fractured three of my ribs with just one single hit from her formidable claws. I fell to the ground, and heard another roar of victory.
'This... this will not be the end!'
I began to remember my last day with my family. I had left the nest before any of my brothers. I still remember the way they were snarling at me, calling me a weakling, calling me useless. Even my own mother had enough with me.
'You're nothing but a waste of my time, and a waste of life,' She snarled. When a Utahraptors' baby is too weak, the parents chase them away, or worse, kill them.
I turned away, acting like what they were doing didn't hurt me. I did my best to show them that what they were doing meant nothing to me- after all, emotions are a weakness. But, I couldn't take it any longer.
I only took a few steps away before I turned around, narrowed my eyes, and said;
'You think I'm weak...? You think I'm useless...? I'll prove you wrong... I'll prove ALL of you wrong! You'll see! I promise, I will become strong, stronger than every single one of you!' I growled.
My family snorted in amusement.
'You will not survive longer than a week,' My mother snarled, narrowing her eyes.
'No! I'll show you- no, I'll show the whole world- that I am THE GREATEST UTAHRAPTOR TO HAVE EVER LIVED! There will come a day when all creatures shall fear me, when I will single-handedly hunt Acrocanthosaurs and Astrodons all on my own! I will prove the world wrong!'
Then, I ran off. For some time, I really did think I would die in a week. But, I stayed determined. I had to show the world that I was strong, no matter what it took.
I glared at the Acrocanthosaurus, remembering the words I had roared to my family on that fateful time.
There will come a day when all creatures shall fear me, when I will single-handedly hunt Acrocanthosaurs and Astrodons all on my own!
She was stomping towards me, jaws dripping with saliva.
'...I refuse to die like this,' I snarled. Slowly, I got up. I could taste my own blood in my mouth, but I couldn't care less. I was going to show the world that even a weak runt like me can become the most powerful creature in the land!
I jumped towards the Acrocanthosaurus. She tried to slash at me with her arms, but I jumped too high for her to reach. I landed on her neck, and instantly began to cut her flesh with my claws. She roared in pain, but I didn't dare stop. Blood seeped out of her wounds, covering me in her red life liquid. I quickly stuck my sickle claw into her windpipe, puncturing it. She screamed, practically begging me to stop, but I refused... killing her was the best way to prove my worth.
I whipped my sickle claw out of her neck, and jumped away, landing safely on the ground. I completely ignored the throbbing pain at my side. The Acrocanthosaurus sent me one last glare of hate and fear, before closing her eyes and collapsing to the ground.
I... I have become... the most powerful predator! I thought to myself, unable to believe that I finally did it! Joy filled my heart. I had proven my entire family wrong- I was not the weakling that they knew, but rather, a deadly monster that they, if they are even alive, will learn to fear.
It was at that moment the world began to know me as...
The Merciless.