13.June.08

Revised: 8.Feb.09

Future vs. Past: Darkclaw's Beginning
By: Onyx Wing

Chapter 1: Daughter of a Killer

Darkclaw leaned back on her cell wall, the scientist was back. He was slightly tall, almost as tall as Megatron , but still not very strong. It looked like his alt mode was a spider, but she couldn’t see him from the darkness of the room he was in, because it was designed to where she couldn’t recognize anyone. Too bad for them, they don’t realize how much like my father I really am… she thought to herself. As the daughter of Rampage, she had been caged almost immediately after her Protoform was processed. She wasn’t supposed to be alive, but she had escaped once before. Megatron and his minions had captured her before news could reach the Maximals. They had decided she may be useful, but they still hadn’t let her out. She wondered how long it would take before the war got bad enough that she would be needed. The scientist started to ask her questions, which she ignored in her thoughts. This happened often, and every time he came in, she either turned away, or fixed her icy violet optics right on him, causing him to flinch. It never fails, he’s always scared. Probably had a couple run-ins with my father… she mused. She felt a sharp pain in her side and turned: the scientist held a gun in his hand, and there was a dart sticking out of her side. She barely heard him say, “If you won’t cooperate, I’ll have to do this from now on…” before she fell to the bench in her cell, knocked into stasis lock by a heavy dose of tranquilizer.

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Meanwhile, Rampage walked in just after his daughter fell. “So, Tarantulas, what’s the news on her?” he asked, a little threatening just by his stance, rigid and tense.
“She, uh…never even said her name…” Tarantulas answered.
“Well, even I could’ve told you that.” he snarled. “It’s Darkclaw.”
“Darkclaw? Why that name?” Tarantulas asked.
“Her claws are pitch black in both modes.” Rampage answered, moving closer to the bars to look in on her, failing to see anything except the tip of her tail.
“What do you mean, claws in robot mode?” Tarantulas asked, nervous, but trying and failing to hide it.
“If you wouldn’t have tranquilized her, I would’ve showed you.” Rampage snarled, turning back to him.
Just then, the intercom came on, a little static came through because the speaker was blown: “All units report to briefing room for announcement,” the computer voice droned.
Saved by the intercom… Tarantulas thought to himself. Rampage shook his head and walked away, barely conscious of the feeling that something was about to go wrong. Tarantulas followed him, completely unaware of Darkclaw waking up….

Tarantulas and Rampage had just arrived, and the briefing had begun. Megatron had received reports of increased Maximal activity by one of his jamming stations, and he didn’t want another one destroyed. He sent Quickstrike and Inferno to investigate, and Waspinator and Blackarachnia somewhere else, probably to build another tower. Then he turned to Tarantulas. “So, what have you figured out about our…guest, Darkclaw?”
“All I’ve figured out was her name, and that Rampage is her father, and she didn’t even speak. Megatron, this is hopeless. I’ve been doing this for three decacycles, and still nothing! I’ve had to tranquilize her almost all the time since her last escape, and it’s not going anywhere fast! I suggest we find a way to either make her a Predacon or destroy her!” Tarantulas replied, frustrated.
“Yes, I would make her a Predacon, but Rampage won’t let me, even though it’s the only way.” Megatron replied, looking at Rampage while turning the energon blade he had used on the immortal in his hands. Rampage was furious.
“Only because I don’t want her going through the same torture you put me throu--Aah!” he was cut short by Megatron injecting a syringe into his spark. He fell, holding the area where his spark was, and when Megatron was done, he knelt panting for a few moments before standing up again, albeit blearily.
“Now, we won’t have anymore outbursts, will we? I’ve been working with Tarantulas, and we’ve found out the perfect solution to your…obedience issues. Whenever you don’t follow orders, we’ll inject this into your spark. After a few minutes, it’ll take hold, and then….” Megatron stopped midsentence as Rampage collapsed, unconscious. “So,” he asked, turning to Tarantulas. “what are your suggestions about her?”
“I say we either destroy her or give her to the Maximals, if we can’t make her a Predacon. Frankly, I want nothing more to do with her.” With that, he stalked back into the lab, and a large explosion immediately followed. Megatron and the other Predacons ran into the lab, only to get their first good look at Darkclaw. She was tall, slightly taller than Rampage, with the claws and six legs of Rampage’s crab form, and the body, wings, and sharp claws of a dragon. She was panting, her cage had been completely destroyed, and Tarantulas was under her foot, in stasis lock and missing one arm. Darkclaw seemed to just notice them, and blasted a hole in the wall, transformed into beast mode, and flew outside, heading straight for the neutral area surrounding one of the nearby volcanoes. She landed on the top of the volcano, spread her giant wings, and roared, a jet of flame coming out of her mouth. Everyone but Megatron was scared, Megatron wondering exactly how she managed to destroy her cell. Darkclaw glared down at the base, seeming to see right through it, then, almost jumping into the lava, disappeared into the volcano.

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Chapter 2 : Into the Wild

“Well, that was a complete waste of time…”Tarantulas muttered after he was repaired. “I cannot believe you would try to harness something like that.” He growled at Megatron, shaking his head. Rampage had recovered by then. Picking Tarantulas up by the neck, he said,
“Enough of that ranting, spider. We have other things to worry about now.”
“Ah, that’s right.” Megatron intervened, “We do still need to figure out where Darkclaw went.”
“Right here…” Darkclaw replied from the doorway. “What do you need?” She asked, almost mockingly. Megatron looked at her for a few moments, then said,
“Your allegiance.”
“Depends. What all does that entitle?”
“That’s none of your business.” Megatron growled.
“Actually, I think it is.” Darkclaw replied, walking towards them. “After all, I will be the one doing the work, eh?”
“Yes. Well, let’s just say you have to follow my orders.”
Darkclaw thought for a moment, her overlong, pitch black claws coming to her chin, then finally spoke. “Hmm. Alright, I agree.” Darkclaw nodded as she spoke, then caught sight of Rampage. “So, you’re my father, correct?”
Rampage nodded slowly, walking to her to see her clearly. “So, you’re the one who blasted a hole in the base, right? And put Tarantulas into stasis lock?”
“Yep, that was easy. The hard part was figuring out I actually had a blaster to do that with.” Darkclaw replied sarcastically. “So. When do I start working?” She turned to Megatron.
“How about now? I heard the Maximals set up an ambush near our newest jamming station, and need backup. You and Rampage will go with me.”
Darkclaw nodded, following her father out of the base.
Meanwhile, three of the Maximals had been setting up an ambush to capture the Predacons near their jamming station, when Cheetor heard a noise in the jungle and went to investigate, leaving Silverbolt and Rattrap alone. “Eh, why do we have to be stuck with the hard work, while the ‘cobalt kitty’ does all o’ the explorin’?” Rattrap asked.
“I don’t know if I like this, either. Cheetor’s been gone for quite awhile…”
Rampage and Darklclaw followed the Predacon leader into the jungle, Rampage explaining the Predacon codes while he was walking. Megatron heard the occasional question from Darkclaw, but otherwise she seemed like a fast learner.