Mason felt like his arms were going to be torn out of their sockets, as Jake carried him up into the air. Hands. In armpits. Ow ow ow. How'd Rhinestone Cowgirl put up with this shii--
"Get out that flamethrower!" Jake yelled.
"Whatever!" He yelled back.
He closed his eyes against the wind, head still throbbing from being sent face-first into the pavement. Concentrated on summoning a flame thrower. The air around his hands buzzed with electricity, and a moment later he had a fuel tank on his back, and a hose in his grip.
"Ready to roast a cloud dragon?" Jake asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be!"
The cloud dragon hardened her tail again. A police helicopter raced right towards her, firing missiles. The missiles passed right through the dragon and traveled a few blocks before crashing into some buildings, and setting them ablaze.
"Silly police!" The man on the dragon yelled. "Missiles don't work on Brunhilde!"
Clouds was his name. Mason remembered that from the hostage situation. He was the guy who said he could be the poster child for the team. Ohh, this is the guy who winked at me... no offense Cloudy boy but you're not my type. My type is female.
"Hey Clouds!" Mason exclaimed.
"Yeahhh?" Clouds responded innocently while petting the dragon's neck.
"Eat fire!" He yelled.
Mason aimed the flamethrower at the dragon and unleashed a jetstream of fire that burned away the water inside the clouds. Evaporated the rain droplets. Steam started rising up from the mass.
Then her massive tail came around, under the stream of flames, and whacked him and Jake in the side. Sent them tumbling down through the sky. Fire swirled and danced in a circle around them while Jake tried to regain control. Heat lapped at his skin. His head started spinning. He wanted to throw up.
"Stop spinning!" Mason exclaimed.
"Give me a second!" Jake yelled at him.
He sent the flame thrower away to make things a little easier. And so they'd have less chance at being burned.
They spun around for a few more seconds, and then finally regained control. They were only a few feet off the ground. Far below the dragon and her rider. Some of her had evaporated from the heat of the flames, most of her head and two legs on one side. Bullets flew from the police helicopter, as the dragon thrashed around. Rearing and slashing with its back legs.
"Get back up there!" Mason demanded.
"Shut up!" Jake replied.
"How did we end up in this mess, together?!" Mason asked.
Jake took off into the air again, flapping his wings as hard as he could, the sound of them banging together rolled like thunder across the street.
"We listened to a talking cat!" He responded, with a chuckle.
Ohhh cats.
The dragon grew ever closer, larger, more imposing. It was preoccupied with the helicopter, unaware of their from-behind approach. He summoned up his flamethrower and aimed at the back of the rider. Let a wide grin spread up his face so far it began to hurt his jaws. A tongue of flames lashed out and set Clouds' all-white suit on fire. He screamed out like a young woman and patted at his back to try and put out the flames.
"Hah, I wonder if from down there it looked like the dragon was breathing fire," Mason said.
"Aaahhhhhgghhh!" Clouds screeched. As the flames further overtook him, the dragon evaporated, and he fell down to the battlefield below. Little bursts of clouds appeared beneath him along the way, slowing his descent. It took just a few moments, before he finally hit the pavement with a jarring impact that made Mason wince.
YOU ARE READING
Dusk Harbor 1999
Science FictionYou've been out superheroing all night, and you just got your behind handed to you by a fellow hero who can't keep to his own territory. You come home to see that your beloved cat has brought in a business card, it's an invite to a secret meeting of...
