The Scaly Boy (G #3)

Project Dragonfire

    The platform became level with what used to be out ceiling. I noticed we were on a roof. On a stage. We were surrounded by a large crowed of people. It looked like some sort of red carpet venue, like something was being advertised. We were right in the middle of it all.

    "This, though it may not look like much, is the main event." The announcing asked again, causing Alex to flinch.

    I spotted her off the the side, behind a podium. She looked over at us and frowned, before pressing a button on her wrist-watch thing. Alex yelped in pain and immediately stood up, swaying back and forth. I stood up next to him so he could clutch onto my shoulder. I snarled and bared my teeth, she looked me in the eye and tapped her wristband. If I do anything she'll hurt Alex, or worse. I stayed put. Glaring at her from across the stage.

    "Exhibit one. Beta. Uncontrollable and untrustworthy. That version had to be scraped but fortunately, is still very powerful." She pointed towards me.

    Alex cried out again and I realized the woman wanted me to show off. Completely humiliated and seeing red spots out of rage, I dropped my jacket and spread out my wings. The crowd let out collective gasps.

    "It's untested how high the beta can go but I assume you his strength in the air rival's that of a small plane. Through proper stimulation and hormone therapy I'm sure we can bring him near the level of alpha."

    She was grinning wildly. It took me a minute, but I realized this had to be the woman James spoke about. She had a vibe about her that said mentally unstable but taking it out in the wrong ways.

    "Let me show what I'm most proud of. The first of it's kind, the alpha version of Project Dragonfire." She stretched out hand towards us like she was conducting and orchestra, and tapped her wristband again.

    Alex gasped in pain and his fingers circled even tighter around my forearm. It wasn't until I saw the blood flow into my shirt did I realized he was growing claws. I watched in horror as scales creeped up under his suit and covered his neck. His eyes turned to slits and he grew a full five inches and his feet lengthened into a crocodiles hind legs. He stood, breathing in deeply, claws extended and eyes blank, ready for instruction.

"This, ladies and gentleman, this is the future."

She had a wild grin on her face but it faltered when she was met with a weaker applause. I don't what kind of assembly this was, but she obviously wasn't getting the reactions she wanted.

"Do you know what we can accomplish with this? Biological manipulation! We can fight diseases, cure cancer!"

She faltered on that note, voice cracking. Something wasn't right about the way she said that.

"We can fix things! Prevent so many deaths."

The crowd let out a louder applause and I could see she look around, breathing heavily in accomplishment. This wasn't right. This had never been about medicine. It was about control and fighting, it was about growing an army. It had always been about that.

    Right?

    "Alex?" I whispered softly.

    He didn't move. He just stood there like a statute. It was creepy.

    "Allow me to demonstrate how powerful the alpha is." She gestured and I saw Worthington bring out an old wooden crate.

    Out eyes met as he walked by. I could tell he was terrified, and probably didn't know what to do. I made a little 'call me' symbol with my hands and hopped he got it. I wanted him to contact everyone else so they could get me and Alex out of here. He hesitated as he put down the crate. The woman gave him a stern look and he ran off. I hope he got my message.

    I can't believe I was trusting him.

    The woman was so in tune with making sure the crowd was entertained she didn't notice our little exchange. What had Lucy said about Dragonfire again? Something about Dylan? I needed Dylan here. I hope they didn't leave him at home because otherwise this wasn't going to work.

    The woman fiddled with her wrist band again. It twisted kind of like my Rubik's cube. Interesting. If I could steal it from her, maybe I could figure out how to change Alex back. If could do that without him stabbing me in the back on her command, which is why I needed Dylan.

    Alex suddenly shot forward and ripped into the crate. I dodged flying splinters as he destroyed it with zero special awareness. Again, horrifying.

    "I assure ladies and gentleman, we have complete control over our bio-soldiers. They are dangerous, but so is fire. Fire, under supervision can be very useful. Controlled power is useful. Like the hot tongue of a dragon, who commands all the fire she wants. This is our dragon fire. This is not they're primary function. Allow me to invite to the platform my partners in this project."

    On cue, three adults climbed a short set of stairs. The Gilligans, and a tall man with slicked back hair who I recognized from that picture Tui and I nicked a picture. Mr. Damien. Dylan's dad.

    Wait a second.

    I frowned as I reached into my back pocket. It was still there. Before you assume, yes the picture had been through a wash cycle, I know how to wash a pair of jeans. I pulled it out and flattened it. You could still see the tree of them pretty well, which was surprising but fortunate. Maybe I could use this, I dunno. Maybe it would evoke whatever humanity that man had left in him. Will's parents however, I wasn't worried about them. They were creepy, but they were nerds. Nerds with nervous twitches and frail bones.

This might be single handily one of the smartest, coolest things I ever done.

"We've been working on this project for decades, these are the geniuses who helped accomplish our victory." She gestured to the other three. "With brains from Gilligan Industries and the donations from Wellsfund, we're here in front of the public at last. Generations of my family's have led up to this very point."

    I spotted movement along the edge of the crowd. I saw my friends, looking very concerned to find me and Alex up on a stage, with all of our greatest enemies up here with us. I looked around for Dylan, and spotted him, thank goodness.

    How would I let him know I needed him up here? Anyone else might tick off Alex's wiring or whatever and I didn't need anyone else hurt. I thought for a moment, before it suddenly occurred to me. I tried to remember what little sign language Anne Marie had tried to teach my thick self.

Slowly, to make it look like I was just playing with my hand, I held up the letter sign for D. They appeared to understand.

    The woman had led Will's parents ramble on about the basics of Project Dragonfire. I wasn't paying attention because in a few minutes I was gonna take all of that away from them. I waited for the woman with the wristband to become fully immersed in all the attention she was getting.

The I leapt at her.