Dragon

[DerVVulfman]

Chapter Three
A Change of Plans

Hunt was returning walking past Robert towards the elevator platform. Glancing at the doctor and his captive, he added, “Is she dead, Doc? She looks it.” He kept walking.

“Of course not,” Roberts smiled. “She’s fine. Hunt, wait a minute”

The sergeant was brandishing his weapon, scanning the outside area with mini-binoculars. Ignoring Roberts, he called to the General. “This is ridiculous. Sir, we’ve lost them, but they can’t be far off. At least he can’t be. With five or six of us searching, we can nab him. Your orders?”

Roberts cut in. “General, that might be risky. I’m starting to think perhaps one mutant might be enough for now. I mean--”

“Are you kidding? That’s valuable property escaping as we speak,” Hunt spoke fast. “I’m on it, General--”

“Naaaaaah,” the VSO boss held up his hand. “Let them go for now. I don’t want my guys spending four decades as horseshit. Anyway, the doctor may be right. Geez Louise, she took out the table in no time flat.”

“And helped them escape,” Hunt added. “I accept full responsibility for their leaving, General, and I’m willing to retrieve them, dead or --”

“Hunt, don’t worry about ‘em. Just put out the table.”

“Yes sir.” He ran back to the conference room.

“You look very pleased with yourself, Damien,” observed the General.

“I am. I’m glad we didn’t lose this one.” He grinned.

“You and me both. She’s gonna be one hell of an asset to us.”

“Yes, indeed.” Magnificent, thought the doctor.

“Of course, with those two lovebirds flying the coop, we’re gonna have to push this little cupcake all the harder. That means--”

“I understand, General. Let me take responsibility for that. I’ll start her training, take her under my wing. This will work. I know it.”

“All-rightey, permission granted. Somebody, take us to the damn target!”

The hovercraft gracefully turned as only a flying hotel could.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes, YES! Roberts thought to himself, clenching his fist, restraining his desire to scream with joy. This is it. This is IT.

Hunt had returned, looking unemotionally at the unconscious girl.

“So we’re down to one,” he said.

“The best one,” Roberts smiled again, trying not to be too enthusiastic. “Hunt, get her out of those wet things and find some dry clothes for her. The infirmary, for now.”

The sergeant was almost able to suppress his smirk. Almost. “It’ll be my duty, sir.”

● ● ●

“Now you’ve done it,” Lizzie told John as the hovercraft flew off.

“Rub it in, babydoll, Diamond told her. “Do you think I wanted to leave her in there?”

“Babydoll? You chauvin... this is the VSO, Johnny! Do you have any idea -”

“Ho, it’s a lot easier for five people to rescue one person than two people to do it. I’m thinking about odds. It was my call.”

“Five people? What do you mean?”

“Rabikes? Fred? Moulty? HEL-LOOO!” Diamond was exasperated.

“Those three clowns? We’re better off without them! And speaking of odds, it’s 22 to 1 up there now from Becky’s perspective.”

“I know that!! Are you going to keep arguing, or would you rather be a backpack for six hours?”

“Don’t even try it, you caveman!” Lizzie ran ahead five steps.

“Babydoll!” he taunted her.

“CAVEMAN!”

“BABYDOLL!”

This went on for a while...

● ● ●

“Wake up, asshole.” A hand struck Christopher Rabikes’ face.

“Huh? Whuzzat?” Chris recovered. It was David Furfy.

“Four questions, joker,” Furfy began. “Who the hell is this idiot with the dark glasses, why do you leave your pets on the floor where they could be squashed, where’s my Becky and what the HELL are you doing floating on the ceiling?!?”

Aw, man, thought Chris. Where do I begin? “You won’t believe it.”

“Try me.”

● ● ●

“Wake up, Rebby. WAKE UP, REBBY! PLEASE WAKE UP! We gotta go! REBBY, WAKE UP! WAKE UP” Tracy was six again, her face contorted in tearful horror. Flames licked in the background. It was unbearably hot.

“I’m awake,” Becky cried-- then she realized she was upside-down, still secured by the seatbelt. She looked in the front seats, and screamed at the sight of her burned-beyond-recognition parents.--

--and her eyes shot open in the infirmary, darting wildly. She rose halfway off the medical cot, but something in her subconscious had kept her mouth clamped shut. “Nnnnnngh!” She screamed behind her teeth. Hunt and Fricker were on each side of her, restraining her arms. She was wearing a dark-green bathrobe, slippers and assorted extras. Roberts was present, too. “It’s all right! It’s all right,” he said soothingly. Shhhh-- shhh. Be gentle, men. Can’t you see she’s terrified? Not so rough.”

“She’s a lethal weapon, Doc. No point in taking chances,” Hunt said. “She’d better realize we’re not playing around here. We’ve got weapons, too.”

“She’s crying,” Fricker said. “S’matta, baby? I’m here for ya.”

Roberts told Hunt “Don’t you think she’d’ve opened her mouth already if she wanted to? She’s white as a sheet. Just everybody take it easy.”

“You say so, doc, but she’d better remember we’ve got tasers,” Hunt said.

“And I’ve got the cold-pacifier. We’re all right.” Reaching forward, Roberts dabbed her eyes with a cloth. “Good morning, Dragon.”

“Hrrrrrrr,” she warned, but her face betrayed her.

“Who does she think she is, Belker?” Fricker snickered.

“Watch your mouth,” Hunt warned her coldly. “I @#$%in’ mean it.”

Becky didn’t know what despaired her more: Hunt’s in-your-face attitude, Robert’s sickening pleasantness, or Fricker... in general. But obviously she was going to have to pick her battles. For now, she’d have to put up with the good-cop, bad-cop routine. She lay back on the cot warily.

Dr. Roberts approached again, this time with a needle. Becky shot herself up again, with more energy this time. Hunt and Fricker were on her again, but this time they held her legs down also, “Easy, young lady,” Roberts told her, “I am a doctor. This is Heparin...”

Becky grimaced. The shot gave her arm an ice-cold sensation.

“And this is Ativan. It’ll help you relax.” Another shot, not as unpleasant.

“And this is even better.” A third. God, enough already! Becky pleaded silently. “We don’t even have a name for that one yet. All right, let her go.”

They complied-- after Fricker licked her ankle. Becky glared at him.

“Fricker, cut that!” Hunt barked.

“You want me to cut that, Foxy?” Fricker asked her. She looked back at Roberts-- and saw he was now holding a flamethrower.

“You two keep back. This is just a demonstration, Rebecca. I promise you it’s not going to hurt. Your metabolism is very extraordinary.

She couldn’t look. Tremblingly, she closed her eyes. Tight.

“Shit, Doc, don’t burn her!” Fricker shouted.

“That’s just the point. I can’t. Not even with this flamethrower. It’s on full power. It’s almost as if... the fire has an understanding with her.”

She heard the whoosh, but felt nothing but a warm tingling about her. Cautiously opening her eyes, Becky saw Roberts through a kaleidoscope of red, orange and yellow. This was amazing and unexpected. She suddenly became light-headed and fell to her knees.

“Oh, my God,” Hunt said. “This is absolutely freaked-out. She’s unburnable. Wait ‘till the General hears this. Wow. What’s next?”

It almost makes sense, thought Becky. Friendly fire.

“On your feet, Dragon,” Roberts ordered cheerfully. “You’ve got two minutes. There’s your bathing suit. Use the curtain in stall B. Go on.” She noticed he was holding a fire extinguisher again, but he kept a discreetful distance. I’m not a dragon, creep, she thought angrily. And I’ll be ready in FIVE minutes!