by Mell Eight
"Dane, my boy, what have your kits gotten into this time?" the stranger asked sharply. He didn't wait for an answer, instead pushing Dane out of the way to lay his hands gently on Nickel's curled form. Platinum backed away from the bed and found a space on the wall where he would be out of the way. Mercury took his spot at Dane's side, kneeling next to the bed with Dane while the stranger tutted and hummed to himself.
"Nickel got himself into this one, Dr. Krantz," Dane sighed. "I got him out and now I need you to patch him up again."
Dr. Krantz grunted. "Easier said than done, I'm afraid," he grumbled.
Platinum couldn't help swallowing hard at that admission. What if Nickel was hurt really badly? It was Platinum's fault the scientists had been able to goad Nickel in the first place. Nickel was lying in bed, terribly hurt, all because Platinum hadn't been able to properly escape and run from the enemy.
"It looks like someone put your boy into a vise and tried to squeeze him to death," Dr. Krantz continued. "His head and lungs took the brunt of the damage." Dr. Krantz must have some sort of magic since he hadn't pulled out any instruments to verify his statements. He only had his hands gently pressed against Nickel's side.
"Is there serious damage? Brain damage?" Mercury gasped, his voice barely above a pained whisper.
Dr. Krantz frowned. "If Nickel were human we would be having a different, less hopeful conversation," he said thoughtfully. "A dragon's superior healing abilities combined with my magic should mean that Nickel will make a full recovery. There shouldn't be any permanent brain damage or reduced lung function. Still, I'm going to put him in an induced coma for a week to give him a chance to heal properly. Don't you go messing around with my spells either, Dane, my boy. I'll be back to check on him tomorrow. Now give me some space while I get these healing spells set in."
Mercury and Dane both stood quickly so they could get out of Dr. Krantz's way. Mercury only moved back a few steps to give some room. He had his arms crossed over his chest, and his face was very blank as he looked down at Nickel's curled and unconscious body. Platinum thought he might be holding off tears. Dane turned around, caught sight of Platinum hovering by the wall, and held out one hand.
"Come downstairs with me," Dane said. "I need to call Becky to tell her we found him. I bet Daisy still has the mac and cheese out."
Platinum took one last look over at Nickel. Dr. Krantz was gently straightening Nickel's body out, and Platinum could see pinched lines of pain between Nickel's brows. A moment later, Dr. Krantz put his hands over Nickel's cheeks and those lines faded away and were replaced with a serene look. Platinum swallowed hard and tore his eyes away so he could follow Dane out of Nickel's room and downstairs to the kitchen.
Daisy hadn't put the mac and cheese away. In fact, the kits were just clearing their plates and bowls when Platinum walked into the room. Platinum paused, surprised. Had so little time passed since he had left the house? Dane had made sandwiches that they hadn't eaten, and after he cleaned up, the kits had begun setting out their own lunch plates. Yet it hadn't taken too long to realize that Nickel had run off and even less time to actually rescue him.
Platinum settled into the stool next to Zinc around the kitchen island. A full plate of food appeared in front of him. Platinum picked up his fork with his left hand and speared a bit of curved noodle covered in gooey yellow cheese sauce. He popped it in his mouth and couldn't stop a happy moan. It was creamy and cheesy and utterly delicious. Platinum opened his eyes, unsure of when he had closed them, and caught Daisy rolling her eyes as he went for a full scoop.
"I can see we have another convert to the 'mac and cheese is the only food I'll eat for lunch' religion," Daisy grumbled good-naturedly. "Dane, have you bought any stock in the mac and cheese industry, because your kits are going to single-handedly raise its shares?"
Dane was putting his phone away in a pocket when he walked into the kitchen. He looked at Platinum's full mouth and grinned. "I bought those a long time ago," he joked. Platinum had no idea what they were talking about, so he ignored them both and scooped up more mac and cheese onto his fork.
"Is Nickel going to be okay?" Alloy asked softly. He was peering around the edge of the counter up at Platinum. The rest of the kits froze in place so they could hear Platinum's answer.
Platinum swallowed, the food suddenly tasteless in his mouth. "This doctor said so," Platinum replied.
A collective sigh breezed through the kitchen. The clanking of dishes as they cleaned up lunch continued as everyone returned to their chores.
"I hope I won't be returning because any of you decided to follow Nickel's example," Dr. Krantz said sternly as he walked into the kitchen.
"I don't want to get poked with another needle," Alloy said while sticking his tongue out and making a face. Platinum put his fork down slowly. He got off his stool and inched his way towards the door. Dr. Krantz was supposed to have helped Nickel. That was the only reason Platinum hadn't said anything against him being there, but a doctor that instead experimented on the kits with needles wasn't someone Platinum wanted to be around.
Mercury's hand came down on Platinum's shoulder. He steered Platinum back to the kitchen island. He was gentle, but firm, as if he knew and understood where Platinum's fears were coming from and didn't want him to run from them.
"Dr. Krantz was just giving Alloy his immunizations. The needles had drugs in them that keeps him from getting sick," Mercury explained, interpreting Platinum's blank look. Platinum had no idea what immunizations were.
"We all got them," Zinc said reassuringly. She picked up Platinum's fork and pressed it back into his hand. "Honest, Platinum. He's a good person, nothing like those scientists."
Zinc would know what she was talking about, and he trusted her, but there was only one real way to find out. Platinum's right hand was shaking as he lifted it into the air towards where Dr. Krantz was patently waiting. Dr. Krantz took one look at the swollen and red flesh around his knuckles and sucked in air through his teeth.
"When did you do that?" Dane gasped.
"I punched the lead scientist in the face to get him to stop hurting Nickel," Platinum said softly. Zinc let out a loud giggle at his words. Platinum didn't take his eyes off of Dr. Krantz, who was very slowly holding out his own hands to take Platinum's mangled one. Dr. Krantz's hands were dry and his grip gentle.
The pain had been persistent and sharp. Platinum had been doing his best to ignore it—this wasn't the first time he had a broken bone that he had to live with until the scientists decided to finally put the bone back in place—but the second after Dr. Krantz took Platinum's hand in his, the pain faded away. The fork fell from his other hand as he sagged in relief.
"Luckily it's only dislocated, my boy," Dr. Krantz said after a moment of studying Platinum's hand. "I'm going to put some healing on it so you'll be able to use it, but wait at least a week before you punch anyone again."
"I also took a tracking chip out of Platinum's shoulder," Dane said before Dr. Krantz could let go of Platinum.
"I noticed," Dr. Krantz replied with a frown at Dane. "I'm fixing that mess too. You could have left it for me to remove properly, you know," he grumbled at Dane. "Platinum, my boy," he added after Dane had shrugged sheepishly at him, "you're also missing a kidney. They really mucked around with your insides."
"Anything serious?" Mercury gasped, echoing Zinc's squeak of fear.
"His magic is certainly acting oddly. He's causing unseasonably bad weather wherever he goes," Dane added.
Dr. Krantz hummed for a long moment then smiled. "The physical issues just need some time to heal. I prescribe a combination of good food, good rest, and a good family, all of which you'll find here. I can't speak about the magic issues, but I could recommend someone I trust to take a look."
Dane thought his magic was causing the storms? Platinum didn't want to believe him, yet at the same time something told him that was true. He remembered the thunderstorm that had sprung up his last night in the cab
in and had continued the entire night. Every time he had woken up from a nightmare, the thunder had rumbled overhead as if to say "I'm here and you're safe". Though he was an air dragon, and air dragons didn't have power over the weather. He could make the wind blow to varying degrees, but calling down an actual thunderstorm was well outside his magic's parameters. At least, it was supposed to be.
When Dr. Krantz let go of Platinum's hand a moment later, the pain didn't return. The horrible red swelling was gone and his hand looked normal. Platinum carefully flexed his fingers and felt only a residual stiffness in his knuckles.
"Like I said, refrain from punching anything for the next week or so. The magic I used and your own healing abilities need time to work." Dr. Krantz sounded stern, yet friendly. Platinum's fears that Dr. Krantz was similar to the scientists that had used him for their experiments faded away under the overwhelming evidence that Dr. Krantz was a good and trusted doctor. "I will be back in tomorrow to check on Nickel's progress, and I'll bring a full round of immunizations for Platinum. I assume you want to register him in the local school system, so I'll also bring the doctor's paperwork you'll need to submit."
"Thank you, Dr. Krantz," Mercury said as he and Dr. Krantz headed out of the kitchen and towards the front door.
Platinum looked down at his healed hand once more, but before he could ask any questions—not that he was entirely certain which question he should be asking first—Daisy bustled over. She handed him a clean fork and picked up the one he had dropped.
"Eat your vegetables too, Platinum," she admonished. She gave his shoulder a gentle shove towards his half-eaten lunch then hurried back to the counter where she had another plate made up. Dane took the second plate when she held it out and sat at the kitchen island to eat.
Platinum swapped his fork for a spoon and dipped it into the soup. He brought it up to his nose to sniff. He had always been dubious of the vegetables in the grocery store. He didn't know how to cook them, and they hadn't looked particularly appetizing anyway. The soup smelled like those vegetables. It was lightly orange in color with big chunks of cut-up vegetables swimming in it. Platinum put the full spoon in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed. One glance at Daisy told him he had better eat more, so he quickly slurped up half the soup then pushed it to the side so he could finish the mac and cheese slowly, savoring each bite.
Daisy whisked his plate off the table the second he had finished the mac and cheese. She looked around the room with a frown. "Who is supposed to be in lessons right now?" she asked sternly. Every single kit, even Zinc, groaned. One by one they filed out of the kitchen. Zinc gave Platinum a quick hug before she followed.
"Should I be going with them?" Platinum asked.
Mercury settled into Zinc's abandoned stool at Platinum's side. "We need to talk about that, actually. I'm going to speak with some people I know about getting you legally into the system."
"What does that mean?" Platinum asked warily when Mercury paused to take a breath.
"It means the government will give you a Social Security number. You'll be able to vote and have to pay taxes, and if you ever vanish for more than three days, Mercury and I can put out a missing person's report and have the entire country search for you," Dane explained.
"It also means you can go to school and get a job where the storeowner doesn't have to pay you illegally under the table," Mercury added.
It sounded nice to Platinum. He had no doubt that Zinc had taken Dane and Mercury up on it. Nickel had too, yet Nickel hadn't been stuck in a classroom all day. He was working at Dane's consulting firm instead.
"What did Nickel choose to do?" Platinum asked.
Dane rolled his eyes. "I'm never going to live down the fact that I made promises to Nickel that the other kits took to include them as well, am I?" he grumbled to Mercury.
"Nope," Mercury said with a laugh.
"Nickel wanted to help me hunt down the people experimenting on dragons. In return for completing his schoolwork on time, he was allowed to accompany me to my office to aid in my investigations. He recently passed his GED exam—General Education Development test, the equivalent to taking classes in school. He submitted his paperwork for a private investigator's license last week. The rest of the kits," Dane continued quickly before Platinum could make up his mind about what he wanted to do, "are homeschooled. They take classes with a tutor and will graduate from high school the same as if they were in regular school. Zinc and Copper are less motivated than Nickel and will need a few more years to complete their education, but afterwards I'm hoping they'll find jobs or think about colleges."
Platinum already knew which option he would choose. "I want to help Nickel," he said firmly. "I want to help the rest of the dragons and stop the scientists. What do I need to do to get a private investigator's license too?"
Dane sighed, exasperated, but he didn't look upset, just resigned. "You need at least three years of experience working with a private investigator before you're eligible for a license. Nickel is going to need a secretary when he becomes a full-time investigator. I'm willing to hire you if you prove you can read, write, and do math at a high enough level to handle the job."
Platinum bit his lip in worry. He could sound out words well enough to read, but he had never had the chance to learn to write and math was a completely foreign concept.
"You can work with the tutor that teaches the rest of the kits until you catch up," Dane offered, interpreting Platinum's expression correctly.
Dane was offering him a home and a job, two things Platinum had never had before. It felt like the first light of the sun breaking through the sky after a heavy storm as relief surged through him. His constant fear of being caught, not just by the scientists but also by the police since he had been squatting illegally and periodically stealing food, could fade away. He felt as light as a gentle breeze.
Platinum nodded his agreement, since he really liked that idea, but before he could open his mouth to agree verbally, Dane's phone rang. Dane frowned and dug it out of his pocket, and his frown only increased when he saw the caller ID.
"Stockton, how can I help you?" Dane asked after hitting a button to accept the call. He listened for a moment, then his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "We'll be right there," he said, then hit another button on his phone to end the call. "The white van that took Platinum and Lumie was spotted parked in the lot in the back of the grocery store next to my office," he explained quickly. "Local police called it in. Stockton wants you to take lead on it, Mercury."
"My tracking chip is still at your office," Platinum gasped. The scientists had probably followed it, thinking they could at least grab Platinum and not have their trap be a total failure. "I'm coming with you," Platinum added when Mercury held out his hand for Dane to transport them away. Platinum hurried forward to put his hand on Dane's shoulder before Dane could argue.
Dane didn't argue. Instead, he called on his magic, and the kitchen vanished from around them. They reappeared near the familiar gas station at the crossroads of the little town Platinum would still like to call home. A car was sitting in one of the parking spots, and the front doors opened so two uniformed officers could hurry over to meet with them.
"We have officers watching the van," one of the police officers began. "We believe they've broken into your office and are searching the building." They glanced down the street where the front entrance to Dane's office was completely visible.
"How the hell did they get into my office?" Dane snarled. "I sent Becky home when it looked like I wouldn't be returning for the rest of the day, and she knows to set the wards. She has never forgotten."
"Their shield spell," Platinum gasped. "Nickel didn't use any magic against it even when it was crushing him. What if it absorbs magic?" It was a horrible thought because it meant that every time Platinum had sent even the slightest breeze at the shield spell holding him captive he had only been further ensuring his own captivity. He had sent an entire hurricane's worth of wind against that shi
eld! Platinum shuddered and forcefully shoved that horrible thought away. This wasn't the time or place to melt down sobbing over his helplessness.
"If it were strong enough, it could have absorbed my wards," Dane said thoughtfully while scowling in the direction of his office. "I had a good look at the shield while it was hurting Nickel. I think I might be able to do something about it. That damned shield isn't the only thing that absorbs magic around here," Dane finished with a grin that was even scarier than his scowl.
"We need to set up a perimeter," Mercury interjected. "Neither of you have magic, correct, officers?" he asked. They nodded so he continued. "I'll need you to stay out of the danger zone until we have the situation under control, then you'll need to come in and make the arrest. Dane, I need you to get rid of that shield spell so you and I can go in and stop them."
They were going to go in head first, directly into the line of fire. Mercury was a bronze dragon, a precious dragon. Platinum had little doubt that he could hold his own. Dane was… Dane was something very powerful, although Platinum couldn't say what. Together they probably stood a chance, but it would be easier for them if they had the element of surprise. Charging in blindly might do more harm than good.
"Let me be bait," Platinum said. "Only this time, I'm bait for the good guys to catch the bad guys." He looked at Mercury as he said it, trying to sound confident. "I'll distract them while Dane gets the shield down and Mercury can get into position."
Mercury didn't look happy, but he nodded sharply. "Fine."
Things moved quickly after that. The police officers got back in their cruiser and drove through the intersection. They parked in the middle of the road to block any traffic from coming down Main Street. A moment later, a second police car pulled out of the parking lot behind the grocery store to block traffic coming from the other direction. Dane and Mercury took up a position across the street where they were partially blocked from sight by the trees. Platinum walked down the sidewalk like it was any other afternoon, except this time he was heading to Dane's office instead of the grocery store.
