Outlaws and Origins

by Eric S Kim

  Jerome finally had enough. He had run down the stairs with his sniper rifle still in his grip and was well on his way out of the building. He crossed the street before he found both Hamilton and Murdock ordering two different Blackjack squads to help the civilians who became the prey for the four giant intruders.

  Jerome grabbed Murdock’s arm. “So what the hell’s going on?”

  Murdock didn’t lose his temper. “I think it should be really obvious to everyone.”

  “I’m talking about my dad. He’s out there right now. I think he’s trying to save us. The Zadith did something to the dragons, didn’t they?”

  Murdock pulled Jerome away from the group and found a rather secluded spot on the sidewalk. He whispered to the sniper, “I know your dad is trying to help, but it’s not going to look exactly like that when the press gets a hold of it.”

  “Why can’t we just persuade them like we usually do? You know, tell them that these dragons are on our side.”

  “It’s not that easy. The Nevinoth race is not something that Gorvex would welcome in this new world.”

  “So we’re just going to assume that Lionel is attacking all of these people?”

  “The press is already trying to give their own theories.”

  He pointed at the group of photojournalists, which also included Brandon Young, that took pictures of the mayhem from above. News vans had already left the area to film the tragic aftermaths of the Nevinoth’s attacks. The two Blackjack Squads had already followed Hamilton and Murdock’s commands as they drove away to rescue the civilians from further danger. At the moment, Squad A-X-9 had begun to leave the building. They stayed together even when several news reporters still tried to ask them questions. The only person missing was Lionel, who had decided to reenact a passage from his past by taking flight.

  Hamilton had given them the same commands as the other squads, while Murdock added another statement for Jerome to hear.

  “Don’t try to intervene. We got no business with dragons that try to ruin our paradise.”

  Jerome asked, “You know these Nevinoth are innocent, don’t you?”

  Murdock waved it off. “That’s not important right now. Join your squad. Do what we tell you. No exceptions.”

  The Blackjack Commissioner left it at that. Jerome returned to his squad. He became the driver as Lionel had been absent. Preston and Elliott became his passengers as they raced away from headquarters and back onto the street.

  8:59 PM

  Two more dragons had their original minds brought back. Olimay and Sanzenia stopped their hostile behavior when Lionel used the emerald with proper success. They were confused from the start.

  Tannitari had no time for their questions. “Help me bring Jimorid back!”

  The last Nevinoth Dragon moved further north, most likely toward the city of Garden Grove. He was the one that spewed bolts of lightning from out of his mouth.

  Olimay suddenly brought bad news to her friends. “It’s Sorivo! He’s heading straight for us!”

  The Silver Skin Dragon was only the size of a crumb in Lionel’s line of vision. But the robot grew larger as he charged at them with a quickened pace. Abakarit and Olimay blocked Sorivo’s intended path. Sorivo crashed into them in midair. The two Nevinoths fought him by punching him and biting at his metal skin. They tried to keep him from using his various weapons. Rikorro had already joined the fight as well.

  Lionel still had the last Nevinoth to deal with. “Tannitari, follow him!”

  Tannitari and Sanzenia stayed together in the sky. Jimorid was already destroying property in Garden Grove. His bolt of lightning had touched a gas station, causing it to explode. The flames had spread all over the corner of the intersection. More lives had been lost as a result.

  Tannitari tried to reach out and grab Jimorid, who made a sharp turn and attacked him with his lightning bolt. It narrowly missed Tannitari’s neck. Lionel almost lost his balance when his dragon had to dive straight down to avoid the lightning. It was Sanzenia’s turn to keep Jimorid from fulfilling Vincent’s wishes. Jimorid roared at his friend. His next bolt of lightning was a direct hit. Sanzenia’s tail had received the pain. It caused her to swing back and wail in agony.

  Tannitari started his next attempt. Sanzenia brought herself back up despite her new injury. Lionel’s heart was racing. He could feel his body temperature rising. Jimorid was creeping ever so closer to him. Tannitari seized his companion by the wings. Jimorid shot out another bolt of lightning, but Tannitari managed to avoid it.

  Lionel had to be quick. He repeated the exact same phrase that brought the other dragons out of Vincent’s mind control. Tannitari didn’t let go of Jimorid as they spun around in the air. The city lights and the moon in the sky switched sides as a continuous rhythm. It almost made Lionel dizzy. He yelled out the phrases needed to bring Jimorid back once more.

  In a few seconds, the dragon’s eyes were no longer darkened by the spell. Tannitari let go of him. Neither him nor Lionel would have time to explain.

  Tannitari yelled, “We have to get out of here! They’re going to finish us off!”

  Just as he finished saying those words, a missile appeared behind a small patch of clouds and left behind a thin trail of smoke. It made direct contact to Tannitari’s legs. The force of the blast made Lionel let go of the Ivisian Emerald. It dropped down to the earth below.

  Lionel could hear Tannitari groaning in pain. “Will be you alright?!”

  Tannitari was still strong enough to speak. “I’ll live. He’s back!”

  Sorivo had returned. The other Nevinoth Dragons chased after him from behind. Sorivo had another distinct advantage: the velocity of his movements. Jimorid used this opportunity to attack the Silver Skin. Sorivo, however, pushed him away and headed straight for Tannitari.

  Tannitari had to jump straight up. He narrowly missed Sorivo’s claws and teeth. They sped past each other. Lionel turned around to see Sorivo producing a green ball of light from his hand and hurling it at Tannitari.

  “Watch out!”

  Tannitari’s reaction wasn’t quick enough. The green ball of light struck him in the chest. Tannitari screamed. An immediate plunge followed his defeat.

  Lionel tried to scream as loud as he could. “Tannitari! Snap out of it! We’re going down!”

  Tannitari was on his way to the street that Jimorid had destroyed. The gas station on the corner of the intersection was still engulfed in flames.

  Lionel tried again. “Tannitari! Come on!”

  Tannitari suddenly turned his entire body around. He stood up straight and flapped his wings to make a safe landing. It didn’t end without flaws. Tannitari still collapsed onto the street on all fours. The ground beneath him had cracked. Lionel fell off of the dragon’s back and rolled across the asphalt. He almost hit the curb before stopping himself.

  Tannitari’s scales weren’t damaged, though several small burn marks became a common sight on his legs. From above, Sorivo dealt with the other Nevinoth Dragons. He fired everything at them, ranging from the missiles in his mouth to blue laser beams from his claws. He still wouldn’t quit when his prey had been still available to him.

  9:03 PM

  Lionel ran up to Tannitari, who still had trouble getting back up. He flapped his wings but lost the strength to fly away.

  Lionel looked in his eyes. “You can do this! Come on, get up!”

  He could hear Tannitari slowly gasp. “Wait…he’s here.”

  The dragon stopping moving his wings. He whispered, “The Zadith is here.”

  Lionel immediately assumed the most unwanted appearance standing behind him. The street had been cluttered with burned vehicles and steam rising from the asphalt. Civilians had already fled the scene. The men and women who minded their own business at the gas station lay on the floor as charred remains. And, directly on the intersection, the leader of the Zadith Disciples stood alone.

  Smoke from the flames rose up from behind Vincent Yoon. He stepped forward
with a sword in his hand. Lionel couldn’t really feel shocked when he realized that the sword in Vincent’s hand was the exact same one he had used a long time ago. The thick blade did not change at all.

  Lionel remained silent. He and Vincent stared at each other. As the battle continued on above them, the two men had been shrouded by the smoke and the steam made responsible by Jimorid. The unsavory mist made it impossible for anyone nearby to even make sense of what would transpire on the street.

  Vincent’s grin grew larger. He held his sword without restraint. He made his motives known. Lionel could no longer repress his true feelings. The sight of his enemy gave him a reason to use his own weapon against him. He walked away from Tannitari. The hesitations from before now felt like a fictional mistake. He unsheathed the Varivorian sword from out of the scabbard attached to his belt. Both he and Vincent were prepared for a fight considered unfashionable by today’s standards.

  Vincent raised his sword higher. Lionel’s feet picked up speed. He ran past wrecked vehicles and piles of asphalt detached from the ground. Vincent kept his pace slow and steady. Lionel made a dash for this familiar face. The captain of A-X-9 grabbed his sword with both hands. The two men drew closer to each other with nothing but enmity affecting their current frame of mind.

  Lionel was almost upon him. But Sorivo quickly emerged from the smoke. He didn’t give Lionel a chance to fight against his human enemy. Sorivo grabbed Lionel and brought him out of the street. Sorivo flew higher in the air. He squeezed Lionel in his hand. The tightness made Lionel grit his teeth. He used his sword on Sorivo’s fingers. It had no effect on the metal that protected Sorivo from certain outside forces.

  Another dragon had arrived at the perfect time. Tannitari had brought himself out of his weak consciousness. He punched Sorivo in the face, causing him to let go of Lionel. The man landed on Tannitari’s back. Both dragon and rider fled from their Silver Skin adversary.

  Tannitari said to his friend, “I don’t think we can stop him.”

  Lionel already had an idea. “Try not to believe that anymore.”

  He pulled out another item from his pocket. He slid the Forizan Ring onto his index finger. He ordered Tannitari to find an uninhabited spot somewhere in the city below.

  “Keep moving! Make sure that Sorivo is following us all the way through!”

  Tannitari changed direction. “I already found it!”

  “Let’s go!”

  9:06 PM

  Jerome swerved in any direction that allowed him to avoiding hitting other vehicles on the street. He and his two passengers swerved left and right as he sped faster than the civilians all around him. He had already activated the Blackjack siren that wailed all across the area. He turned his steering wheel in a rapid motion when moving in a path situated between various automobiles that moved constantly.

  Preston, who sat in the passenger seat, kept his seatbelt on. “Take it easy, will you?!”

  Jerome didn’t want to listen to him. He looked up at the sky through the windshield. Lionel and the two dragons were heading for Anaheim.

  Elliott had to hold on to Preston’s headrest when Jerome made a sharp right turn on the road. “I still don’t know what I’ve been missing out. Can anyone just tell me?!”

  Preston made sure that his FAMAS didn’t hit the window. “Now’s not the time to make some good narrations, man.”

  Jerome continued to follow Lionel and the dragons. Judging by the direction Lionel had chosen, they must have been on their way to either Angel Stadium or Stansbridge Arena. There would be no games played today, so both areas would be considered completely empty at this time. Jerome pressed his foot on the gas pedal just a little more. Navigating through empty spaces between civilian vehicles never felt so tense for him.

  9:07 PM

  Tannitari shouted, “We’re almost there!”

  Lionel could see it from here. Stansbridge Arena included an empty parking lot. There would be no civilian casualties if he became successful.

  “Stay above it! We’ve got only one chance at this!”

  Sorivo had already caught up to them. He scratched at Tannitari’s neck, but the latter brought it down further. Sorivo had missed his target. They drifted away from each other for now. The next attack would be inevitable. Tannitari and Sorivo, with a good protracted distance between the two, charged at each other. The clear diamond ring on Lionel’s finger began to glow. It made the Varivorian sword glow as well. Its bluish radiance gave Lionel the signal to use it correctly.

  He had viewed this familiar feature before. The past had returned from its slumber. The sword was a reminder of the powers he and his former friends had once possessed before he conceded defeat.

  Tannitari swooped down just as Sorivo reached the two of them. Lionel raised his sword high just as Sorivo flew past him and Tannitari. The tip of the sword produced a bright blue line on Sorivo’s arm. Sorivo roared. Tannitari took a sharp turn in the air and charged at Sorivo once more. This time, Lionel held the sword with both hands and struck it against Sorivo’s neck. Another gash that glowed blue on his metal skin.

  Sorivo’s fury must have reached a new pinnacle. He threw three green balls of light at Tannitari. The Nevinoth Dragon dodged them all at once by moving his body with precise timing. Sorivo relocated his eyeballs into a hidden location. Each of them ejected two little spheres. They flew straight for Tannitari while producing a loud whirling sound. All four of the spheres exploded when they were close enough to do some damage to the dragon.

  Tannitari flew through the smoke. Lionel had to hold his breath to stop himself from breathing in the fumes.

  Sorivo still didn’t give up. “Maybe it’s time you find out how to quit!”

  Tannitari soared higher than usual.

  Lionel made his next move. “Wait for me at the bottom!”

  He jumped off of Tannitari’s back just as Sorivo made his ascent. The glowing sword in Lionel’s hand grew brighter. Sorivo would have grabbed him and tore him apart with his claws. But Lionel was too quick in the air. Just as Sorivo exposed his chest, Lionel pointed the tip of the sword at it. Sorivo’s fingers couldn’t touch Lionel’s body in time. The Blackjack Trooper made a direct hit. The sword pierced through Sorivo’s skin. The dragon’s chest had taken damage. The glowing blade was stuck inside him.

  Sorivo tried to reach for Lionel, but he pushed the sword deeper into his chest. Sorivo wailed as loud as he could. Lionel’s radiant sword now enveloped Sorivo’s chest with blue light.

  Lionel’s attack was imminent. He stabbed Sorivo as hard as he could. He screamed as the blue light almost hurt his own eyes. Sorivo couldn’t escape the agony from within. He fell straight for the empty parking lot. Lionel held on tightly to anything that would prevent him from hitting the ground as a deadly thud. He kept the sword stuck in Sorivo’s chest. He didn’t want Sorivo to live. He wanted the dragon to suffer for deceiving everyone in the world. With a little help from Vincent Yoon.

  The General of the Silver Skin Dragons didn’t even attempt to lift himself back up in the air. His entire body hit the pavement. Lionel could feel a sharp push just as the dragon touched the ground. And then, everything grew dark around him.

  9:10 PM

  At this point, Jerome didn’t care about what he had just witnessed several seconds ago. He just wanted to see his father unharmed by the phenomenon that must have overwhelmed him. Right as the smoke cleared on the asphalt, the young sniper entered the parking lot from the front entrance. With Lionel lying absolutely still on the beside Sorivo, Jerome denied every possible result that could have proved fatal in the family. He even forgot about Sorivo’s dead body lying close to Lionel. The Silver Skin Dragon had become a complete wreck after the things that the Blackjack had done to him.

  Jerome parked his car near the dead dragon and ran toward his unconscious father. But something in the sky broke his concentration in an instant. Another dragon made his descent on the parking lot. It was the dragon that Lionel had rode
on. He landed right in front of Lionel and picked him up carefully. Lionel was still unconscious. He didn’t move when the dragon carried him in his hands.

  Jerome stopped running. The dragon warned him not to intervene.

  “Stay away! You have no business with us!”

  Jerome didn’t know what to say. The dragon jumped up and flew further away from the parking lot of Stansbridge Arena.

  Jerome watched his father being taken away by the dragon that helped defeat the General of the Silver Skin Dragons. The dragons that demonstrated their barbaric weaponry had already joined Lionel’s dragon as they soared into the sky. They would bring Lionel out of Anaheim in just a matter of minutes.

  Jerome took off his beret in a swift manner just as the dragons was about to disappear into the East. The night sky did little to give him a clear view of the dragons that took his father away. He could almost comprehend everything that happened in the last hour, though he still had trouble understanding why this particular confrontation even took place.

  So now, he and his two teammates stood in the empty parking lot with nothing but a dead robotic dragon reduced to a complete wreck. But Jerome wasn’t alone. Another man had become a witness when he had also arrived from the front entrance. Salvador Quintana had already gotten out of his vehicle, which he had parked nearly a hundred feet away from Jerome’s. He kept his eyes in the sky with a solemn expression. Even in his suit, he appeared to be unfazed by one man’s break from a lifelong oath. His stern stare could only mean an important decision to be made in the near-future.

  9:14 PM

  Lionel could open his eyes, but he couldn’t fully fathom what he would see. Clouds swept past his line of vision, an aerial pattern disrupted by a swift movement in the sky. The earth down below was a distant image. But everything had become blurry. Lionel’s eyesight was affected by a previous event, something that he couldn’t remember just yet. He began to feel something rough around his body. They were scaly, like the surface of a dragon. He could also hear a slow swirling echo, something similar to a giant bird flapping its wings. Then he saw it. A dragon’s wing appeared and disappeared, set to a simple rhythm made for flight.