Race Against Time II: Ch 1 -- Modern Dragons

Clunk-Tchk! Clunk-Tchk!

The sound of armored men and women echoed in the alley way as they lined up along an old building in the eastern district of Tokyo Town New York.

Clunk-Tchk! Clunk-Tchk!

“Put your backs into it! This shipment has to be moved out tonight!” The foreman shouted, walking down narrow lanes of workers who packaged together dried contents, scale hide, and bone. He would hit the back of anyones head who slowed work process as he passed. Growing anxious with each passing minuet that his shipment of illegally obtained dragon parts isn’t secure.

Outside, the men and women of Precinct Twenty Seven had all lined up, ready to knock down the door as the battering ram came into place.

An ear splitting shriek suddenly echoed through out the alley way as dragons tore into the building. A pair of Monstrous Nightmares had set themselves on fire as they tore into the walls. Making a hole large enough. They then backed off as they glanced up into the night sky. Their leader coming in for a landing as the police bare witness to the famed dragon billionaire making an appearance.

“Chen Guanyu! You have upset the balance between man and dragon by trafficking parts that hold no properties to heal the ill.” Her voice carried over the cold crisp night air from the speakers within the helmet of her armor.

“You are guilty of making money off of the ill and dying with the promise of healing from the suffering of others.” Chen opened fire on her. The bullets bounce off of her armor left and right. The sound the weapon made upset the midnight purple Deadly Nadder she sat upon.

“If this is your choice.. So be it.” With a flick of her wrist, the two Monstrous Nightmares begin ascending on the building, tearing into it and setting it on fire before following the armored woman back into the night air. Screams of the innocent being burnt alive could be heard echoing from the building as the police immediately ran in to try and rescue those trapped inside.




“What is this!”

WHAM! A newspaper is slammed onto the desk before Renee Baxter. Before her stood her old friend and body guard, Jet Wheelan.

Reclusive Billionaire roasts a Tokyo Town sweat shop. Seven dead.— The front page headline read. The image of smoldering remains pictured below.  

“Looks like the news to me.” Baxter replied dryly, seeing as the newspaper was in her way of finishing her paperwork.

“Just because you’re a billionaire with hundreds of toys at your disposal doesn’t mean you can go running off and taking the law into your own hands!” Jet was screaming at the top of his lungs by this point. His patience with her behavior up until now has been dangling by a thin thread.

“You are not a super hero Bax.” He said, brows lowering solemnly. Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“You’re right. I’m better than Iron Man.” Baxter smirked, seeing Jet’s brow twitch.

“No one is Iron Man! Look, if you keep this up you’re going to find yourself thrown in jail or worse.. This is not what Hiccup wanted when you promised to look after the dragons.” Jet reminded her.

“Chen Guanyu paid for his crimes.” Baxter spoke coldly.

“Tell that to the seven innocent people that died from smoke inhalation in that fire..” Jet reprimanded, pointing at the newspaper.

“I’m not just mad Bax.. I’m scared. For you. You’re not the innocent kid who wouldn’t hurt anyone that I use to know.”

“When you’ve spent TEN YEARS witnessing the destruction man can do to dragons, your blood would run cold with hatred as well.” She looked up at him, despondent.

Jet opened his mouth, about to speak but couldn’t find the words. Frustrated with what she’s become, Jet storms out. Leaving baxter behind with her thoughts. She goes to shove the newspaper aside, only to stop as she looked at it. Seven innocent people died in the fire she started that previous night. She wondered if what she did was the right choice before tossing the paper in to her waste basket.




CRACK!

A door splintered open as police swarmed into a run down home. Those inside were shouting and fleeing as the one suspect the police were after began running for his freedom. He reached down for a crow bar as he sailed through the back door and into his disheveled back yard. Banging the crow bar up against several piles of trash and debris, he then tossed the crow bar off as he scurried up the back fence and hopped down to the other side.

The police were hot on his trail, up until a shrieking scream came from back behind piled up debris. They backed off when they narrowly dodged a lightening blast as a dangerous dragon known as the Skrill came into view.

“How the hell did he get a Skrill?!” One officer shouted as they backed off.

“Go around the front! Catch up with him by State Avenue!” Another shouted over the wire.

“And where the hell is animal control!”

“Here captain..” A young woman of five foot four inches had approached from around the corner of the house. She flinched upon seeing the Skrill as it flexed its mighty wings, daring them to come close.

“Get out here and get that thing under control!” Captain Navarro demanded.

“I didn’t agree to the promotion to be a detective just to be sent to my death!” The woman argued. She refused to move from her spot by the side of the house.

“It’s the rookie’s job to contain dragons before transport. Now get in there or you will be put on desk duty!” Navarro shouted.

The woman didn’t like the sound of paper work on her first week on the job. She only agreed to this because it was what she was working up to in her career. As she approached the enraged creature, the others backed off, seeking shelter on the side of the house as they watched. She took one step closer and BZZZAPT! A lightening bolt nearly struck her.

“There is no way I am doing this..” She backed off as she pulled out her cell phone.

“What is she—is she mad?!” One officer shouted from the side of the house.

“She isn’t.. Is she? Has she read the news!?” Another objected.




For the past week, Baxter had been suffering night terrors. It was the same dream over and over. Running through a maze of dark tunnels, trying to escape an unknown enemy. It was exhausting to relive this over and over and never getting any resolve.

But this time, she wasn’t running from an unknown enemy. She was standing in the middle of a dark room. Before she could take a step, torches lit up the scene, revealing an ancient viking long house. Empty of life.

Find Him.

A familiar voice boomed throughout the room. But this voice was rasp with age.

“Hiccup?” Baxter called out.

Find Him.

The voice repeated. Baxter turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees, trying to find her friend and ancestor. He was not to be found.

“Find who!” She demanded as she looked around.

Find Berk and you will find him.

The voice replied.

“That doesn’t answer my question!” She argued to the disembodied voice.

Find him!

Baxter startled awake. The sound of the phone ringing madly in her ear. Groggily she picks up the phone and answers, only to draw silently.




“Just what do you think you’re doing calling that insane woman on the scene?” Navarro had started making his way towards the young rookie.

“There is no way I’m going to risk my life just to secure that monster.” She argued, pointing to the shackled beast.

“Desk work, for a month.” Navarro growled, only to look skyward as a squawk had filled the air.

A mighty wind gust kicked up as the Nadder came in for a landing. The sharp cry from the Skrill was enough to upset the other dragon as its rider tried to steady him just long enough for her to hop off. Once she was off his back, the Nadder took off back into the sky. The rider approached both Navarro and the rookie.

“Keys.” She stated calmly, holding out her hand. They could see the sharp tips of her armored gloves.

“Look, we don’t need your assistance. We got this.” Navarro stated, glaring towards his rookie who held up the keys to the shackles. No response from the taller woman as she snatched the keys from the rookie’s grasp and walked out across the yard.

The task force watched in stark silence as the beast unleashed another blast of its electric attack. The woman rolled out of the way, dodging its attack to take refuge behind a stack of debris. Using the scattered debris, she inched her way closer to the fierce dragon.

“Easy big fella. I’m here to set you free.” She finally got close enough as she crouched low, inching her way closer. She was close enough to see that it was entangled in its own shackles. Her anger for this creature’s suffering grew as she quickly worked to free it.

Snap, the first shackle came off. Feeling its leg free, the Skrill immediately kicked her away, roaring in frustration as it tried to fly. Baxter skidded across the dirt yard to a stop, covering her head as the Skrill unleashed another electric shock. The blast struck the side of the house behind, narrowly missing her.

Behind, the others had ducked for cover as the beast attacked again. Navarro had to pull his rookie down to avoid a direct hit. Of which the woman screamed in fear as she heard the lightening zap over head. Feeling the heat from the attack.  

Baxter had rolled back onto her feet as she crouched low, inching her way back. Seeing the discarded crow bar, she grabbed it as she wedged it between the entangled chains and began to try and pry them apart. Finally the chains slackened, allowing the creature more room for its legs to move as one by one the shackles snap off. Once the shackle around the neck was finally off, Baxter was again knocked back as the creature flexed its mighty wings. Lowering its upper body as if to bow towards her, the beast then took off in a flash of light.

“I should have you arrested.” Navarro stated as he came out once it was safe. Watching as bit by bit the helmet retracted into the armor, revealing the dirty brown, never-been-combed hair of the woman.

“And I should report you to the PC.” Baxter turns to face him. Her teal green eyes piercing beneath her messy bangs.

“We had things under control—“

“Sending a young rookie to her death to face a Skrill, which is illegal to own to begin with, is not having things under control.” Baxter barked.

“You should consider getting your priorities in check captain. Before someone gets hurt, or worse.” She let out a loud whistle as she looked to the sky.

“Funny coming from someone who doesn’t bother letting us do our job.” Navarro spoke as the Nadder returned, this time more calmed now that the Skrill was gone. Allowing her to freely hop into her saddle.

“The day you do your job instead of sending in rookies will be the day I reconsider my actions.” Baxter replied as she stared coldly down at Captain Navarro. With the spread of wings, the Nadder took off into the air. Navarro watched as she disappeared into the distance, his frustration with her growing. As long as the woman was rich, there was no way he could keep her in jail for her crimes. She would just bail herself out. Time and time again. Not even house arrest could contain her.