#disillusions

“If we just go home, there won’t be anything to worry about, right?” Taylor shrugged, turning to leave. “I’m out! See you guys la—”

The team all froze as thunder boomed in the distance. But the sky was still clear and sunny, save for a few puffy white clouds slowly gliding along the horizon. So… not thunder? Though, the sky was quickly darkening… another thunderous boom, and then a dull roar. In the distance, a parking garage crumbled to the ground. Maddi felt her blood run cold.

Ken wiped a smear of blood off his cheek, squaring his shoulders as he glared in the direction of the crumbling structure. “Well. So much for that being the end of things.”

“W-What do you think it is?” Brian asked, taking a wary step back. Still, the ground rumbled beneath their feet, a loud boom accompanying each of the beast’s loud footsteps.

“It’s getting closer, that’s what.” Maddi huffed, igniting her hands. “Everyone, get ready. This is gonna be a big one.”

Indeed, it would be. As the monster got closer, they slowly began to see its gargantuan features over the rooftops. Spiraling cyan-blue horns, twirling above the rooftops of the buildings around them. Claws, almost as tall as they were, a stark white against the gray asphalt of the city streets. A yellowish-peach underbelly, six scaly blue legs. A long snout, riddled with white razor sharp teeth, a pink forked tongue snaking out to taste the air, and four large, golden eyes. Before they could truly be ready for it, the team of teen heroes found themselves under the analyzing gaze of a giant dragon, one that seemed large enough to snap them all up in one bite.

“What’s the plan here?” Alana asked quietly.

“Don’t hold back.” Ken said, a low growl in his voice. “Go for the underbelly if you can, but watch for the claws.”

“Sounds good to me.” Taylor said, flipping her hair before crouching low. “Is everything evacuated?”

“These few blocks should be, going by the notice that went out. What… are you thinking?” Brian asked.

“Watch and learn.”

The dragon released a deafening roar, so loud that Maddi was nearly knocked off her feet by the impact. Then it rushed forward, snaking between the buildings, its eyes catlike slits as it narrowed in on its latest prey. Taylor raised her hands suddenly, a chunk of asphalt from the street surging up and striking the beast in the chin, stopping it in its tracks. With a pulling motion, one of the tall concrete buildings beside it began to lean, ripping itself from its foundation as it quickly picked up speed, slamming into the dragon’s head and neck. The monster was stunned, but wasn’t crushed—instead, it shook off the damage and continued its war path towards them.

“Oh, we’re in for it now!” Maddi said, stepping forward with a grin. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she and her friends stared the beast down, watching as it continued racing at them. She charged up her powers, her hands turning to pure burning flame. Waiting… waiting… waiting…

Now!

As the dragon opened its maw, ready to snap them up, the team quickly split directions. Maddi cast a blast of flame directly in its soft, fleshy mouth, instants before Ken grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. CJ flew upwards, grabbing an abandoned car with his powers and attempting to drive it directly into the beast’s forehead, while Alana summoned a surge of thorns to pierce its side while she bounced away on a giant mushroom. Brian wielded his streetlight weapon once again, attempting to wrap it tightly around the beast’s mouth and narrowly avoiding a swipe of its claws.

Despite it all, the beast didn’t seem to take much damage at all from their attacks. As it turned to face them again, its mouth didn’t even seem singed, and its armored scales were barely even scratched after all their efforts. As the beast hissed at them, sparks dancing around its nostrils, they knew they’d have to try a lot harder if they wanted to finish this alive.

Maddi and Ken ducked to the side instants before the beast opened its mouth and spat out a blast of electricity. Even dodging it, Maddi felt the hair on her arms standing on end, a sharp minty taste filling her mouth, a sparking sensation in her head. Ken dropped from the sky, holding Maddi close as he fell to the ground and protecting her from the bite of the asphalt. The dragon didn’t hesitate, didn’t gloat over its somewhat-successful attack, but instead turned and snapped its jaws at Alana, narrowly missing her in its efforts. The plant girl let out a scream, jumping backwards before shifting into a bird and quickly flying away.

CJ flew in a bit closer, the glowing aura around him pulsing as he focused all his mental strength on the dragon's neck. Crushing its windpipe, breaking its neck, strangling it—whatever he was trying to do, he was unfortunately unsuccessful in the end of it. Their foe didn’t seem too affected, instead standing on its hind legs and swiping, trying to knock CJ to the ground. It missed by quite a big margin, but still forced CJ to retreat. Brian summoned a new streetlight to his side and attempted to maneuver it into piercing the beast’s underbelly, but the projectile was simply swatted away—right towards Taylor, who managed to dodge it easily enough but was still startled.

The reptile hissed, spitting out more bright blue electric blasts. Brian let out a pained shout as he was hit straight-on, knocked back into the wall of a nearby building. Alana gasped, instantly flying over to him and shifting forms, kneeling beside him and taking his hand.

“Oh my god, are you alright?!” she asked.

Brian coughed, looking up at her. “Can I say no?”

“Look out!” Ken shouted. The two looked up, just in time to see the beast rushing towards them, its mouth glowing bright as it prepared a new attack. Alana shifted forms into a pterodactyl and grabbed Brian before taking off, instants before a blue beam obliterated the building they’d just been beside.

“Holy shit!” CJ gaped, stumbling backwards.

“I think we need a new plan! Darky?!” Taylor shouted, turning to where Ken was forcing his way back to his feet.

“Plan’s still the same! Give it all you’ve got!” he yelled, crouching low. The shadows of the buildings around them defied the laws of nature, stretching towards the teen as a dark aura began to surround him. He snarled, flaring his wings as he stood to his feet, his hands held close to his chest as they pulsed with energy. For a moment, his eyes seemed to glow red, and with a shout he cast his hands out. Dark energy shot out of his hands violently, blasting towards the beast’s side as the angel roared. The sky went dark, if only for a brief moment, as the attack pierced the monster’s side and slammed it against the very building it had half-destroyed just a moment ago. The beast screeched as it crumpled to the ground, the building collapsing over it a moment later.

The rest of the team slowly turned, wide eyed, to Ken as he stood there, eyes wild and panting with ragged breaths. The boy paid them no mind, only staring blankly where the reptile had collapsed and met its certain doom, his heart pounding in his ears as energy danced and thrummed at his fingertips. Only when he’d finally caught his breath did he blink and seem to return to reality, noticing his friends staring at him, mouths agape. Ken stood straight, laughing tiredly and smiling a bit. “Well. Suppose that’s the end of that, isn’t it?”

“Dude holy shit!” Brian shouted.

“That was amazing!” Alana gasped, carrying Brian over to the rest of their friends as she finished healing him. “Have you always been able to do that?!”

“It’s not the sort of attack I’m able to do often. Honestly, it’s quite draining…” Ken laughed softly.

“Any way the rest of us can do that?!” Taylor asked.

“I’m not sure. Someone with light-attuned powers, possibly, but otherwise I’m not so sure.”

Maddi opened her mouth to ask a question, but froze as she noticed movement at the edge of her vision. A piece of rubble fell off the larger pile and to the ground—surely wouldn’t have been a big deal, but then two pieces fell, then three, then five, the pile was shifting as if something underneath it all was stirring—

“Guys,” she said loudly, grabbing all of their attention. “We’re not done.”

“What do you mean, we aren’t done?!” Alana gaped. But as the team turned back towards the dragon’s grave, they quickly had to duck to avoid the explosion of rubble as the pile exploded outwards, revealing the dragon getting back to its feet—slightly smaller than before, but still alive and kicking.

“Oh, you’re kidding me!” Taylor groaned.

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