Chapter One
The New York subway turned around a corner as it sped along under the city it was early in the morning on a dreary Monday. Everyone on the train had somewhere to go, they didn't notice a young teenage boy sitting in the corner.
Drake Johnson sat there sipping a cup of coffee his eyes half lit with early morning fatigue. If someone were to see him they would merely think that he was simply preparing for a long hard day of heaven knows what. Drake remembered back a few months to when he started this routine for the first time. He was so nervous back then, who wouldn't be if you found out that you were actually a dragon and had been chosen to be employed by a new law enforcement agency for a secret magical community right there in the city and that had been dedicated to some kid whom he had never met.
Drake watched as more and more people emptied out of the car and wandered off to their destinations. The stops were narrowing down yet he remained seated until the last few people exited the train. Suddenly the train reached a dead end and he felt the car being lifted up from the track. The door opened and he walked out into a crowded street swarming with all sorts of different creatures walking in and out of dingy looking shops carrying strange and exotic items.
Drake simply walked down the street looking as calm and unreadable as before as he got to the end of the street he reached a plain stone building with the letters N.Y.A.D.D. stamped over the door. He entered the hall past a large sign a few feet away from the door which read, "Welcome to the first and only precinct of the New York American Dragon Department the magical protectors of the new age". Drake walked down the hall, and into a crowded area. Other people were already there sitting at their desks and answering phones. He was just about to sit down when a co-worker walked up to him and said, "Drake, the commissioner would like to see you." Drake responded, "What for? I've only been here two seconds!" The co-worker answered, "I don't know, he just said it was very important." So Drake got back up and headed through a door at the end of the room.
Inside the office a small, elderly Chinese man sitting behind a desk. On top of the desk was a nameplate which said, "Laoshi: Commissioner and Chief of Police of The N.Y.A.D.D. "You wanted to see me, sir?" Drake said. "Yes Drake, please sit down." As soon as he did, Laoshi took out a file with drake's name on it and started thumbing through the papers. He finally stopped at a page and exclaimed, "Drake, it says here that during your basic training you excelled at magical electronic convergence, I'm a little rusty on what that entails, please remind me." "Well sir" replied Drake, "it's the subject on magical charms being put on regular electronic devices."
Laoshi smiled and answered, "I thought that is what it was, I have a new assignment for you. We found a security camera on the top of one of the buildings near Wall Street. We've been trying to see what has been recorded on it but some sort of charm has been used to block part of the video out. Even our crimes lab expert and myself are dumbfounded by this, even thought I used to run an electronics shop. Do you think you can handle this?" Drake responded in an unsure tone, "I'll see what I can do." Laoshi peered at him judgingly and said, "I'll get someone to deliver the camera to your desk in a few minutes, good luck. Also, be prepared there's another matter that I and a few other members of the department would like to discuss with you, I don't have time to tell you now, but it will happen sometime today. Drake suddenly became worried, this didn't sound like good news to him, but he simply nodded and headed for the door. Before he grabbed the knob he turned around and said something that had been on his mind for quite sometime.
"Sir I understand that this department was formed in the honor of your grandson. Laoshi flinched at this and said, "That is true but why do you bring this up?" "Well Ive never seen you make it public Drake said, there was no sign on the building that says you have dedicated it to him." Laoshi sighed and answered, "I would like more than anything to put a sign up, but after everything that has happened regarding his passing, how do you think people would feel about knowing that he is still remembered in a loving way after that incident?" Drake then quickly said, "Do you mean that you don't want to remember him?" Laoshi, this time annoyed exclaimed, "Don't you dare judge me! I am simply a man of principle! Now if you don't mind, I am very busy!" Drake then exited the office almost sure that he heard sniffling behind him.