A/N - I have no clue if I'm going to make this a series, mini, or something. For now, this is just a one-shot of an idea that entered my crazy, comic book infested head.


My name is Austin Meyers. Or I go by #57 if you don't like to use names. I am a member of the Huntsclan in training. I am also … a dragon.

What's so special about me? How did this paradox against nature happen? I have no clue – the answer to both questions. Let me start from the beginning … actually, I already did. I was here since I was a baby, what with me being born with the special dragon symbol wrapped around my wrist, and discovered my powers in puberty. That's all I know. I don't know if my parents were dragons too. You know the deal – the Huntsclan takes you as a baby and kills off your parents. What? You think Huntsgirl was the only one? That's how it worked for all of us. We all went through that loss. I was raised to believe mystical creatures are the scourge of the earth, that they exist only to fall to our power.

Imagine my surprise when I wake up one morning, yawn, and find a forked tongue as long as my forearm. I had to practice alone in my room at the facility. It wasn't easy. As far back as I can remember, the Huntsclan authorities kept a special eye on me, like even from the beginning they knew I was different somehow. I guess most people just have that sixth sense about them that lets them know when someone doesn't belong. There was that watch on me, plus the security cameras that are in every room and corridor of the facility. At first, I ignored what I was able to do. Every moment of every day of my life was helping to shape me into the perfect killing machine, like all members were supposed to be. Um, #88 and #89 don't count. We don't know what happened there. Where was I? Right, I was trained to believe that dragons are the most fearsome of all creatures. They are a menace, nothing but monsters – the lot of them. It didn't seem possible I was one of them. I couldn't be a dragon … I just couldn't be.

I don't know how the dragon selection works. Did it run in the family? Maybe. Was I chosen at random or by destiny to become a dragon as I was to be in the Huntsclan? The odds are astronomically low, but there's a chance that's how it happened. But, everywhere I turned I heard people badmouthing dragons and it was nearly impossible to fit in, even with everyone wearing the same thing and being taught the same ideals. I am what I am fighting against, I thought. I'll be honest; I was getting depressed even before my dragon abilities emerged. After they did …. Well, in all honesty … suicide crossed my mind….

I was too cowardly to go through with it, though. So what else were my options? Tell the HuntsClan and have them finish me off? Let one of the trainers become a full-fledged member just like that? Simple win-win option. Instead, I took a walk around the compound. I saw Huntsgirl walk by. Wow, I couldn't keep from staring. That beautiful blonde hair…the sway of her hips as she walks through her patrols, allowing my eyes to wonder to other moving parts of her anatomy…she can command me anytime. I still can't believe the Huntsman chose her as his apprentice. She's, like, the only girl in the compound and now she's ranked so far above me now my dreams would be like the lonely cabin boy who is cleaning up someone's vomit on the poop-deck trying to ask out the hot first mate, soon to be Captain! I don't even know the girl's name…

I looked at my birthmark, defeated. I've been in here long enough to know the places the cameras can't reach. I breathed and then out came fire. I felt anger for my position and clenched my hands only for them to become claws. Among dragon standards I'm about toe-deep in lesson one, but my training among the Huntsclan brings so much guilt to me about the minor things I do, my gut wrenching as I realize how much I had to hide and what the penalty would be should I be discovered, that I realized I had to keep at it. I am a dragon, I've known so much for about a couple weeks now. I plan to train by sneaking outside the compound at night. It's risky, but so is keeping this secret in a facility full of people that would want to kill me should that get out. Everyone would want a piece of me if they find out. The teachers, the trainers … even Huntsgirl. I can't imagine what life would be like if I had to be on the run, but I just can't hold this in anymore and I need to at least make sure I can fight like a dragon if I need to. It's who I am. I just hope that the world, the dragons and Hunters alike, would have mercy on me should I be discovered.

I know neither would look at me with anything but anger in their heart with this mystical blood feud.