I do not own Andy Kuhn & Phil Hester's Firebreather characters, and am only using them to tell a story meant for entertainment purposes only.

Firebreather

By LJ58

1

Not far from their newest home, Duncan Rosenblatt stood atop a low hill overlooking the wide, mostly empty desert beyond the small suburb at the edge of the small city.

Mostly empty, because somewhere out there was his father. Just one of several recent captives held at a local MEGTAF base. Then, too, there was his dad's lair. The underground entrance to the Kaiju's true home. A place he had been, but couldn't quite recall.

Aside from the overwhelming fear and pain he had experienced at the time, he certainly had no wish to create more problems by leading MEGTAF right to 'his' people's own home. Of late, that was how he was thinking, too. He wasn't just half Kaiju, he was all monster in the eyes of his peers now. Well, a lot more than that. Sometimes, he felt that way himself with the scaly, orange skin that marked him even when he wasn't fully transformed.

Thanks, dad, he mused darkly as he stared out into the darkness before him currently lit only by stars, and an occasional aircraft.

"Duncan?"

He tensed slightly, but didn't turn.

It wasn't a Kaiju.

While some were bright enough to speak, none of them would warn you of an attack. They certainly didn't use his human name.

Not that he was completely human.

Once again; thanks, dad.

"Hey, are you okay? Your mom said you were out here."

He still didn't turn. Didn't say a word.

"Do you….want to be alone," the girl finally asked, sounding confused. And a bit distressed.

He drew a deep breath, and simply shrugged for a moment.

"I….don't know what I want," he finally said quietly. "Not anymore."

"I thought….you wanted me," the young blonde beauty from the local high school daringly asked.

Weird, he decided.

She was weird.

On so many levels it was hard to isolate.

Weird, because she had been….fond of him. At the start, at least. Then she found out the truth. The hard way. Kenny, an apparent friend, blurted out his monstrous parentage in the middle of a crowded gym at a dance. That had been bad enough. The look in her eyes then had been all he needed to know what she had really thought of him.

Then several disgruntled wannabes showed up to crash the party, and he had to go full Kaiju to lure them away, and stop them.

Even then, to his surprise, she had followed with his mom, and…..

Well, he wasn't sure what she was trying. Or thinking. She had almost gotten herself killed, though. Stupid girl.

She had been….conciliatory there at the end. Just four days ago. Just for a moment, the smallest of moments, he had almost dared hope in happy endings.

That, of course, was before school.

And the parents, and the protests, and the grief that poured down right on his head.

It didn't help that the gym was destroyed, lots of people were hurt, and at least two teachers were dead. One for certain, and one missing, yet to be found.

Cue the media morons, and now he was hiding out at home, or more often out in the desert, and wondering if he even had a place left in the human world. Or a reason to even worry about it. Maybe he should just leave. Maybe Belloc had the right idea. Leave them all, and forget them. Let them….

"I'm sorry about my mom," Jenna Shwartzendruber told him, cutting into his thoughts as a small hand came down on his left shoulder. Strangely comforting, but all the smaller when one considered she was one of the very, very few that still tried to stand up to defend him.

Not in public, of course. Only his mom did that. And, of course, the unlikely Kenny, and Isabel, but that was likely because they were both weird from the start.

MEGTAF, of course, couldn't take a public stance.

Secret operatives, secret deals, and all that.

Blitz was a jerk like that when he wanted to be. He was still hanging around just in case he went the way of his forebears.

And after he had saved the jerk's life. At least twice. Well, maybe even three times.

Jerk. Of course, he always was. Like Duncan didn't know the real reason he hung around. The guy had a thing for his mom. His mom, however, would like to bury him at times. This was one of them.

"Will you turn around," Jenna asked when he didn't say anything.

He drew another deep breath.

Slowly turning, he looked down into her anguished face, and she gave him a wan smile in turn.

"You're not leaving, are you? Your mom was afraid that last round of protests might have been too much for you. Especially with all those reporters trying to find you."

"Those idiots," he huffed. "You seriously think a few hair-sprayed mannequins worry me after what I've already faced down?"

She gave a helpless snort of laughter.

"Mannequins?"

"Hair-sprayed mannequins," he qualified with a faint smirk now. "Get it right."

"I'm…..glad you can still joke. They are kind of silly, aren't they? I mean, they weren't even there that night, and yet they all act…."

"I'm pretty sure it's a grown-up thing. I mean, you've met Blitz."

"Yeah. It was kind of weird him playing our coach all this time when….."

"All that's happened this year, and you think Blitz Barnes being a coach is the weirdest part of it," he asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah," she said with an impish grin. One that made her face look a bit like a pixie.

He couldn't help but smile back.

"It is kind of weird." Duncan smiled a little more now. "You should have been in my last school. He was a vice principal, then."

"You're kidding? How can he do that?"

"He's MEGTAF. A big shot colonel, too. I guess that lets him pretty much do whatever he wants."

"Isabel said….they might try to cage you. Like your dad."

"Let's face facts," he told her wearily. "My dad is still in that box because he let them put him there. The minute he's tired of that one, he's gone. Let's face it, he's still king of the monsters for a reason."

"Oh. Right."

Duncan looked away.

"Duncan, I really am sorry about….how things turned out."

"Yeah. Me, too," he admitted. "I was actually trying to fit in this year. Guess we know how well that worked," he grimaced, still recalling some of the signs from the parents' protests.

Kids Not Kaiju!

No Biological Weapons In Our Schools!

Or just, Monsters Must Die!

He especially liked that one.

Then his spineless, politically correct principal decided he had to go home until the school board ruled on his 'humanity.' They were still arguing over him last he had heard.

"Guess saving their dumb little brats didn't count for anything," he muttered. "Maybe I should have just let Abaddon and Astaroth eat them."

"You wouldn't have done that," Jenna gasped.

"No. No, I wouldn't. I just…. Honestly? I don't feel like I belong anywhere," he told her. "Humans don't want me. Most of the Kaiju hate the fact dad wants me as his heir, and their next king."

"You," Jenna blurted.

"Well, you know, son of the king, and all that," he grumbled.

"Oh. Oh. I knew Belloc was your dad. You know….now. But I never realized…. So, you're like a prince," she grinned.

"Right," Duncan drawled sardonically. "Only I don't think I'll ever be anyone's Prince Charming."

"But, don't you see? That could work for you. If they shun you, they're shunning the prince, and next king of the Kaiju that could finally make a lasting peace between us. Maybe you could…maybe use...?"

The car horn sounded shrilly, and impatiently as the small sedan pulled over on the side of the road near the hill where they stood.

Jenna didn't even look back as she put a hand over her face.

"Oh, no," she moaned.

"Yeah. It's your mom," he said, eyeing the twisted, furious, and yet genuinely frightened features of the woman glaring his way. Even angry, that face showed where Jenna had gotten her beauty.

"I swear, I think she's low-jacked me lately," Jenna moaned, and looked back to wave.

The horn sounded again.

"Jenna," the woman all but screeched after finally lowering her window. "Get away from that thing right now. You don't know what it might do!"

"So, now I'm an it," Duncan sighed, and just shook his head.

"Duncan," Jenna said mournfully. "I'm sorry. Mom's got it in her head that….."

She suddenly grabbed him, winding her arms around him, and pressed her very sweet lips that tasted of cherry to his.

She smiled at his stunned expression under the half moon, and heard her mother's stillborn shriek not far off.

"Let her rant over that one. Don't give up, Prince Duncan. You do still have friends here."

Duncan had to smile as the blonde turned and loped down the sandy hill toward the waiting car as the woman began ranting even before her daughter got into the car. The woman drove off so fast you would have thought a legion of kaiju were right behind her.

"Wow. Paranoia is alive and well," he muttered as he watched the taillights disappear. Then he smirked, and echoed, "Prince."

~FB~

"Duncan?"

"Hey, mom," he said wearily, trudging in after a directionless walk around the desert that ended up bringing him back home.

It wasn't like he had anyplace else to go. Even the mall had banned him lately. Someone probably thought he would bring some Kaiju there, or attack someone himself.

Troy's stories didn't help.

He had taken their earlier encounters, and exaggerated them beyond belief. Naturally that only added fuel to the rumors going around about him. He was pretty sure everyone thought he was flying around, looking for babies, or puppies to devour. Maybe both.

Jerks. The world was full of jerks.

"Hey, mom. You didn't have to wait up for me," she was told as she stared at him from the couch.

"Are you….all right?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that," he demanded petulantly as she stood up to study him. "What? Do you think I've got the flu, or something? Jeez!"

"Oh, Duncan," Margaret Rosenblatt sighed, and embarrassed him yet again by hugging him like a child in her surprisingly strong arms.

"Mom," he complained, though he didn't pull away.

He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Even if he felt he was a bit big for such…..mom-like hugs.

"Mrs. Shwartzendruber came by. I had to tell her Jenna was here looking for you."

"Yeah, they both found me. That lady is nuts, though. Do you know that?"

"She's scared, Duncan. But I'm sure if you just keep showing everyone that you're a perfectly normal….."

Duncan cut her off as he sniggered at that one.

"Sorry. Sorry, but…. C'mon, mom. Perfectly normal? Even you can't buy that one."

Margaret sighed, and patted his shoulder.

"So, what did you decide," she finally asked him, as if knowing what had been on his mind of late.

"I don't know. Nothing, really. I just…. I kind of want to live a regular life. Only I can't, can I?"

"Honey, you can do anything you want, if you just try."

"Except go to school," he countered.

Margaret sighed.

"I'm still petitioning the school board over that one."

"I didn't think they had made a decision yet."

She looked away guiltily.

"What did they say?"

"Duncan, they…. They won't let you back in. After two Kaiju attacks, and your own….temper, they're afraid you represent too great a risk to the student body."

"You mean the one I saved," he muttered sourly. "Technically, twice?"

"Duncan….

"I get it. I get it. You know, Jenna had this idea about me being some kind of prince," he told her, walking over, and dropping onto the couch. "You know, with dad being…..dad. She figured we could sell that to the jerks. You know, don't offend the next king, and all that."

"What do you think," Margaret asked.

"C'mon, mom," he sighed, and let his eyes drop. "Blitz is already paranoid enough. Let him hear that one, and he'd be leading the charge to lock me up again, or worse. Again."

"They won't do that."

"No, because those first seven years in their labs were just a figment of my imagination, right?"

Margaret had nothing to say to that.

"Anyway, with all respect to Dr. Pytel, they even try that one again, and I will leave," he grumbled.

"Leave," Margaret asked, sounding uneasy.

"Well, the lab, anyway. Like I said, I'm done with that one."

"Where….? Where would you go, son?"

"Not what you think," he muttered, eyes still closed. "I mean, c'mon. Half those Kaiju still aren't thrilled with the half-human as their next king. I don't think even Belloc sold that one too well."

"So…?"

"Mom. I don't know. For now….I guess I'll stay here, and veg out. After all, I can't even go into town without the cops following me around now. Especially since most of the businesses have pretty much banned me from entering. Even the mall, and the theater," he muttered darkly.

"Kind of takes the thrill out of being out of school," she tried to tease.

Duncan shoved to his feet, and walked toward the back.

"I'm going to bed, mom," he told her, and didn't look back.

Margaret only stared after him, feeling truly terrible for her son. She had hoped his burdens would lighten once the secret he carried was out, and shared with his friends. Or even those that weren't. Still, it seemed things had only gotten worse.

Even she was genuinely surprised when Duncan was still there in the morning when she woke.

It didn't surprise her when he once more 'took a walk' out into the desert. Still, every time he left, she was genuinely afraid he might never come back.

FB

"We're losing him, General Taylor," she told her former superior officer from back when she had been in MEGTAF herself. "He's pulling away more every day, and those idiots in town aren't helping."

"We could arrange another move," Randall Taylor suggested.

Margaret eyed the burly, balding man ruefully.

"After all the media that has been on this story? Where could you send us? Siberia? Because I'm pretty sure most of the known world knows all about Duncan by now," she had to admit.

"So, you think staying here is best?"

"He mentioned something his girlfriend said last night," she told him. "Maybe…. Maybe we could, well….use it to our benefit."

"What's that?"

"Something that will probably scare Barnes, but was always intended to bridge our worlds," she reminded him.

"You mean….?"

"Technically, he is Belloc's heir, sir. A prince among the Kaiju, and their next king. Defeating two of the most powerful Kaiju that defied Belloc only helped strengthen his position among them, by the way," she added, knowing her son had yet to realize that fact as yet.

"And you know this because…?"

"Belloc and I are talking again. A little," she admitted with a sigh.

The officer sighed, and steepled his fingers before him on the desk between them.

"Yes, Colonel Barnes did mention a concern you were getting too….close to the creature. Again."

"Belloc is a good person, General Taylor. He has risked a lot to try to create this bridge between our races, and bring a real peace to both sides. If Barnes were less of a war-hawk, and more of a….."

"I thought my ears were burning," a smug tone drawled as the silver-haired officer walked into the room in full uniform.

"Shouldn't you be pretending to coach those Neanderthals of yours," Margaret scowled at him over one shoulder.

"With the kid out of the system, I have no reason to maintain my cover," he shot back. "That said, I need a moment of your time, sir. In private," he said, eyeing Margaret. "Although, perhaps we could meet later? Say, for lunch….?"

"In your dreams," she huffed. "I swear, I sometimes think you engineer these problems just to advance your own agenda," she accused him as she turned, and stalked out.

"Margaret," Blitz started to call out.

"General. One last thing. My son will not be going back into any lab, lockdown, or custody, for any reason. While I don't want it, either, that is his decision. At this point, I don't think you want to be trying to push the issue. Thank you for your time, General Taylor," she quipped, and slammed the door behind her.

"Temperamental woman," Blitz smirked.

"She has a point."

"She does," the junior officer asked. "About what?"

"You, and her son. You're letting your own hatred blind you, Barnes. Or do you really think we're holding Belloc?"

"We've held him so far."

"And how long did you hold him the last time?"

Barnes flushed, looking less than pleased.

"Belloc is probably the most powerful Kaiju we've ever seen, Barnes. Maybe, the most powerful creature on the planet. For whatever his reason, he chose to spawn a half-human son, and make him his heir. Everything else aside, it could be that we are being tested as much as his own kind."

"About that," Blitz scowled, waving dismissively. "I don't think it's a very good idea to keep letting that woman visit that monster."

Randal eyed the colonel, and lowered his hands. One drumming fingers slightly before he looked up again.

"I suspect you'd also like to lock up the boy?"

"It would be prudent, sir. Let's face it, in just a few months, he has grown beyond all expectations. Even Dr. Pytel can't chart what might happen next. His power and abilities are already escalating beyond all known expectations. And he has a volatile temper that….."

"Frankly, I don't blame him."

"What?"

"How would you react if your….peers of any sort, abused you, harassed you, or simply chose to beat on you on a daily basis?"

"That's different!"

"Oh?"

"He's a monster….!"

"Funny. I've met Margaret's son. Pretty typical teenage boy from what I saw. Obsessed with his image, girls, and his own place in life. Yes, pretty typical," the aging officer nodded.

"You didn't see what he turned into out there. General, there is no way you can possibly believe that he won't become a credible threat in time."

"So, just in case, we throw him in a cage next to his father, and lose the key?"

"Yes!"

"What about Margaret? She birthed him. Maybe we should lock her up, too. Reassess her humanity, too, since she obviously favors…..monsters."

"What? No, she's…."

"You're letting your own hate blind you, Barnes. Just as she said. Leave the boy alone. And get him back into school. I don't care how. Do it. And do not interfere with Major Rosenblatt's visitations."

"She's not even a major any longer," he complained. "She retired after….."

"As far as I'm concerned, she's still one of ours. And entitled to all the respect she's earned over the past few decades. Or do you think it's just a coincidence that a lot of major Kaiju attacks have dropped off since her unlikely…..union?"

"Then you weren't paying attention!"

"Barnes!"

"Sorry, sir. But you didn't see the chaos that kid caused….."

"The kid? Or your reaction to it. I read between the lines pretty well, too, Colonel Barnes. Or should I say, Coach Barnes?"

Blitz groaned.

"Again?"

"We do still need a liaison when you get him back into school," Randal smiled thinly at his man.

"That is not going to be easy," Blitz Barnes groaned.

"Our jobs never are. Which is why we hire the best. So, Colonel Barnes, are you still one of us?"

"Yes, sir," he saluted sharply.

"Then get your butt back in gear, and follow your orders," he was told.

"Sir," he barked, and turned to leave. "But you're still making a mistake," he muttered only after he left the office, and had shut the door behind him.

"I heard that," the commanding officer bellowed from the other side of the thick panel.

"How does he do that," Barnes complained, and stalked off without commenting on the smirking secretary that grinned at him.

To Be Continued…..