Chapter 10
[Washington D.C. - One Hour Before Meeting the President]
Solor had to admit - for a human capital, Washington D.C. was very pretty.
He had spent most of his time visiting the various monuments and enjoying the sights. And of course, no sight was prettier than the form of Kreinyol as she followed him. They were dressed as tourists for most of the day, with Solor wearing a black t-shirt with a pair of cargo shorts, sandals, and a black hat while Starfire was wearing a purple spaghetti strap top and jeans. They had arrived the day before, but it was late when they had reached their destination. At Solor's request, they got a hotel room with two beds, and spent their evening in the hotel room, contacting the Titans to let them know they arrived safely.
And of course, during the night, Kreinyol snuck into Solor's bed. Not that he minded, though. In fact, for the first time since his recovery started, Solor was at east with her being there as they snuggled together. They didn't do anything outside of that, though. But, for the first time in weeks, he was starting to feel happier. The love of his life was back to her cheerful self knowing that Solor was no longer afraid of looking himself in the mirror and seeing a traitor there. Solor had a few lingering issues, and Starfire knew that he was working through those as well. She knew that he was happy to be allowed back into his true home and that he and Sol were working on fixing their personal Rekmas. It was something that, Starfire knew, Moonlight would greatly approve of.
As they looked at each monument, Solor could see the names of many dragons that had died while fulfilling the roles of soldiers. "Many of them were banished", he noted. "This one here, if I remember correctly, was branded as a Breed Traitor. I assume he still married the woman that he fell in love with. I wonder if he ever told her who he was..."
"He was very brave, to fight in a war that was not his own", said Sunfire. "Although I cannot say I blame him."
"He found something to fight for", Solor said, smiling at her. "If I were him... I probably would have done the same thing."
"Excuse me", said an elderly woman, surprising them. "You wouldn't happen to be Solor of the Teen Titans, would you?"
Solor nodded, looking at her. He didn't get any alarms from her, so he had to guess she was a human. "I am. May I help you?"
The woman shook her head. "No... I'm sorry for troubling you. But I would like to say... if it weren't for people... or in this case, dragons like you... I would never have married my husband." She smiled as she looked at the name Solor had pointed to. "He was strong, and always willing to fight for what was right. He told me everything about him before he was shipped out." She turned back to Solor, a tear in her eye. "Thank you... for protecting us."
Solor smiled sadly, and bowed his head. "I am sorry for your loss and thank you for your kind words, ma'am." He decided that she needed additional morale support and added, "If you would permit me, I would like to give you a hug." That surprised the elderly woman but, she nodded her assent. Solor gently embraced her and said, "Your mate was a stronger being for knowing you. I am sorry that he was cast out and I promise that his death in battle will not be for nothing. He fought for you, ma'am. May he Rest in Peace."
"When he is forgiven for wanting me, then, my husband will rest," she replied, "And, then, I can rest when it's my time to rejoin him. Thank you for your words of encouragement."
He stood up straight, and motioned for Sunfire to follow. "I hate to leave in a hurry, but it is almost time for our meeting with the President. Ma'am, please call me at the Titan Tower whenever you wish."
At this point, the two made it back to their hotel room safely, and quickly got changed. Now the two were dressed very elegantly. Solor had opted for a black suit with a purple shirt and white tie, while Sunfire chose a purple dress with a purple sports jacket to cover up her bare shoulders. When she stepped out of the washroom, completely ready for their meeting, Solor had to turn to hide his blush.
Something she noticed and smirked at. "Am I so beautiful that even when I am dressed like this, you blush?" she teased.
Solor stuck his tongue out at her. "Perhaps." He then stood up, showing his suit off. "What about me? It doesn't fit my style very well but... Kreinyol, you're staring."
Sunfire had the decency to blush, but smiled. "You look very nice. I have not seen you in a suit since you and Kitty went to the prom."
Solor smiled. "And I remember someone being very envious of our friend", he said, chuckling. What he didn't expect from her though, was for her to tackle him onto the bed.
"You promised you would not talk about that!" Sunfire said, blushing. "I acted like a clorbag that night... not very ladylike at all."
Solor smirked, and kissed her cheek. "Who said that I like ladylike girls? Besides, Kitten has turned into a nice law abiding person, right? You did see her at the Tower, right?" he teased. The two stared in each others eyes, lips about to meet...
... when the communicator went off.
Solor groaned, as Sunfire giggled at his exasperation. "Oblivion damn you, Edward", Solor groaned again, before gently sitting up so that Sunfire could get off of him. He then opened his communicator, fixing his tie and collar while Edward's face showed up on the screen. "I'm almost ready, Edward. You need not call and remind me where I'm going."
"Just making sure you're not distracted", said the elder, smirking. "After all, when I found out you two were sharing a room again, you could imagine me getting a bit worried."
"Worry was probably the furthest thing from your mind", Solor countered. "So, what's the plan?"
Edward's face became serious. "Well, out of all of us, I'm certain he has the most questions for you and I. So, we've got to be ready for anything. I'm gonna be honest; I'm not too keen on talking to him, but if this is gonna get people to cooperate with us and trust us, it's something we're gonna have to do."
"Give him the benefit of the doubt", Solor said. "He may be a counterpart to your President, but perhaps he will be openminded."
"I hope you're right. Anyway, we're gonna meet up with him in about thirty minutes. Don't be late."
"Sure thing, 'dad'", Solor said. "Believe it or not, this isn't my first political rodeo. Granted, last time I talked with any human officials was a prince back in the 1300's, but still. I will simply be honest while at the same time giving them information on a need to know basis. There will be questions I will not like answering, but I will simply be truthful about it."
"Well," Edward replied, "This isn't the 1300s, so, whatever you used then will be useless with the President. But, the other stuff you mentioned will work."
"Like I said, I will be truthful about things," Solor said.
Edward didn't look completely satisfied with that answer, but soon Rachael appeared on the screen. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Solor. We'll meet up with you at the White House. Afterwards, we're going to get some lunch. Would you like to go with us?"
"No, thank you", said Solor. "I already made plans. And besides, I'll have to escort Kreinyol to Titan's Tower before returning home."
Rachel smiled. "I understand. Rachael, signing off." The screen went blank.
Solor sighed, as he stood up. "Well, this is it. Are you prepared, Kreinyol?"
Sunfire merely nodded. "I am always the ready when I am with you, Boyfriend Solor", she said with a smile.
With that, the two headed for the home of the most powerful man in the free world.
[White House - 30 minutes later]
It was well into the debate, and if Solor had to be honest, things were not looking the best.
The President was very thorough with his questioning, starting with Superman and Mento, who had both opted to wear their uniforms seeing as they had secret identities to uphold, and right now he was finishing up with Rachael.
Edward mentally raised an eyebrow. In his universe, Barack Obama was not held in much esteem by the older Dragon. However, his counterpart here was completely different. He was asking good questions, listening to the folks with an open mind. Edward was starting to get the impression that maybe this guy could be trusted. But, Edward knew he was asking the softball questions of the native superheroes. Solor and he would get the harder ones.
"Thank you for being patient... Solar, was it?" asked the President.
"It is pronounced Solor, Mr. President, sir", said the younger dragon.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to be rude." The President gave a warm smile. "Now, I'd like to ask what your relations to humans are. For example, I've noticed you brought a rather beautiful young woman with you. Why is that?"
"Yes", Solor said, giving a nervous smile. That was a question he wasn't expecting. "W-Well, her name is Koriand'r of Tamaran, but you know her as Starfire of the Teen Titans. She is here representing her planet as well, since this threat will also consume her world should we fail to stop Trigon here."
"I see. And what is your relationship with her?"
Solor managed to fight back the urge to glare. "Starfire and I have been dating for almost a year now."
"That's very good", said the President, smiling. "It's nice to see young love, even on the battlefield. I am certain your parents are rather happy with you?"
"Yes, but not at first. You see, my customs are very different from yours. My father is now pleased with our relationship. My mother died a few years ago, though"
"Oh? I am sorry for your loss, Solor. Another question: How do you dragons go about choosing who to begin a relationship with?"
"Mr. President, I am not sure how this pertains to the threat."
Edward had to resist reaching over and smacking Solor. One typically didn't refuse a question from the President, but, seeing how this President didn't seem too concerned, Edward let it go.
"My apologies. I suppose my own personal curiosity is getting the better of me", he said, still smiling. "Well, I suppose I should get to the real questions. Tell me, Solor. Have any dragons ever held a position of power in human history?"
"I'm certain the answer will surprise you, sir", Solor began, starting to relax a bit. "None. From the very beginning, when humans began to learn how to speak and form governments of their own, my kind has opted to not take control of any governments or societies. The most we would do would be to advise the ones in charge. Using our own experiences and wisdom, we would try to impart key information to those in charge to try to make the world a better place."
"Then has your kind ever imparted their knowledge on people such as Hitler?"
Solor frowned at that. "I am not sure. But I can guarantee you that it was not anyone from our homeland that influenced him to do something so unforgivable. Race, gender, religion... it does not matter to us what you are. So, my people would never try to get someone to kill another unless it was for the betterment of the world. Let alone one of the highest death tolls in human history."
"Then you did nothing to influence World War II?"
"I did not say that. While I can safely say that there was no Dragon influence in such crazy notions as genocide, there was dragon influence in other aspects of life. We are noticed much more often than you think... just not where you expect it. Many camps that had not killed their prisoners, or many stations on the Underground Railroad, or perhaps my favorite being the Civil Rights acts of the last century... we influenced them. It was we that convinced the Nazis not to simply murder as many Jews as they can, and convinced so many people to let others go. It was we that hatched the path to freedom to Harriet Tubman, and the muse behind Martin Luther King Jr.'s works."
"So, your people have been at every turn of human history?" asked the President. "What about the performing arts? Technology? Are you saying you influenced them as well?"
"Yes. While we did not come up with many ideas ourselves, we managed to plant the seeds into young minds, and from there, it was human ingenuity that brought the mortal race to where it is today."
"Fascinating. So you would consider yourselves as teachers more than leaders?"
"In a way, yes. But granted, we are also soldiers, Mr. President." Solor lowered his eyes. "One thing to my people, no matter what conflict, is that the highest honor is to fight for what is right. I will admit, though, that sometimes our judgement can be clouded by pride and anger. In fact, that is part of how I met my friends, the Teen Titans, and Edward.
"A few years back, I was angered by something another dragon said about my mother. In my anger, I attacked, and was promptly banished for it. And over the years, I've mellowed out, but I can safely say I still have a long way to go when it comes to mastering my rage." He looked at the President and smiled. "No matter how angry I've gotten, though, I can safely say I have never harmed an innocent human. Scared them, yes, probably. But I have never hurt anyone that didn't do anything wrong."
The President smiled. "I'll believe you on that. In fact, that was my next question. Now, why don't you tell me about these Dark Dragons? Why are they separated from the rest of your kind?"
Solor frowned at that. "Well... this happened a long time ago, so bear with me if I don't remember all the details, as I was not alive at the time. Many thousands of years ago, when humans first began dotting the world, the leader of the Darkness, whom we have named the Traitor, tried to convince the rest of the Circle to eliminate them. The Circle is a group of our leaders, and everyone disagreed with the Traitor. They then told him to stand down and pass on his title as Grand Darkness, to allow someone else to rule. He refused, and instead, months later, staged a coup against the Circle. Ultimately, due to manpower, he lost the battle, and was banished, as he could not be killed."
"Why is that?"
"The members of the Circle are immortal", said Solor. "In every sense of the word. The only way they can die is to allow their Heir to take their powers. So, today, after thousands upon thousands of years, the Traitor is still alive. And he will stop at nothing until this world is the Dark Lair for all beings of Darkness."
"How dangerous are the Dark Dragons?" The President asked.
"The older ones are very dangerous, sir," Solor replied, "had we not been there to repel the attack, they might have not only taken down the Tower, but, destroyed large swaths of Jump City. We were taken by surprise as well."
"Interesting," The President said, "I may have other questions later on, but, I want to move to Mr. Barnes for a bit, if I may."
"Of course, Mr. President," Edward said, "How may I serve you?"
"In your press conference, you said that you are from another universe," the President said, "How many dragons are there in your universe?"
"Mr. President, there are currently only a few. Myself, my half-human son, and my birth mother who recently arrived there the same method Solor ended up there," Edward said.
"Why aren't there more dragons there?" was the next question.
"Sir, I was actually born here, in this universe about 3,000 years ago," Edward said, "I was born different from other Dragons. My mother, from what I understand, was desperate to have a hatchling and mated with several different dragons from the different clans, except Darkness as they were already expelled. I am a hybrid of the different clans, Mr. President. When I was very little, by dragon standards, the Dark Dragons heard about me and attempted a raid to capture me. The raid was turned back and I was banished to my universe, not as punishment, but, to protect me."
"And, in your universe, did you try to influence humanity?" the President asked.
"No, sir," Edward replied, "As I was the only one of my species there, I was forced underground by the 2nd century AD. I would move from village to village, sometimes in cities like Rome or London, moving on when I felt that people would get too curious as to my lack of aging. I had to allow humanity to develop normally.
"I do have some influence with humanity now, but, like the Dragon's government, I suggest and imply the best course of action, but, I will not force people to comply."
"You could have ruled, though?" the President asked.
"Yes, I could have, sir," Edward said, "I chose not to do that, though. Mr. President, I abhor slavery and had I chosen to rule the planet, humanity would have been slaves."
"Have you killed before?" the President asked.
"Mr. President, when there was no other alternative, yes, I have and will kill," Edward replied honestly, "However, I try not to use death as my first option. In a war where we both know, it is kill or be killed, then, I am less hesitant about killing the enemy. I have killed slave traders in the past. Some made the mistake of targeting a pregnant friend and triggered my wrath in the process."
"And, who is the enemy right now?" The President demanded to know.
"It is the Dark Dragons and Trigon the Terrible, Mr. President," Edward said, "Not the civilians nor the military of this world."
"And just who is this Trigon?" the President asked.
"My wife's father, Mr. President," Edward said, "In my universe, Trigon took over Earth, petrifying 99.999% of all life there. The only ones he did not petrify were the Teen Titans. Raven gave them all a portion of her powers and that protected them. It almost did not matter because after Trigon used Raven as the Portal, he removed her powers and reduced her to a child. She was rescued by Robin with the unlikely help of Slade Wilson. Trigon almost killed the Teen Titans and Slade who allied together against a much more powerful enemy, except Raven realized that she still had her powers and tapped into them to return to her rightful age and banished him.
"Mr. President, I say this with the utmost seriousness. The Dark Dragons will try to summon him using a Twilight Dragon. A hybrid of the daughter of the Traitor and...Solor. He was violated many, many times. If that happens, the fight near the Titan Tower will look like a schoolyard fight. It will be a nasty as hell fight, sir."
"What if they are unable to use one of these dragons?" the President asked.
"It only delays Trigon's arrival," Rachael said, "When I turned 18, he was summoned. The Raven of this universe is 16. The Dark Dragons are not waiting for that to happen and were hoping to take you all off guard."
"What can we do?" The President asked.
"Your defenses around the city are a good start, but, they will only be a delaying move," Edward surmised, "The Patriot batteries will knock down younger dragons, but, the older, stronger ones have excellent scales. Diamond hard, and unless the missiles hit a weak spot, it will likely take several to knock one out of the air. If there were to be an attack on a major city, I would respectfully recommend that the military do not press a counter-attack. They would be slaughtered in the fight. As this world is the same as mine, I can teleport to any city and start defending it until reinforcements arrive."
"And who commands the Dragons?" The President asked.
"Mr. President," Edward replied, "in battle, that would be me, however, I answer to the Circle. My species respects strength and I am one of the strongest ones currently, if not the strongest one. Due to my hybrid nature, I have the capabilities of all."
"And if you're killed?" the President asked.
"Not likely, sir," Edward replied, "I also have the immortality that Solor spoke of. It would take a lucky hit in an area of my body to take me all the way out, as I said at the Press Conference."
"Who would lead any human resistance?" was the next question.
"My wife, Mr. President," Edward replied, "She alone has the prior experience to help cope with Trigon with he is summoned having already been through this. While I do expect most of humanity to be petrified, as Rachael and Raven combined cannot protect all humanity, they would move to protect the superhero teams. The Dragons may have some magic to protect themselves. That, I do not know for certain. The Justice League, Doom Patrol and other independent superheroes will be based either at Titan Tower or the Justice League Watchtower."
"How would we know when Trigon if summoned?" The President asked.
"Assuming he holds true to form, sir," Edward replied, "the sky will turn blood-red, and oceans to lava. And, as I mentioned, most life will be petrified. Trigon eats souls as well."
The President paled hearing that one, "And you think you can stop him?"
"I did in my universe, Mr. President," Edward replied, "He made a second attempt but had me kidnapped first. The effort failed when his sons made a mistake and I escaped. In my own rage, I tore through his castle and we fought to the death. The battle destroyed his fortress, and killed his sons. I killed him in my universe, but, he implanted a seed in my Raven's mind. I went in there with the Titans. Trigon found out what happens when my anger is given full reign. Raven tried to capture me with her soul-self and declared that we were done. I shattered her attempt, shocking her into coming back. The Titans wisely moved for cover, knowing that I was passed rational thought. The remaining aspect of Trigon did not stand a chance in Raven's mind. After the battle, it took one of her embodied emotions to calm me down."
"And, what is to prevent that from happening here?" The President asked.
"Raven is my anchor, sir," he said, "As a telepath and empath, she knows my moods intimately and is one of the few who can get through and calm the storm. 99% of the time, I am in full control of my emotions. It's that one percent that my enemies will see."
"If you do not mind my asking, how large are you?"
"150 meters, Mr. President," Edward said, "In my universe, I rarely use that size. Like what happened in Jump City, people tend to freak out seeing a kaiju sized dragon in the air."
"How strong are you?" The President inquired.
"Probably close to Superman now," Edward replied, getting a raised eyebrow from the Man of Steel.
"Care to test that?" The President said.
"How?" Edward asked.
"Arm-wrestling," The President suggested.
"Not a wise move, sir," Edward replied, "With respect, the result would likely destroy your valuable taxpayer funded desk. If there was a place where when one loses can absorb the impact, I would be more than willing to go up against Superman in a friendly arm wrestling match."
"What is the President like in your world?"
"I do not like the guy, Mr. President," Edward said, "He's an arrogant ass. When Congress fails to move fast enough, the guy merely end runs around the lot of them with executive orders to accomplish his goals. He refuses to listen to anyone except himself, I think."
"Do you have relations with your White House, then?" the President asked.
"I do," Edward said, "But, like Solor alluded to, I suggest or imply a lot of times. But, there is also a difference: In my universe, I hold the rank of General. I'm technically retired there, though. When I am in that role, though, I know that I answer directly to whoever is the current holder of the Office of the President."
"And that is how you got your world to trust you?" the President asked.
"Partially, Mr. President," Edward explained, "In the mid-18th Century, I was partially forced out of hiding after I befriended a family who, at the time, had few survival skills. I found out why later on: They were exiled from their home as well as exiled from this century by an evil force. They allowed me to be myself for the first time in centuries and I realized that they would not try to kill me and that in their future, I could show the world, for the most part, what I am. There's still a few areas in very remote lands where I still have to be careful.
"But, it wasn't until 1889 when I was truly forced into the open. I was caught in the Johnstown Flood and the only way I could escape was by using my dragon form. Then, I was able to rescue many folks who would have died.
"Then, I had the misfortune to be in San Francisco in 1906. The quake was bad, and I had to revert there to help in SAR efforts. After that, the media at the time decided I was a good guy and that got folks to trust me.
"1912 put me on the Titanic, I couldn't prevent the collision, but, I was able to help evacuate the ship. Only a handful were killed."
"In this universe," the President said, "the Titanic sank with the loss of over 1300 passengers and crew."
Edward shook his head sadly, "I am sorry for the losses. I wish I could go back in time and save those folks."
Superman said, "It is forbidden to interfere in human history."
"I know," Edward said, "Just because I can teleport through the time stream, doesn't mean I should. As much as I would love to go back and remove someone like Hitler from history, the paradox wouldn't be worth destroying existence. Stalin might have been far worse, for example."
As the conversation continued, though, something evil was coming to try to mess up the works...
[Dark Lair]
It was time, Grand Darkness decided. He would show the human world that Dragons should not be trusted.
"My children!" he called out, "Today, we tell the scum that Darkness shall rule. We must raid the human city called Washington, DC. Destroy their precious buildings. Take down their leadership and throw them into disarray."
The Dark Dragons opened tears and jumped through.
[Oval Office]
Edward happened to be looking out the bulletproof glass when the first tears opened up.
"Guys, we have a problem!" he said, "Incoming!"
"They have got to be kidding!" Solor said.
"Mr. President, we must get you to safety," Edward said as the Secret Service came in as well.
"Get the President, the Vice-President and whoever else you protect into safety," Edward commanded, "Initiate whatever code is used for continuity of Government. DC is under attack!"
Edward had no choice. As soon as the President was hustled out of the room, he morphed to his mini dragon size and that prompted everyone to get on in a hurry for the teleport.
As soon as they were clear of the White House, those who could fly got off.
Rachael was already on the communicator calling for backup.
"Get other Dragons!" Edward said.
By then, there were many Dark Dragons in the air and Patriot missiles were also flying and hitting various Dark Dragons. Some were shot down, others staggered by the explosions.
"Solor! You and Kreinyol protect the Capital Building, give cover to the lawmakers as they leave!"
They flew off as Edward enlarged to a different size and flew at the nearest Dark Dragon.
Edward slammed into the enemy and was surprised to see the Dark Dragon looking at him in shock and sudden pain. Edward's new durability had broken the Dark Dragon's leg.
"I'll kill you for this!" the dragon roared.
"You seriously do not want to do that," Edward said with a smirk and fired some lightning, stunning the Dark Dragon.
One Dragon was getting close to the Washington Monument, only to be intercepted by a teleporting Edward and Superman.
Both hit the Dragon with more than enough power to send that one off in a different direction.
Edward watched as that one went FAR to the southeast, probably heading for a nasty impact into the rural lands outside the DC metro area.
There were a couple Dragons trying to attack Solor and Edward teleported there and grabbing both, smashed their heads together and they fell, knocked senseless.
Another made a play for the White House, only to be hit by a Stinger fired by a Secret Service agent, but, to little effect. Until he was hit by a fireball! Edward shot that one instead of his flame breath.
"Well, that's new," he said as the enemy went down. Another made a bid for the Capital Building, but, ate a barrage of Starbolts from Kreinyol.
Superman was being dog-piled by several Dark Dragons, but to Superman, it wasn't that big of a hassle as he threw them off easily.
One Dark Dragon attacked Edward with flame breath, only to see an intense stream of ice not only canceling the flame breath, but, encasing the enemy's front half in a thick coating of ice!
Another saw that go down and yelled, "The hybrid's strength has multiplied! Hurry up!"
A commander level Dragon! Edward realized and teleported to where the dragon was and wrapped around it.
"Get off!" the Dragon roared.
"Not a chance, Traitor," Edward said, "You want me off, you'll have to risk opening a Tear of Oblivion and put me right in the middle of the Dark Lair."
"Never!" the Dark Dragon said, "I'll kill you and make your friends watch. My friends will kill those you hold dear."
Edward felt his rage building, but, resolved to take Solor's words to heart and merely said, "That was your last mistake." He put the squeeze on as Solor realized that maybe Edward was about to make their mission to the Dark Lair somewhat moot. Solor smirked to himself, "Good going, Kiinnum!"
By then, Rachael and Raven had arrived with their respective teams and they joined the fighting. Also, other dragons entered the fighting, having been summoned by the Circle. That would have gotten a smile out of Edward, but, his attention was focused on the dragon he was attempting to capture, and, this guy was putting up one helluva fight. That was until he was slammed by a boulder thrown by Tara on one side of his head, and Terra smacking him on the other side. The fighting dragon went limp very quickly and Edward lowered his new prisoner to the ground where he was wrapped up in a stone prison.
"Thanks!" Edward said and flew off, seeing that one enemy was heading towards the Lincoln Memorial.
Solor, meanwhile, had already noticed the enemy heading towards the Lincoln Memorial, and intercepted it. "Don't even think about it, Traitor." He launched his Light attack, and easily fought off the Dark Dragon. Another soon attacked Starborn from behind, but thanks to his scales, he was easily able to shrug off the attack, and launch a counter. After a few minutes, more Dragons were surrounding him.
"Well... this could be bad", he said, sweating a bit. That was, until Kreinyol grabbed one by the tail and forced it onto the ground with a loud slam. The Darkness growled, and lowered his tail, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Mortal rat! You will pay for that!"
"No! Kreinyol!" Solor roared, his eyes glowing green. Suddenly, the fear for his own being was replaced with a new fear; the fear of losing the love of his life. Suddenly, he had no reason to hold back anymore. He let out a loud, Godzilla-like roar, and activated his Blessing of Light. "By the power of the Light, YOU WILL NOT HARM HER!"
With that, Solor began moving at incredible speeds. To him, the world looked like it was slowing down, while to everyone else... he seemed to be teleporting! He was moving so fast, that he would vanish into the air while he was moving!
"SOLOR! NO!" Edward roared, activating his own Blessing and teleporting. He realized that if Solor gave into his rage, the humans would not trust Dragons!
He emerged above Solor and grabbed him.
"LET ME GO!" Solor roared.
"No, I shall not," Edward said as he deactivated his Blessing, "You want the humans to lose trust in us? I am ordering you to stand down, Light Heir, and on the battlefield, by order of the Circle, I am in charge. Kreinyol is capable of defending herself."
The Dark Dragon looked at the scene in glee until Edward took a moment to wipe that smirk off the enemy's face with a tail strike to the enemy's head, stunning it for a moment.
Solor struggled, but, unlike before, had no chance of overpowering Edward.
"Solor," Edward said calmly, "Stop this. If you cannot control your rage because Kreinyol is also in battle, then, I shall relegate you to the defense of Lair. I do not wish to do that because you are a capable fighter, but, you've shown your weakness-"
"Edward, I am not angry."
Edward froze, looking at the younger dragon. "Wait, what?" His grip loosened a bit in surprise.
"I'm not angry." Solor looked at the elder, and for once, Solor's eyes were not glowing green, but pure white with Light. "I... I have to protect them. I need to save them. Let me go. Let me do my job. As the future member of the Circle... I can't just sit back and watch them attack humans." He sighed. "I'm sorry, my friend... but you're getting in my way." He soon began to shine brighter, and just like that, Solor shifted into a much smaller form all of a sudden, and slipped out of the stunned Edward's claws. He then moved to the next Dark Dragon, this time opting for his half-human form, and punched him squarely in the jaw. A satisfying crack filled the air, as the Darkness roared in pain, knowing his jaw was broken.
Solor began taking down his enemies, one by one, with very damaging attacks, thanks to his Blessing. However, the one thing he didn't do, to Edward's surprise, was kill them. Instead, he incapacitated them, broke their wings, their legs, their jaws and otherwise took care of business.
Edward looked on in awe, though. He had figured that Solor was furious, but, this time, he wasn't angry at all.
The hatchling has gone from calling humans 'filth', to actively defending them. When this is over, I will apologize to him. He deserves that courtesy.
[I'm as stunned as you are, babe] Rachael said [There was a moment of intense anger, but, it transformed into the resolve you see here. The Solor we saw in his memories is dead. Even Raven is stunned.]
Superman, Mento and the other human superheroes were stunned by the fact that Solor was still going at it, no sign of his Blessing dying down. Darkness was likewise stunned and eventually, the ones that could still fly retreated once again, falling back to a defensive position before they opened up their Tears and hauled ass away from the scene, the injured Dark Dragons risking greater injury by retreating as well.
Solor finally deactivated his blessing...more like it finally drained Solor and he fell from the air, only to be caught by Edward.
"Rest, Solor," Edward said, "We will discuss this later on ... But, I am proud of you. I am sorry, I misinterpreted your motives."
"I know", panted the younger dragon. "And I forgive you, brother. Now... I'm tired... I'm... sorry... for worrying... you..."
Solor's eyes closed then and Edward gently set him down. Kreinyol and the others landed and gathered around. "Sleep well, my brother," Edward said, "I forgive you as well."
"He exhausted himself," Edward explained, "He'll be fine in a few hours. It's a side effect of using his most potent attack."
Kreinyol took a hold of Solor, smiling. "I am very happy... I think he has finally gotten over his past." She took him into her arms, holding him close. "I will keep the eye on him, Brother Edward. If anything tries to harm him... they will have to deal with me first."
Edward nodded, and looked to the human soldiers, who had arrived in time to see the Dark retreating. They had been told to hold back, in case they were needed, but from what they saw, they weren't. "This is what we saw, right?" asked one of the soldiers. "The... glowing one?"
"Yes", said Kreinyol warily. "May we help you?"
"Just..." The soldier didn't know what to say. Normally, he'd be mad that a civilian, an illegal alien to boot, was taking a fight to an enemy that he wasn't prepared for. "It... makes me feel weak. But... I'm really glad that you guys were here." He stood up straight, bringing his hand up, and shouting as loud as he could, "SALUTE!"
With that, the entire troop all followed suit, giving a salute to Edward, Rachael, and everyone else. While in their world, they were only vigilantes, they deserved the honor after today's battle. The General walked forward, offering his hand. "Thank you... all of you. I have the coordinates where the President is being transported to, if you would like to continue your discussion. Although I believe that point is moot now. If that display meant anything, I'm certain the American people can start trusting every Dragon but the Darkness."
Edward replied, as he shook the two star's hand, "I think that the President of the United States deserves the opportunity to finish a discussion. However, Solor is unable to continue the discussion. That power you saw him using has exhausted him and he will be out until later today."
"We can transport your friend to the hospital," the general said.
"Actually, taking him to the hotel they are staying at would be good," Edward said, "A hospital would not know how to treat a dragon anyway."
Kreinyol looked like she might not allow it, until Edward said in her language, "It's all right, Koriand'r. I trust them."
She nodded and stood aside. The solders gently picked Solor up and placed him in a transport.
"I shall go with them," Sunfire said. They left a few moments later.
"In fact, we all will go," Robin said, referring to his team.
"General," Edward said, "we owe it to the President to return, if he has the time."
"For you, I do not think he'll mind it this once," the general said, "If you'll follow me, sir."
"Name's Edward, General," he said, "No need to call me sir unless you want to."
Edward, Rachael, Superman and Mento fell in.
"Should I go with you?" Koriand'r asked.
Edward thought for a moment and shook his head, "That's OK, Star. We shouldn't be that long, even if the Presidents wants to debrief us."
"Why would he want to see you in your underwear?" she asked innocently.
Everyone laughed at that one. It was an unintentional bit of levity as Edward and Rachael blushed heavily.
They got into the military vehicle and were taken to a secure underground bunker and were escorted to the President.
"Please, have a seat," the President said, "That was a masterful piece of work, Mr. Barnes and on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you for defending our national treasures. You have proven your intentions very well."
"It wasn't planned like that, sir," Edward said, "However, you're welcome. Glad to be of service."
"Where are Solor and Starfire?" the President asked, "I would like to thank them as well."
"Solor used what is called the Blessing of Light, Mr. President," Edward replied, "It's an enhanced state of being that amplifies a Light Dragon's abilities. However, there is a drawback to that. It exhausts the user if overused. Solor passed out after forcing the Dark Dragons to retreat and I asked that he be taken to the hotel where they are staying."
"I see," the President remarked, "Where are they staying? The United States will pay for their stay."
Edward told the President and he picked up his backup phone.
"Get me the manager of the Washington Hilton," he said, "I'll wait on the line."
It took a few moments to get the manager on the line and when that happened, the President said, "This is the President. Do you have a couple of the Teen Titans staying there? Excellent. Please mail their bill regardless of expenses to my chief of staff at the White House when their stay has ended. The United States will be picking up their tab. No, I do not care how much...all expenses will be paid...I suppose I can do that." He reached into his wallet and pulled out his credit card and read off the numbers.
"Is that all you need?" the President asked, "All right, then. Have a good afternoon."
Edward raised an eyebrow, "Thank you, sir."
"No need to thank me," the President said, "It's worth every penny and is such a small token of appreciation. But, I am indebted to you for spotting those holes in reality in the first place. It actually caught the Secret Service by surprise. My chief of detail is falling over himself apologizing."
"Would you call him in here, please," Edward said. But, there was no need as the door opened and a guy in a smart suit and an earpiece came in.
Edward said gently, "There is no fault of your own or the Secret Service, sir. The Dark Dragons use that method of transport to attempt sneak attacks. You have fulfilled your duty by getting the President, the Vice-President and others to safety, correct? Now, you should focus on updating your protocols as I know you had to work on the fly here. You guys did good!"
The man looked at his protectee and the President nodded, "I agree with our guest, Jim. No one will be asked to resign. You have my word on that."
"Thank you, Mr. President," Jim replied and withdrew to a spot outside the door.
"You took a load off his mind, I think," the President said.
They talked for several more minutes until the motorcade arrived to take the President back to the House. Superman offered to fly cover, just in case and the offer was accepted.
The President shook hands with everyone and said, "Tell Solor's people that I will be reporting favorably to the American people that after today, they are welcomed here at any time, and I will draft and sign an Executive Order giving you safe passage on a temporary basis, as Congress will be asked to send me a bill giving you permanent safe passage."
"I will do that, Mr. President, as the Circle will also want a debriefing," Edward replied.
They walked to the motorcade and as the President got in, waved farewell to the group.
[Later - At the Washington Hilton]
Solor felt his eyes flutter a bit before he opened them up, looking around. He sat up a bit quickly, and grunted. "Someone get the license number on that tank that tap-danced on my skull?" he asked, already knowing he wasn't alone.
Robin smiled at his teammate. "Welcome back. How are you feeling?"
"Weak... but that is the price to pay for using my Blessing of Light so much", Solor replied, groaning a bit. "My head hurts, but at least everyone is safe now."
Cyborg walked up, doing a quick bioscan. "Besides some minor exhaustion, it looks like you're doing alright. I hope you realize you scared the crap out of quite a few of us with that attack."
"I know... but it was the only way I could save everyone. There were... too many. Way too many. And seeing Kreinyol trying to take one down, only to see it recover so quickly... it made me realize that while you are all strong... this isn't a battle I can let you fight on your own." He bowed his head. "If you will allow me, I will continue to fight by your side."
"You don't have to ask, dude", said Terra.
"Yeah, dude. I mean, we didn't get along well back in the day, but you did make a 180 once you went to Edward's universe. I don't know exactly what happened, but something tells me whatever grudge you've been holding, you're finally over it", Beast Boy noted.
Solor looked at the green boy, surprised that he was able to figure him out. Maybe Beast Boy is more competent than I thought...
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Edward and Rachael entered the room. "Hey", Rachael said, walking over. "Are you feeling alright?"
"My head still hurts a bit, but I'm doing better. Not as tired as I thought I would be. Maybe I'm getting used to it..."
"It's possible," Edward said, "I have some news for you and Kreinyol: The United States is picking up your hotel bill in thanks for your help today, so, my advice to you two is this ... Take an extra day here. You two deserve quality time to rest and finish your tour of Washington from ground level. Luckily the damage wasn't that bad. I saw our Terra working to repair things on the ground and now that she can manipulate some other materials, the repairs won't take as long."
"What about Lair?" Solor asked, "There were things I needed to take care of."
"Never mind that," Edward replied, "I'll clear it with your father."
"Thank you, friend Edward," Kreinyol replied.
Solor, however, couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed. "Edward... I am sorry I went against your commands. While I am... well, who I am, you are the more powerful of both of us, especially now. I understand sometimes there is a time to stand down. But..." He then looked up at Edward, determination in his eyes. "I will not apologize for my actions. I will protect whoever I can, dragon or human alike. And if that means that I will be outcast again, then so be it."
Edward looked down at the younger dragon. Was this what it was like to be an agent of Light? To be willing to go against higher ups for what is right? Edward smiled slowly, and shook his head. "Solor... I know you were doing what was right. And I accept your apology for worrying us. And as for ignoring my orders...forget about that. I never gave those orders. To be honest, the only reason I got in your way was because I thought you had lost control of your anger again. But now, I see that is not the case. You fought very well today. I do have to ask, though... why didn't you kill any of the Dark Dragons? With your strength, you could have easily done so."
Solor looked down, and away from everyone. "Death will not solve anything. All it will cause is more anger and hatred against us here in the mortal world, and in Lair. I chose not to kill them, because they are not worth killing, not worth the trouble that their deaths would bring. The only ones I would not hesitate to kill would be Vilea and the Traitor himself. They are long gone... and possibly unredeemable. However... the Darkness only follows him because he is the strongest. If they ever had reason to doubt him, they would abandon his side."
"So, if Grand Darkness does have a weakness and we can exploit that," Edward said, "his children may switch sides."
"Not all of them will, but, the younger ones would defect," Solor replied, "But, even with your treatment, you're not going to be a big threat to him."
"Would he die, then?" asked Edward.
"No", said Solor. "While there would be an entirely new leader, there would have to be a ceremony to pass on the powers of the Circle. Unless he was killed by any means possible, which at this point is moot, then his powers would pass onto Vilea."
"And if both are killed somehow and there is no spare to the heir?" Edward asked.
Solor had to think about that one for a moment. Finally he shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. The Circle always has an heir lined up and being prepared for the day when one retires and passes their power on. I suppose that the Circle would have to name a new Grand Darkness and hope that whoever is given the Title isn't as nasty as the Traitor."
Edward was actually a tad concerned. Grand Darkness was the oldest and probably the strongest of all the Dragons, and just as immortal as could be. What type of strategy could be used to defeat him? Edward had a hard fight against Trigon, but, Trigon was the 100 pound weakling possibly compared to Grand Darkness. He sighed as he sat down.
"He's failed twice now to invade the mortal world," Edward said, "He may decide to try Lair next. The $64,000 question is when will that happen?"
[Dark Lair]
Grand Darkness was absolutely livid. His attempt to destroy Washington, DC had utterly failed and he roared out his displeasure.
"How in Oblivion did they know?! And that Light mosquito caused how many of my children to be injured? Plus, that hybrid seems to have gotten even more powerful?!" he roared. No one could answer his questions, though.
"OK, we have to change tactics," he said to his commanders, "We will invade Lair, and this time, I will personally lead the charge. Let's see that hybrid champion of theirs try to fight me. But, we'll do that when Trigon is summoned. If we divide and conquer, they cannot defend their pitiful human realm and Lair at the same time."
Grand Darkness stopped and said, "Wait a moment...We're one short here."
One of the other leaders said, "Blacksun was captured, Grand Darkness. The reports said that the hybrid captured him and he was encased in stone by the human called Terra. He's been taken to Lair."
"You mean to tell me that one of our strongest people was taken like a newborn whelp?!"
"No sir. He was defending himself quite well and might have escaped, except he was blindsided by two large boulders that knocked him out."
"Let's hope for his sake that he doesn't talk, then," Darkness said, "If he can hold out without talking until our attack, I may spare his miserable hide. The other one, though. If he is still alive, make sure that he doesn't survive the fight.
"I want to see plans to destroy Lair by this time next week. I'm also thinking that Vilea's eggs should be laid by now," Darkness said.
In fact, in a hidden area of the Dark Lair, Vilea was carefully sitting on her eggs. She had only laid three, though, and she was disappointed. After all her hard work breaking Starborn, there were only three black and bronze eggs. But, not even she knew how long it would take to hatch a twilight egg.
"Momma's got plans for you, my babies," she cooed, "One of you will be used to summon the Earth's greatest enemy, and it is a big honor. And, momma will protect you until that day happens from big bad Light dragons or Light mosquitoes."
[Back at the Hotel - Hours Later]
After finishing his talk with the others, everyone headed their separate ways. The Titans and Edward had opted to head back to Jump City, and Solor and Kreinyol took Edward's advice, deciding to stay one more day in the capital of America. Currently, Solor was watching television, but not really paying attention. He was thinking about the events that happened today.
The basic rundown; Dragons were fully out in the open now, especially with this recent attack by Darkness. Edward was a lot stronger, and Solor and his friends had been able to hold back the encroaching Dragons by activating their strongest powers. Though, to Solor... it felt like he was being left behind. Even his father looked at Edward favorably over himself. He wouldn't be surprised if there was a point that Sol had considered trying to make Edward the Heir to the Light.
"Here I am... I can't seem to do anything right", he said to himself. "I got tricked by Vilea, I can't seem to answer all the questions as best as I could, I can't breathe Lightning or Ice... it seems to me Edward has it all." He looked at his hand, sighing. "Seems to me that all I can do is make people worry about me, and make them think that I'm just... so angry all the time. It's not very fair."
"What is not fair, Boyfriend Solor?" came Kreinyol's voice. After returning to the hotel room and learning that she was staying one more day, she opted to change into her one-piece uniform, the one that left very little to imagination. Solor, of course, was in his human form, and couldn't hide the blush that formed on his face.
"I-it's nothing", he said, looking away. "Just... talking to myself, is all."
Kreinyol frowned, and soon made her way over to his bed, sitting next to him. "Are you concerned about friend Edward? Or perhaps something about Edward has made you think of yourself?"
Solor sighed, still looking away. "It's nothing." However, apparently she wasn't satisfied with that answer, as she suddenly began straddling him while he sat on the bed, causing his face to turn bright red. "K-Kreinyol?! W-What are you d-doing?!"
"I do not like it when you hide things from me", she said, pouting. "So, I will not let you go until you tell me the truth."
"It's nothing, Kreinyol!" Solor repeated. "Just a little tired from today is all!"
"Tell me the truth, or I will coerce it out of you", she said. She wasn't smiling, but he could see that mischievous glint in her eye. As much as she didn't want to smile, he could tell it was taking way too much for her to hold back.
He finally let off a small smile. "Do your worst. I'll never talk."
"We'll see about that", Kreinyol replied. Then she did the one thing he didn't expect.
She took a hold of his knees and began squeezing.
Not expecting the sudden attack, Solor let out a loud yelp before covering his mouth with his hands, realizing one thing almost instantly; he was ticklish. Almost unbelievably so. However, the dam was already broken, and he was laughing hard as she kept on squeezing his knees.
"Poor Boyfriend Solor", Kreinyol said, quickly shooting her hands up to his sides and spidering her fingers against his sides and ribs. "Your scales are your weakness; underneath your 'diamond hard defense' is soft, sensitive flesh. You should have known I would take advantage of that." She gave off an evil little smile, a faint blush on her face. "Tickle tickle, dragon boy!"
After a moment, Solor couldn't take it anymore. "Ohokahay! Stahahap! I give! I give!" He felt her fingers retract, and he simply fell limp, panting. It hadn't even been a minute of tickling, and he was already out of breath. "Oblivion... I... never knew... I was that sensitive..."
Kreinyol, however, smiled. She stopped straddling him, choosing to sit next to him. "That is what you get for all the times you have tickled me", she said, sticking out her tongue childishly. "Now, you gave up, so now you must tell me what is on your mind. Or are you prepared for round two?"
"NO! No, that won't be necessary", Solor said a little too fast, causing her to giggle.
After telling her what he thought, she frowned. "Solor, you must give yourself more credit. If you had not gotten into as much trouble as you have before... then we would have never met. We would not know the dangers that this world has, and would possibly be petrified forever by sister Raven's eighteenth birthday. So... for all your downsides, there are so many good things about you.
"Friend Edward has more experience, my love. It's certainly not the personal against you. Friend Edward certainly has the gifts, but, he is not as perfect as you think he is. His mind is still the clouded, is it not? He lets what he knows about you from his universe blind him when he thinks you are the angry, even when you are not. But, he has also helped you in your darkest time even when you could not ask him. And he continues to help, but, it's because of the debt of life. He feels the need to stay and help defend us from the Trigon."
Solor sighed, and let a sad smile show. "I hate it when you counter my arguments. How am I supposed to be moody when you always are there to cheer me up?"
"Because if I let you be moody all the time, I would probably not be willing to be with you, no matter how much I love you", said Kreinyol. "It is healthier for one to be honest about there emotions, and learn to calm their own fears, than it is to mope on them all of the time. Boyfriend Solor, you asked me to take care of your heart and I would not be the good friend if I allowed you to sit here and sulk. I cannot allow my best friend to shoulder all this himself."
She then brought her hands together, lightly playing with her fingers. "To be honest... today, when I saw you using your blessing after I was in trouble... I was so scared that you had lost yourself to your anger again. But when you showed you were in complete control... I was so happy. Because I knew you'd do anything to protect everyone. And then the fear came back."
"Why would you be afraid?" asked Solor.
"Because... I was afraid of something stronger than you defeating and killing you before this war is over... before we can be together." She turned to him, and he noticed her blushing again. "I... I want to be with you, Solor. Even if it is not in a traditional marriage... I wish to be yours."
Solor's eyes flashed with panic only briefly, but he quickly calmed down. "K-Kreinyol? I... I love you as well... and believe me... nothing would make me happier. But... are you sure?"
Kreinyol nodded, and blushed, gently reaching over and touching his shoulder. "I am. I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. Even if only for one night... even if only for a short amount of time. If I die... or you die... I want it to be known that you and I are destined for each other... in this life and the next." She then looked down at her free hand, the blush fading. "I understand, though, if you wish not to. That Dark Dragoness... what she did to you... most cannot recover from that. And if you wish to abstain... then I will accept it. I only ask... that you do not push me away from you anymore."
Solor looked back at her, and could feel his heart-beat racing. Slowly, he reached up, gently holding her chin and making her look back at him. "My love... I will never push you away again." He leaned down, kissing her lips tenderly and lovingly. Her eyes widened at first, but soon they closed, and she began to wrap her arms around him. The two could feel their hearts beating faster, their nerves suddenly on fire as they moved closer and closer, their make-out session becoming more intimate.
That was when the communicator went off.
Solor groaned again, breaking the kiss and taking out the device. He looked to it, growling. It wasn't an emergency call, so more likely than not, it was Edward trying to contact him. Kreinyol stared blankly at it, before taking it out of Solor's hands, and opening it up to reveal Edward's face. "Yes, Brother Edward?" she asked politely. "Is there something I can do for you?"
"Um... yeah. Is Solor there? I'm just checking on him, seeing how he's doing", Edward said, confused. As Edward was speaking, Solor slowly began reaching around Kreinyol, slowly beginning to drag a finger down her back, causing her to shiver at his touch. She shot him a look that turned predatory, and then she looked back at Edward.
"He is a bit... preoccupied", she said, her voice starting to become husky. "I shall have him contact you after I am done with him." With that said, she did three things in rapid succession.
One, she turned off the communicator.
Two, she switched it to Emergency Only mode.
Three, she chucked it to the other side of the room before tackling Solor to the bed, smiling hungrily down at him. "You clorbag, you almost made me moan in front of him!" she said, her face bright red.
"Did I, now?" Solor asked, smirking. "And what are you going to do about it?"
"Oh, I do not know..." she said, playfully. "Perhaps I shall start tickling you again?"
Solor's cocky smirk faded into a look of pure panic. "You wouldn't da-" His sentence was quickly interrupted with a hungry kiss. Suddenly, he forgot what he was going to say.
Good thing the walls in the hotel are extra thick...
[Titan Tower]
Edward looked at the communicator and said, "Well, that's interesting."
"What's that?" Rachael said.
"Kreinyol hung up on me. And she sounded like she was also preoccupied. Do you think that...?"
"I'm not going to check using my powers," Rachael said, "Let nature take its course, dear. I think Solor needs the privacy and so does she. The last couple of weeks have been hell for both of them and they need tonight to fully move on. Their relationship was strained and, it's obvious that Darkness is aware of the war breaking out. We got lucky today, but, we also saw how Solor's beaten his anger issues. We have to trust him, Edward. You assumed that he was going to blow his stack and that could have been costly. I know, you apologized and he accepted it. He said sorry and you accepted it. We're in his universe and we have to let him take lead sometimes. If not, he may decide to hell with everything and actually sit out the rest of this regardless, even if that means being banished for life."
Edward actually felt like a first class ass ... or as Starfire would put it: A clorbag. Since his powers were ramped up and even before, he was used to taking charge and getting through things with either brute force or street smarts.
He sighed, "You're right, dear. I cannot fully retreat, but, I am willing to step aside and remember that he is as much a part of the whole team of superheroes and dragons as anyone. I didn't trust him in that battle and assumed that his rage had consumed him again. I cannot afford to let his past cloud what is here and now. And with the dragon's strength bias, if he feels weak, it will affect him on too many levels. I consider him to be strong physically...and if they are doing what we both hope, he will regain his emotional strength."
Unknown to them, though, Robin overheard the conversation and his eyes narrowed in anger and even jealousy. He certainly did not approve of what he suspected Starfire and Solor were actually doing.
[Lair]
Darksun awoke after hours of being knocked out. He soon realized he couldn't move, and growled.
"So... they think they can break me?" he mused. "Well, they have another thing coming... whatever Nightwing told them will be worthless."
"I wouldn't be so sure about that", said a new voice. The dragon turned to see Sol sitting there, glaring at him. "I know who you are, Darksun. I know you are a general in the Traitor's army. I know you will be hard to break."
Grand Light let out a sinister smile. "I'm sure you don't know this... but I was the main interrogator before my father passed on the title to me. And we have nothing but time. So..." He lifted his claws, showing that they were glowing in a white light.
"Shall we begin?"
What Darksun went through is probably best left to one's imagination, though.
"Do your worst," Darksun taunted, "I'll never talk."
"Suit yourself," Sol said and went to work. When he finished, the Dragons of Lair were well aware that it was a good thing they were on the same side as the Dark Traitor's roars and screams echoed throughout the land.