Iyo brooded what Gavin was suggesting. What Iyo didn't anticipate Gavin's method of getting off the island. Gavin pulled out two toy dragons. Both were gold with red claws and horn, a black saddle made of LEGO parts, and a belt around their underbellies. Gavin used his powers on the golden dragons. He dropped them and in no time at all two giant gold dragons appeared.

" Or should I say 'somebody's'? There are two dragons to hop onto. Juri will have to sit with Iyo, and Koto will have to sit with me."

Gavin just wanted to sit with Koto. Gavin always made Iyo do things he didn't want to. Gavin climbed on the first dragon and Iyo climb on the second dragon. Iyo's dragon went wild. Like a rodeo bull it kicked its legs up, shook its head, and blew fire from it's nostrils. Iyo splashed water over his dragons head. The dragon didn't move another inch; Iyo gained his respect. Koto and Juri joined Gavin and Iyo behind their backs.

" Is everyone comfortable?" Koto wrapped her hands around Gavin's stomach. Juri wrapped her arms around Iyo's furry chest and her tail around his left leg. " Good. Then let's fly."

Both dragons beat their wings rapidly. The dragons rose from the ground, wing beat, and carried them away from the stadium. Iyo was feeling anxiety as the dragons moved across the sea. Iyo squeezed the dragons reins while his dragon flew over the sea.

" Are you nervous?" Juri asked.

" No. It's just I'm not use to flying. Or being on the back of a giant dragon."

" It is a vibrate experience. But it's much safer on these creatures than flying on an airplane. At least dragons have air brakes."

Iyo gazed Gavin and Koto from behind their gold dragon. It was a very touchy feeling seeing those two together. Gavin grabbed Koto's hand and kissed it. Koto didn't seem to mind. Gavin created feathers around them. It was a glittering piece of magic. The feather's created a swirling tornado of feather's to shower them in. Iyo was agitated by this revel.

" I was wrong," Iyo said.

" About coming out with your friend?" Juri said.

" About Gavin and Koto. Those two are really dating. Which is more than what I can say about other ingrates."

" If your still nervous about flying you could ask me questions." Juri didn't understand Iyo's regard. He was being stingy to her. Iyo wouldn't open up. " Your much different from the rest of your teammates. Why did you join them?"

" For a chance to participate in this tournament. Why else would I be with them?"

" In the stadium you changed into a different person. Can you tell me what that was all about?"

" That was one part of me. The valiant part of me that protects the weak and the mistreated. That shows out of the soggiest areas and stops the toughest opponents."

" He sounds like a very nice guy. Is he really someone else or is he you showing your human form?"

" I use to be a human. I was just like Gavin in a way. I wanted to be the hero who would protect everyone. But I couldn't even help one person, my brother. There was only one way to save him."

XXX

Everyone wants to be a hero sometime in their life. Not before, later, or in the future. Everyone acts all brawny the ways a hero acts. Others try to hide the little hero inside them. No matter how weak someone's muscles got, or how fat their ass were, there was a little part alienated by parents and peer pressures.

Iyo was an unhappy Chinese-American boy disfavored by everyone. His hair was locust black, his eyes were like ice trees, and he had gifted hands. Iyo liked to draw. He would see a butterfly on his mother's plants and wondered what it would be like to have wings, and if the butterfly would eat the leaves. Iyo dreamed of having wings so he could fly into the headwinds and never wanted to touch ground. They started off cute as babies but they always grew like beasts.

Iyo sat where no one could see him. During recess he went to the school football field and read under the bleachers. Iyo was reading the newest comic. It talked about an adventurous boy who could control water and save people who've been mistreated. Iyo was conceited about the hero in the comic. Anyone could be a hero like the ones in the comic, but not many could speculate a good hero. Iyo would remember this day as the worse day of his life.

" Hey there, water boy." The meanest boy in the whole school greeted Iyo. It was Jake, the nefarious bully who bullied every nerd and dork he could find. Him and his girlfriend Preena. " I didn't know you liked to be in the dirt. That makes you a mole boy. Whatcha reading there, mole-boy?"

" A comic book."

" Comic book. The bookworm of the school doesn't read stuff like that." Jake took Iyo's comic book away. His girlfriend took the book away from him. Iyo tried grabbing the book away from her, but Jake pushed Iyo. Iyo was small and weak. He didn't stand a chance against them. " You know what to do, Preena."

Preena ran to the nearest tree she could find. Everyone at school knew Iyo was afraid of heights, because Iyo told everyone he was. Iyo tried to beat Preena to it and get his comic book back, but Jake didn't let him go. Iyo saw Preena throw his comic into the tree. Iyo lost the comic. He heard the loud shout of thunder in the sky...clouds turn stormy black.