The Dragon Knight
Season 1
Episode 1
A hero returns. Part I
American Dragon: Jake Long, DC, Marvel, La Liga de las Américas, El Chapulín Colorado, Kalimán, Zooman and the characters of Mexican wrestling are not my property.
Somewhere on the roads outside Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
They were against the wall, with no way out. Two dragons, one red and the other one brown, were chasing trucks along the Mexican highways. What was stopping them from accomplishing their mission? The classic supervillains with hostages. But these were not ordinary hostages: they were newborn babies, roughly thirty of them.
The red dragon, Pancho Díaz, knew that it was impossible to win. They faced an entire contingent of the Huntsclan, a group of humans whose sole goal is to eliminate all the magical creatures of the world, believing that they are a threat to humanity. Two dragons alone are not up to the problem. Instead, his wife, Xochi Rubio, disagreed. As dragons, they had vowed to defend the magical world, but she could not let terrorists' separate families and kidnap children to indoctrinate them into their ranks. She could not imagine if that would happen to her with her own son.
"We can't, Xochi. We have to retreat" Pancho yelled as he dodged a green beam that had been shot at him.
"Yes, we can. I will distract them. Save the children".
Without allowing room for discussion, the dragon swooped down on the group of hunters attacking them, knocking down a few. She managed to make everyone fall back and, to avoid any inconvenience, she launched a blaze of fire between herself and the babies, leaving her enemies on her side. That way they could not catch them.
The hunters were led by their master, the Huntsman. They all dressed the same: a purple suit with a red symbol in the middle and a dragon skull as a helmet, showing that they had already killed one of those creatures in the past. Unpleasant. What differentiated the minions from the chief was the cloak that the latter wore, made of thick fur. Their faces were not recognizable, as they wore a black mask under their skull.
Francisco, as much as he wanted to convince his wife of the bad decision, realized that it was too late to argue. There would be no other way out besides following the plan. The dragon swooped down and quickly grabbed the huge container holding the babies. He flapped his wings like never before and, with an enormous effort, managed to lift the container away from the truck. It was very heavy. In a hurry, the reptile left it in a safe place on the road and returned to the truck. He had seen the police half an hour ago, so they would take care of them. Now, he had to help his wife and get her out of there quickly.
He saw her from a distance, fighting hand to hand against those psychopaths. It was good, since she had already disarmed about four and knocked out seven. Maybe she didn't need help after all.
He was wrong.
Behind Xochi rose the weakened Huntsmaster. He took his personal spear and, with superhuman speed, wedged the weapon into the dragon's back. The tip stuck out the other side, and blood spurted and spurted incessantly.
"NOOOO!"
To finish his mission, the Huntsmaster took a hand knife and wedged it behind the reptile's left ear, one of the dragons' weak points. Death claimed another magical creature in this battle.
Díaz could not believe it. At full speed, he flew against the murderer of the woman he loved, claws extended. He had never killed, but this time there was no forgiveness. The most important thing in his life was taken from him, and there would be consequences.
However, the Huntsmaster realized in time and managed to dodge the blow. With his spear in hand, he tried to defend himself, to see that the dragon was not holding back, something he had never seen before. But, as he was a great strategist on the battlefield, he had an idea.
The reason why the dragons hunted this group was not because of the kidnapping of children, but because of the theft of magic artifacts from the Purepecha culture. He could use those same pieces to finish off his rival.
The assassin ordered his hunters to cover him. Faithful to their leader, they all threw themselves into battle against the fierce dragon. To their surprise, he did not hold back. Instead of feeling heavy blows, they felt their claws being driven directly into their hearts. They fell dead one after one. To their advantage, their master achieved his goal and, extending an amulet, fired a beam of magic at their rival.
But, to his disappointment, the beast noticed and tried to take the amulet as well. Finally, nothing happened. Not everything was finished yet, because even though the man had the monster over him, with a kick he got rid of it. It was only a matter of going for his spear and, after hitting the ground with it, he disappeared from the scene. The coward fled as he always did. But not without leaving a gift. A bomb exploded after leaving.
Francisco survived the explosion thanks to his scales, but unfortunately, everything was lost. The amulets, the hunters, and most importantly: his wife. She was no longer there.
Fortunately, he managed to rescue the body. He could not imagine those assassins taking the body and cutting off its head to make another hideous helmet. The thought repulsed him.
Now her body, motionless, was at his feet. He should not have saved the babies. He must have flown faster. Even maybe he was the one who must have lost his life, but not like this. Years ago, he left his family behind for her, but now that she was gone, could she run away from his past?
He still had something else to take care of and it was a nine-year-old boy. They left him at home while they both went out to fulfill their mission. Anyway, Pancho did not think about him. He was devastated and just wanted to go home, maybe hide forever. He couldn't handle his loss.
Jesús, the human child they had, had not yet developed his dragon powers. He spent the afternoon in his room, doing schoolwork. Knowing absolutely nothing of what happened, he heard a flapping sound outside his house. Cheerful, he ran to meet his parents. He was happy with his life, despite being a human child with "monster" parents.
He was shocked to see his father, in his dragon form, hitting one of the walls. What was happening worried him, but another question crossed his mind.
"And mami?"
Even if the dragon was that, something far from human, he felt his heart break at the question. He fell to the ground, tears in his eyes.
Begin intro.
End intro.
Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
That Saturday was not just any one, because it was going to be the day of a trip to Teotihuacan. Jesús heard the alarm in his room go off, just as he felt the rays of the sun pass through the curtains of his room to his face. The boy got up. He was a person like any other at first glance, and lately incredibly stressed. Between readings, outings with friends, and midterm exams or so, he did not have enough time to dedicate to himself. At least this trip could be enjoyed.
Jesús began to prepare for the day. He was a person with a brown-skin complexion, black hair and brown eyes. He was of average height and somewhat skinny. One of the characteristics that most identified him was a mole on his nose. First, he went to the bathroom to wash up, then he dressed in a black Piedra del Sol T-shirt and beige shorts, and finally he packed his backpack. Since it was a school trip, it had to be ready. After putting in a notebook, some pens, money, and a book about the archaeological zone that he was reading, he had everything ready. While he was wondering if he forgot something, a voice was heard from downstairs.
"Jesús, breakfast is ready!"
"I'm going!"
Jesús took his backpack and went with it to the dining room. Two plates of chilaquiles, one of Jesus' favorite foods, were ready on the kitchen counter. But there was something in the kitchen that would have made anyone swoon. A red western dragon, with completely green hair and deep yellow eyes, was brewing some coffee. It stood like any human, on its hind legs, while the front legs were used to remove cups from the shelves. His scales were bright and gleaming, his claws black as night, and he was not clothed. Hearing his son's footsteps with his ears, which were more powerful than a normal human's, he smiled and turned around.
"Good morning! Coffee?"
"Yes, please."
The boy was the son of a long line of dragons, beings of great power that have protected the magical creatures of the world for millennia. His father, Francisco, was one of them, but after his mother's death he ended up retiring, and now he only worked on administrative matters in the magical world. The strange artifacts the Huntsmaster used on the night that hurt them so much to remember affected the dragon in a terrible way, causing his abilities to transform into human to vanish. He was trapped in his dragon form.
To his son it happened the other way around. Some generations are never born as dragons, but remain ordinary humans for life, since the dragon gene is never activated. Still, one of his children may be one of those mythical beasts.
"Ready for your trip?" Francisco asked as he served the coffee.
"Yes. I am excited to go. I have been reading a little bit about the Teotihuacan civilization and I think it has become my favorite."
"And why is that?" He asked curiously as he sat next to his son.
"Where can I start? There is so much information about them and we know so little. Did you know that they carried out coups in Mayan cities? Or that they had an Oaxacan neighborhood in the city?
"Maybe you can do your thesis on that."
That was what Jesús liked. His father supported him in everything, including the decision of becoming a historian, a job with little chance of success in the country. Fortunately for him, he was fairly good at what he did, which would allow him to go far.
"And what are you going to do today? You were going to the island, weren't you?"
The dragon gave himself a few seconds before answering. He opened his mouth and blurted out the words.
"Today, well, I have an appointment with the Council. They want me to assist them in containing an object of great power that must be destroyed for the good of all."
Something was wrong. It seemed that his father was hiding something. Jesús decided not to pursue the subject. There must be a reason why he wasn't expressing himself clearly like he used to.
Breakfast went without anything else of importance. Father and son talked about the issues that interested the boy about the prehispanic city. Behind them, as they chatted, something moved. A strange amulet silently descended from the stairs, flying unnoticed into the student's back pockets. He did not even feel that.
"Well, son, I think you should go now. Good luck and have fun."
Francisco got up from his seat, hugged his son and kissed him goodbye on the cheek. He could not stay there, as he had his own matters to attend. As he climbed the stairs, saying goodbye to his son, the latter took his backpack and walked to the door. After thanking and saying goodbye to his father, Jesús opened the door of the house, ready to go on his adventure.
CU, UAQ, Querétaro.
Díaz did not live far from the university, since his house was a few blocks from it, although his classes were given in a building downtown; not the space he was going to. He studied at the local university: The Autonomous University of Querétaro, or UAQ at Spanish. He arrived through one of the entrances and walked to the parking lot where the school buses were. He did not take long to arrive and, when he did, he noticed that several of his companions were already there, talking with each other, waiting for the time to get on the waiting bus and go on a trip.
To his happiness, two of his friends were already there: Fátima García and Martín Aguilar. Fátima was not Mexican despite having been born in San Juan del Río, Querétaro. Her parents were from there, specifically from Seville. She had long, silky dark hair and was one of the tallest in the place. But her physical appearance should not deceive, because she is also one of those dragons that protect the magical world. When transforming, she takes the appearance of a white European dragon and a sky-blue belly. Her code name? Queretan Dragon.
Martín was completely human. He was a good friend of the family and, therefore, they trusted him with the secret. He knew the magical world well and was genuinely interested in it, especially to help his friends whenever necessary. He was blond with a muscular physique. He did a lot of exercise. Unfortunately, the time he spent in the gym was time wasted for homework.
Both students argued with each other, not noticing their friend approaching them. They did not realize it until he greeted them from afar. Martín was the first to respond.
-Jesús, please confirm that I am right. Our dear Fátima here says that it was not necessary to bring an essay for today, but I say yes. I am correct, right? And can you pass me the essay? I did not do anything.
-He's going to tell you there is not, but for some strange reason you never listen to me.
Jesús laughed at his friends' dilemma. They always behaved like this when they got to the classroom.
-Don´t worry, there is no homework, at least not for today. Remember to do the lectures for Monday and the trip report for Tuesday.
Fátima looked with an "I told you so" face at her friend, who crossed his arms in disagreement. The teacher in charge of the trip soon approached them and indicated that everyone could start getting on the bus to leave. Excited, the whole group boarded the vehicle and soon started the voyage to the old city. The three friends sat at the back of the bus, especially to be able to talk freely about any topic without fear of revealing any secret. It was a good decision, because at the beginning Fátima spoke of her latest adventure.
"Will your father be available tomorrow?" I found out what happened to the artifacts they used on him years ago. In fact, they are not that far. They are in the city.
"And what do they want them for? Did you discover it?" asked Jesús, wanting to know a little more about the nature of those famous objects.
"I'm not sure. I was thinking of discovering it with your father and Gustavo."
"Who is Gustavo?" Asked Martín.
"He is the dragon of Mexico, the one in charge of protecting the entire country," Jesús replied. Then he returned to look at her friend. "Maybe you can call him when we get to Teotihuacan. He will love having a chance to take down the Huntsmaster."
"That's what I was going to do."
Fátima smiled as she said those last words. The sound of Martín's cell phone interrupted the moment. He took out the device and examined the message that came to him. His two friends looked curiously at what was happening. They weren't surprised to see their friend checking the news.
"Did something interesting happen?" Jesús asked him.
"Yes, but nothing good. Gotham City district attorney Harvey Dent was arrested after nearly murdering a group of mobsters. It seems that he now has the nickname "Two-Face" and was caught by Batman."
"Harvey Dent? What happened to him?" Jesús was confused. The prosecutor was well known throughout the world and was considered a major political force.
"It says here that for years he has had a psychological double personality disorder, one of which is violent. Also, he had an accident where he burned and disfigured half of his face. I guess that's why the name."
"Too bad the city depends on another psychopath to survive." Fátima murmured. Her two friends managed to hear her.
"Batman? I thought you would like him. Don't you do the same?" replied Martín. Jesús began to feel a little tension getting up. After all, his friend idolized the masked hero.
"He and I are not alike at all. He is sick. He does not sleep, he wastes all his energy in night fights every day, not to mention the trauma he had to go through to dress up as a bat every night. I would not trust someone like that and who seems to know each and every city habitant better than they do. I am regulated by the Council and believe me that, although there is a lot of bureaucracy, it is better" Fátima spoke with contempt. Jesús did not know that she despised superheroes so much.
Jesús began to think. If she had such a poor vision of Batman, what perspective she would have of Tony Stark?, famous not only for saving the world in a metal suit, but also for certain drinking habits. Or the X-Men? Everyone perceived them as another species and discriminated against them. Or maybe she would see them better by being born with powers as well. Maybe he could ask him.
"And what about the Latin League? You know. Chapulín Colorado, El Santo, Blue…"
"The Chapulín was not qualified to be a hero, and the fighters were more dedicated to making money in the ring than to being heroes. That is the problem with gifted people in the country. They are only interested in promoting brands and making money. Take for example Mamá Lucha or La Liga de las Américas."
"She has a point, Martín. In Mexico there is not a heroic culture like in the United States. There are few who resemble those from there like Kaliman or Zooman. And there is nothing said about mutants, other than that they work for a company or there has been an accident somewhere."
Jesús was not against heroes or wanted everyone to register under a body like Fátima, but he had to admit that those in the United States were doing more to save the world compared to Mexicans, or even Latin Americans. Capitão 7 in Brazil, Sónoman in Argentina or Cobre in Chile were the few exceptions. The others only cared about selling their brand or promoting companies, and they were rarely dedicated to preventing a robbery or something like that. Being a superhero was a business.
The discussion was held between friends. Although there was some tension between Martín and Fátima, they both listened to the others' ideas. It was interesting to talk about this topic. Some classmates listened to the topic and, out of interest, joined the discussion. It was easy to spend hours traveling like this.
Meanwhile, the strange amulet on Jesus' pants moved again, now to his backpack.
Teotihuacan, Mexico
After three hours of travel, the group reached Teotihuacan. Everyone from the bus received directions from the teacher. They could go to the site of the archaeological zone they wanted, as long as they reached the base of the Pyramid of the Sun at the indicated time to leave. The boys divided and each one went to a different area. Some went to see the pyramids, others to the museum of the site and others to the neighborhoods. But Jesús, his friends and other companions went to the Ciudadela, a square south of the site where the imposing pyramid of Quetzalcoatl is. The group approached the site and began to see the place, each exploring the place they wanted.
Jesús stood with his friends to listen to a guide's explanation of the pyramid. The temple was built to represent the rulers, attached to the Feathered Serpent. Everyone was so entertained with the explanation and writing their notes. No one, not even Jesús, heard the arrival of a strange man, who silently covered the boy's nose with a handkerchief. He tried to scream but failed. There was something that made him fall asleep. For a moment he thought of chloroform, but it seemed more like powerful magic. Within seconds he lost consciousness.
The boy did not know how long it was after that. Little by little he regained consciousness. Someone was dragging him across the ground, probably his kidnapper. It took a while to open it, but when it did, he noticed that they were walking through a tunnel dimly lit by spotlights hanging from the ceiling every few meters. He heard a stone door slide and then was thrown against a stone pillar at the back of the room they were entering. It was circular and ancient. The walls were lined with ancient paintings, clearly Teotihuacan from what the student knew. His gaze rested on his kidnapper. He was an old man but with many secrets. He used magic to put him to sleep. But who was him? Why did he want him? His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of the stranger.
"It's incredible. He chose a new hero and did not notify me. I'm going to hang that snake when I see him."
The man was looking at a strange gold amulet. Jesús did not see it well, but it seemed to him that it had the figure of the Feathered Serpent, just like those of the Pyramid. He turned around and noticed the boy wide-eyed, staring at him and the amulet.
"I'm sorry I brought you here by force. I had no other way to get you out of the crowd without attracting attention."
Attracting attention? Wasn't it notable that someone dragged one around an archaeological site? He probably used magic to get out, but then why didn't he use magic to quickly teleport to that place? There were more questions than answers.
"Niltse, notoka Átlatl Cauac. Hello, my name is Owl Thrower. It is an honor to be present in front of the next Dragon Knight" greeted the stranger bowing before Jesús.
The boy noticed that the stranger spoke Nahuatl. He did not understand much but, in the end, the old man translated everything for him. Still, that did not take away from how uneasy and worried he felt. And why did he call him a Dragon Knight? He just did not answer anything. Owl noticed it. Then he approached his captive again and placed the amulet around his neck.
"Where are we?"
"Under the Temple of Quetzalcoatl. This is the burial chamber of the first Dragon Knight". He walked to one of the walls and pressed down a stone block, revealing a secret adjoining room. It was small and dark, but inside it was a strange Mesoamerican costume. To Jesus it was made similar to those used by the jaguar and eagle warriors, but in this case, it looked more like a feathered serpent. "And this is your costume."
"Umm, look, Owl. You'll have to slow down because I don't know what you're talking about."
The old man opened his eyes in surprise and stared at Jesús. He took a few steps and approached him, making the boy feel more uncomfortable.
"But he chose you… how could you have this amulet and not know who you are?"
"Yes, that doesn't clarify anything for me."
Owl sighed and walked over to the murals painted all over the room. It began with one showing a person dressed in the same costume from the secret room, followed by several eagle and jaguar warriors.
"The Dragon Knight was the greatest soldier of Teotihuacan in its glory days. He was the highest military command, over the eagle and jaguar warriors. He worked for Quetzalcoatl himself, bringing peace to the world of humans and magical creatures alike. He was a balance between both civilizations. The necklace he wore gave him enormous strength, making him capable of defeating entire armies. But when his master was betrayed by Tezcatlipoca and decided to flee, the Dragon Knight escaped with him. He left his suit here and commissioned it to me, but now that you have the amulet, it means you will continue his legacy."
The story reminded Jesús a lot of Captain America, widely used in American propaganda. So, he was the next Dragon Knight? Why him? Would he become a super soldier?
The boy had an idea. Deep down he adored superheroes and his country. If the story was true, he could be a national hero. He would be able to make the country a better place, ending corruption and drug trafficking, taking out HYDRA and AIM, until he becomes a figure of hope for the country and even all Latin America.
The temptation was interrupted by a strong blow from the entrance to the room. The door fell and, behind the raised dust, was the figure of a tall reptile. The light showed its white color and a blue belly. It was Fátima.
Without waiting another second, she flew to Owl and slammed him against a wall, grabbing him by the neck and almost strangling him. She growled in his face.
"This is personal, old man."
"Get up, my friends! There is an intruder in the sacred compound of the Dragon Knight."
Saying those words, several green anthropomorphic snakes arose from the ground, armed with sharp obsidian spears. Their scales were orange. They approached Fatima, threatening to stab her. She responded by throwing Owl at them. She walked to the entrance, but not before taking his friend by the arm.
"Run, I'll distract them. At the end of the path there is a door. Go through it and you will be in one of the houses on the outskirts of the archaeological zone."
"No, wait," Jesús replied, then looked at Owl. "She is my friend, tell them not to attack her."
"The presence of anyone in the room other than Quetzalcoatl, you and I is not allowed. Nobody else can know about the existence of the place."
"Wait, you are the Dragon Knight!?"
When Fátima was distracted by the surprise, the snakes took the opportunity to pounce on the dragon and begin to contain her. They grabbed her arms and tail, as well as closed her snout to prevent her from using her fire breath. Jesús could not stand still watching his friend get defeated that easily. Fortunately, she was skilled in combat, so she easily took care of her enemies. With her tail she knocked down about two, while managing to easily take care of another in hand-to-hand combat.
Despite having the advantage in combat, she did not have it in numbers, and less in weapons. She was soon outmatched by her rivals, constantly attacking with their spears. She had thick scales, but not enough to avoid being hurt by the sharp obsidian.
Jesús could not just stand there, which is why he decided to make one of the most important decisions of his life. He ran among the snakes, which ignored him. He got to where his friend was and, once there, he pushed one of the armed reptiles. To his surprise, it was true that he was stronger thanks to the amulet. With a simple blow he managed to knock down his opponent, who hit a wall hard on the head.
He did not have a suitable fighting style, but he took advantage of the fact that he was not being attacked. With several blows he managed to defeat the snakes and free his friend. Fátima was surprised, but she was not going to be distracted by it. They had to get out of there and fast. She took her friend and flew out of the place, rushing through the entrance. The two of them went through a huge underground corridor, but at the end of it, Jesús saw an open metal door. Fátima went through it. They entered a house, probably Owl's.
The dragon put her friend down and closed the door quickly. Then she transformed and led her friend to another exit. The sun's rays disturbed Jesús eyes. How long was he down there? He soon became concerned that he might have been around for too long. And his group? Behind several houses he could see the pyramids. At least they were not far away.
"Let's go. There's not much time left before the group returns home" Fátima said, taking her friend by the arm and leading him back into the archaeological center. Jesús felt relieved to know that he was not down there for days. On the way, she hit Jesús on the shoulder.
"Hey! Why did you do that?"
"You are the Dragon Knight and you didn't tell me! This must be known to the Council; you know that I have to tell them."
-In my defense, I did not know who the Dragon Knight was until today.
Jesús commented what happened to him. By her determination to comment on the situation to the Council, his future as a superhero seemed inevitable. He did not dislike the idea; it would be an honor for him to save lives.
He still could not think of how difficult it would be.
Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
After that adventure, the group reunited and returned to Querétaro. The trip was uneventful, quite normal. Once they reached the city, each one said goodbye and returned home. Jesús walked home alone. When he got there, he noticed his father's absence. Things were probably very hectic on the Isle of Draco. Usually when that happened it would take him a couple of days to return. It was okay, he had to work.
Sunday passed quickly. On the day Francisco did not return. Jesús took the opportunity to do his work and take a break from school. For a moment during the day, he looked uneasily at the amulet. If he was going to be the Dragon Knight, he should find a way to train. When his father returned, he could ask him for help. He would also need a suit since he was not going to have a public identity. Iron Man had it and it was not good to have constant attacks on his buildings. He did not want to do the same with his home or school, let alone endanger his friends and family.
When Monday arrived, Jesús got up and got ready to go to school, with his father still away from home. He would probably come back later that day. For now, he had to focus on his studies. And so, he did: the morning was dedicated to being at his faculty in the historic center.
Once his classes were over, the boy walked to the bus station and took on3 to take him home. Jesús took a free seat and took out his cell phone to entertain himself during the journey.
About three men dressed in black entered in one of the stops. They quickly drew their pistols. One put his gun to the driver's forehead, threatening to take his life if he did not give him the ticket money. The other two threatened the rest of the passengers. The two options were to give them their valuable belongings or lose their life. Jesús, meanwhile, was distracted with his cell phone.
He found out about everything when one of the men put his hand on his cell phone, trying to snatch it away. A strange man was trying to rob him. Luckily, he had his amulet and while fighting over the cell phone he managed to throw the assailant into one of the back seats. People screamed at the unexpected event.
The other two companions were just as surprised and stopped doing their thing to target the boy. Someone was heard in the audience calling him a mutant. Without waiting, they started shooting Jesús. That was what he earned by being the hero. He would die there without having achieved anything at all. He should have thought better before acting. He closed his eyes, expecting the worst.
But he only felt slight impacts on his body. After a few seconds, feeling the hum of gunfire in his ears, he opened his eyes again. He looked down in fear, waiting to see his bloody body, but to his surprise everything was fine. There were only several holes in his clothes and a few bruises in the places where the bullets hit. Was he capable of surviving bullets? That would be quite useful.
The assailants were surprised. They were terribly lucky enough to face a metahuman and it seemed they wouldn't get out of it. Jesús reacted quickly and took advantage of the confusion to attack. First, he went against who had the driver. Finally that was the most potential hostage, and he didn't want to see himself against the ropes. With a hit on his chin, he easily left his opponent lying on the ground. The other, a metre away, was also easy to knock down. A simple kick in the stomach did all the work.
Unfortunately, the assailant who tried to remove his phone got up with a severe headache. He still had his gun in his hand. He was quicker to react and aggressively took a man sitting next to him. Similarly, Jesús ran to him; with a speed increased by his collar, he managed to reach the villain instantly before pulling the trigger on the hostage. The bullet came out of one of the truck windows fortunately without hurting anyone. Jesús, with his enemy on the ground, managed to hit him the face, knocking him.
The mysterious hero boy got up and looked around. People whispered and recorded with their phones. It was his first day and he was already all over the internet; great way to keep an identity. Although he heard several applause, the boy decided to get out of the truck before being recorded more. Still, the street was full of curious people and he could not stay there either. Without thinking about it anymore, Jesus ran through the mob, wanting to get out quickly before more people took pictures or video of him. The only place he thought about taking refuge was his house. Luckily, he could run faster, making his way home. Surprisingly, he managed to go faster than a car.
Once on his block, Jesús turned around, making sure he had no one chasing him. They probably couldn't keep up. Out of danger, he took his keys and opened the door of the wall of his house, then stepped on his front yard and now opened the door of his house. When he came in, there was no one inside. Jesús did not think about it and went up to his room to leave his things. He threw his backpack over his bed and then went back down for a bite to eat.
As he went down, he looked at the amulet. It was powerful and gave him incredible abilities. He could do a lot of good with it. His thoughts were interrupted by someone entering the house, for he heard the keys in it. His dad was back. It was the best time to ask him for help.
Or maybe he was wrong.
With anger on his face, the dragon entered the house and walked towards his son. He reached out and, as if he could roast him alive, sued him.
"Give me that! Where'd you get it?" Jesús did not answer because his father snatched the necklace from him and threw it into one of the armchairs. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? You are grounded."
"Wait, wait. Why?"
"You will not be the Dragon Knight. It's strictly forbidden to take that amulet, you understand?"
"How...?"
-Now I must see how I fix the problem. You took the amulet behind my back, won the support of the Council and your friend to be his successor and now you are on the news nationwide. Do you have any idea how long it is going to take me to fix this?"
"Wait, Dad, hold on a second. We are going too fast here. It bothers you if I'm a superhero?"
"Does it bother me? Do you have any idea where this might lead us? You want to be a hero? Go up to your room. Do me a favor and never even think about being the Dragon Knight again."
"No, no. Sorry, but the amulet came to me and says that I will be the next Dragon Knight. I want to be like you and Mom. I want to save lives. I don't see what's wrong with that."
"You have no idea how many troubles this brings. She was stubborn enough to think the same way. I don't want to talk anymore, upstairs."
"But..."
"No buts."
Angry, Jesus had no choice but to go up. He hated that. His father treated him like a child. He knew how bad it could go, but he had already thought of ways to avoid it. More importantly, with the amulet he could simply avoid death when it comes to confronting drug dealers or corruption. There could be no downside. Why did he get so angry? There was something hidden in his thoughts.
Francisco, meanwhile, sat in one of the armchairs. He put his hands on his face and breathed a sigh. He hated being like that with his son. On the island he was strong enough to refuse the Council's request to allow the Dragon Knight to be brought back, but now that he was in front of his son, it hurt to yell at him. He did not want to. But it was for the greater good. He had an idea how he took the necklace, but he was not going to let it happen again. It was for his own good. He was not going to lose him too.
The sound of keys took him out of his thoughts. They were opening their door. That could only mean one thing: the governor of the state was there, and Francisco could only think the worst.
Carmen Aguilar, a tall, well-dressed woman, entered the house. She was the governor of the state and one of the closest friends of the Díaz family. She knew the family secret and was an ally of the Council, providing necessary information to them. Despite being a human, she was one of the few with the confidence of the entire Order of the Dragon, and above all of Francisco.
"Pancho. Is your son here?" Carmen asked when she saw her friend sitting down.
"He's grounded, and no, he won't be a hero." It was easy to read the minds of politicians.
"While I would be fascinated to have a superhero to help me take my message all over the country, I'm afraid I won't come for it. It's the Council. They want me to convince you of this idea.
"It always must be as they say, doesn't it? My decision is final and no." Carmen took a seat in front of her.
"This is for Xochi, isn't it?"
Francisco did not answer. Carmen took this as another sign of being right.
"You were always easy to read, Pancho. Look, we all had a pain in her death. I was her friend. But Jesús is just as strong as she is. Every day I see him in my house with my son they talk, they argue about being heroes and he wants to be with all his heart. That's what he learned from her and you. You gave your life to save many creatures that day when she passed away."
"Don't talk about that day..."
"The point is that he wants to be like you; just like you. I understand if you're afraid of losing him. I lost my husband too, but you'll get nothing by creating barriers for him to fulfill his dreams. He can be a force for good and save many. Give him a chance to show you he's capable. You saw it on the news. I assure you, at least that is how you'll get a lot of families do not have to suffer what you suffered."
The dragon was silent for a few seconds. At least the facts were true. He also knew his son's admiration for superheroes to a lesser degree and he and his wife above all. Whenever Iron Man defeated a giant robot or Fátima finished a Huntsclan plan, Jesús was crazy talking about it. His love of heroism and wanting to do the right thing was as great as his passion for history or his love for his family. Was he doing the right thing at objecting?
"So, what do you say?"
It took another second to reflect. He could not believe he was easily convinced.
"Jesús! I need to talk to you."
Reluctantly, his child came down the stairs, waiting for another smit or talk to tell him why he should not be a superhero. If his father was, why not him? He was surprised seeing Carmen sitting in the living room.
"Thank Carmen. You can be the Dragon Knight."
Surprised and excited, Jesús hugged his father. He had no idea how she managed to change her father's mind but was incredibly grateful, and to his old man. He was going to make a big change. His father corresponded the hug, but then spoke to him earnestly.
"There will be several conditions. You'll have a secret identity and don't even think about telling anyone outside of our trust. I will train you before any action and when you do your first missions there will be no supervillains, HYDRA or Huntsclan. You'll get ready to start with small things like jewelry theft or huachicoleros or things like that. Neither do anything about joining forces with the Latin League or Stark, not for now."
Jesús did understand his father's message: to be careful. But at least he was finally happy to have his support, although he would gradually save the country.
Luckily, the positive surprises of the day did not stop, for at night, when he went up to his room, he found something new. There was an unknown backpack on his bed. Jesús approached and opened it, noticing the costume of the room dedicated to the Dragon Knight where the stranger took him. Next to the pieces of the suit was a letter.
For the Dragon Knight.
You'll need this to start your journey as the greatest warrior in our town.
Átlatl Cauac
Jesús smiled when he saw the note and the suit. Maybe that stranger wasn't so bad after all. He took the helmet from his suit and watched it. The dragon's mouth was open, this being the part by which the warrior had to look. Maybe he could ask his best friend for some kind of cloth to cover that part and not reveal his face. He was not just thinking of using a mask like Batman's partner.
Basement, House of Jesús, Querétaro.
The basement of the Díaz House was surprisingly large. Thanks to the magic, it was possible to increase its size, enough to have space to have a few training sessions. It was Wednesday and, from the day before, Jesús was already starting his superhero training.
To be active enough, Jesus took a series of potions made by his father that allowed him to be awake during night. Those potions allowed someone to be active and without the necessity of sleep. He could now spend his mornings for school and his nights to the saving people stuff. It was convenient, as he would not have to worry about being asleep during classes after revealing himself catching criminals.
But this Tuesday was special because Jesus' best friend, Sergio Cruz, arrived with some gifts. In a green backpack he brought a series of artifacts made by him. Among the objects were communicators, a flamethrower, and a jetpack. It was all considerably basic, but they were functional artifacts. Sergio was still working on an updated and improved version of the suit, so the gifts were only temporal.
"Can I be your sidekick?" asked Sergio as Jesús, with his father's help, put on the jetpack.
"What are you going to call yourself?"
"I could be the Jaguar Warrior and create some legs that increase my speed, or the Eagle Warrior and build me other wings. Yes, I think I like that last one better."
"All right, enough. Are you ready?" asked Pancho backing up a little bit after finishing helping.
"I think so."
"Right, fly and stay on the ground about two meters. Are you sure this works, Sergio?"
"Completely, sir."
Confidently, though somewhat nervous, Jesús began to take off gradually. He saw the ground move away from himself and, after being at some height, stood there.
"I think I master it."
"Now move. Lean back or forth for that."
Jesús followed the prompting. He leaned slightly in front and began to move. The boy tried to keep his balance and, luckily, he got it. Now he tried to move along the room but, unfortunately, began to lose control of where he was going. He began to laugh nervously at the situation.
"Try to stabilize yourself." His father supported.
As Jesús tried to lean on the wall to maintain his balance, Francisco went to one of the boxes in the room and pulled out a gun. Sergio, curiously, approached the dragon. He saw this one fill the gun with a cartridge.
"I think I've already mastered it!" shouted Jesús, managing to move a little more, though not so finely.
"That's good, son! Let's level up."
With a movement of his arm, the dragon increased the size of the room by magic, increasing the height of the room as well as its length and width. With enough size for his son to move freely, he fired a few inches away from the hero.
"Let's see how you act while you're being shot."
Jesús, afraid after that shot, began to fly around the room. His father went crazy and started shooting him. It was true that he was immune to bullets, but wasn't this excessive?
"Sir, don't you think this is excessive for a flight lesson?"
"They're plastic bellets, it's safe. And excessive? Son, tell me about it when in your training you're forced to clean your teacher's toilet using your tongue."
Sergio did not respond, though he was disgusted by the idea. Is that how they trained Francisco? Then a gun was offered to him. Pancho gave him a gun to help him shoot. By corroborating that they were plastic bellets and not real bullets, he accepted without hesitation and began shooting, much better than the dragon. He managed to hit some shots on the jetpack.
"Hey, you've got good aim."
"One learns a lot by being the governor's son."
Meanwhile Jesús wasn't having a good time. He hadn't learned to fly properly and now being under the pressure of being shot didn't help. It was a good lesson idea, but it didn't help his nerves. He collided constantly, although, after several laps, he managed to dominate the flight. Unfortunately, that didn't help him dodge the bullets, as his best friend had an exceptionally good aim. He´ll kill him after the end of training.
After spinning in the air and finally starting to dodge the shots, he reached a high height to make the shots ineffective. Unfortunately, one of the bullets ended up getting stuck in the hole through which the fire came out. Not having enough space to expel heat, the device was automatically turned off to prevent an accident. Jesus was in free fall.
Reacting with speed, Jesús activated the emergency parachute. Unfortunately, during the shooting, the parachute was punctured, so it was useless. He could save himself with his dad's help, but he didn't want that. He had to prove at this very moment that he could save himself.
His father, meanwhile, thought the same way. He wasn't going in unless he saw it as absolutely necessary and, for now, it wasn't. He wanted to see his son react and trusted that he would do it correctly.
Jesús thought fast. He took off his jetpack and started checking it out. This one had two sections through which the fire came out and one of them was the decomposed one. He wasn't a physicist, but he figured if he forced the heat out, it could explode, which wouldn't help at all. Perhaps if he only activated one and regulated the intensity of it, it could drop properly. He had no options or time, so he decided to do it. Using manual configuration, Jesús managed to activate the functional part and regulated it to start slowly descending. He quickly put his on his jetpack. It was hard to maintain balance like this, much less on his first day, but little by little he did, eventually landing without getting hurt. Sergio was the first to approach him.
"Well, I should give you some quick adjustments. I didn't think this would get damaged on your first day," he told him as he helped him remove his device.
Francisco, on the other hand, with a big smile on his face, put his hand on his son's shoulder. He looked genuinely proud.
"I'm proud of you. She is, too."
Jesús smiled at him. He knew his father was always proud of him, but this time there was something different in his eyes. The boy couldn't define it well, but it was as if he combined the pride of his two parents into one glance.
As the dragon said, surely, she was too.
House of Jesús, Queretaro
It was finally Friday. Jesús took several more trainings during the week, beginning to learn the basics to fight in addition to improving his flight. At least he was preparing and, in his father's words, if any robberies happened over the weekend, it could be his first mission. The hero wanted to start facing the country's great threats but helping the common person instead of fighting the next threat of global destruction was not bad.
"Jesus! I think you should see this."
The boy came down the stairs quickly, curious to know what his father wanted. When he came down, he found him watching the news. It was a note of a chase.
"It is on the road to Tlacote. Cops are chasing some huachicoleros. You want to be a hero? Go help them, it shouldn't be difficult."
"Oh yes! I'm going" he answered, running back upstairs to take his suit and get out into action. A few moments later he returned downstairs, now wearing his pre-Hispanic suit. Ready to go into action, he was stopped by his father, who hugged him before leaving.
"Be careful."
"I'll be, Dad. I have to go now."
They both broke the hug and Jesús opened the door. With his rocket backpack ready, he began to climb slowly, still struggling to maintain balance, but not as much as before. When he gained height, he increased his speed and leaned forward to go in the right direction, ready to save the day.
Road to Tlacote, Querétaro.
Francisco saw the chase through a magical mirror they had in the house, so he could give precise instructions. Jesús went to the point indicated by his father and soon saw the patrols chasing a black van. He descended slowly and fell sharply upon the van.
"I still have to improve my landings," he thought.
Meanwhile, inside the van, the two men, one in a red shirt and one with a hat, were surprised to hear a heavy blow on their van.
"Go and see what it was," spoke the one in a red shirt, not being able to do it himself when driving.
His companion did just what he was asked and peeked out of his window into the roof of the vehicle, armed with a large gun for anything. Seeing that there was someone on the car, and especially that he looked young, he pointed the gun at him.
"Who are you!?"
"I am the Dragon Warrior, and I order you to stop the vehicle immediately!" Jesús answered, worrying more about holding on to the vehicle than stopping them.
"Yes, I don't think so."
And with that, the huachicolero pointed his gun at Jesús and shot it. Jesús thought he would resist it, but he was wrong. That wasn't just any weapon: it was a laser weapon, an exceedingly rare weapon used mainly by the most powerful terrorist groups, supervillains or SHIELD itself. The shot hit Jesús' body, causing him pain and causing him to stop holding on and fall off the vehicle. Jesús rolled down the road as the policemen overtaken him and followed the chase. The huachicolero used his gun and shot the police vehicles, causing them to explode instantly.
"Jesús! Can you hear me?" Francisco asked worriedly.
"Yes. I am fine. It hurt more than usual," the hero replied, posing his hand over the place where he was shot.
"That weapon is manufactured by HYDRA. Come back immediately, it's very dangerous and it's not worth it. We'll find another time for you to start your missions."
"And let them go? The police won't be able to stop them. I'm the only one who can do that."
"They also defeated you easily. We agreed you wouldn't get into heavy business until you're ready, now come back."
Jesús took the communicator in his ear and broke it. This decision could end with terrible consequences, but he wasn't going to stop there for nothing. He was a hero and he had to do the right thing, in this case chasing those criminals.
After lighting his jetpack, he returned to the sky, but this time he stayed at a distance from the vehicle, as he wanted to see where they were going, or at least take advantage of a better location to attack them. Luckily they didn't go far. They stopped outside an abandoned warehouse. Jesús stopped in one of the nearby mountains and looked at everything from afar. His eyes opened in surprise when he saw a well-armed group leave the warehouse. Their green suits were known all over the world. They were the largest terrorist group on the planet: HYDRA. At least now he knew where they got the weaponry.
HYDRA forces helped the huachicoleros pull some barrels of oil out of the van and put them in the building. It made sense, for Jesús knew that they made deals with individuals throughout the world to acquire the resources necessary for their war machine. The criminals entered the building and Jesús lost eye contact with them. He decided to get closer, so maybe he could hear a few words. The boy came down from the mountain and approached a warehouse window, where he had visual and sound. There were twelve HYDRA agents alongside the huachicoleros and a mysterious hooded man, who spoke.
"... and for your services to HYDRA you will be rewarded."
Two of the agents took out a nearby wooden box and opened it. Inside it were several bombs and ammunition manufactured by the terrorists. The huachicoleros saw and examined them.
"This is not enough. The price goes up. We had a hard time getting the barrels."
"A boy dressed as a reptile chased us for them. We'll need more in return."
"Didn't you shoot him?"
"I think he got up after I blew up the cops."
The hooded man was angry about those words and turned his arm into a scythe, which he put on the huachicolero's neck. Jesús recognized him in that instant. His name was Eric Williams, popularly known as the Grim Reaper, one of HYDRA's most important lieutenants. The boy wondered what he was doing there. Maybe his father was right, and it was extremely dangerous to follow them. What if he returned home? No, he couldn't. HYDRA was meddling in his country and as the Dragon Knight it was his mission to stop them. So he could show his father how capable and dignified he is to deal with these threats. Maybe that way he could practice his superhero entrances.
"You came here even if a masked man was chasing you?"
"Yes guys. You must have thought it better."
Jesús entered dramatically through the window wearing his suit. He stared at everyone in the room and all eyes rested on him. He saw some fear in the look of the huachicoleros who shot him.
"It's him!"
"Thirty million dollars for whoever brings me his armor."
The Reaper's face, showing his greenish skin by a small part, showed anger. He didn't like the so-called heroes who had begun to infest the world. Jesús had heard several encounters of him with Iron Man and Batman, and now he was the lucky one to fight him. HYDRA agents reacted quickly and took up their weapons. Meanwhile, Reaper, the Huachicoleros and two agents were leaving the building.
Despite having weaponry capable of hurting him, the Dragon Knight had several cards up his sleeve; a toy he was eager to try. Maybe he could save it for the Grim Reaper. Before he was shot, the hero flew against two agents and hit them hard with one of the walls. He then picked up their weapons and threw them at the heads of two other agents, leaving them incapacitated.
The other six, at a safer distance, began firing at their target. Several shots hit Jesús. Thanks to his armor he managed to protect himself, but could not depend on a suit more than a thousand years old. Dragon Knight headed to one of the barrels and shot it against his opponents, who dodged. Taking advantage of the distraction that caused, the dragon flew against them and began to fight them hand-in-hand.
In the beginning, Dragon Knight was overwhelmed by his opponents, as they had better training than him. Fortunately, he had the strength, and with just one blow to them was enough to get them out of combat. The last one lasted longer, as he tried to hang the hero with his rifle. Bad decision. Jesus took his rival by the shoulders and threw him to the ground.
From the entrance, the other two agents following their leader opened fire. Jesús fell to the ground, unable to do anything against his rivals. But, from nothing, something came from the arms of the Dragon Knight. About two blue blades, as bright as the moon and sharp as a new knife appeared. They were too long. Jesús did not have time to contemplate them and, by natural reaction, used them to block the shots. Miraculously the blades were not damaged. With the advantage now on his side, he quickly approached the agents using the blades as a shield. Once at sufficient distance he cut the weapon of his opponents in half. The boy was surprised by the ability of his blades. They were going to be particularly useful to him.
Unfortunately, he did not have enough time to contemplate them, as a kick made him stagger. The Reaper, tired of running, finally decided to join the fight, scythe ready to kill. The supervillain used a series of kicks against the hero synchronized with blows from his scythe to throw the Dragon Knight. Although Eric was unable to kill him quickly, his constant attacks combined with his strength and ability was enough to throw the hero to the ground. Once he ended up defeating him, he put the scythe around his neck.
"Any last words, kid?"
"As a matter of fact, yes."
Jesús turned his head and struck the cheek of his helmet with the ground. Then he blew hard and a large jet of fire came out of his mouth. He directed the attack on the Reaper, who took a few steps back and covered himself with his scythe. Dragon Knight seized the opportunity and rose, keeping the pressure on his rival. The fire gradually expanded, beginning to burn the whole place. The fire didn't last long because of the little gas the hero had. Still, that was enough. When he stopped exhaling fire, the Dragon Knight took the opportunity to attack a confused supervillain. Although he couldn't give him a direct hit, he had him back up until the exit.
Reaper regained the initiative and tried to cut with his scythe, to which the Mexican reacted by protecting himself with his own blades. Surprisingly the Reaper's blade was cut in half. Nothing besides vibranium and adamantium was able of doing that. With a confused supervillain, Jesús took the opportunity to throw him to the ground for the first time. He put his foot on his opponent's chest and put his own blade near the villain's face.
"It's over, Reaper!"
"We agree on something, kid."
Eric managed to move his leg and push Jesús with it. After taking a few steps back, Dragon Knight looked up and saw a sheet of metal fall on him. Thanks to his strength and endurance he managed to get rid of it without suffering damage, but when he got rid of the sheet, he saw the Reaper standing in the distance, watching. He quickly disappeared without leaving any trace.
The Dragon Knight left the warehouse before it completely collapsed. Once outside, he finally realized the feat he did. It was his first day as a superhero and defeated one of the supervillains sought by SHIELD. The boy, in addition to screaming from emotion, began to dance in the middle of nowhere. For now, he could celebrate his victory. The army arrived a while later, but the hero managed to get out before that.
House of Jesús, Querétaro
Jesús landed at his house and took off his helmet. He was sure he could get a congratulations from his father. Despite disobeying him, he believed he would be proud of him for being able to defeat a supervillain on his first day. He really had the ability to be a superhero. After opening the door, he saw his father sitting in the room, watching him an angry way.
"Anything to say in your defense?"
"You won't believe it. I defeated the Grim Reaper! You should have seen me."
"And I saw it all through the magic mirror. You have no idea how disappointed I am of you. I told you there'd be no supervillains or HYDRA! And I see you broke that promise on your first day."
"But I defeated him. I'm capable of that and more!"
"No, you are not! It was luck. It wasn't because of your skill or ability. No one depending on only three days of training would have had a chance to defeat him. I was very clear on my terms and sorry, but there will be no more Dragon Knight. Never.
Next time with the Dragón Knight:
Fátima investigates the strange movements of the Huntsclan in the Queretan Valleys, discovering their intentions to forever destroy the hiding of the magical creatures of the world. But can the Dragon Knight prove to his father that he is capable of being a hero before the catastrophe? This and more in "A hero returns. Part II"