Swiftshadow battled the storm. The harsh wind threatened to tear her out of the sky. She was half blind with chilling rain and cloud. Flashes of lightning gave her only fleeting moments of clarity. She had to constantly flap her wing to stay aloft. An updraft flung her upwards.

"Hang on Wilson!" She shouted over the storms roar.

"You don't have to tell me twice," A small robot dinosaur called back. She felt him tighten his grip on her shoulders.

Thunder pulsed through her. Her wings and spine tingled with energy. The back of her throat itched uncomfortably. She focused intensely on her flying. A powerful gale sucked her down. She stretched her wing membranes out. She struggled to break free from the current.

The storm had snuck up on the pair. Swiftshadow had thought she had more time before it hit. She cursed herself for not reading the wind currents right.

A lightning bolt struck unnervingly close. The deafening shockwave reverberated in her bones, knocking her senseless. She managed to right herself. She had to find shelter. She dove down to get out of the clouds. At least there she might be able to see the ground.

Her wings muscles were starting to ache. Her lungs heaved for oxygen. she needed to land soon.

A glass and steel wall suddenly emerged from the fog. Swiftshadow banked sharply to avoid a collision. She struggled with buffeting winds that attempted to slam her into the building. With a powerful stroke of the wings she manage to regain some control.

The dim glow of street lights seeped into her awareness. She over a city. she could see numerous buildings of various sizes. She could see the network of streets and alley. Few people dared to be out in the late night storm. Even fewer vehicles travelled the streets. They were mostly taxis picking up bar patrons.

Swiftshadow scanned the area looking for a place to shelter. She quickly found an area that seemed to be relatively abandoned. Derelict and rundown buildings populated the area. Garbage was piled up in the streets. It looked to be one of the places that only the homeless would visit. Unfortunately Swiftshadow happened to be effectively homeless. She selected an abandoned store and landed before its entrance.

Its windows were boarded up a long time ago. It reeked of mold and things she dared not name. But it would shield her from the storm. She found it odd that the door was not locked, but wrote it off as being broken into by the homeless seeking shelter or opportunistic thieves. She was too tired to care.

She shook herself dry as she entered the building.

"Hey watch it," Said Wilson, "You nearly threw me off,"

"Sorry." She wandered further into the building. She looked for place that she could settle into for the night.

Then without warning the floor seemed to turn into quicksand. She found herself sinking into some kind of shadow. She bucked and lashed out at it. It held firm as it sucked her ever deeper. She blasted fire at it only for it to wrap a tendril around her muzzle. Before her brain could register what was happening she fell through it. And she saw only darkness.

She suddenly found herself falling out of a wall. She landed with a harsh grunt. She let her eyes adjust to the dim florescent lighting. She took stock of her surroundings. She appeared to be in some kind of abandoned warehouse. She could feel Wilson gripping her scales tensely.

She spotted a shadowy dreadlocked figure. He looked like he was entirely made up of shadow. His White eyes stood in stark contrast with rest of his form. She realized that he wasn't alone either. A bird lady with tan feathers, a guy with purple hair, and a man with over sized feet, flanked the shadow man.

A dozen different questions flitted through her brain. He couldn't be a ghost. Otherwise she would've been able to sense his presence. Then what of the others? Just who and what were they?

"Look at what the cat dragged in," Said the shadow man.

"Who are you?" Swiftshadow said. She adjusted her wings so they hid Wilson.

The shadow man chuckled. "I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Ebon and these are my cohorts Talon, Shiv, and Kangor. We are the Meta-Breed,"

"The Meta-Breed?" Swiftshadow searched for potential exits.

"We're a collection of misfits much like yourself. We've been looking for some extra muscle for a job,"

"Job?" She did not like the sound of that. Who ever these people were, Swiftshadow's instincts told her not to trust them. Especially Ebon. Something about him reminded her of Megatron.

"A total heist," Said the purple haired guy. Shiv if swiftshadow remembered correctly.

'Shut It! Do want to scare this one off?" Ebon roared at him. Too late for that thought Swiftshadow. She took the opportunity and bolted. "Get her!" Ordered the shadow man.

Shiv was first to act. He summoned a couple throwing stars and pitched them at her. There razor edges burying themselves into the concrete where Swiftshadow's feet where moment before. The ground shook and crumbled beneath her. Kangors massive feet sent shock waves through the earth.

The dragon quickly traded running for flying. But Talon had also taken to the air. Her swooped at the dragon talons first. Swiftshadow shoot a blast of flame at the bird lady. Talon was forced to abandon her attack.

Swiftshadow managed to break through a nearby window. Glass shards rained down everywhere. She gave a victorious roar. For a glorious moment she was free. The rain battered against her scales and thunder groaned overhead.

Then something wrapped itself around her tail. She had only gotten a couple wing beats in before she was sent crashing down. He body met cold hard wet concrete with a thud.

"Don't worry pops, I'll be home soon… Yeah I love you too," Virgil Hawkins put his cell phone away. He and Richie had decided to finish patrolling early. No one was going to commit a felony in this weather.

Virgil was also soaked to the bone. The wind and rain chilled his core. He was looking forward to a cup of hot chocolate and curling up on his warm bed.

He could feel the build up static before a lightning strike. A flash and a release of energy. There was a strange offbeat rhythm to it. A rhythm only he could feel. He assumed it had to do with his electromagnetic powers.

Hard to imagine that a year ago he was jus a simple high schooler. Then the big bang happened. He and those exposed to that mysterious gas received some kind of super power. He had gained the ability to create and control electricity and magnetism. He chose to use his newfound abilities to guard and protect his city. Especially for other meta humans who use their powers for ill.

He adjusted his soaked hoodie. It was going to be a long walk home.

He nearly jumped when a thunderous roar resounded from somewhere nearby. Its wasn't thunder. It was far too animalistic for that. It also sounded distressed. It was soon followed by the sounds of battle.

He dodged into a back ally. With practiced ease he change into his super hero attire. Black shirt and pants with a yellow lightning bolt on the chest along with a dark blue and yellow over coat.

He sound the found the source of the ruckus. What he found only confused him. It seemed the entire meta breed was attacking what appeared to be a dragon. The beast was cornered between a brick wall and the meta human gang. Any attempt it made to escape was immediately blocked or rerouted by the meta breed. the dragon spat fire at Ebon. The man backed of in pain.

Static had to act fast or the poor creature would be beaten to a pulp. He had to be careful himself. The rain made if far to easy to short himself out. lightning flashed over head. It gave him a idea. He reached up and charged the air around him. He felt the build up of energy before a strike. He had only one shot.

"Hey, Ebon! Has anyone told you to leave innocent animals alone?" Lightning struck Static. Electricity surged intensely inside him. He channeled it through his body and out at the gang. he was careful auto not hit the dragon. The bright arcs of electricity were as blinding as the crack of thunder was deafening.

the moment lasted a fraction of a second but it seemed last a minute. The area returned to the prior darkness. Ebon and his gang lay dazed and confused on the soaked ground. The dragon was still standing. It blinked rapidly trying to get its night vision back. They finally rested on Static.

"Who are you?" It said in a feminine voice.

"Oh you a girl dragon… I mean of course your a girl dragon,"

"Yes I am. Now-" He head shot up as if realizing something, "Wilson? Wilson, where are you?"

"Right here," A voice emerged from the darkness. A small robot dinosaur trotted into the light.

"Thank Wolf Spirit," She muttered relieved, "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Your the one who took a beating." The dinosaur climbed up onto the dragons back.

"Not to interrupt or anything. But we gotta scram before these guys come to their senses," Said Static.

"Yes, right," Said the dragon. She spread out wings only to gasp in pain.

"You okay there?" Asked Static.

"I must've twisted a wing wrong." She tentatively tucked the injured wing in, wincing as she did so.

Static motion for her to follow. The three bolted away. He considered using his power to fly out of here. However the rain made it near impossible without shorting himself out. The dragon kept pace with him easily.

When they were a sufficient distance away Static stopped in an alley to catches his breath. The dragon followed suit.

"Thanks for helping me," Said the dragon.

"No problem." Said Static, "So what your name?"

"Swiftshadow, and the robot on my back is Wilson," she said.

"who are you? And how were you able to channel that lightning bolt?" Said Wilson.

Static was surprised. There wasn't a soul in Dakota city that hasn't at least heard of the famous hero Static. "You haven't heard of me?"

"We're kinda from out of town," Said Swiftshadow.

"Well the names Static,"

"Nice to meet you Static," Said Swiftshadow, "By the way you wouldn't know of a place where someone like me can camp out for a few days. Preferably somewhere dry and away from those guys,"

Static thought for a minute. He mentally ran through a list of potential places. He couldn't take her home with him or stash her at Richie's. He also couldn't find it in he heart to leave her out in the cold. There was the junk yard but there were few places there that a dragon could hide unnoticed and it was far away. The abandoned gas station of solitude was closer. He was hesitant to take two complete strangers into the heart of his operations. He was certain that there was an unwritten rule about superheroes letting random strangers into their secret hide outs.

The building next the gas station was recently condemned and abandoned. It wasn't scheduled for demolition for another month. By then Swiftshadow would have either long since left or found another solution. It wasn't much but it due for now.

"I think I know a place," He said finally.

If Wilson could have crinkle his nose he would have. He took stock of the dilapidated building around him. A former store long since gutted of anything valuable or useful. He was thankful to lack a sense of smell or he would be gagging on the probable stench of the mold that most certainly existed here. He had no clue of how Swiftshadow could stand it.

"It not much but it at least keep you dry," Said Static, "I'll come by tomorrow the check on how you're doing,"

"Thank you," Said Swiftshadow tiredly. Wilson could feel the exhaustion radiating from his friend. She was shivering from the cold beneath his feet. She needed the rest after such a long flight, not to mention the whole Meta-Breed business. They were definitely going to check that wing when it got light out.

The hero made his departure as Swiftshadow found a place comfortable enough to sleep.

"Goodnight, Wilson," She said as she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Swiftshadow." The robotic dinosaur climbed up onto a nearby countertop. Being an A.I. meant that he didn't require sleep. So he kept a vigilant watch over his friend and kept her safe as she slept.