Rossula's eye widened as Isabel launched herself into the air and began her assault on the gargantuan beast. Baring her teeth and with eyes like fire, Isabel's screams were filled with rage as she lay an almighty punch against the Dragon's jaw. The impact was enough to rear the monster's head back. Below, Erika and Giovanni watched on with a mix of awe and fear. They couldn't believe that they had just witnessed a Dragon being forced back. But, what was the cost?

Whatever was attacking the Dragon was no longer the girl they had come to know as Isabel.

''Wretched human,'' Rossula growled. Startled and slow to react to the sudden attack, it barely had enough time to respond before Isabel lunged again.

Isabel grabbed the scales around its chin, gripping tight enough to make the skin crack before pulling it down with her. Rossula was slammed headfirst into the ground with enough force to make the earth shake. It became apparent to Erika and Giovanni that they were no longer at a safe distance. Isabel was on a warpath, and they doubted she was in any state to hold back despite them being too close to the action.

''We have to leave,'' Giovanni said.

Before he could grab Erika's arm, she was already sprinting across the battlefield. Giovanni tried to call out to her until he saw where she was going. Without another word, he hurried after her. The two of them kept one eye on the battle, making sure that they weren't hit by any debris as Isabel continued to drag Rossula's colossal body across the ground and against the rocky walls. The Dragon lashed out, striking its tail in all directions, levelling nearby hills. Fortunately, Erika and Giovanni reached their destination in one piece.

Working together, they grabbed Jess's lifeless body and carried her back towards what remained of the bunker entrance.

''I hope they've got that bomb working,'' Giovanni muttered.

''What about Isabel?'' Erika asked.

''She'll have to make her own escape.''

''I don't think she even knows what's going on anymore. We can't leave her.''

Giovanni turned to Erika sadly. ''We can't save her either.''

XXX

Helen could see Gabriel's finger practically itching against the trigger. The only thing keeping him from shooting her first was most likely the fear that Cruise would attack him before he could get a second shot. He seemed more concerned about the Viper than he did his own lover. After all, he knew her. She was a historian, not a fighter.

But, a lot has changed since then.

Suddenly, the echo of a roar rang through the walls, causing everything around them to shake.

''Another Dragon?'' Cruise sighed. ''I guess God though we didn't have another shit in our boots.''

Helen stood frozen. She could understand why Cruise would mistake that roar for a Dragon's. It certainly wasn't human. However, there was a familiar pain that she could hear. It was as if suffering was being ripped right out of someone for the whole world to hear. Her heart sunk as a theory came to mind on who was causing that noise and why. Something was going on with her daughter, and she needed to find out what it was. She looked at Gabriel once more before dashing back to the control panel to trigger the timer.

''No!'' Gabriel raised his gun and aimed for her back.

Helen didn't turn around, but she could picture the scene thanks to the next three noises she heard.

First, was the sound of Gabriel's gun being fired.

The next…was the pained gasp coming from Cruise as he jumped in the way of the bullet.

Finally, just before she could start the timer, was the sound of the Dragon's tail crashing through the roof of the bunker.

Helen was knocked off her feet as it felt like the bunker had been flipped upside down. Thankfully, the tail was too far to come into contact with her. However, the force was more than enough to cause serious damage to the environment. She rolled across the slanted floor, nearly falling over the edge and down a chasm that had formed beneath the ground. The gulf was frightening. She was breathless as she felt her body tipping over the edge. One of the rails had come undone, giving her something to grab onto. She pulled herself up and searched around for the control panel. It was a miracle that the bomb hadn't been set off by the impact. But, there was now another problem.

She saw Gabriel approaching the control panel. He didn't hesitate to rip the circuits. There was no concern for his own well-being as he did everything in his power to destroy what was laid out in front of him.

Helen climbed up and charged at Gabriel. He saw her coming and turned with his gun in hand. At the last second, Helen reached him and pushed his hand away. The sound of the gun being fired was drowned out by the roars coming from outside. The roof of the bunker had caved in, giving them a clear view of the sky above as they wrestled for control of the gun.

''I wanted you with me, Helen,'' Gabriel pleaded. ''I wanted you to join me in a new world.''

''A world where you'd have to live with the blood of millions on your hands?''

''Blood can be washed away. With the Dragons, we can live as Gods!''

''Because of them we live as slaves,'' Helen threw her head back and then slammed it against Gabriel's face, knocking him back and causing him to slip down the slanted floor. ''You think you can be some kind of hero because you think you're joining the winning side?''

Gabriel chuckled. ''You're a historian. You should know that history is written by the winners. They can say who is and isn't a hero. In my new world, I will be remembered. You and Isabel will be long forgotten.''

Between them, slowly sliding across the sloped floor was the gun. Helen glanced down at the weapon before locking eyes with Gabriel. She sneered at the man before slowly shaking her head at him. ''I'm a historian. I know that as long as there are people willing to search for the truth, nothing will ever be forgotten.''

At the same time, Helen and Gabriel raced to reach the gun first. Because of the gun sliding in his direction, Gabriel had the advantage. The distance closed between him and his weapon. When he finally grabbed it, he looked up to see that Helen was still running forward. He lifted the gun and tried to pull the trigger. But, Helen jumped forward and barged into him as hard as she could with her shoulder. Gabriel was knocked back, stumbling down the slated floor until he felt nothing beneath his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the edge as he fell into the chasm, disappearing into the darkness below.

Helen slid across the floor and grabbed the rail again to stop herself from joining him. For a second, she sat in silence, trying to comprehend what she had just done. She felt nothing. She didn't feel sad. She didn't feel happy. What just happened needed to be done.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard more roars coming from above. The fight seemed to be getting closer. She scrambled to her feet before noticing others approaching the control panel as well.

''Cruise!'' She called out.

She sighed with relief when she saw that Cruise still alive. He was being supported by Giovanni as they approached the remains of the panel. Blood was seeping out of a wound on the back of his shoulder, but that wasn't going to stop him from seeing what he could salvage as he was helped to the panel. Closely behind them was Erika and Jess. Helen could see the younger woman was leaning on Erika. The historian rushed towards them. However, after just a few steps, she could see that something was terribly wrong.

Erika glanced in her direction, tears in her eyes. ''I'm so sorry.''

Helen couldn't breathe as her eyes fell onto Jess. She was unresponsive. There was a ghastly wound in her chest. She wanted to hold onto hope that it only looked terrible. But, she could see it in Erika's eyes. Jess was gone.

''What happened?'' Helen said weakly.

''The Dragon got her. Isabel's fighting it right now. Something's happened to her. She's not herself.''

Helen stared up at the hole in the roof. There was another thundering roar to emphasize Erika's point. Now, Helen understood why she heard so much pain in her daughter's cries. If she had the strength, she'd scream to the heavens too.

''Damn it!'' Cruise bellowed, slamming his fist against the wreckage of the control panel. ''It's no use. He fucking destroyed it. We can't trigger the timer.''

''So, that's it?'' Giovanni snapped. ''There has to be something we can do to make this bomb go off.''

Cruise stared at the ground. ''The bomb can still go off. But there's not going to be a timer. If we want to set it off, it has to be done manually.''

''How can we do that?''

''I'm sure the fire that giant son of a bitch is spitting outside can do the trick. If we can get it to blast in here, that will trigger the bomb.''

The small group looked at each other, confused and scared by his words. ''But…the only way would be if someone forced it to fire in here. If someone stayed behind…''

''Then it's curtains and goodnight for the poor dolt dumb enough to act as bait,'' Cruise's scowl slowly transformed into a confident smirk. ''I disagree with the dumb part, but I can make pretty damn good bait.''

''Cruise, no…'' Helen started.

Cruise raised his hand to silence her. ''Don't give me that. It doesn't sound like your kid is in any state to cooperate. We need someone that can get the Dragon's attention.''

Helen glanced at the wound on his shoulder inflicted by Gabriel's gun. ''We can get you healed.''

''I don't want to die,'' Cruise's lip twitched. ''But, if I get to control how I die, going out in a blaze of glory to kill a Dragon sounds like a mighty grand way to go.''

At this stage, Helen couldn't find a way to argue with him. She kept turning back to Jess's body slumped over Erika's shoulder. With everything going on around her, she just wished that the world would stop to give her a moment to grieve. She wanted to comfort her daughter. But, nothing could be done. She could hear the madness outside and knew that her daughter was a wild animal that couldn't be controlled until the Dragon was dead.

Cruise groaned as a flash of pain erupted from his shoulder. He nodded at the group. ''Get out of here. I'll give you time to get far enough down the tunnel to avoid the blast. Hopefully, the kid will realize what's going on and then run when I get the Dragon's attention. I'm sure you'll meet up again later.''

Helen pursed her lips and nodded. ''Thank you. I guess you get to become like the heroes of old you always talk about.''

''You mean from the films?'' Cruise snorted, much to Helen's surprise. ''Yeah, I knew those stories weren't real. I just told them like they were real to my Crew to give them hope. The world could do with more hope. Just promise me one thing. When this is all over and you save the world, make the film about me a good one.''

Helen nodded for a final time. She then hurried to help Erika carry Jess while Giovanni led them to the exit where their colony escaped. Glancing over their shoulder, they saw Cruise standing at the ready, waiting for them to get down the tunnels before the explosive climax.

XXX

Rossula stamped one of its large claws down onto Isabel in an attempt to crush her. Isabel raised her arms, pushing back against her opponent as her feet dug into the ground. Her head was pounding. It felt like her body was burning from the inside out. Her throat was torn apart from her roars as a sudden heart crawled up her throat and out of her mouth. She felt a hot liquid spewing between her teeth, burning her gums and lips. Then, she saw a spark ignite out of her mouth. In her rage, she reared her head back and gave one last roar.

A wall of fire erupted from her mouth, burning the Dragon's palm.

''Impossible!'' Rossula yelled.

Before Isabel could react, the Dragon's tail swiped at where she was standing, crashing against her and sending her flying across the battlefield. She skidded down until her body slumped against the edge of the cliff where Thane had fallen not too long ago.

She tried to get up. But, her bones felt brittle. Instead of more fire, she coughed up blood. Suddenly, it was like she could see through the haze of anger that consumed her. She lifted her head and saw Rossula prowling around her.

''I don't know how you became such a threat, strange human, but this ends now.''

Isabel tried to escape as she saw the Dragon's mouth illuminate with flames. She glanced down the edge of the cliff. She thought about jumping to escape. But she would be hunted before getting too far.

''So much for the might of the Dragons!''

Isabel recognized Cruise's voice instantly. It sounded like it was coming from the bunker. She hadn't even noticed the roof had been broken off because of her fight. Rossula also heard the remark and turned its head.

''Who dares insult me?''

Isabel heard Cruise chuckle. ''Someone who has a front-row seat to this fight. How does it feel to be humiliated by a puny human you winged dick?''

Snarling loudly, Rossula stalked its way to the open roof of the bunker. Isabel tried to get up and follow, but her body was too weak. She crumbled to the ground and had to listen to what was happening as she saw Rossula perch itself around the edge of the roof, staring down at Cruise in the bunker.

From what Isabel could hear, it sounded like Cruise was alone as he kept laughing despite being glared at by an enraged Dragon. ''After everything I've heard about your kind, I expected more. Your flames are nothing more than smoke.''

''Perhaps I shall give you a demonstration!'' Rossula responded. Fire trickled down its jaw as Rossula prepared to blast Cruise away.

''Do your best,'' Cruise said before lowering his head and whispering, hoping that Isabel would hear from where she was. ''Get outta here, kid. Your mom needs you.''

Isabel realized what was about to happen. She wanted to stay and save him, but she knew that it was too late. Holding back tears, she pulled herself over the edge of the cliff and dived down into the chasm.

Cruise spread his arms and watched Rossula let out a booming roar before a wave of fire erupted down upon him. ''Say hello to my little friend!'' He yelled as his body was incinerated instantly by the fire.

The fire spread throughout the bunker, enveloping around the nuclear bomb before there was a blinding flash of white. Even Rossula's roars were a whisper compared to the sound of the explosion that followed. It felt like part of the Earth was being blown off as the Dragon disappeared within the blast. Rossula screamed as a heat beyond imagination tore its body apart. Scales, flesh and bone burnt completely. Overwhelmed by the blast, Rossula's body disintegrated into ash.

In the chasm, Isabel felt the ground shake all around her. She kicked herself off the walls to try and dive deeper into the earth. She glanced up and saw the blast catching up with her. Even with a head start, the heat was unbearable. She ran down the wall as fast as she could, tripping and stumbling a few times. The blast was getting closer and closer. Just when it was within touching distance, the shockwave blew Isabel into the wall. She soon found herself buried beneath layers of rubble as everything all around her turned dark.

XXX

HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS. I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WELL AND THIS HOLIDAY SEASON HAS TREATED YOU NICELY. HAPPY 2021! I WANT TO SAY THAT I AM VERY SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT BETWEEN CHAPTERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE WAY THE LAST ONE ENDED. MY MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH HAS BEEN QUITE LOW, AND GETTING EVERYTHING READY FOR THIS UNOTHORDOX CHRISTMAS SEASON TOOK A LOT OUT OF ME. IT'S NOT EXCUSE. IT'S A PROMISE THAT I'M GOING TO DO BETTER AND GIVE YOU ALL AS MANY CHAPTERS AND STORIES AS POSSIBLE. WE'RE NEARING THE ENDPOINT OF THIS STORY, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE QUALITY DOESN'T DIP BEFORE THE END. I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL THE MOST SPECTACULAR, EPIC AND EMOTIONAL FINALE. YOU ARE ALL THE BEST READERS EVER, SO I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL THE BEST. THANK YOU FOR READING. UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER, STAY SAFE AND TA-TA FOR NOW.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY MILKY WAY GALAXIES & UNIVERSE BUILDERS:

AMANDA LEWIS

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