My apologies for the long wait. I've been debating and reorganizing how this story's plot unfolds. This chapter is short, and a lead-up for the next two or three.

Chapter 12

Friends

Sam shrieked and jumped when someone tapped her on the shoulder. Whirling to her feet, she was face to face with a smirking Wes. "Am I interrupting?"

She sputtered, trying to get her words out. "Wes...you...I..." His smirk spread, and his eyebrows rose. "Shut up."

He held up his hands in surrender. "My apologies. So, what were you so engrossed in that you could ignore me?"

Sam bent down, picking up the paper she'd dropped, and sat back on the porch swing. Wes sat down next to her, looking at the drawing. "I always forget how good you can draw." Then he looked at it closer. "Is that Jason?"

Sam nodded, and continued shading the card in his right hand. "This was from our last trip, the one you couldn't make."

Wes' brow furrowed. "You never did tell me what brought out David's beast persona."

Sam nodded absently. "You're right, I didn't." In fact, she, Jason, Jennifer, and Kevin had all sworn that they wouldn't tell anyone what they had seen.

Wes studied the page again, noting the look on Jason's face and the card in his hand. "Isn't that his beast persona card?"

"I could see it in his face," Sam said, adding lines to Jason's hair. "He was fighting with himself. Jennifer had been hurt by Kevin's beast persona, and I could see him straining with himself."
Sam's drawing had perfectly captured the strain and anguish in Jason's face. "And he was able to resist summoning it?"

"His need to protect his sister fought with his desire to stand by his friend."

"And intelligence wins out over urges. His metal strength is impressive."

Sam smiled and smacked Wes on the back of the head. "Well, there's something to be said for physical strength. I'd put your muscles against his brain anytime."

Wes furrowed his brow and jutted his chin. "Me strong, no need think," he said with a deep voice, banging his chest with his fist.

Sam dissolved into giggles, and Wes joined her, the two of them laughing together.

A knock at the door drew Kevin from his homework. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to who would be here at this hour.

Must be Jason, he thought. Closing his book, he went to the door, and opened it. But, to his surprise, it was David who was on his doorstep.

"Can I come in?" he said quietly, his face partly hidden by his hood.

"Uh, sure," Kevin said, opening the door wider so David could walk in. As he walked in and pulled back his hood, Kevin could see a fresh shadow under David's right eye. "Are you okay?"

David looked over at him with hooded eyes. "Perfectly fine. Why?"

Deciding discretion was the best idea, Kevin just shrugged. "No reason. So, what brings you by?"

"I...wanted to talk."

Kevin sat on the couch, and David took the chair. "Talk away."

"I wanted to..." David started, then stopped, looking like he was struggling with himself.

"Look, I'm sorry," Kevin interrupted, "I think we started on the wrong foot. I know I can appear, flippant, about things. I hope you don't think I'm taking you like a joke."

David nodded solemnly. "Actually, I did. I thought you were someone who had such a wonderful life, that you simply didn't take anything seriously."

Kevin just shrugged. "You're not the first person to misinterpret why I act like that, and you certainly won't be the last." He looked around his shabby apartment. "Jason's the only one who actually knows about my mom and my life."

"So, your dad really ran out on you when you were a baby?"

"Yeah. The bastard didn't want a kid, so after Mom told him she was pregnant, he packed up and she never saw him again."

David and Kevin sat in silence for a few minutes, before David spoke up. "My mom left, too. She left when I was five. She just..."

"Couldn't live with your father anymore?" Kevin finished for him. The shadowed look in David's eyes confirmed what he'd said. "Look, David. If you need someone to talk to, anytime, you can talk to me. I can guarantee that anything you tell me stays between us."

David laughed, half mocking and half disbelief. "Yeah, I'll think about that." He got up, and pulled up his hood, going to the door.

"David, wait," Kevin called, getting to his feet. He didn't grab David's arm to stop him, but held up a fist. "This is how friends say goodbye, ya know?"

David raised an eyebrow, but lifted his hand and fist-bumped him, then turned to leave.

"By the way," Kevin said as David walked out of the door, "Apology accepted."

Jason sat, staring at his right hand, as if he could see the red card spinning in it. Mentally, he was still exhausted from the strain of resisting his beast persona. But, in order to keep fighting, he had to learn to control it.

The Library Maze. The area formed from his mind. Somewhere in there was the key to controlling the power inside him.

Grabbing his phone, he sent a message to the others:

Library Maze. Tomorrow. We're going to go dragon hunting.

The next two(or three) chapters are going to be intense, so get ready.

Please read and review.