"What is your role in the Jeffersonian Agent Booth?", Jason Jenkins asked as the two men made their ways down the steps into the Gormogon vault.
"I am the FBI liaison. I bring in the dead bodies and the squints find the stuff I need to convict the bastards who commit such crimes", Booth told the man quite proudly as they rounded the corner in the steps.
"Squints?", Jason said in a high pitched tone that resembled a cat more than anything.
"Yeah the scientists upstairs, they squint at things through microscopes. Sounds odd to be calling them scientists", Booth laughed as he focused on the ever closing in ground.
"And you are partnered with one of these 'Squints'? Dr. Brennan?", Jason questioned as he made notes on a small piece of paper.
"Yeah, me and the doc started working together six years ago, even if the first leg was bumpy. In here Mr. Jenkins", Booth told the man as he gestured to the open vault door.
"This is amazing", Jason stated, as he pulled out a pair of glasses and started examining the door.
"Eh hem", Booth coughed as he help up a pair of latex gloves behind the author's back, "The squints would kill me if they saw you walking around here 'contaminating evidence'".
"Oh no, it's fine", Jason said waving off Booth, before reaching into his bag, "I have some of my own. The latex gives me a horrible rash so I have sterilized cotton gloves instead".
"Wish Bones would let me have them, the latex stinks up your hands after a while", Booth commented as the two men entered.
"Bones?", asked Jason as he held up what Booth thought to be a paper weight.
"I mean Dr. Brennan", Booth smiled as he leant up against a clear piece of wall.
"Oh", Jason noted before looking more intently at the object in his hands, "This is quite a collection".
"I know, for a crazy secret society, they seemed to like to collect their junk. Last I heard, the authentications department were still looking through everything", Booth commented.
"Well, I can help them identify this piece of history".
"Really?", Booth asked quite shocked, "You're a squint too?".
"You could call me that, but I think I'm a bit more socially aware than your scientists upstairs", Jason smiled at Booth, "This stone is engraved with Nordic writing. I believe it to be an offering to the god... uh... Loki I think".
"How do you know that?", Booth asked as he came in for a closer look.
"My last book was on Viking cultures and how their traditions have implanted themselves into our modern culture. Legends of; dragons, sea creatures, and other mythical beasts, most of our modern myths deprive from the original Norse and Celtic legends".
"Now dragons would be cool".
"Very", Jason added as he placed the object back down onto the table, "Could you possibly show me the Widow's Son sculpture? That is one very big part in the book".
"Dr. Hodgins would be the best person to explain it all to you, but I think I could give a good introduction", Booth laughed as he led Jason through the maze of Gormogon junk.
Aidan stared hard at Brennan. She had never seen a dragon behave this way. Two minutes ago, Mandible was just as scared as the others as she watched them pull out the guns, and now, it was like nothing had ever happened. In all her years, Aidan now fully understood that they were still learning about the behaviours of their dragons, even if it seemed that they knew everything.
The other dragons around her seemed confused by Mandible's behaviour. Their eyes wide open, staring back and forth between Mandible and the guns. Some of them were whining pathetically, but as the humans figured out what to do next, they all seemed to calm down like Mandible, laying down with her, even if they were still on edge.
"What the hell?", Betha asked nobody in particular.
"In all my years", Aidan started.
"Which is quite a lot", Caley muttered under his breath, loud enough for Bart to hear and snigger at.
"I'm guessing that this behaviour is far from normal", Brennan conveyed as they all watched the dragons lie down together.
"Light-years from normal", Bart corrected.
"So what do we do now?", Betha asked, turning to face the line that the five of them had formed.
"We continue", Aidan stated before making her way back to the dragons, "Another round of fire, that means everyone B, and we will see what happens".
They all readied to shoot again; Caley, Betha and Bart having to reload their guns after firing randomly last time, whilst Brennan got ready and aimed. Aidan dropped her hand, and another round of gunfire ringed around the island. This time, they all hit their targets, and the teens didn't empty out all their ammo. As quickly as the bullets exited the guns, the four students turned to face Aidan and their dragons. Brazil was fast asleep, which in normal circumstances would not be a surprise to Caley. Blue, seemed as though she was going to burst from adrenaline, but after a few calm breaths, she snuggled into Fredo who had his head down and his eyes locked on Bart, waiting for his next move. And then there was Mandible. She had rolled over onto her back, looking at Brennan as if to say, 'I'm bored, can we do something else now'.
"Dear God, combat lessons might be over in one day at this rate", Aidan said loudly as she unhooked the dragons.
They all sprung up into the air, stretching their wings before landing back down next to their appropriate riders. Brazil landed with a bump and farted as he went, Blue landed gracefully as ever and started to inspect Betha, Fredo jumped enthusiastically around Bart, and Mandible began sniffing the dangerous end of the gun. "You seem to like the smell of gunpowder", Brennan stated to her dragon.
Mandible let a small rumble of agreement before nudging Brennan in the back. She was ready for the next step. "Aidan, seems as if the Bone Team want to take this up a notch", Caley laughed as he watched the two start to annoy each other.
Aidan smiled as she finished checking over her trainees, and put her hands on her hips. "B", she shouted to stop her friend and dragon, "If you would be so kind as to lead the class at your pace and give me a break".
"Uh sure. What do you tend to do after the completion of this exercise?", she asked as Mandible was pounced upon by Fredo.
"Go home and have a stiff drink cos this takes most of the day normally and we haven't even reached ten o'clock yet. But the next exercise is to sit on your dragon, and shoot from a standstill", she said as she sat back onto the stone wall of the arena, "To be honest though, you might have to move straight onto the third step seeing how excited they all are".
"Which would be what?", Brennan asked as she tugged on Mandible's safety rope.
"Shooting in motion", Bart yelled, as he and the other teens jumped onto their dragons.
"Great", were Brennan's thoughts on the matter.
She jumped onto Mandible's shoulders, and instinctually, Mandible took off vertically. The four riders took one lap around the island, getting the excess adrenaline out of their dragon's systems. Brazil flew the fastest any of the kids had ever seen, and Fredo seemed threatened by this new speed. "Hey Caley. Fancy a race?", Bart shouted across, sensing his Fredo's urge to go fast.
"You wish. You always win", Caley shouted back laughing, "Oh, who am I kidding, you're on!".
With that, Brazil shot forward at a downwards angle, and Fredo flew upwards for height. Betha just shook her head at the boys, increasing her maturity by about twenty years. Brennan noticed this and closed Mandible in on her. "Trust me, males never grow out of immaturity like this, I have a lot of experience", she said thinking back to Booth, Hodgins, Zack, and most of her interns for that matter of fact.
"Well, it is a good thing then that we put them back in their places", Betha told Brennan back, "Will you accompany me in beating them back to the arena".
"I shall", Brennan smiled before Mandible flew upwards, and Blue flattened out into a streamlined dive.
The air rushing past my ears was a nice feeling compared to the sound of gunshots. Just Fredo and I, perfect, and we are so going to whoop Caley and Brazil's asses. Oh victory, how I miss thee. I don't think I have won anything since the good doctor arrived. It will be a nice thing to win, but I think I will have to hand my twenty over to Caley prematurely cos, I really don't think I can pull off a stunt to beat the docs without seriously injuring myself. No way am I shortening the length of time flying.
As we reach the peak of our accent, I hear the usual sound of the air rushing past my ears slow down. But this time, there seems to be an added intensity to sound of the air. I look around, and sure enough, there is Temp flying next to us. She shoots me a smile, before Mandible closes in her wings and they start to descend. Why the hell are they up here? Oh crap. They are in on the race too. "Fredo, quick follow them! Toot sweet! Go, go, go!", I shout at Fredo, and thankfully he feels my eagerness to follow.
He closes in his wings, and I bend in to increase the streamline speed. I get the feeling that most people get on rollercoaster when they go down, which is not normal for me. So the only thing I can guess at is that we have passed our personal best speed. But I think no matter how fast we go we will never catch up with Temp and Mandible, they have had too much practise already at high speeds.
Then, there they were, and Fredo was increasing on them. Oh this was good, but there is one great big problem. The ground is fast approaching and Fredo and I have never landed at these speeds, and then I understood that Mandible was slowing for the landing. This was going to hurt. "Fredo, slow down you fool", I try to shout, but he can't hear me over the sound of the air rushing past.
I kick him in the ribs, and he opens out his wings, jerking me upwards. Ouch, and it is not just my head that hurts. Even at slowing speeds we pass Temp and Mandible. Ha, we might win, but we still have the ground to contend with. "Okay boy, this might hurt", I tell Fredo as he heads for the cliff.
I feel him gulp in his throat; he knew the pain was coming too. Looking around, I see Brazil approaching the arena at some great speeds for a Gronckle, and Blue just coming around the base of the Berk Mountain. Temp is somewhere above us, and it will be a close call when we both head for the same cliff.
I can see the cliff face now, and the nesting gulls on the surrounding rock have evacuated for their own safety. With all their experience with dragons crashing into the cliff, you would have guessed they would have moved. But no, the birds here are just as stubborn as the villagers. Viking traits, they never leave your genetics. Wonder if Temp has any, most likely.
One, two, three, and... BANG. My head jerks backwards, and if it weren't for all the safety features on the harness, I would be in the sea below right now. Micro seconds after our contact, I hear Mandible hit the cliff face. This is going to be close.
I see Aidan scurrying to get as pressed up against the wall as she can. It would be the end of her if she got hit by one of us, and then we wouldn't have a teacher. BANG, we hit the floor, and then I feel the vibrations of three others. Yes! I won! Ha! Ha! In your face Caley! "Can you guys stop doing that? Please!", Aidan shouted as she peeled herself from the rock.
"Dude, you won!", Caley yelled as Brazil bounced over to us, "Told you would win!".
"Didn't look as though I would at one point", I told him, gesturing towards the girls who were now probably discussing how their plan failed.
"Well, let's just say, I never doubted you for just one moment", Caley said as he slapped his hand down onto my back.
"Shall we continue with the lesson?", Temp asked as she and Betha walked their dragons over to us.
"Please", Aidan yelled up to us from in the middle of our circle of dragons, "And no more speed diving in groups. One at a time from now on".
"So, who shall go first?", Betha asked.
"Not us", I moaned with my head in my hands, now came the after pain.
"Don't think Braz is up for it after all that flying", Caley said as he patted his Gronckle as it collapsed before all of us.
The two girls were left to decide amongst themselves. They stared at each other for a moment; non verbal female communication is the worst thing to understand if you are a guy. There are so many looks that you can take in the wrong way, and then you are getting hit over the head if you do get it wrong. "I'll go, seeing as I'm the better shot", Temp finally said.
"I have no problem with that", Betha replied, and I knew that look on her face, she really wasn't that bothered cos she hates going first in anything. Oh and she also knows what is coming.
"Okay", Aidan said, clapping her hands together, "B, can you fly up to the peak of Mt. Berk, wait a few seconds, fly at whatever speed you feel comfortable for your first go back down here, and then shoot at the objects".
"What objects?", she asked as Mandible manoeuvred to face the correct direction.
"You'll see Temp", I smiled at her.
She gave us an odd glance before Mandible shot up into the air. We all quickly jumped down and followed Aidan as we ran to one of the storage holes as the dragons headed for the perch above the arena. The doors on these hinges were the lightest and the most oiled as this is the best cupboard ever. Inside, are thousands upon thousands of stuffed toys that are too disgusting after the dragons have gotten a hold of them, and machines that launch pillows into the air. We use these in practise, even though this is the lesson that we have them for. It is just so damn fun to have things thrown at you in mid flight. And the best part is Temp doesn't know what is going to hit her.
Caley and I take a pillow launcher each and both head for opposite sides of the arena, whilst Aidan and Betha take a hoard of stuffed toys into the centre of the arena, before us boys head back to help them drag out the safety boxes. The girls hide under the plywood boards, whilst Caley and I get ready and take aim. We hear Mandible heading towards us, they must like it fast.
And then we hear the command from Aidan. "Fire!", there has to be an almighty grin upon her face.
As we release pillows and the girls throw up a load of toys, Temp and Mandible fly into the arena. Thank god Temp grasped the concept quickly as she started firing at the toys and pillows. The floor of the arena was soon covered in a layer of feathers and teddy bear fluff. Caley and I whoop as we exit from behind our launchers and our dragons roar from the perch. Mandible lands as gracefully as ever, and as Brennan jumps down she picks up the remains of a pillow. She laughs to herself as we all come over, and Mandible starts to roll about in the feathers. "I suppose a quick succession of small objects is better than one large target", she tells us.
"And it is much cheaper too", I laughed as Fredo swept me up for my turn.
"So, Agent Booth, you were the one to end the Gormogon society?", Jason asked from the chair opposite Brennan's sofa.
Jason had now come to the more sensitive part of the interview. For the past half an hour, Booth had answered all the questions this man had put forth to him; his role in the Jeffersonian, his partnership with Bones, his thoughts on the Jeffersonian, how they had come to discover about the Gormogons. He knew where the next question after this would lead; Zack. God, Booth hated him for being so stupid and getting into all of this, but at the end of the day, he was still one of his people. Hopefully one day he would return, and then all of the squints would be happy again. Even though all the interns were great, Booth knew that the best option at the end of the day, and if it aroused, Zack would be welcomed back without hesitation.
"Yes, I shot Gormogon. I ended it", that must have been the shortest answer he had given all day.
"What about his apprentice, is there any chance that he might revive the culture?", Booth could have shot him there and then.
"No, he would never do that to us. He has learnt his lesson, and he will be behind bars for the rest of his life possibly", he said quickly, even for Booth, Zack was a sensitive topic.
Jason looked at Booth. He had the look that Booth had seen too much on television. He had caught a scent. "So you knew this apprentice?", he asked, eyebrows raised.
"Did I know him? We all know him, and you are not getting any more out of me on that part of the interview", Booth almost shouted at the gentleman.
"Okay", Jason noted before he flipped over onto another piece of paper, "When would you say is the most peaceful time in this lab?".
That was a strange question. For many reasons. One, it was strange on its own, two, it was a weird question to come after such a sensitive topic, and three, why would someone like to know that unless they were willing to take on one of the best guarded locations in the world and rob the place. Booth raised one eyebrow at Jason Jenkins as any evidence of tears escaped from his eyes. "Why do you want to know that?", Booth asked, now very suspicious.
"Oh, um, for the cover photo shoot for my book", Jason stuttered, but Booth still believed him, his eyes convinced him.
"Just let Dr. Saroyan know that you want to use the lab, and you will have trouble finding a day when this place is quiet enough", Booth told him.
"Why?".
"Cos, when Bones gets back, bodies will be flowing in here daily. Your best chance would be this Friday evening, where there are no bodies, and this place will be as empty as it will ever get".
"Thank you Agent Booth, can you please tell your colleagues that I will interview them tomorrow", Jason said as he stood to shake Booth's hand.
"It was my pleasure Mr. Jenkins", Booth smiled at him as he followed the man out of his partner's office.
Booth sighed as he leant against the doorframe and watched the gentleman leave. All he could think about was that Angela was going to have fun tomorrow. Maybe she should go last, so as not to scare the man out of his wits. Or maybe she should go first and scare him away so the others don't have to suffer the emotional pain that the topic of Zack brings with it.
"Four o'clock, and we have finished combat training in one day", Aidan told the group as she examined her watch.
"All of it?", Bart asked.
"Yes, but there will be a review every year and you all have to practise", Aidan said as she started to lead the group out of the arena.
"But I leave in three days", Brennan pointed out, "I will, and have had limited practise".
"Yeah, but you seemed to have beaten us in every aspect", Caley commented.
"I suppose that is true", she smiled as we continued through the old metal gates, "What are we going to do tomorrow?".
"That does all depend on the weather. It is supposed to be rubbish tomorrow, so we may have to cancel lessons", Aidan replied, "But for now, we are going to the grand hall for food".
"I can cope with that", Brennan replied.
The walk up to the grand hall, where only Saturday evening they had eaten a grand meal, was pleasantly quiet. There was no demand to start a conversation as there was no need, and everyone was just enjoying the peace after an event filled day. For Aidan, the day had gone more swiftly than she was used to. She was having trouble thinking what she could teach them next as one, she had basically finished the course with the teens, and two Brennan was one fast learner. Maybe she could give them a break, until she found some new inspiration.
The dragons plodded behind the group of five. Fredo was walking very carefully as he was doing his best to hide the pain he had caused himself from earlier. But one glance from any of the riders, they knew that he was doing his best to cover it up. And Mandible could see through her brother's charade quite easily as she kept knocking into him and throwing him off course.
Wafts of various meals hit them as they walked up the stone path up to the hall. Caley's stomach growled as they approached, but it wouldn't be long until his hunger could be cured. Aidan glanced behind them to see that every dragon was sniffing the air; they deserved a good meal after today.
The two boys marched forward past the girls, with Brazil and the trainee Monstrous Nightmare quickly behind them. The four pushed the heavy doors open together for the girls and the others to go through for food. Bart being the gentleman he had always been and Caley picking up on his getting girls tips.
Inside it was different from Saturday night. The round tables covered in cloth had now been removed and long wooden tables replaced them. There was no places set up, and families sat wherever they wanted around a collection of food in the middle of the table. Dragons sat in small places behind the families, eating fish slowly from a basket in the centre of their small circles. Caley was called over by his family, and Betha had disappeared as soon as they entered. Bart looked around for his father, whilst Aidan headed for a group of adults at the back near the kitchens. Brennan however, had no clue as where to go. Mandible came next to her as she too had been left by the other dragons, all following their riders. "Where do we go?", Brennan asked Mandible, who just looked back at her confused.
She looked around for a place. Maybe she could take this opportunity to have some time to herself to write down ideas for her next plotline. Well, that wasn't going to happen after Aidan called her over to her group. Brennan smiled and walked over, not wanting to be rude. "Hey B, do you want to eat with us?", the dragon trainers asked.
She was sat at a table with four men and woman about the same age as her, the youngest probably a little older than Temperance. A motley crew of dragons sat in the small space behind them, and two Terrible Terrors sat upon their 'riders' laps, sleeping with one eye open, gazed at Brennan. "I wouldn't mind as long as it is okay with you", she smiled, taking her bag off from Mandible's saddle.
"Yeah, sit down", a big man with a black beard to match his hair said in a deep voice, "We need a new topic to discuss anyway".
"Thank you", she replied as she sat down next to Aidan at the end of the row.
Mandible strode over to the dragons and sat down in the space in the middle and swallowed a fish whole from the basket. The dragons around her watched her intently as she made herself comfortable. Once she was done, she rest her head on her feet, and her deep blue eyes became soft and her eyelids started to flutter close. "Guys, this is Dr. Brennan", Aidan introduced.
"O'Malley the blacksmith", the dyed green haired gentleman sat across from her that Brennan met on Sunday, said as she shook his hand for a formal introduction.
"Lola Smith", an 'older than she looks' blonde lady at the other side of Aidan smiled.
"Gordon Kinsley. It is nice to meet you", the gentleman next to O'Malley introduced himself.
"Megan Kinsley, it is nice to have someone new here on the island", a dark brown haired lady sat next to Gordon smiled.
"Here you go B", Aidan said as she passed Brennan a plate, "Dig into whatever".
There was an assortment of meat and vegetables on the table. As Brennan looked over the various foods, she noticed something that reminded her slightly of home. Furthest away from her way a Thai dish, vegetarian too by the looks of it. "Lola, could you perhaps put a few spoonfuls of the Thai dish on my plate for me?", Brennan asked her new acquaintance.
"Yeah sure", Lola said putting down her knife and fork, "It's vegetarian just so you know".
"That's okay, I am one", she told the group as Lola passed back her plate.
"You are?", Aidan said shocked by the statement, "You seemed to be a meat eating person to me".
"I was, but after seeing how you kill a pig, I was seriously put of eating meat", she told them as she put the first spoonful of Thai into her mouth.
"You can stare at a dead body all day and not get grossed out, but the thought of killing a pig makes you sick", Aidan re-alliterated, and Brennan nodded.
"So what do you do for a living?", Megan asked as she went for a forkful of sausage.
"I'm a Forensic Anthropologist. I'm called in when a body is too decomposed to be identified. In these modern times though, the bodies tend to be murder victims", she said as she reached down for her bag, not noticing the group had stopped eating, "Do you mind if I check my emails?".
"Go ahead, think we might be finished with our food anyway", O'Malley told her as he gulped down his last mouthful.
She turned her laptop on, and as she flicked through she didn't notice her acquaintances exchange glances with Aidan. They were trying to urge her to perhaps start a new topic, seeing as she knew Brennan better than anyone sat at the table. "Hey B, do you think you will participate in our competition on Thursday?", Aidan asked when she saw that the doc had finished with her emails.
"What competition?", she asked looking at them confused.
"You know, if that boy didn't have to remind him, he would leave the house without his head", Aidan laughed as she looked over to Bart and his father.
"I don't understand", Brennan stated as she packed away her laptop.
"There is annual competition on Thursday that involves the dragons with and without riders competing", Lola went on to explain ignoring Brennan's comment.
"There is a category between each dragon species, otherwise the Night Furies would just dominate the whole day", Gordon added.
"And all the dragons and riders come from the other continents, even if they don't participate", Megan said excitedly.
"No offense doc, but you Americans don't seem to bother to come. Too much going on over there for them", Lola finished, "Maybe you can convince them next year to come".
"Plus, it gives me another day to think about what I can teach those kids after we completed about six lessons in one day", Aidan added.
"You what?", O'Malley asked loudly, as he had every reason to be shocked.
"How the hell did that happen Aid?", Lola screeched.
"Look to my left", Aidan smiled, and the four looked to Brennan who had gone back to her food for a moment.
Brennan looked up from her food to find four sets of incredibly shocked eyes staring straight at her. "What have I done now?", she asked as she threw down her fork, "It seems that everything I do here is beyond the normal".
AN: Dear God I'm exhausted. Sorry that it has been nearly a month since I updated last. My exams have finished, and it has taken me since the end of June until this weekend to recover. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I have some ideas for the next one. I have to update my other fanfic 'The Fugitive' this week as I haven't updated that one longer than this one. I'm predicting that this is going to be one hell of a story as I have planned this one out, unlike the others that seem to be going on forever and ever, and to be honest with you, I'm getting rather bored with them, so I need to finish them up quickly too. Until next time, and please review, Stitch.