"Darn it where is he?" Dominic thought to herself frantically.
Blood Moon was going to kill her if she didn't find him. Marty had just turned thirteen and with that came his first wolf transformation. That meant he was unpredictable and extremely aggressive. Suddenly she heard and attack growl not far away along with the grunt of a human. Dominic ran quickly finding her pack mate and slamming into him knocking him off the human he had just pinned down and stopping him from tearing the human apart. The young werewolf and dragon growled at one another as they fought. Dominic quickly pinned the werewolf. He bit and clawed at her but could not penetrate her scales. Dominic could see that his pupils were almost completely constricted meaning that the wolf was in control. She howled to signal the rest of the pack as the black wolf continued to bite her.
"Marty stop! You're going to break your teeth." Dominic warned but he ignored her.
"Dominic?" A voice that she recognized asked behind her. She turned to look at the human Marty had attacked.
"Batman?" Dominic asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask the same of you." he stated.
"This is my packs territory." Dominic informed him.
"Pack?" he asked.
She nodded towards the snarling werewolf.
"So you can talk now." he noted.
"A lot has changed." Dominic commented.
"Bats!" Someone called.
A red streak came into view. It was the Flash. His eyes looked between the werewolf, the dragon, and Batman then back again. Dominic immediately tensed up.
"Whoa! Friend of yours?" he asked Batman.
"It's alright." Batman assured both of them. "This is…"
"White Fire." She interrupted.
"My name is White Fire." I'd appreciate you not revealing my identity considering I know yours she communicated telepathically.
Batman narrowed his eyes at the dragon.
"For a nine-year-old you're incredibly cynical." Batman commented.
"Uh what does cynical mean?" Dominic asked.
"Wait she's how old?" Flash asked.
Before Batman could answer the rest of the Justice League appeared. They weren't the only ones. Four massive wolves skidded to a halt. Three of the four were giant wolves but James was a different type of werewolf. He stood up on his hind legs and moved his clawed hands to attack. The pack growled at the League and prepared to attack.
"Alpha it's OK there not here to hurt us." Dominic said trying to stop the fight before it began.
"Then why are you here?" Rowena demanded. No one answered.
"Uh Alpha I don't think they can understand wolf-speech" Dominic commented.
The red wolf stopped growling and moved behind a large tree. She emerged a minute later in human form. She had dark tones skin with tinted red hair and chocolate brown eyes.
"I am Blood Moon. Why have you come into my territory?" she demanded.
Superman stepped forward. "We don't mean to intrude but there are some escaped prisoners that we believe have entered your territory." He informed her.
"Who?" Blood Moon asked. Everyone noticed her eyes had begun to turn gold again.
"Solomon Grundy, Copperhead, and Shade." Hawkgirl spoke up.
Blood Moon walked over to Marty who was still pinned down. Her eyes glowed completely gold causing the young werewolf to whine in submission.
"Greyback, take my son back to the den." Blood Moon ordered before shifting back into wolf form.
James lumbered forward throwing the much smaller wolf over his shoulder and disappearing back into the woods.
"Dominic will you translate for me?" the alpha wolf asked.
Dominic nodded. "She said apologies she cannot maintain a human form for very long under the full moon" Dominic translated. "She also apologies that the entire pack will not be able to assist as we have a newly turned wolfling. She wants these criminals out of the territory as soon as possible especially now."
"Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated." Superman thanked.
"Oh I can help!" Dominic beamed happily. "But Alpha what should I do about the wendigo.
Blood Moon sighed. She had forgotten about the monsters with everything that was going on.
"She said that there have been two wendigoes spotted within our territory. We're not sure if they are still here but she doesn't want to take the chance of any of you getting eaten. The rest of the pack will accompany you for your safety." Dominic informed them.
"Dibs on the hot werewolf." Flash said earning him a smack on head from Wonder Woman. Blood Moon couldn't help but give a small smile though in wolf form it look a bit like a snarl.
They ended up splitting into five teams. May went with Batman and Wonder Woman, Sarah went with Hawkgirl, Rowena went with Green Lantern, Dominic went with Flash and J'onn. Superman was his own group. Flash and J'onn easily kept up with White Fire as she trotted through the forest looking for tracks.
"So what's a wendigo?" Flash asked.
"The scariest monster you will ever see." White Fire commented.
"What could possibly scare you?" Flash asked the dragon.
"Flash!" J'onn scolded.
"It's Ok I know I'm scary. I don't want people to be afraid of me but they are. It's something I'm getting used to it." White Fire admitted.
"Sorry I didn't mean it like that. Dragons are awesome." Flash apologized.
White Fire gave him a small smile.
"Wendigoes are really fast, strong and really smart. They are way better hunters than anything in the world and they only eat humans." White Fire informed him.
"Sounds like you're in the clear." Flash commented.
"Not really. They will kill me for being a large predator or cause they think I'll hurt them." White Fire stated skidding to a halt.
She had found a human track but that wasn't what interested her. Following the human trail were some of the clearest wendigo tracks she had ever seen.
"Looks like we're not the only one tracking the prisoners." White Fire commented following the tracks at a much faster speed. As they ran White Fire felt something pushing against the boundaries of her mind. Her natural defenses struck at the uninvited intruder. She noticed J'onn wince as if he had just been bitten.
"Are you OK?" White Fire asked.
"Fine. It would appear that your mind is heavily defended for one so young." J'onn stated.
White Fire gave a confused look before realizing what had occurred.
"Oh! You tried to read my mind." White Fire stated.
"Yes, I apologize for the intrusion." He said.
"It's OK You should have asked me first. I have to actively pull down the barriers around my mind and stop the attack reflex and its rude to do it without permission." She informed the Martian.
"Odd how that didn't happen the first time I saw you." he commented.
White Fire was taken aback by his comment.
"I don't remember seeing you." she responded.
"I was in my Martian form by a creak. You wouldn't have recognized me." J'onn informed her.
White Fire thought back. "That was you?" she asked.
J'onn nodded. "You probably didn't get a chance to try since I ran off so fast." White Fire commented.
"You're probably right." J'onn half smiled.
"So you're a shapeshifter?" White Fire asked. J'onn nodded.
"Me too." The dragon smiled. "Well sort of. I mean I've got a human form but it must be so cool to take on whatever form you want."
J'onn smiled at the dragon. He had never had this reaction from someone before.
"Hey White Fire you said these things were really smart right? How smart is really smart?" Flash asked.
"About as smart as a human I think." She replied.
"So smart enough to set a trap." Flash commented.
Dominic glanced back down at the tracks. The wendigo tracks had disappeared. They were too obvious in the first place she realized. Suddenly there was a blood curdling scream.
"With live bait it would seem." J'onn commented.
"And smart enough to know I don't have my fire yet." White Fire growled as they hurried towards the scream.
Copperhead emerged from the bushes running into the dragon.
"Monster!" he screamed as he looked up at the three of them.
"Dude not cool." Flash scolded.
"I don't think he's talking about me!" White Fire deduced as a wendigo came into view.
It stood on the balls of its feet with long bony claws protruded from both its hands and feet. Its greyish skin stretched across a bony frame. Aside from the filthy cloth covering its genitals the only other clothing was a deer pelt on its back attached to a buck's skull that it wore on its head covering most of it face. The only part of the face that could be seen were the long dagger like teeth. Light growls could be heard with each raspy breath it took.
"Whoa you weren't kidding when you said scary. Don't worry I got this." He said.
"Flash wait!" White Fire called but before she could stop him Flash was already moving extremely fast.
The wendigo was faster. In a blur of motion, it struck Flash with its claws knocking him into White Fire with enough force to push her back a few inches even with her claws dug into the ground.
"You don't got this." She sassed as she leapt over Copperhead and Flash. "Stay behind me."
The dragon gave a fierce growl as she opened her wings and rattled her scales trying to look as intimidating as possible. The wendigo returned her growl with one of its own but did not advance to attack. Before White Fire could make the first move a second wendigo tackled her causing both of them to roll down the hill they were standing on. The wendigo attempted to bite her but like Marty he could not get through her armor like scales. White Fire managed to grab the wendigo's arm in her teeth and tore a gash in its back with her claws. The wound healed instantly and the wendigo being much stronger than the dragon easily pulled free of her grasp. It ripped its claws in the opposite direction of her scales on her shoulder and sides tearing them off exposing the now unprotected flesh underneath. It bit deep into her shoulder tearing flesh away and clawing at her sides trying to disembowel her. The dragon screamed out in pain as blood poured from the wound but dragon blood wasn't like normal blood. It was on fire. The wendigo realized its mistake to late. the fire in the blood caught the wedigo's flesh. It screamed in agony as the fire spread over its body. White Fire got to her feet clutching the wound on her shoulder as the wendigo fell to the ground dead. The body continued burn as she began to climb the hill.
J'onn and Flash were still battling the other wendigo while Copperhead tried to hide. J'onn had taken the form of a snakelike creature and was attempting to wrap around the wendigo while Flash struck with his super speed. The wendigo was every bit as strong and fast as they were. Despite the pain she felt she charged and slashed the wendigo knocking the deer skull and pelt off and revealing its face. Like the rest of the body the skin was stretched over nothing but bone. Its nose looked as if it was rotting it had pointed ears and no lips to cover its fangs. Its eyes were a milky white and filled a look to hunger. The wendigo gave a hellish scream at her as it focused completely on her. It noticed her open wounds and went straight for it making the same mistake the other wendigo had. As soon as it touched her blood it caught fire. It began to scream trying to put out the fire but it only spread. White fire grabbed the wendigo in her teeth and threw it down the hill as it gave one final defiant scream.
White Fire was gasping for breath by the end of the fight.
"Well that was intense." Flash commented. "I thought you didn't have fire."
"I don't." White Fire admitted still wincing from the pain. "I'm not sure what happened."
"You're hurt!" J'onn observed moving to investigate the wounds.
"Please don't." White Fire begged.
"When they touched me they caught on fire and I don't want to hurt you."
Copperhead chose this point to come out of his hiding spot.
"Please take me back to my nice safe cell." He begged Flash.
"I'll take care of Copperhead." Flash offered.
He took Copperhead while White Fire hobbled along on the ground clutching her wound trying to stop the bleeding. J'onn hovered above her taking in the appearence of her wings. They were massive but the muscles on them looked much smaller than they should have.
"Your wings don't appear to be damaged. Are you able to fly?" he asked.
White Fire lowered her ears in sadness.
"I can fly but I'm not supposed to." She informed him. "Blood Moon doesn't like it when I fly. She's worried about me falling and she's right I'm a terrible flyer."
J'onn gave a saddened look. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself." He said.
"It doesn't matter. I can't ... won't go against my alpha." White Fire commented.
This gave J'onn an idea. He levitated her off the ground with his telekinesis causing her to yelp in surprise. They both rose above the tree tops. White Fire opened her wings in response and was to stunned to speak. J'onn reached out with his telepathy and this time she let him in. He felt her overwhelming fear but it was not of the repercussions of her alpha. It was a fear of falling he realized.
"You have fallen before." J'onn stated.
"A few times. My wings aren't strong enough." She admitted "Now please put me down."
"I'm not going to drop you." he assured.
He let her calm down a little bit before moving them forward.
"How are you even doing this?" she asked as the trees rushed past beneath them.
"Martians have incredibly powerful minds that enable us to move object with them. I believe your people call it telekinesis." J'onn informed her
"My people? Oh you mean humans." She realized.
"Do dragons call it something different?" the Martian asked.
"I don't know. I've never met another dragon." J'onn sympathized with the young dragon. "You don't seem to like humans very much." He caught a glimpse of what Scarecrow had done to her.
"I don't trust humans." White Fire clarified. "Except Batman. He's really cool." J'onn couldn't help but smile at that comment.
J'onn spotted the pack along with Batman and Superman. White Fire closed her wings as he gently set her on the ground. Blood Moon gave a low growl but before she could say anything J'onn spoke up.
"Apologies Blood Moon. White Fire was injured by the wendigoes and informed me she could not fly so I levitated her. She did not disobey your orders." He informed the alpha wolf.
"Is this true?" Blood Moon asked.
"I did not disobey your orders alpha." White Fire said in wolf speech as she bowed.
Satisfied the alpha wolf moved to inspect the dragons wound.
"Let me see." she requested.
Without hesitation White Fire moved her blood covered hand away from the wound. It had stopped bleeding but as she set her hand down the grass around it caught fire causing everyone but Blood Moon and J'onn moved back in surprise.
"Blood Moon I'm so sorry I don't know what is happening." White Fire apologized pulling hand away.
The Fire went out a few seconds later.
"What's happening is you're a dragon. Dragon blood is naturally on fire." Blood Moon informed her.
"That would explain what happened to the wendigoes." J'onn commented.
"Wendigoes as in more than one?" Blood Moon asked as she continued to examine the wound.
"Yes Alpha. Two wendigoes set a trap and ambushed us." White Fire confirmed.
"How strange Wendigoes never work together. They'd just as soon eat each other. Your wound should heal in a day or two but it will take considerably longer for your scales to grow back." Blood Moon assured.
"We appreciate your help." Superman spoke up.
Blood Moon gave a bow.
"Is there something we can do for your daughter?" Superman asked.
"Blood Moon is not my mother." White Fire corrected. "None of the pack are and I don't need help. Blood Moon says dragons heal much faster than humans."
"We should go." Blood Moon stated. "Come White Fire."
The pack disappeared into the darkness of the forest. White Fire was about to follow when J'onn caught her attention.
"White Fire, you shouldn't let fear stop you from doing what you are meant to." He communicated.
"I'll remember that." The young dragon replied but to her it wasn't a matter of fear. She was a good girl and she needed to respect her alpha's wishes.
"White Fire!" Blood Moon called.
White Fire bolted after the back keeping her blood covered hand off the ground lest she catch the entire forest on fire.
"What was that about?" Superman asked the Martian.
"Nothing just trying to help a lost soul." J'onn stated.
"You usually don't get so involved with people." Batman commented.
"She reminds me of my daughter." J'onn admitted.
"Was your daughter so cynical?" Batman asked.
"No and neither is she. I saw inside her mind, saw what the scarecrow did to her. She is far from cynical in fact she is kind and full of self-sacrifice. She is merely untrusting of humans except for you apparently." J'onn insisted.
This seemed to surprise Batman.
"Guys can we argue about this later." Superman requested.