Jun and Eugene were having lunch, and their mother was being their mother.
"Jun, don't eat so fast," she said. "You have teeth for a reason."
"I want to get a Dragon Club. I'm late," said Jun.
May sighed. "You focus too much time on this silly fantasy game."
"It's not a fantasy game," said Jun.
"Oh, then what is it? Do tell me."
Both Jun and Eugene then went completely stiff.
"You're right," Jun sighed. "It's just a silly fantasy game."
"Yes, and fantasy games for little kids," said May, and then he handed Eugene his sandwich. "Here you go, Genie. PB and J with the crusts cut off. I'm off to work."
"Thank you, Mommy," said Eugene, blowing her a kiss.
Jun raised an eyebrow. "You still don't eat the crusts?"
"If the crust was so good, they'd make the whole sandwich out of it," said Eugene, biting down on his sandwich.
"You have to stop letting her baby you," said Jun. "It's embarrassing."
"Who are you callin' a baby?" Eugene glared and then winced. "Ah! This jelly's kind of spicy." He then quickly put the sandwich down. "Okay. Do babies have pythons like this?" He began to flex his muscles and pulled out his mastic cologne. "Or wear Arctic Chill Max Body Spray?"
He then began covering himself with the cologne, which completely wreaked.
"That stuff is rank!" Jun coughed.
"If by rank you mean leathery and masculine, then, yes, yes, it is," Eugene smiled and breathed in. "Take a good with. Boom! Roasted!"
Jun just rolled her eyes.
Meanwhile, the other Dragon Riders were in the Nature Realm, tracking down a dragon.
"Where are Jun and Eugene?" D'Angelo asked.
"I told them where we were headed," said Tom. "They're runnin' late. Something about a peanut and jelly flex-off?"
"Whatever it is, ten to one, it's all Eugene stopped," said James.
"I would say that's a pretty safe bet," Alex agreed.
They then heard a dragon roar from the trees, and when Tom looked down, he saw movement.
"That must be it," said Tom.
"Shouldn't we move a little closer?" D'Angelo asked.
Tom shook his head. "Not a good idea. The book says that this dragon has highly acute senses."
D'Angelo then saw something slowly making its way into the clearing. "There it is! It's moving into the clearing."
They then quietly landed on a nearby branch and watched as the dragon slowly exited the shadows.
"Almost. Almost," said D'Angelo eagerly.
Everyone watched in anticipation, but suddenly, they heard two very loud voices approaching.
"Well, it's not my fault; I'm perfect," said Eugene's voice.
"Nothing is your fault, Eugene!" Jun spat.
"Sh! Keep it down!" Tom hissed as they landed.
"What? Why? What did we miss?" Eugene asked loudly.
Tom then pointed his head towards the dragon they had been tracking, which immediately retreated back into the trees.
"And it's gone," said James.
"Urgh! Great," Tom groaned. "Lost it."
They flew up towards the clearing, but there was no sign of the dragon.
"What was it?" Jun asked.
"Been tracking this dragon called a Snifflehide," said Tom, then narrowed his eyes at her and Eugene. "And then…"
"We would've been on time, but he took forever to eat his lunch because my mom had to cut the crusts off his sandwich," said Jun as they dismounted their dragons.
"My mom wants to," said Eugene. "If someone's going to do something for me, I let them." Then, he approached D'Angelo; James and Alex winced as they smelt cologne. "What's wrong with that? It's called being considerate."
"What is that smell?" D'Angelo asked.
"Some sort of man-musk," said Alex.
"Smells like a skunk in a rotten egg factory," said James.
"I'm surprised he didn't have Mom; chew it for him, too," Jun teased.
"That's dumb," Eugene scoffed. "Wait, you think she would? And anyway, you're the one who almost told her the secret."
"I didn't almost tell her the secret," Jun argued, then looked at Tom. "Why can't I tell her, Tom? Your mom and James' sister know."
"Yeah, I'd love to finally stop lying by omission to my parents, too," said D'Angelo.
"And my moms could be reunited with Glowmer, their favourite Fireworm," Alex added.
"No, guys, we just can't," said Tom. "Remember, I didn't tell my mom, and James didn't tell his sister. They found out by themselves. And they both promised to keep the secret."
"Huh! For now," Eugene scoffed.
"We can't let anyone else know," said Tom. "Without the secret, all dragons are in danger."
They then heard a distant roar, and the dragons immediately responded to it.
"It's the Snifflehide!" D'Angelo gasped.
"But it sounds… upset?" said Tom. "Come on!"
They immediately dashed towards their dragons.
"You sure your mom's going to keep the secret?" Jun asked as Tom mounted Thunder.
"Of course, I'm sure," said Tom confidently, but then suddenly had an experience of doubt. "Pretty sure. Hopefully."
Olivia was making her way to the Science Centre in ICARUS Station, and she was conflicted about keeping the dragons a secret from everyone, especially the Riders' parents.
She was so distracted that she accidentally slammed the trolley she was pushing into Carla.
"Oh, sorry, Carla," she said apologetically. "Just a little distracted today."
"Olivia, you can't fool me," said Carla. "If something's bothering you, you can talk to me about it."
Olivia sighed. "Have you ever had to keep a secret? The weight of it felt so heavy you just wanted to confide in someone?"
Carla smiled. "Ah, well, you've come to the right woman. I've never known a secret I didn't keep. Now, just sit down right here and let it all out."
Olivia took a deep breath and sat down. "Two days ago, I found out…"
"… Carla!" Hazel exclaimed as she rushed into the lab. "So, I shouldn't say anything because they asked me to keep it a secret, but Linda told me that she and Murray, the night watch card, are dating!"
"I knew it!" Carla cried.
"You did? How?"
"Well, Murray told me that he had a crush on Linda, so I told Linda so Linda could ask him out."
"Ooh, you are bad."
The two of them then left.
Olivia just looked at the two women and decided that spilling the secret to them was not wise.
"Olivia, you didn't hear any of this," said Hazel.
"My lips are sealed," Olivia promised and then promptly left.
"Wait, wait," said Carla. "What were you going to tell me?"
"You know what? I totally forgot what I was going to say," she said, leaving the lab rather tense.
Back in the Nature Realm, the source of the dragon cry was the Snifflehide, which Buzzsaw had captured and his henchmen.
The Snifflehide was as big as Thunder, with forest green scales and an extremely large snout.
"Look at those colours on you," said Buzzsaw. "You are going to make an exquisite tapestry."
Ford and Winston looked at him, confused.
"You know, a tapestry! A vibrant fabric so decorative and versatile that when you hang it on a wall or be used as a throw to transform any room into a sanctuary.
Ford and Winston looked at one another and shrugged as Buzzsaw began pegging the rope to the ground.
The Riders had just arrived and saw the Snifflehide in distress.
"Buzzsaw's got the Snifflehide," said Tom.
"And it looks like he's got some henchmen with him," James added.
"We have to do something," said D'Angelo.
Tom looked at Thunder. "You ready, Pal?"
Thunder growled fiercely.
Once Buzzsaw had firmly secured the rope, Ford and Winston quickly released it as the Snifflehide struggled to free herself.
"And with what's left over with you, maybe I'll make a cape," said Buzzsaw as he examined her wings. "To denote my importance and stature in the underground dragon market."
"There's a dragon market?" said Winston.
"Not yet. But just you wait. Rich people love exotic animals. For pets, or using their skins as fashion, or eating scrambled dragon eggs as a delicacy."
"Let 'em go, Buzzsaw!" Tom demanded as he and the other Riders arrived.
"I was hoping something had swallowed you by now," Buzzsaw growled and then looked at his men. "You two! Get them!"
"How?" Ford asked.
"I don't care. They're kids! You're two grown adults!"
"And we have dragons," said James.
Plowhorn came charging in like a rampaging rhino, and Buzzsaw quickly jumped out of the way. His men were not as fortunate and were sent flying as she crashed into them.
Tom then landed behind Buzzsaw. "Don't move."
Buzzsaw looked around and saw Thunder growling at him, and he immediately raised his hands in surrender.
Tom looked at James. "Cut the Snifflehide loose."
"Easily done," said James as he and Blade approached the rope.
However, Blade had a chance to cut the rope; Eugene hopped off Webmaster and rushed over to the dragon.
"Don't worry, Sniffleface," he said. "I'll get ya out in a jiff!"
He then attempted to undo the rope around her neck, but the knot was pretty tight.
"Wow. Really on there, huh?" he said, looking at the others. "Uh, I could use a little help!"
"What else is new?" said Jun, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, sorry, I'm not Miss 'I'm so take-care and capable of everything myself'."
Jun then hopped off Wei. "Oh, you're definitely not."
"Wait."
"Mom, make sure that."
"Mom understands my needs."
"You need to move to the other side of the planet."
Buzzsaw smiled and used this distraction to grab his hatchet.
Thunder growled after seeing this, and Tom saw the problem instantly.
"Look out!" Tom yelled.
Buzzsaw quickly got behind Eugene and placed the Blade of his hatchet against his neck. "Now, don't move! Or your friend here… Or your friend…" Buzzsaw looked as if he was going to be sick. "Oh, what is that smell? Urgh! It smells like a polar bear's armpit."
"Oh, you mean my Arctic Chill Max Body Spray," said Eugene.
"I think it smells nice," said Ford.
"Oh, yeah, that's, uh… it's musky," Winston agreed.
Eugene winked and clicked his tongue, grateful for the compliment.
Buzzsaw slowly backed up towards the Snifflehide. "Now you're all going to back off and let us take this dragon, or else this smelly kid gets a close shave."
The Snifflehide then sniffed the air and suddenly became agitated. The rope then snapped, freeing her, surprising Buzzsaw, and causing him to release Eugene.
"Whoa!" said Buzzsaw as she growled at him fiercely. "Hey, hey! Calm down!"
The Snifflehide then struck him with her snout, sending him flying.
"You messed with the wrong lumberjack, dragon," Buzzsaw glared.
Then, he and his men immediately ran into the trees and disappeared.
"Yeah! That's right!" Eugene cheered. "Next time, think twice before messin' with this guy!"
He then marched up to Jun smugly. "Ya see, Jun-bug! Dragons protect alphas and stuff, so this dragon…"
The Snifflehide then suddenly snatched Eugene, causing him to scream and fly up into the air.
"Hey, guys! She's carrying me to my death!" Eugene yelled at the top of his voice.
"Let him go!" Jun yelled.
"You might want to rethink those words," said James.
Webmaster then suddenly took off after them.
"Webmaster! Wait up!" Tom yelled, following after him.
"Hurry! Before it gets away!" Jun yelled as she and the other Riders followed Tom.
Eugene was struggling to free himself from the Snifflehide's grip.
"Let me go!" he yelled and then looked down to discover he was several hundred feet in the air. "No, wait! Don't! Uh, just put me down, okay? Uh, put me down softly?!"
Tom and the others quickly followed them, but the Snifflehide dived into the forest and disappeared amongst the trees.
"Eugene!" D'Angelo yelled.
"Anybody got a visual on 'em?" Tom asked.
"Mmm, nothing," said Alex.
"Nothing here," said James.
"That dragon blends in with the trees," said Jun.
"We don't need a visual," said D'Angelo, looking down at Plowhorn. "Plowhorn can track its scent."
"With that body spray, we probably all can," said Alex.
Plowhorn certainly did have an easy time sniffing out Eugene.
"She's got something!" said D'Angelo. "This way, come on!"
They quickly followed Plowhorn, but Jun couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened.
"You okay?" Tom asked.
"I just feel bad," said Jun. "If I wasn't teasing Eugene, you guys wouldn't have been distracted, and he wouldn't have been taken."
"Eugene is more than capable of getting into trouble all by himself, and we always have to bail him out," said James.
"James is right. There is no need to worry. We'll find him," Tom promised. "In the meantime, Eugene can take care of himself."
Jun still looked rather worried, and Alex flew up to Tom.
"Wasn't Jun gripe that he literally can't take himself?" Alex whispered.
"Best not remind her," said James.
Around the same time, Olivia was wandering through the woods trying to call Tom on her phone, but he wasn't picking up.
"Come on, come on, Tom, pick up," she pleaded.
"Hey, it's Tom! Leave it!" said Tom's voicemail.
"Boyo, we need to talk about this secret," she said. "I just… I don't know if it's right for me to keep…"
Suddenly, she heard a klaxon, causing her to jump, until she realised she had just walked through several motion sensors.
A split second later, Philip arrived on his quad bike. "Hey, Dr K… Oh. You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Oh! It's… this alarm," she said. "Is that new?"
"Oh, yeah," he said, switching the klaxons off. "It's designed to differentiate between a human intruder and an animal intruder."
"Why do we need special sirens for non-human things?" Olivia asked.
"Well, I don't want to alarm you, but we're pretty far out in the wilderness. No tellin' what kind of dangerous creatures might come out of the forest lookin' for food. Know what I mean?"
Olivia nodded somewhat awkwardly.
"And we've got kids to protect," Philip added. "We want to know they're safe at all times, right?"
"Right. Good point," she said. "Well, I better head back to the lab."
"Sure thing. Have you seen D'Angelo?" Philip asked. "Is he with Tom?"
"I… haven't seen him today," Olivia admitted.
"If you do, let me know."
Olivia laughed nervously. "I'm sure they're all fine."
Eugene was anything but fine as the Snifflehide was carrying him to who knows where. Eventually, she took him all the way to a top mountain peak where her nest resided and dropped him down.
Eugene hit the stone surface rather hard, but he was just glad to be out of the dragon's claws and began looking to see if he was missing any limbs. "Okay, is everything there? Okay. Okay, Eugene. Stay calm. Breathe. You just got to get outta here and not be this dragon's lunch."
He rose to his feet and was prepared to leave, only for the Snifflehide to land right in front of him.
"Whoa! Ah!" he said fearfully. "Hey, there, buddy. Let's all stay calm, all right? We're pals, right?"
He waved his arms at the Snifflehide, but it didn't appear to be able to see him. He then tried to sneak away, but she could still sniff out and roared.
Eugene immediately stopped in his tracks and turned to face the dragon. "Uh, first things first, I taste really bad. I mean, like, r…" She then began licking him constantly. "Uh, I taste like rotten fish."
Sadly, that did not stop the dragon from licking him. "I forgot dragons like fish. Did I say rotten fish? I mean, taste like, uh, uh, tomatoes!"
The dragon then grabbed some leaves.
"What are you…?" The dragon then tossed the leaves over him. "Oh, no! You're making me into a salad? Ah, uh, did I say tomatoes? I meant I taste like…"
He tried to back away, only for the dragon to toss even more leaves on him and advance towards him.
"No, no! Please, please, please! Stop, stop, stop, stop!" he begged.
However, the dragon licked and covered him in leaves instead of eating him.
The Dragon Riders were finally able to track them down and were now observing from a nearby mountaintop.
"I have eyes on him," said Jun, looking through the binoculars. "He's in trouble. It's… burying him in leaves?"
"Is it… eating him?" D'Angelo asked.
"No, it's… licking him?" Jun frowned.
"Could be softening him up, like a tongue tenderiser," said Alex.
Tom looked through the Book of Dragons. "I don't think so. According to the book, Snifflehide's aren't meat eaters."
"Oh, that's good," said D'Angelo relieved. "Then why did it take him?"
"Not sure. Apparently, Snifflehides aren't normally aggressive, either. But the book says they do have bad eyesight."
"Maybe it evolved to be a meat eater since the book was written," said Alex.
"Evolution doesn't happen that quickly," said James.
"Something's not adding up," said Tom.
Eugene was now wrapped in what can only be described as a blanket of leaves and could barely move.
"Hey! I can't move!" he yelled. "Let me out! I don't like this!"
The Snifflehide then flew off, leaving Eugene alone.
"It left!" said Jun.
"All right," said Tom. "We need to get in there fast."
Webmaster didn't waste any time and quickly took off.
"No! Webmaster! Wait!" Tom yelled.
Eugene was still struggling to free himself but was delighted to see Webmaster hovering above him.
"Webs!" he beamed. "You came for me! Listen, this dragon packed me up in super tight. Help me out!"
A split second later, the other Riders landed in the nest.
"Jun! Guys!" said Eugene as she and the Riders dashed over to him. "Quick! Get me outta here!"
"Keep it down," Jun hissed.
"We don't want the Snifflehide to come back," said D'Angelo.
"Get me out of this slobbering cocoon!" Eugene yelled.
Unfortunately, his yell alerted the Snifflehide, who immediately flew back to the nest.
"We're too late!" said D'Angelo.
"Thunder! Hide!" Tom ordered.
"What? Wait!" Eugene protested while everyone dashed to find a hiding place. "I-I'm still stuck in here."
The dragons immediately flat on the other Riders and hide behind the Snifflehide's nest.
A few moments later, the Snifflehide arrived and began sniffing the air while approaching Eugene.
"Oh, hi there," said Eugene, smiling nervously. "Uh, so glad you came back."
Tom then suddenly smelt something terrible. "Oh, what is that smell?"
"It's these dragon eggs," Jun winced. "They reek."
"They smell almost as bad as Eugene," said James, looking like he was about to be sick.
"Ah, they smell like the inside of a sweaty gym sock mixed with that blue toilet cleaning stuff," said Alex.
"I'm also picking up a slight hint of burnt leather and…" said D'Angelo as he sniffed the eggs. "…mint?"
"Wait a minute," said Jun as she recognised the scent. "They don't smell almost as bad as Eugene; they smell exactly like him."
"Uh, guys. What's it doing?" Eugene asked nervously.
They poked their head out from behind the nest and saw that the Snifflehide was choking.
"What is it doing?" Alex asked.
D'Angelo frowned. "I think it's about to…"
The Snifflehide threw up next to Eugene's head, and everyone winced in disgust.
"Is it sick?" Alex asked.
"No, I think it's trying to feed Eugene," said D'Angelo as the Snifflehide moved Eugene close to its puke. "This is actually how many birds feed their young."
"Feed him? Why is it feeding him?" Jun asked.
"Wait, Jun's right!" D'Angelo announced. "The eggs do smell like Eugene! Like his body spray! The dragon must think Eugene is her baby."
"And that's why it's been covering him in leaves, to keep him warm," said James.
"Guys! Please, this is not cool," Eugene cried as the Snifflehide moved his head closer to the puke. "Get me outta here. It's tryin' to put my face in its barf."
They all immediately laughed at the sight.
"Why are you laughing?! Help!" Eugene demanded.
"This should be normal for you," said Jun. "The dragon is cutting up your food, like Mom!"
The dragon then shoved his face in the puke with her snort, making everyone laugh.
"Eugene, if someone wants to do something for you, let them," Jun sniggered.
They all laughed again and quickly hid behind the nest when the Snifflehide turned to look at them. Fortunately, the scent of her eggs hit them from her super sense of smell.
"All right, we should come up with a plan to save him," said D'Angelo, becoming serious.
"Take your time," said Jun. "This is kind of fun now. And it's not like he's in any immediate danger or anything."
"Ah! Help!" Eugene screamed.
"Uh, the no imminent danger thing might've just changed," said Alex.
They all looked and saw the Snifflehide picking Eugene up and placing him down near the edge of the next. She shoved him close to the edge, and Eugene could see the drop.
"Whoa! No! No, no, no! Please, please, please!" Eugene pleaded. "Uh, let me back into the nest! I'll eat more puke! Anything!"
He tried to run away, but the Snifflehide grabbed him and placed him back near the edge of the nest. She then shoved him closer to the edge and spread her wings, flapping them.
"Guys! A little help, please!" Eugene begged.
"Oh, no," said Jun, realising what the dragon was doing. "It's trying to teach him to fly."
"We're out of time!" said Alex. "If it pushes him, it's game over."
"We have to move now!" said Tom.
They quickly moved but were too late as the Snifflehide shoved him over the edge.
"No!" D'Angelo yelled.
"Eugene!" Jun screamed.
Fortunately, Eugene could grab the ledge, but the Snifflehide began to peck his fingers to loosen them.
"Ah! No, no, no!" Eugene yelled. "Stop! I can't fly!"
The Riders began yelling, waving their arms around to get the Snifflehide's attention.
"Hey, hey!" Tom yelled.
"Leave him alone!" D'Angelo yelled.
"Listen to them!" Eugene yelled.
The Snifflehide turned to face the Riders and immediately roared at them furiously, immediately silencing them.
"And I thought my moms were protective," said Alex.
Eugene was struggling to hold onto the ledge. "I can't hold on much…"
The Snifflehide then dipped a backward step in on one of his hands; now, he was hanging onto the lead with only one hand. He looked down at his eyes widened, then pulled himself back onto the ledge.
"You want me to fly?" he said to the dragon. "Okay."
He then pushed back for the ledge and plummeted towards the ground.
"Eugene!" Jun screamed.
Ten seconds later, Webmaster rose from beneath the ledge with Eugene on his back.
"Look who learned how to fly!" said Eugene smugly. "Thanks, buddy."
The Snifflehide sniffed the air, and she instantly realised the presence of Webmaster and roared angrily.
"Oh, no," said Eugene. "She smells me! Let's get outta here, Webs!"
They quickly took off.
"Go, go, go, go, go, go!" said Eugene frantically.
He looked back and saw that the Snifflehide had also taken off and followed them. Webmaster did some fancy manoeuvres to shake her off, but it was useless as she was always on their tail.
"Are you guys seeing this?!" said D'Angelo amazed. "Its sense of smell is as good as having perfect vision!"
"Yeah, great. Super fascinating," said Alex.
"And it would be fascinating if Eugene weren't in current danger," said James.
"Alex, run some interference!" Tom ordered.
"On it!" she said and mounted Feathers.
They then quickly took off after Eugene.
Eugene was currently trying to shake the Snifflehide but to no avail. That was until Alex blocked her path. She tried to get around them, but the other Riders arrived, blocking her path.
"Hurry, Webs, take us down!" Eugene ordered.
They quickly flew back down to the nest, and the moment they landed, Eugene was thrown off Webmaster. Wu and Wei landed a few seconds later with Jun.
"Jun, that thing's all over me!" said Eugene, looking up at her. "It's coming back this way!"
Jun looked back and saw that he was right. "You need a shower!"
"After all this, you came up here to tease me again?" Eugene groaned.
"No, I'm serious!" she said. "It's tracking you for the scent of your body spray. Now, hold still! Wu, Wei! Give Eugene a good steam clean!"
The two-headed dragon complied and blasted Eugene with an ice and heat blast.
"Urgh!" Eugene groaned. "This feels like Florida in the summer. And I smell like dragon breath."
"It's actually a big improvement," said Jun.
The Snifflehide then landed and began to sniff Eugene, who was too terrified to move an inch. Fortunately, the steam bath did the trick, and she was alone, convinced that he was one of her babies. Eugene gave a sigh reliever as he watched her fly away.
Jun rushed over and smiled at her brother.
"Thanks for helpin' me out," he said. "I mean, I could have handled it myself, but…"
"It doesn't matter," said Jun. "I'm just glad you're okay."
"Aw, I'm just glad you're okay, too," said a voice above them.
They looked up and saw Buzzsaw hovering above them on his Timberjack, which he called Jack. He dismounted Jack, landed in the nest, and everyone glared at him.
"Go on, get yourself somethin' to eat," said Buzzsaw, slapping Jack's tail.
Jack flew away just as Ford and Winston climbed into the nest themselves.
Buzzsaw looked at the Riders. "At first, I was mad that I lost out on that dragon. But then you idiots led me right to its nest, and lookie what we have here!"
He then approached the eggs of the nest intact, one of them with his hatchet. Tom attempted to mount Thunder, but Buzzsaw noticed this.
"Stay right where you are, kiddos," he said threateningly. "I can raise a whole bunch of them. I'll be their mama. Boots, jackets, tapestries."
Everyone just gave him blank looks.
"And tapestries are, uh, fancy decorations," Winston explained.
"We know what tapestries are, where you make them with fabric, not dragon high," said James.
Buzzsaw wasn't listening. He sniffed the eggs and immediately pulled back his head and discussed. "These things reek. Ford. Winston. Gather 'em up."
Ford and Winston complied and made their way to the nest, grabbing a few of the eggs.
"Don't touch them," Tom warned.
"Or what?" Buzzsaw smirked as he picked up one of the eggs. "Oh! That's right. You can't hurt a dragon."
"He's right," said D'Angelo. "They've got the eggs. We can't risk blasting them."
They then heard the Snifflehide's roar in the distance, which was getting closer.
Buzzsaw looked at Ford and Winston. "Hurry up, you two! We don't need thin' coming back. That's one nasty lizard."
"She's not nasty," said Eugene as he rose to his feet and pulled out his cologne. "But she is an overprotective mother."
He then tossed a bottle of cologne at Buzzsaw, which smashed at his feet, covering him in the substance.
"Ah! It's a chemical attack!" Buzzsaw coughed, dropping his hatchet.
"Hey, Mamam Dragon! Found another hatchling!" Eugene yelled.
The Snifflehide heard this and sniffed the air, smelling Buzzsaw's new scent, and instantly flew up towards him. Before he had any time to react, the dragon landed before him and began to sniff them.
Buzzsaw looked utterly terrified, quickly becoming disgusted when the dragon licked him.
"Ah! Disgusting!" he said.
The Snifflehide then grabbed him and flew over the forest.
"Ford! Winston! Help! Help!" he yelled desperately.
The two brothers looked at one another, unsure how they could offer assistance.
The Snifflehide then dropped him over the forest, and he screamed all the way down, hitting every branch before hitting the ground. She then swooped down towards him, and just as he recovered from the following, he immediately ran for it.
"Stay away from me!" he yelled.
Ford and Winston looked at one another and then at the Riders and their angry-looking dragons.
"I would put those eggs back where you found them if I were you," James advised.
"Ooh, yeah, we're, uh, we're going to go now," said Winston as they put the eggs back in the nest.
"Uh, yeah," Ford nodded as they slowly backed away.
A split second later, they immediately ran out of the nest.
"Might want to give your boss a bath!" Tom suggested.
Later that afternoon, Jun and Eugene were having dinner back home, the day's events on their minds.
"Eugene? Listen, I guess it's not your fault how Mom treats you," said Jun. "Sometimes, I get a little jealous that she likes you better than me."
"Likes me better?" Eugene blinked. "Nah. She just treats us differently based on what she thinks we can handle. And she obviously thinks you're the most capable."
"No way," said Jun sceptically.
"Seriously! I mean, she's wrong, but still… How do you think that makes me feel? You two are exactly alike. It's so annoying. Like, yeah, you're hyper-focused on weird myths and stuff, and she's hyper-focused on spreadsheets and all that, but you're basically the same person."
Jun stared at him, speechless, unable to believe any of this; then she saw her mother sitting at the table working on her laptop. She must have given her a strange look as she looked at her, confused.
"What is it? You need something?" she asked.
"Oh! Uh… no," said Jun.
"We were just finishing up dinner," said Eugene.
"Let me get your plate," said May as he prepared to get out of her chair.
"Oh, that's all right, Ma," said Eugene. "I got it."
"Ooh, very impressive," May smiled and then turned to Jun. "Jun, don't forget to clean your plate, too. Then study! And clean your room."
Jun couldn't help but smile.
"What?" May frowned. "You need to get the small things out of the way to focus and make way for big accomplishments."
"Yes, Mom," said Jun.
May then turned and looked at Eugene. "Genie. Bath time."
She then turned and continued to focus on her work.
Eugene smiled at Jun. "See?"
He then grabbed their plates and dumped them in the sink before going to his bedroom.
"Uh, Eugene, you have to actually use the sink to clean the dishes," Jun pointed out.
"C'mom! I did the clearing part," he said and continued to return to his bedroom before leaving towards Jun. "Boom, roasted."
Jun merely shook her head.
Olivia, meanwhile, was cleaning up the lab when Sledkin entered.
"Olivia," she said.
"Hi, Wilma," said Olivia. "Is everything okay?"
"No, everything's not."
"Oh."
"I'm going to cut the chase," said Sledkin as she examined one of the beakers. "I know you're keeping a secret. A big secret."
Olivia immediately became stiff, fearing that she knew about the dragons.
"As if I wouldn't find out about Linda dating Murray eventually," said Sledkin.
Olivia immediately relaxed. "Linda and Murray."
"So we're clear, in the future, I appreciate being kept out of the loop," said Sledkin bluntly. "Understand?"
"Ha! Got it," said Olivia nervously, giving her the thumbs up. "I will keep you in the loop."
"Thanks, friend," said Sledkin and began to reach the door.
Olivia then gave a silent sigh of relief.
"Oh, and Olivia?" said Sledkin, turning her head towards her. "That's not a request. Keeping things from me is never wise. I find out everything that goes on in this lab." She then placed a shade back on and narrowed her eyes. "Everything."
She then closed the door, leaving behind a nervous Olivia, who began questioning whether keeping the dragons a secret was wise.