"You know, when I imagined my first trip to Florida…" Val muttered while adjusting a blue baseball cap atop her head. "I thought there'd be more beaches and drinks."

Dan was inclined to agree. Heading to a shady spot where an illegal dragon market was being held wouldn't be on his vacation list at all. "Yeah, I'm not fond of going to this place, either… but it's gotta be done. The quicker, the better." He had his reasons for that, one of which was the gray hoodie he flipped over his head. There were consequences of giving himself and his friends public identities: trying to keep a low profile wouldn't be easy. Unless these guys didn't keep up with the news, he wanted to be in and out before they put two and two together.

Val fished a black bandana out of her pocket and tied it around her face. It covered everything but her sapphire eyes and—hopefully—added several minutes to the potential timer. "Where'd she say the place was?"

Dan lightly bumped her shoulder and nodded off to the left. "That alley, up ahead. It looks like a dead end, but it leads under a construction site. A cover-up, but wrapped in enough tape to keep folks out. And remember: Plan D only as a last resort."

"As always," Val muttered as the two turned into the passage and weaved around pedestrians. Dan flashed her a thumbs-up. "Good. Let's get this guy."

Val paused. "And?"

"And see if we can make the dragon trafficking business a little more complicated."

He swore that he saw Val smirking under the mask. "Better."

The two riders walked through the alley, the sounds of the city life at their backs until they reached a dumpster and a wooden palette nestled against a dead end. Moving those aside was no challenge, but Dan knew the real challenge began with the steel door hidden behind them. He hoped Zoey's intel was right as he pounded his fist against its metal surface…

…and a blinder slid open, revealing a pair of suspicious-looking brown eyes. The man behind the door glared at the duo, and Dan cleared his throat. Val leaned to one side and crossed her arms. "Wassup?" she asked in her best gangster voice. The man's eyes narrowed at her. "Beat it, kids. You ain't welcome here."

"Not welcome?" Dan repeated with a slight accent. "So you tellin' me this ain't the hottest wingding this side of the country?"

"I dunno what you're talking about. Now scram!"

"Nuh-uh," Val stood her ground. "Not after we went to all that trouble with the Scale Master."

There was a pause from the man inside. "The hell you just say?"

"What, you never heard of the Scale Master?" Dan continued. "The number one name in the dragon trafficking business? You know, they say he caught-"

"I know who he is," the man snapped. "And ain't no way a pair of scrawnies like you met him face-to-face."

Val released a sharp laugh. "HA! Met him? Buddy, we didn't just 'meet' the Scale Master. He just made his new Winglets… and he wants to check in on your business."

The man behind the door was silent for a moment. "Winglets… Prove it."

Dan scoffed before he approached the door. "He said you'd be a tough customer. But if you insist… the claw that strikes first digs the deepest."

"And opportunity comes to the wings that spread widest," Val added.

More silence. It was a little longer than the previous pauses as the brown eyes darted between the two Riders… until the visor slid shut, something clicked on the other end, and the door swung open to reveal a broad man with scars on his muscular arms, a dark tank top, a heavy-duty unzipped jacket, and cargo pants. A beard also covered his face, and Dan noted that it was singed and burnt in certain areas.

"In," he barked. "And be quick about it."

"Yeah," Val whispered to him with stern eyes. "We've already wasted enough time." Dan heard the man grumble to himself, but whatever words he spoke under his breath were lost on Dan as he and Val strode down a hallway. There were a few intersecting passages throughout the corridor, but a lone elevator at the far end caught Val's eyes. "Underground? Smart."

"Smart?" the man grunted. "More like the only choice. Having a market on a roof raises a lot of red flags, and anywhere else, there will be a lot of noise and a lot of noses sniffing around."

"Unless you go off the grid," Dan told him, the three of them piling into the elevator. "Still, I'm surprised this one lasted as long as it did. How long's it been here, two years?"

"Three," the man answered, pressing a single button on the panel and sliding the doors shut. "Lucky folks have kept us in business. Live dragons, scales, claws, eggs… you want it, we got it."

"Hmm…" Val muttered. That's an interesting selection. What kinds of dragons do you have here?"

"Anything willing to fetch a fair price, that's what," he answered flatly. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

"Gladly," Dan replied, although he felt anything but. He'd seen enough imprisoned dragons throughout his breakouts with Nightwatcher, but a part of his mind told the anxious half that this would be nothing new. Just find Zoey's missing person, sabotage the ring, and make a quick getaway on dragon back. Simple as that.

The elevator doors slid open… and Dan's heart told him that maybe it wouldn't be as simple as he thought. The building's sub-level looked less like a basement and more like an underground world of all criminal activity involving dragons. Small dragons were muzzled as dealers stroked them like pets, giving them a clear bad guy image. Larger ones bashed against cage bars and their tantrums were ceased by electric shocks, scars across their bodies telling tales of abuse. One man opened a briefcase to another, who examined its contents before nodding and handing over a chained juvenile Nadder.

"How about that…" Dan heard Val say confidently, though he knew she had to be trying her damndest not to slip up. She was staring at a small selection of dragon eggs kept warm by a set of terrarium-esque lights, tracing a finger over the shells. "This place really does everything."

"Told ya," the man grunted as they passed a crowd of shouting people circling a dug-out hole in the ground. Dan could hear roars and snarls from inside, which made him grimace when he realized what it was.

"Disgusting…"

"What is?"

Dan's heart skipped a beat and his eyes darted around for an explanation. "Uh, th-that! What do you think you're doing with that?!" He jabbed a finger at something that caused Val to gasp under her breath: a spit-roast holding a charred Terrible Terror. "Do you have any idea how much money you've wasted with that thing?!"

"Wasted?" the man scoffed. "Some people will pay a fortune for delicacies like this? Y'know, I hear some folks say the spiky ones taste like chicken…"

"Y-yes, well…" Val had to suppress a rising growl. "We're not interested in dead dragons if you catch my drift. I always find live ones far more exotic and entertaining."

"Don't we all, missy," the man said, turning his eyes to somebody adjusting a scoreboard while others begrudgingly forked over betting money to successful predictors. "Everyone here has their own preferences. Hunters, scale-weavers, arena managers-"

RRRAARRGH! An enraged snarl followed by loud banging noises reached their ears, making the man turn with a sneer and grab a nearby cattle prod from a rack. "Someone's cranky again… you kids wanna learn what we do to troublemakers?"

"The Scale Master gave us strict orders not to interfere with your business," Val declined. "The last time we attempted to pacify a captured specimen, it broke loose and torched ten men."

"Hmph. Smart," He muttered. "Well, in that case, feel free to look around and see what ya like. I've got a lizard's fire to put out…" The man marched away, his prod crackling with electricity. Dan and Val forced themselves to turn away and walk further into the underground market… and the latter venomously hissed once they were out of earshot. "One more second around that man, and I would've shoved that prod right up his-"

"Steady, Val," Dan whispered. "Just keep your eyes open for anything that could lead to our guy. Can you do that?"

There was a scoff beside him. "Barely. Look at this place…" She didn't need to say anymore. Dan didn't want to look at more captured or abused dragons than he needed to —the distant zapping and screeching noises weren't helping—but it seemed impossible to distinguish who their target could be among the crowd. Whoever it was had to be keeping a low profile, especially since they cut communications with Zoey.

"Where the hell are we supposed to start?" Val muttered.

"Don't focus on the dragons, Val," Dan told her. "Focus on the people."

"The people whose asses I wanna kick so badly?"

"Okay, I should've worded that better," he sighed. "Just keep an eye out for anyone suspicious—someone who isn't like the others." He scanned the area as he said this, watching shady-looking people examine dragons like guests admiring a caged zoo animal while others showed off claw necklaces and scale-crafted accessories. Up ahead, somebody with a hoodie was gathering dragon eggs into a reinforced briefcase and handed the stall owner some cash.

"They all look suspicious," Val whispered back. "But not the suspicious we want. We could really use a hint or some-"

"HEY!" The stall owner roared, making both disguised Riders nearly jump out of their skin. Dan's mind and heart filled with panic. Had they been overheard? Had the stall owner spotted them whispering and muttering to each other in a way that made them suspicious? They tried to keep the fear in their eyes from showing as they turned in the stall's direction…

…but the owner was facing the opposite direction, a clenched fist shaking the cash while a finger jabbed straight ahead of the two. "YOU CHEATED ME, YOU BASTARD! THIS AIN'T THE PRICE WE AGREED TO!" Off in the distance, the hooded figure was now in a full sprint, ducking into a tunnel as the man's angry ranting drew the attention of other buyers and sellers.

Dan narrowed his eyes. "Them?"

"Them," Val answered before she bolted at marathon speed. Dan hurried after her, dashing past people who jolted out of the way while Val shoved aside the less fortunate. Dan hopped over crates of dragon eggs and weaved away from criminals, some of whom were shouting curses at Val as they were splayed out on the ground. He paid them no mind and quickly caught up to his teammate, both Riders reaching the tunnel entrance where the hooded figure had slowed to a casual stroll with the briefcase by their side.

Dan slowed in response. "Excuse me, but-"

The figure jolted in place and whirled around, but that stupid hoodie didn't give Dan a good glimpse at their face before they took off again, clutching the briefcase tightly. Dan and Val picked up the pace, the former desperately calling out to the stranger. "W-wait! We just wanna talk!"

"Doesn't seem like they're in the mood!" Val snapped back, vaulting over some collapsed crates that the stranger knocked into their path. Dan hurdled over the blockage and chased the figure out of the tunnel, which led into a larger part of the market where human buyers and captive dragons were drawn to the sudden commotion. Surprised shouts and roars echoed through the market, people getting thrown to the floor when the figure forcefully shoved them out of their way. Dan picked up the pace, closing the distance since every person the stranger pushed past slowed them down.

Dan extended an arm, seconds away from grabbing the person's shoulder… when they grabbed a cage full of Terrible Terrors and threw it right in Dan's face! The impact busted the lock and the little dragons swarmed out in a frenzy, flying around Dan's head like angry bees as he tried swatting and grabbing at the buggers. Several of them moved on to the nearby criminals, who swore and screamed as the dragons bit at their faces and made one topple over a railing. Val charged through the tiny swarm, sliding underneath a swooping Terror and redirecting another's flight path so that a small swath of fame set a man's beard alight instead of her hair.

The stranger rushed past a stall selling dragon-based meat products, snatching a cleaver right from the butcher's hand before chucking it in Val's direction. The girl gasped and leaned to the side, allowing the sharp tool to bury itself in a concrete pillar. But that dodge affected her momentum and Val stumbled for a bit, trying to regain her footing until she tripped and fell on her face. The dark-haired Rider glanced back up with a heaving chest just in time to see the stranger leap over a table and kick a guy in the face.

Val cursed under her breath and pounded the floor with a fist, scrambling to her feet as fast as she could. Dan was already gaining some distance on the stranger, who became a little more hectic in his desperation to escape. He darted up to a man talking to a business partner and swiped a pistol from his waistband, turning it on Dan and pulling the trigger. The sharp bangs startled nearby dragons and sent them into a frenzy, prompting their handlers to wrestle with them for control. Some of them lost badly as tails and swinging heads knocked them aside, allowing the dragons to scurry off in a panic. Dan dove for cover from the shots, which impacted all over the place as they hit merchandise and stalls to armed criminals who either tried to flee or retaliate.

A roar belonging to a man instead of a dragon told Dan that the guy who just had his gun swiped was not too happy about it, tackling the stranger like a quarterback and making them crash into a pile of scaly cloaks. Both Riders moved in to "help" the man as he drew back a fist… and recoiled violently, collapsing with a hole in his head. The stranger hurried off again, pointing the pistol at Val to cover his escape. A metallic click answered the next trigger pull, prompting him to toss the weapon aside and leap up a short set of stairs leading to a path lined with massive cage doors.

"GET HIM!" somebody screamed angrily amidst other mad shouts and declarations of payback. Dan and Val charged up the stairs with several men at their backs, taking off down the path at a sprinting pace. The stranger hurried past the large doors, one hand clutching the briefcase tightly while the other lifted to their mouth.

FWEEET!

Something whizzed through the air from out of nowhere and struck the heavy-duty chains along the wall, causing the doors to slam onto the ground while the stranger made a break for it. The disguised Riders and the dragon smugglers jolted to halt, with Dan spotting something small and sharp embedded in the wall where the chains once rested… until low growls and snarls drew his attention to the open doors. Shadows gave way to shapes while claws raked the floor and jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth let themselves be known. Dan and Val could hear startled gasps and whispered curses as three dragons lumbered out into the open: a massive Crimson Goregutter with broad antlers, a blood-red and black Monstrous Nightmare who glared at the humans with yellow eyes, and a bulky Rumblehorn who snorted like a bull with bared teeth.

"E-easy, boys…" Dan whispered, slowly raising a palm while Val tensed from beside him. "Easy…"

"Shoot 'em! SHOOT 'EM!" One of the smugglers roared in a panic, prompting a storm of gunfire to erupt from behind the Riders. All three dragons groaned and bellowed angrily before charging for the humans, forcing Dan and Val to take evasive action. Dan rolled away from the Nightmare's snapping jaws and Val spun from the Rumblehorn's mad charge, barely avoiding getting herself trampled underneath the Rumblehorn. Dan made a mad dash away from the hissing Nightmare until its attention landed on the shooting smugglers, some of them already running for their lives.

The Rumblehorn smashed into the group as bullets bounced harmlessly off its armored hide, crunching bones and sending screaming bodies flying. The Nightmare closed its jaws around another and shook the man wildly. A destructive wave of flame from the Goregutter incinerated the rest, leaving the three dragons to cause havoc in the rest of the market. Dan and Val kept after the stranger, who sprinted full speed through another section of the market.

"Keep on him!" Vall called out, darting down a side passage while the stranger sharply rounded a corner. Dan could feel his lungs aching as he followed them down the turn, forcing his legs to move as fast as they could. The stranger glanced over their shoulder and picked up the pace, holding the briefcase tightly against their chest…

…until Val lunged out from the passage's other end and tackled the stranger to the ground. They thrashed against her for a moment before she pinned their arms with her thighs and yanked the hood away. Dan hurried over to her side and pulled his own hood down just as Val went still, the ravenette quickly removing her hat, pulling down her bandana, and gazing at the stranger with wide blue eyes.

Dan saw that the stranger—a young dark-haired man—was staring back at her with jade eyes and an equally stunned expression.

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!" they shouted simultaneously, venom and ire in both of their voices. The young man sat up and glared into Val's eyes while her own never faltered. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?!" Val roared back at him. "You said dragons scared you to death!" Now that he had a good look at the figure, Dan's eyes lit up with recognition. He and the others had encountered this person before, although he was more annoyance than ally and served to suit his own needs. The last Dan could recall of this one, he was tasked by somebody to swipe a Bloody Fist flash drive and deliver it to an unknown client. From what Dan understood from Val's explanations, he had decided to steal the drive back and learn what it contained: intel on the Fists' attack on New York that had spooked him enough to flee the city beforehand. That was the last the team had heard from him… and now, here he was.

"Cooper?!" Dan gawked at him. "Wait… you're Zoey's missing Rider?!"

He perked up at the name before a growl left him and he snatched up the briefcase. "Goddamnit, I told her I didn't need help! I already found what I needed here, so why don't you two go…" He fell silent for a moment before glaring suspiciously at Dan. "Hey, how the hell do you know her, anyway?"

"She broke us out of captivity," Dan answered. "And she's my cousin."

Cooper scoffed. "Oh, that's just fantastic…"

Val jabbed a finger at his chest. "You. Start talking. Now."

"I ain't got a thing to say to you!" He snapped at her. "You're the one who stabbed me and had your Nadder scare the crap outta me!"

"Oh, really?!" Val growled as she ferociously got up in his face. "Then how do you explain your presence in an illegal dragon market when you hate dragons?!"

"That's because I don't! Well, not anymore, anyway!" he shouted back before his voice dissolved into a grumble. "Stupid Haddocks and your stupid mind-changing games…"

"I'd love to hear the story behind this," Dan interrupted in a tone that he hoped would keep Val and Cooper from going at each other's throats. "But we need to leave. Zoey said you were looking for traces of the Fists down here?"

"I found nothing…" Cooper said coldly before holding up the briefcase. "Except what they're after. I just got it before they could. Now, if we're done here-"

"Hey, you!" a voice called out from around the corner. "You're gonna pay the man like you promised, or we're gonna make you-" A man with a rifle rounded the bend with a bunch of guys beside him, their angered eyes locked on Cooper… until they widened in shock upon seeing Dan and Val's faces. The latter tensed up while the former swallowed nervously. One of the aforementioned downsides to having public identities he worried about earlier was about to make itself known. "Uh-"

"It's the RIDERS!" the man screamed in anger. "LIGHT 'EM UP!" The men raised their weapons and opened fire on the trio, who all flinched and braced for the stinging pain… but it never came and sharp pings blended with the rapid gunfire. Five seconds passed until Dan and Val finally opened their eyes, their jaws dropping when they saw what had landed between them and the dragon traffickers.

A glimmering green Razorwhip with bright jade eyes and glossy spines lowered its reflective tan and white-veined wings, crumpled bullet casings resting at its feet. It growled menacingly at the frozen men, a few of them dropping their weapons and making a break for it. Their leader and several more answered with furious eyes and reloaded their weapons before unloading a second ammunition storm into the dragon. The Razorwhip unleashed a hissing snarl as the bullets bounced and deflected off its metallic body, responding with a quick flick of its tail that sent sharp spines flying at the men. They struck several men in the heads to kill them instantly, lodged into shoulders to down them, and knocked the leader's rifle from his hands, reducing it to scrap. He turned to run, but the dragon's prehensile tail wrapped around his waist and flung him through the air, where he collided with a support beam and hit the ground, unmoving.

Cooper sighed as the dragon turned to him, no hint of fear or panic in his body as he patted it on the sound. "Good save, Em. Good save."

"You… have a dragon," Val commented with a raised brow. Cooper didn't bother turning in her direction. "First, we leave. Then, I'll talk. Happy?"

"Solid plan," Dan agreed. "What's the fastest way-"

BRRZZZT! POP! All the overhead lights immediately went dark and the hums of distant machinery fell into silence, casting the entire market into darkness. Distant voices shouted in alarm and panic while the roars and screeches from released dragons echoed through the underground. Flashes of weapons fire and glows from dragon flames were barely enough to illuminate the area, but none of that was the trio's concern.

"The hell was that?" Val breathed. "An escapee chewing through a power line?"

"I wouldn't put it past them," Dan whispered. Beside him, Cooper groaned and fished out a walkie-talkie. "I can't believe I'm about to do this…" He switched it on and held it up to his face. "Sharp to Specter, Sharp to Specter, you there?"

Nothing answered him, prompting him to frown and try again. "Sharp to Specter, do you copy?" Silence again. He sighed and slipped the radio under his jacket. "EMP."

It was Dan's turn to sigh this time. "I specifically told Nightwatcher not to interfere unless things went south!"

"Yeah? Well, I'd say things went very south," Cooper retorted. "There's an elevator big enough for dragons, they use it to transport cages down here."

Val pursed her lips in thought. "Shouldn't that be out, too?"

"No. It runs on a separate grid on the surface," Cooper explained. "Hopefully, none of the rioting reptiles smashed the button. Emerald, some light?" A glowing green flame ignited within the Razorwhip's maw and Cooper strode forward, leading the two Riders back into the main market.

It was sheer chaos, from what they could make out. Dragons rampaged wildly, electronic locks were deactivated to allow more out of their confinement, and human silhouettes scrambled about in the darkness. Gunfire flashes and crackling fires revealed smashed stalls, toppled cages and crates, and - perhaps the most grisly sight - human bodies lying everywhere with either pools of blood beneath them or smoke trails wafting from burned corpses. Dan spied an arm holding a pistol, a man skewered to a wall with a Nadder spine, and a slumped headless body against a corner. Val looked on with wide eyes while Cooper grimaced in disgust.

"Can't see I feel too sorry for 'em…"

"These dragons are in a frenzy," Val breathed. "They'll turn on each other once they run out of humans. They need to get out."

"Maybe one of them can blast a way out," Cooper countered. "Zoey says some of them are smart. Now where's that…"

"YOU!"

The three humans and the Razorwhip spun to the far side of the room, where Dan and Val recognized the broad, scarred man from earlier huffing like a beast with a sparkling cattle prod in hand. "You were those lizard lovers the whole time! I should've known no Winglets were that young! You just cost me EVERYTHING!"

"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss!" Cooper countered. "There are a bunch of other animals folks do business with!"

The man growled with pent-up rage. "This batch was gonna make me rich! But now, I can make up for it… by bringing the Scale Master your HEADS! RRRAAAGGH!" He charged forward with an enraged scream, prompting Dan to whip out his Dragon Blade and meet the electrified prod with his flaming sword, sparks flying on contact. "I got him! Get the elevator!" He broke the clash and launched into a fierce defense against the larger man, parrying jabs and deflecting predictable strikes driven only by rage. Val and Cooper hurried off with the green Razorwhip right behind them, darting through the chaotic and shadow-shrouded market.

Val launched herself at a man firing blindly into the darkness, landing a kick to his back before pounding him with fast punches and a spinning kick that broke his neck. She whipped out her twin pistols concealed from under her shirt and took shots at several men barring her path, downing a few who whirled on her before they could get a shot off. Cooper grappled with a man unaware of his presence, wrestling with his wildly firing rifle until he bashed him in the face with it, kneed him in the stomach, and threw him over his shoulder for Val to finish off with a bullet to the brain. They quickly nodded to each other and pressed on, Emerald supporting them with jade fireballs that sent armed men sailing.

Dan cried out in pain when a jab sent a painful shock through his shoulder, rolling away from a following thrust and swinging in a wide arc. While it missed the larger man's body, it did set his jacket alight and caused raging flames to spread all over it. The man broke off his assault and hurriedly beat at the flames with his free hand, but when that failed he scrambled to get the burning clothing off as the flames continued to cover it. After tossing the burning jacket aside, the man charged with a furious roar and jabbed his shock prod forward. Dan moved aside at the last moment and brought his arms down, hoping to cleave it in two and leave the man defenseless. But the man pulled away and jabbed Dan in the chest with the prod's handle, leaving the Rider defenseless for a huge punch that floored him and knocked the Dragon Blade out of his grip.

He regained his senses with a gasp just in time to see the man bring his shock prod down… and Dan grabbed the weapon by its shaft just before its electrified end could make contact with his face. He struggled to hold the weapon back while the man pushed harder, an animalistic snarl escaping his clenched teeth. Dan lashed out with a leg and kicked the man in the knee, but his larger opponent remained firm and only pushed harder, giving Dan a harder time resisting the inching prod.

Meanwhile, Cooper smashed an empty crate over a downed criminal while Val engaged several men armed with shock sticks at close quarters. She fluidly weaved and ducked under jabs, one such maneuver leading to one of the men electrocuting his own partner. Val ducked low and swept out his legs before swiping the prod and jabbing him in the throat, a gurgled cry leaving the man. She rolled away and struck another man in the knee with a foot, placing her hands on the ground and nailing a third man in the jaw with both feet as she pushed herself up, knocking down two more in a midair split-kick. Val landed in a fluid stance to catch her breath while Cooper knocked out another guard with an uppercut, glancing over at Val… and tensing up suddenly.

Val spun around with clenched fists only for a flying and screaming shape to knock down the criminal charging at her. Several dragons were overpowering a squad of armed men, tearing off limbs and closing their jaws around heads while fireballs sent men sailing and flame streams roasted them alive. One man tried to run before a broad tail swatted him aside. Another man who was blinded by a swarm of Terrors carelessly swung a knife in every direction, the tiny dragons overpowering him and driving him to the ground as they bit into him from everywhere. A growling Hobblegrunt startled an unarmed man backward and he collapsed right into an open flame, leaving him a burning and shrieking figure that flailed wildly as he was consumed by fire.

Sharp thunks and grunts turned Val and Cooper's gaze to three more men lying dead, this time with green spikes jutting out of their chests. Emerald pressed on with a roar, the dragon's advance spurring the duo onward.

Dan grunted and grit his teeth as the shock prod inched closer and closer to his face, to the point where he could feel the tiny arcs crackling against his skin. A sadistic grin split the larger man's face and he chuckled the apathetic brute he was, malicious eyes waiting to see the Dragon Riders' leader fry to a crisp…

"AAAARRRGGHH!" He roared loudly as something clasped around his beefy arm, turning his feral gaze to a juvenile Raincutter digging its teeth into its flesh. With his attention diverted, the man didn't hesitate to turn the shock prod on the dragon, making it release its hold on him with a pained shriek. But he wasn't done when the dragon was downed, delivering a large jolt to the dragon's chest with a furious and dominating roar that left it writhing in agony.

Dan growled and grabbed the Dragon Blade, slashing it across the man's back to give him a scalding mark. The man whirled around with fury in his eyes and lunged at Dan again, only for a tail swipe from a vengeful Gronckle to knock him away. The man landed in a wide and flat area for organizing large cages… and in front of that was a huge service elevator guarded by two armed men.

"Boss!" one of them cried just as Val, Cooper, and Emerald hurried onto the scene. Dan hopped down with his Dragon Blade alight, leaving the Gronckle to tend to the injured Raincutter. The man hissed from his painful burn and slowly climbed to his feet, his irate eyes burning into his henchmen. "Get… me… some god… damned… backup!" His men were about to respond when there was a whirring hum from the elevator behind them, prompting the men to stand their ground and take aim at the three humans. Every nearby dragon paused from the noise and turned curiously to the elevator.

"Already en route, sir," reported the other guard. "You three? We'll make sure to kill you. Slowly." Val glared at the guards with clenched fists and Cooper stood firm next to a growling Emerald while Dan held his weapon at the ready. He gently nodded to Val, who returned the gesture and protruded a tiny whistle from her pocket. Cooper noticed the object and also nodded, bracing himself for what was to come.

"Only if you get through them," Val countered before taking a deep breath and blowing hard into the whistle… that made no sound, yet caused the nearby dragons to visibly flinch and recoil. The guards and the larger man were taken aback with confused expressions, even as a barely faint whistling noise reached their ears.

BRAKOOM! The ceiling exploded open in a shower of rubble and dust, allowing a menacing Night Fury and a Deadly Nadder to drop in. Multiple dragons screeched and roared at the sight of sunlight pouring in and flew for the new hole, blasting a wider chunk away while flying out into freedom. The larger man and his two guards looked on in horror while the elevator doors slowly opened with a metallic creak, watching the dragons fly up and away.

"No, no, no, no, NOOOOO!" He screamed in desperation and anger before setting his sights on the stalwart Nightwatcher. "KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" He readied his shock prod and advanced on the snorting Night Fury while his men took aim at the Rider, only for two plasma bolts to strike them…

…from behind, causing Nightwatcher to pause in confusion as the guards crumpled lifelessly to the ground. The larger man spun around after seeing his men with gaping holes through their backs. He and the other humans stared at the darkness of the elevator, the Riders glancing at each other with uncertainty before a low and ominous growl echoed from within.

"Is she here, too?" Cooper whispered to Dan, who only shook his head in denial. With a furious snarl, the larger man gripped his shock prod tightly and charged into the elevator, delivering a full-power electrocution to whatever was inside. The Riders heard nothing in response, not even an irritated grunt or a pained screech as the electricity coursed through the creature inside. The man screamed with savage anger at the lack of a response, prompting him to jab harder and roar at the top of his lungs.

"DIE, YOU SON OF A- glk!"

A sharp, sickening snap rang through the market… followed by the shock prod clattering to the ground and a limp muscular arm collapsing from the shadows. Blood slowly pooled out, making every human and dragon fall silent.

"Dan…" Val whispered nervously. "What is…"

"I don't know…"

The telltale sound of claws against metal echoed like their heartbeats, the group bracing themselves for whatever was emerging… but their stances all dropped and their breaths left their throats when it finally did. Four claw-tipped feet stomped against the metal ramp and a sleek, dark body slithered from the shadows. Sharp spines ran down its back and the creature unfurled a pair of aerodynamic wings adorned with long claws while the spines on its back trailed down to a finned tail. Nightwatcher's violet orbs widened in shock and horror as he stared into a set of dark blue eyes that silently glared back at him.

The creature slowly opened its gummy mouth, and a set of sharp triangular teeth shot outwards. A spiked crown rested atop its head, and ear flaps could be seen on both sides. The humans spotted another set of spikes that resembled a beard under the dragon's chin. Spike and Emerald squawked in confusion, while the frozen Nightwatcher remained stunned and silent… as did the bewildered humans, who could barely comprehend the sight before them.

"Oh my god…" Val squeaked in horror.

"What… the hell is that?" Cooper gasped. "A—another Night Fury?"

"No," Dan whispered under his breath. "No Night Fury looks like that…"

Tiny arcs of electricity crackled around the dragon's form, sparking along its spined back while it reared up to its full height. Nightwatcher, Spike, and Emerald all took a wary step back as the lightning covered its entire body…

SHRREEEEAAAAARRRRHHHH! Lightning blasted out in all directions from the dragon's wingtips while it roared into the sky, forcing everyone to duck for cover. Nightwatcher shielded himself with a wing before peeking out and narrowing his eyes at the strange newcomer. Plasma charged up in his throat as he answered with a shriek of his own.

The newcomer let out a terrible scream as lightning surged through its throat, a bolt of supercharged energy blasting from its mouth that swallowed up the humans' vision. Dan, Val, and Cooper cried out, their eyes seeing nothing but a blinding whiteness as the dragon's screeches echoed through their ears.