Dragon Wars: The Series

by Cosmotron

After the Ultimate War, Drake and his friends are living the life as both soldiers and dragon tamers. During those times, they run into new allies, like Captain Rose "Ironfist" Tymbark and the team SC Reg, but also face new enemies, such as Adam Hunter, leader of the Chicago Blackhawks. But Drake also unlocks secrets of Shadow's angelic gift during his missions and adventures.

10. Episode 10

Dragon

Wars

Episode 10: Into the Wild Zone

Act One

In the middle of the night, everything is peaceful, as some wild dragons are sleeping on the grass or on buildings. However, one by one, they are alarmed by something approaching, before they take flight away. The entity responsible is seen tunneling underground, just in the sewers (leaving large dirt trails in its wake), as it makes its way through the suburban area. A thuggish looking man is walking around, brandishing his knife, but the entity before escapes from a pothole to hide in the shadows.

Man: This reeks. Usually, midnight is the time when you'd get some hot chicks walking around, getting laid and all. But…. What can a guy like me do to get somebody here?

He hears a woman's voice vocalizing "Ahhh," which grabs his attention, and he follows it slowly towards an alley way.

Man: [smirking] This is going to be good.

With his knife out, the man gets closer and closer to that vocalizing call, excited. But when he approaches the alley, he sees what is singing, and it eats him up, while he screams in dying agony.

In Drake's garage, Shadow wakes up from sensing something. His proverbial hackles are rising, him being fully aware of the danger lurking in town.

Narrator: Everybody has a past. Even dragons. And sometimes, the past can come back to haunt them.

Shadow growls at the door while Drake sleeps.

Drake: Ugh, Shadow, go back to sleep.

Narrator: And when it does, you're gonna need to be there for them.

The next morning in Confederation Park, the trio (Hutch, Forsythe and Oxy) stand with a group of people in front of a sculpture looking like the Iron Throne. Standing in front of the sculpture is a presenter who is giving a speech.

Presenter: The Iron Throne is the most prominent object in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and other forms of work, written by the late author George R. R. Martin. In the first book in 1996, after seizing control of six of the Seven Kingdoms, Targaryen ruler Aegon the Conqueror had made a throne for himself from the swords of his vanquished enemies, fused by dragonfire. Aegon had established King's Landing as the royal capital, and the Iron Throne itself sits in the Red Keep. In the TV series, the first story arc follows a war of succession among competing claimants for control of the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, with other noble families fighting for independence from the throne. The second concerns the actions of the exiled scion to reclaim the throne, and the third chronicles a greater threat.

Oxy: Bad reviews from critics?

Presenter: The rise of a long winter and sinister Whitewalkers. Of course, in the books, they were announced as the Others. But over time, that's changed to a more suitable name in order for everyone to understand better. Any questions.

Then, the presenter sees Forsythe raising his hand up for a question.

Presenter: Yes, you.

Forsythe: In episode three of season one, what did Jaime Lannister say when Stark arrived at King's Landing.

Presenter: Jaime Lannister was telling Ned Stark about being the Hand of the King, which he was before. He said there was a saying: The King shits and the Hand wipes.

Forsythe: If that's the case, then it should've been… the Iron Toilet.

[audience laughing]

Presenter: [peeved] Oh, yeah. Very good. Hilarious, everyone. So maybe… the author was drunk when he came up with that line. Any other questions?

Hutch: Oh, I do! What's the Dothroki translation for… "you're gonna die a virgin"?

Presenter: [pauses] No clue.

The trio snickers at that. But the presenter walks over to Hutch, unzipping his jacket to find him wearing a t-shirt of Bilbo Baggins.

Presenter: Yep. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I thought so. Looks like we've got some Middle-Earth fans here to mock the late Martin. Congrats, gentlemen, but I would like to see your Gandalf take on the Night King, and we'll see who's laughing then, eh?

Oxy: Are you kidding? Gandalf the White could have all the Whitewalkers to kill themselves… with his staff!

Presenter: Uh… Gandalf is an elderly. So name me one Middle-Earth character with a mid-life crisis, cause… I'm drawing a blank.

Forsythe: Name me one Game of Thrones character who's retarted.

Oxy: Yeah! …Besides you.

Presenter: Well, I wouldn't say anyone is retarted in Game of Thrones, so why would I… even do that?

Forsythe: Maybe… Tyrion?

Presenter: Okay, for your information, Tyrion Lannister is not retarted. He's… dwarfish. Okay? He's dwarfish.

Hutch: He's called an imp, not a dwarf.

Presenter: But in any case, it's a good thing that there are no Star Wars around, because Han Solo is a bitch, and he died for that.

However, Hutch is stunned to hear what the presenter just said, and he looks really pissed about it.

Hutch: You watch your mouth, asshole. Han Solo was my mother's hero, and she's always looked up to him.

Presenter: Well, I guess that means she has terrible taste, which you inherited from.

Most of the people laugh at that, while Forsythe and Oxy look shocked and terrified to see this. Hutch is growling, clutching his fists, ready to fight.

Oxy: Oh, no.

Hutch: That's it. YOU'RE DEAD!

Hutch delivers a hard punch on the presenter, making him land onto the Iron Throne display. But some of his friends retaliate by fighting Hutch, who is accompanied by Forsythe and Oxy. And the fight begins, with the crowd cheering "Fight!" in unison.

In the Shelters, Drake is giving a plan before the Alpha Team and SC Reg on the field.

Drake: Okay, now listen. Winter is coming, the snow is going to fall soon, and we've got two dozen dragons on the field. If we just let them all out here until spring, they're gonna be frozen solid or fall asleep and wake up to eat anything in sight.

Bazooka: I would go with the idea of falling asleep. Because all reptiles are cold-blooded and they intend to hibernate until they're warmed up.

Stryker: That's just what we've known, Bazooka. But with dragons having fire in their systems, that should make them warm-blooded like mammals and birds, so they wouldn't hibernate.

Quinton: Either way, we should relocate the cages indoors.

Michael: Okay, but where would we take them?

Quinton: We could try the Aberdeen Pavilion.

Crossword: Sadly, no. We're still repairing the heaters there.

Drake: I was thinking about inside the stadium. We have a hockey rink in there, which is big enough for all the cages.

Vanessa: Good thing the ice melted in there, so it'll work.

Ethan: But Drake, some of them breathe fire. Taking them inside will be a bad piece of work.

Drake: Not until we'd get the sprinklers working.

Voice: Captain on deck!

Immediately, everyone stands up in attention, and walking over is none other than Rose, back to being captain again.

Rose: At ease. Dalloway, what have you been up to?

Drake: If you must know, Rose, we're relocating the-

Rose: Hold it! It's "Captain" now, since I have been promoted. That means I'm back to being in charge of SC Reg. Do you get me?

Regges: Yes, ma'am!

Rose: That's good. And as for you, Dalloway, we're gonna do the usual basic training from time to time. So for the holiday season, I'll be teaching you how to be a man.

Rocky: [whispers] She's back to her stuff-as-nails persona.

Dusty: [whispers] I like it better when she's got the inferior complex.

Rose: Silence in the ranks!

With one glare from Rose, the Stilwells stand up in attention and take a few steps back from here. But then, Vanessa gets a call from her walkie-talkie, which she answers.

Vanessa: Vanessa Falcon here. Report.

[chattering]

Vanessa: Really? Oh boy. Drake, there's a riot at Confederation Park.

Act Two

Later, Drake walks into the park with the Alpha Team to see the people fighting. Stanley walks over to them, seeing the commotion.

Stanley: You heard the news too?

Drake: Yes, sir.

Stanley: Well…. [to the fighters] That's enough!

All the people stare at the General, then they back away revealing the trio, crouching in the fetal position on the ground, and pointing at them.

All: They started it!

Stanley approaches the trio and looks down over them. The trio look up, see the General over top of them, and get up quickly dusting themselves off.

Stanley: Young men, I don't need anyone causing trouble downtown, when we're trying to rebuild it!

Oxy: Sorry, General.

Forsythe: Yeah. It was meant to be a prank, until… Hutch here got so emotional.

Hutch: Sir, that guy called Han Solo a bitch, and he insulted my mother.

During the talk, Shadow sniffs at the manhole nearby, and then growls angrily at it.

Stanley: [to Hutch] Whatever it is, control yourself. Or else I'd have to put you all into community service every weekend.

Hutch: [stunned] Then… we wouldn't have enough time to do our homework.

Then, the people in the park listen in fearful anticipation as the vocalizing sound reaches their ears, before Shadow's growling intensifies.

Vanessa: What is that sound?

Michael: Whatever it is, sounds like a girl.

Drake: It's coming from down there.

Michael eagerly rushes over to the pothole, opening it by itself.

Michael: Have no fear, Michael Czarky is here-

Suddenly, a long snake-like tail bursts out with a blade-like tip, swinging around.

Michael: [horrified] Never mind! [runs off]

Shadow barks and fires his Thunder Blast at the tail, sending it back under, right before the manhole below bursts up, sending him flying away. Drake recoils in pain, clutching his chest as he feels what Shadow felt. The creature bursts out of the ground in a blast of debris, revealing itself to be a huge dragon.

Ethan: [shocked] Aiyah!

The dragon is snake-like with a frill, dew-clawed pterosaur-like wings, dark brown scales with a light blue underside, and white triangle markings pointing upward from the underbelly. It quickly looks over the team's dragons, ignoring the humans, before mysteriously diving back into the sewers.

Vanessa: What… was that?

Rocky: Whatever it was, I want one!

Quinton: If I remember right, I'd say that was… a Siren Viper.

Rocky: Whoa, great name. So much better than Ironback.

Drake: Okaaaay! Uh, guys, what do we know about the Siren Viper?

Ethan: Pyro class. Razor sharp tale, hunts from underground.

Rocky: Now I really want one!

Hutch: Where'd it go? Why's it here? What's it gonna do to us?! WHY AREN'T YOU SLAPPING ME TO SNAP ME OUT OF THIS?!

Forsythe: Because I'm scared too, Hutch.

The Siren Viper bursts from the ground making a fresh hole. Ariel steps forward and roars at the dragon, but it quickly roars back, unaffected. Then, it unleashes a fog-base breath made of fire at Ariel, sending her away.

Vanessa: [worried] Ariel!

Drake: Everyone, on your dragons. Hurry!

By Drake's command, the team mount up on their dragons, preparing to repel the beast, before Shadow comes back, and aggressively signals his dragon comrades to back off, which they hastily do, much to their own riders' surprise.

Michael: Surfboard, what's gotten into you?

Quinton: I think Shadow what's to take him on.

Ethan: Well, one on one is a fair odd.

The Siren Viper spots Shadow; they roar at each other, and get into a fierce fight all over the park, smashing some stuff. However, as Shadow is getting the advantage, the snake dragon lassos onto his neck, and flings him away towards the bushes.

Drake: Shadow, hold on! I'm coming! Just let me get on-

Drake tries to mount him, but Shadow won't let him when he shrugs him off and presses on after his opponent, only glancing back at Drake for a second before roaring and charging ahead.

Drake: [bewildered] Shadow? What's gotten into…?

With Shadow closing in, the Siren Viper fires its foggy fire to blind him and it strikes with its bladed tail, which jabs Shadow in his right hind leg. It agonizes him so much, even Drake feels it when he clutches his leg. Despite his injury, the Dark Saber only roars and keeps his focus on the fight, but Tyler and Gilbert arrive with the Regges.

Tyler: Bazooka!

Bazooka launches a rocket at the Siren Viper, striking it in the head. It spins around aggressively, before another rocket-round impacts in the head as well, seemingly forcing it back into the sewers, as it bids a hasty, dirt-trailed retreat.

Gilbert: By Jove, that was a Siren Viper!

Stanley: It can't be too far. Men, search all the sewers! Make this thing don't leave the city!

Tyler: Yes, sir!

Drake rushes to Shadow's side, concerned for his dragon's injury, which the Dark Saber allows him to check on it. Eventually, it starts to rain and the pouring rain heals Shadow's injury like magic. Shadow glances at the spot where the Siren Viper retreated, as the team walks over to him.

Michael: What was that all about?

Drake: I have no idea what just happened.

Dusty: It looked like Shadow wanted to take on the snake by himself.

Vanessa: He reacted so aggressively at the pothole before the attack. Maybe it's his natural instincts kicking in.

Drake: I don't know. I saw that look on his face. It seemed so personal. And I should know…. I had that… since my father.

Act Three

Afterwards, Drake is in the infirmary, checking on Shadow's body to find any more injuries left behind.

Drake: I still can't believe you refused to let me ride you. We're supposed to be half-brothers, and brothers look out for each other. And then I wouldn't feel all the pain you're going through.

[Shadow moans]

Drake: No, don't give me that.

Alarmed, Shadow growls at the sound of footsteps in the hallway, only to find Tyler coming in.

Drake: Whoa, whoa, whoa, easy, bud. It's just Tyler.

Tyler: How is he?

Drake: He's still a little on edge. What about that wild dragon?

Tyler: He got away. But I think we showed that guy a thing or two about uninvited guests in Ottawa. Anyway, the meeting's in the conference room at 1100 hours. Be there.

Drake: I'm my way. [to Shadow] Stay here. I mean it.

Drake takes his leave with Tyler out of the lobby. Shadow, on the other hand, looks at the window, staring outside to be sure where that snake dragon is, but he cannot see or sense it anywhere.

In the conference room, both teams are seated and listening to what Tyler, Rose and Gilbert have to say about what they encounter.

Vanessa: "Siren Viper"? So it's a singing dragon?

Tyler: In a way. The Siren Viper simply sings a song to entice its prey. It cannot hypnotize you, but it's enough to get you curious, and when you'd get close enough, that's when you'd be dead.

Crossword: And there's more. This morning, a jogger spotted the remains of a man who's now… bones and clothing. So we estimate it to be a victim of the Siren Viper.

Rose: But it wasn't the first. We've marked ten victims this week from here to the west.

Drake: Okay, but is there anything else about the Siren Viper in the Dragon Journal that can help us?

Quinton: It can release a foggy form of fire, which is dubbed Heatwave.

Vanessa: And how's that gonna help us?

Quinton: Well, it would help if we stayed away from that.

Rocky: Or we can get near it and use Dusty as a human shield!

Then, Dusty savagely kicks Rocky in the kneecap.

Rocky: OW! MY KNEE CAP! That's new….

Drake: What about a weakness?

Gilbert: Sadly…. We don't know. Unfortunately, we've never had the chance to identify its weakness, so it's labeled TBA for the time being.

Rocky: Ha, I really love this thing.

Rose: Let's focus, people. We need to stay on topic. We don't know if it's still around the city or not. But if it's leaving, we have to be sure it's a far away from all cities as possible, because the Blackhawks might capture it and find a way to tame it.

Vanessa: They can't. Not without Drake, since he's the only one who can.

Stryker: I agree, but it's best not to object to the Captain's advice.

Michael: But we don't even know where it's going.

But then, the alarm goes off as a klaxon blares from the speakers.

Drake: A break-in! Check the lobby!

The team rushes out of the conference room to the lobby, only to find it vacant and no sign of Shadow anywhere.

Drake: Shadow?

Michael: Hey guys, look. Look over there. Look.

Michael points ahead at the opened door, where they see Shadow flying away into the air. Rose arrives with Crossword, seeing the scene as well.

Rose: What happened here?

Drake: Not a break-in; a break-out. Shadow must be gone looking for the Siren Viper. We find it, we find Shadow.

Michael: And how do we do that?

Crossword: I know. Jones told me all the dragons are microchipped. With that, I should be able to find him…. Hopefully.

In Chicago, Hunter is inside the Field Museum, watching a video chat of Fox and Rufus, attempting to train a Pecker in Soldier Field, with Snoop and a few bodyguards at his side.

Hunter: Anything to report?

Rufus: [through TV] He's a tough nut to crack, boss!

Then, the Pecker swings its tail around at the TV screen, before it goes into static, and the furious Hunter shuts it off.

Hunter: Augh! Can't I ever get some dragons to follow the simplest orders?!

Bodyguard 1: What you need is that book.

Snoop: No, what we need is the Dragon King himself. But we tried everything to get him. We're at our wit's end now.

Hunter: It's obvious. It has to take a professional to do another's job. Speaking of which, where is he? Why is he always late?

Then, Empress enters the hallway, approaching her father.

Empress: Hi, daddy.

Hunter: [sighs] Now's not the good time. Daddy's working.

Empress: I know that. But I have someone who just came back from Japan.

Hunter cracks a smile, knowing what his daughter is telling him. Right on cue, a tall and muscular Japanese man enters. He wears a sleeveless vest with black pants, matching shoes and katanas holstered to his back.

Hunter: Tiger Blade.

Tiger Blade: [bows] Konichiwa.

Snoop: You're late, TB.

Tiger Blade: Fashionably late, Mr. Snoop. I know no other way.

Hunter: Now, listen. Stewart has someone irreplaceable. An individual of unique technique and purpose.

Empress: He already knows. I told him about Drake. And he'll promise to get him, right?

Tiger Blade: [scoffs] Don't worry. I'll get him back for you.

Hunter: Once he's brought back to us, my plan will be complete. We will have our own dragon riders, continue our sweep into Canada, and finally… make sure the Canadian Forces' General gets what's coming to him.

[five second silence]

Tiger Blade: Forgive me, sensei, but this bizarre obsession with Stewart Falcon, it is not good for you. You are becoming what we Japanese call… an otaku!

Snoop: [sniggers] I was thinking the same thing.

Snoop laughs, amused by that comment, until Hunter grumbles to silence his second-in-command.

Hunter: Maybe some of you forget that it was Stewart who started this mess to begin with!

Snoop: [annoyed] Oh, please. Not the scrapbook again.

Hunter walks over to the cafeteria, grabs a book from a shelf, and sits down on his armchair.

Hunter: My memoirs. Volume one details the dire and tragic story of my youth.

Snoop: [to a bodyguard] Wake me when it's over.

Opening the book, it shows various photos of Hunter in his youth, with Stanley at his side, also younger.

Hunter: In 2007, I was transferred from New York to attend 9th grade in Ottawa, but there… I met Stewart, when we became best friends. We would frolic day after day on weekends, sharing that sweet and magical bond between the two of us. Until college, we were always together. But before we did, we both had eyes on the same girl, Madison, who would eventually become his wife. When I was too shy to meet her, Stewart had all the courage, and they got so close, while I was sent back to the States.

Hunter shed a tear, meaning it was too tender for him to bear. But he wipes it off, continuing his story.

Hunter: But in time, I joined the US Army Special Forces. And in Afghanistan, I ran into Stewart again, where he found out that I was seeking to expand our borders, simply to maintain national security. But eventually, he told my superiors on me, and I was discharged. From that day on… our friendship was over.

Snoop: I know, I know. You two had eyes on the same girl, and you were going to make the USA bigger. Both foiled by the man who was your best friend in the late 2000s.

Snoop drinks a glass of something, but after spitting it out in disgust, he looks at the bottle, saying "BRITISH BLISS WINE".

Snoop: Anyway, that's all in the past. I mean, you got your forces, your daughter, so… just count the glass half-full.

However, Hunter seems unconvinced before he conks him on the head, squishing his fedora down.

Hunter: None of that is the point. The point is, he and I trusted each other, and he betrayed me in every way.

Tiger Blade calmly drinks a cup of tea, finishing it with one gulp.

Tiger Blade: Consider it done. Even though… anyone's dilemma can be… in question.

Hunter: You find my pain funny?

Tiger Blade: I find everyone's pain funny but my own. [beat] I'm Japanese. He-he-he.

Empress: Look, daddy, this will change. Now we have Tiger Blade, he will bring us the Dragon King, and we have all what we want. Two birds, one stone. It would be like your birthday.

Bodyguard 2: [to a bodyguard] Uh, I didn't get him anything. What does he like?

Hunter: Stop gossiping, and bring me the boy!

Bodyguard 2: Do you want him alive?

Hunter: Alive… and un-spoiled. And Snoop, you go with him.

Snoop: What? I'm sure I could handle him-

Hunter: That's an order. You haven't gotten your chance, I know. But two heads are better than one.

Tiger Blade: That is true. Goku Ninjas!

By Tiger Blade's command, a dozen people arrived, all wearing orange and blue ninja uniforms, and armed with various weapons: ninjatos, bo staffs, sai, and nunchucks.

Tiger Blade: We have a mission. Let nothing stand in our way. We leave immediately. [walks away]

Goku Ninja: What about lunch?

Tiger Blade: [walks back] We leave in five hours.

Act Four

Back in Ottawa, Drake is pacing around in the Shelters lobby, waiting for a signal as Crossword gets to work on his laptop.

Drake: Anything yet?

Crossword: Nothing yet. It's been a while since we could locate anyone's microchip, but I'm willing to find him.

Drake: I hope so. [concerned] Because he's acted strange since the park, and he never let me ride on him.

Crossword: I'm sure he had his reasons. You may hear the phrase "dumb animal", but it doesn't work on all of them, so try not to misjudge him.

Eventually, Crossword manages to find Shadow's location. The screen shows a purple blipping dot, and the coordinates show Latitude: 48.382511, Longitude: 89.245491.

Crossword: There he is. Looks like he's in Thunder Bay.

Drake: Thunder Bay? But that's… halfway across the province.

Crossword: So we….

But Crossword looks at the pinpointed location, seeing the blip going further west.

Crossword: Wait a minute. He's going further.

Drake: Now where is he going?

Crossword: I guess he's following the Siren Viper, which means… you were right.

Drake: Okay, but where? That's the question.

Crossword: I think I know. Where the wild things are. The wild zone.

Afterwards, boxes of ammunition and guns have been brought up to the Regges, who are preparing to leave. Lids are prised open; ammo distributed.

Rose: Let's go, Regges. By the General's orders, we're on the move. We'll call a pilot to drop us off there and make for the wild zone. The rest of you, stay in the city.

Rose surveys her team who are packing up and getting ready to go, but she sees Vanessa joining in.

Rose: Not you, Vanessa.

Vanessa: Come on, Captain. They're gonna need some backup, and I've got a Phantom with me.

Rose: Stay here. We can't leave Ottawa unprotected.

Vanessa: But I can-

Rose: That's an order.

Rose grabs a rifle, taking her leave to go somewhere.

Vanessa: Drake needs me!

Rose: No!

With Rose leaving, Vanessa looks crestfallen for not going with Drake this time. But Drake walks over to her side, talking to him and the Alpha Team.

Drake: Listen, you guys are gonna have to ship the cages inside while I'm gone.

Michael: Well, we didn't need Shadow for everything. So this means… I'm in charge.

Drake: No. I'm putting Vanessa in charge, because he's more mature than the rest of us.

Quinton: Well, I think it's Ethan or me. But if you need some info on dragon info, be sure to call me.

Rocky: And if you can capture the Siren Viper, bring it home.

Vanessa: That's enough. I'm in charge here, so get with the program.

Rose: Dalloway! We're going now!

Drake: Anyway, I'm off, so get the shipping down before the snow falls.

Drake takes his leave with the Regges, marching across the field to get indoors.

Meanwhile, Hutch and Forsythe are both in a bedroom, playing Super Smash Bros. on Nintendo.

Forsythe: No, no, no, don't get that! Aw, shit, I'm off the platform.

Hutch: And a ka-BOOOOMMM! [laughs] Suck it!

[door knocks]

Hutch: It's opened. [to Forsythe] Don't kill me.

The door opens and Oxy walks into the room with a vacuum.

Oxy: I'm here.

Hutch: Oxy, you made it. But what's with the vacuum cleaner?

Oxy: Well, uh…. Your mom says, uh… clean up this pigsty of a room, or no Coke Zero until Hanukkah.

Hutch sighs in annoyance, then he yells out the door to his mother.

Hutch: That's emotional blackmail, and you know it!

Mother: Screw you!

Hutch: I will sue you! Renter's right!

Mother: You don't pay rent!

Then he closes the door, huffing and puffing.

Hutch: Damn…. DAMN!

Forsythe: Well, you could try doing it once in a while.

Hutch: I could, if I had enough time, but I have a lot of homework. And I always liked watching TV for hours. But, uh… I could go with the Stilwells' idea.

Oxy: What idea was that, Hutch?

Hutch: That anyone could skip school for a day.

Forsythe: Ha! Hutch would, but not Oxy.

Oxy: Hey, doesn't mean I can't do it too.

Forsythe: Oh yeah? I dare you!

Hutch: [gasps] Dude. He dared you. You have to do it!

Oxy: No I don't!

Forsythe: Yes, you do, it's the rule.

Oxy: What rule?

Forsythe: I don't make 'em, I just call 'em.

Oxy: Yeah, well then, I dare you to sneak into a military vehicle.

Forsythe: [pauses] Pass.

Hutch: Why not?

Forsythe: The General might put us all into community service. And we'd have a truck load of homework to do.

Oxy: He's got a point, Hutch. Let's just do the school-day-off dare, because it's a fair thing to do.

Hutch: Not with my mother, I wouldn't. She'll know whether or not I'm sick, so… skipping school with her around isn't an option.

But Hutch looks out the window to see an Army truck driving over, and that gives him an idea.

Hutch: [smirks] Unless we'd get involved with the authorities.

He opens the window, climbs down and rushes over for it.

Oxy: Hutch, wait! Let's go, Forsythe.

Oxy and Forsythe make a run for it, catching up with Hutch. They chase after the truck, before jumping onto the bumper, taking the ride. Hutch opens the trunk, allowing his friends to get in, and close the door behind him.

The truck drives all the way to the Aviation Museum, where the Regges are loading some cargo up a Lockheed C-130 Hercules for the transport. Stryker gets onboard, pushing a crate up the ramp with Drake's help.

Stryker: Worried, Drake?

Drake: Maybe a little. I just hope Shadow hasn't gotten himself killed or anything.

Then, Rose conks him on the head with one of his metal fists.

Rose: He won't if he feels that. It would only be a reminder that if you share the same heart, you'll feel each other's pain and power. If he was dead, you wouldn't be standing here right now.

Stryker: [to Drake] Don't worry, we'll find him. Now let's load up the last grate.

The last crate, which is in the truck the trio stowed away in, gets loaded onto the plane by Bazooka and Dozer, who take their leave after. But in the last crate, a hole is punched open, meaning the trio are all in there.

Hutch: Whew! They didn't see us!

Forsythe: See? Just do a dare, and everything is A-OK.

Now done with the loading, Rose gives a speech to everyone in the cargo bay.

Rose: Alright, listen up. We have an objective to accomplish. Our mission is to find the Dark Saber and bring him back in one piece. We've got guns, food and ammo. We cannot shoot any dragons, unless we'd have to. It's already 1600 hours, so we have twenty-four out there.

Javelin: Twenty-four hours? For what?

Rose: When we drop, we're on our own. Until we'd signal the plane to pick us up this time tomorrow, we'd stay in the wild zone. Now do you maggots get me?

Regges: Yes, ma'am!

Rose: Pilot, take us out!

Pilot: Yes, Captain.

The pilots flip the switches, turning on the plane. The Hercules's turbine turns on, it goes forward down the runway, and it takes flight into the air, on its way to the wild zone.

Act Five

Hours later, Drake is sleeping in his seat, until… BANG! A gunfire wakes him up, alarming him. He sees Rose in front of him with a pistol in hand.

Rose: Relax. It's a prop gun. There's no way I would use real bullets to wake you up.

Drake: Yeah, but I would've thought we're under attack!

Stryker: Oh, calm down, kid. It's not the first time this happened to anyone.

Bazooka: Come and get it!

Bazooka is toasting up some Pop Tarts from the toaster, giving some to the team in the cargo haul. Drake grabs a Pop Tart, eating it.

Drake: Haven't had Pop Tarts in years.

In the crate, the trio look like they had a hard time sleeping, and they look hungry as well.

Oxy: This wasn't a good idea.

Forsythe: Tell me about it. All because Hutch couldn't find anywhere else to hide into.

Hutch: Hey, it was the only thing empty, okay? Sorry I made a mistake, that's all.

[beeping]

Forsythe: Shh, quiet.

Rose: Team, we're over the drop zone. We've already gotten out of Ontario, so we're entering Manitoba. I want you all to grab a chute and get ready for deploying.

Hutch: Deploying? What does that mean?

Oxy: I think I know what it means.

The ramp cracks open and slides downward, as the team puts on their parachutes. Drake, on the other hand, looks a little nervous as he's being prepared for a drop like this.

Dozer: Just stick with us, kid. We'll make sure you don't die of falling.

Drake: It's not that. I've done flying before, but not dropping down like this.

Rose: No time for second thoughts. Release cargo, now.

The crates slip right off; the trio scream in terror as they fall, shortly before they have a parachute opening to slow them down.

Bazooka: Did you hear that?

Javelin: Hear what?

Bazooka: Like… tiny screaming.

Javelin: Ah, it's just the wind.

Rose: Ready?! One… two… three… JUMP!

The team makes a jump for it, falling down a thousand feet towards solid ground. But when they get close enough, they open their chutes, sailing downward for a soft landing. Now they are on solid ground, the team loads up their guns, while Drake looks around at the ruins of a suburban area. The vegetation is thick; gnarled trees twist out of the ground, thick lichen and long mosses hang from branches, but ahead of them in a distance was Manitoba's capital city.

Drake: Winnipeg.

Stryker: Yeah. My grandparents grew up here. If they were alive, they would've lost their shit seeing this.

Rose: Men, let's move out. The longer we stay here, the more scent we give to any wild dragon here.

Javelin: Captain, one of our crates has strayed away from the drop zone. Should we go for it?

Rose: If we can… as long as we move around.

Farther away is the trio's crate, put on top of a muddy hill. But then, the top is broken open, and they all pop their heads out to look around.

Forsythe: Damn. Where are we?

Oxy: I don't know, but I think we're not in Kansas anymore.

Hutch: Cut the crap, Oxy. This isn't The Wizard of Oz, y'know?

Hutch steps out of the crate first. Then, he loses his balance and slips, falling back on his rear. He slides down the muddy embankment, across the road below. Pissed, he gets to his knees and loses his phone.

Oxy: Hutch! Are you okay?

Hutch: No. I lost my phone, so I can't call in sick today.

Forsythe: So it looks like… you're mom's gonna notice it, huh?

Oxy: Maybe not. Look over there.

Oxy points ahead to see an old bus station, and there are some phone booths intact.

Oxy: We could try the old fashion way. Let's go.

The trio rush over to the station. From the distance, there is a soft hooting sound. There's some movement in the bushes; Hutch looks around for the source of the sound and movement. He doesn't find it.

Hutch: Guys, I think we're being followed.

Oxy: Calm down, just let me dial… after I give it spare change.

Oxy puts in a few changes into the booth. The hooting comes again and Forsythe turns, seeing nothing.

Forsythe: Who's there?

A figure ducks around a tree and pops out on the other side, hooting playfully. Forsythe looks around one side of the tree; nothing. It pops up on the other side, hooting again. And Hutch looks again. Nothing. It seems like a friendly game of hide-and-seek.

Hutch: [sniggers] Ah, it's probably owls. Let's move on.

Oxy has a dial tone. Now he punches in a ten digit number he knows by heart, attempting to call the school. But all he gets is static.

Oxy: Come on. Gimme a voice, a ringtone. Anything!

Then, the hooting sound is heard again, this time louder. They all freeze, as they feels something behind them. The trio turns around slowly and sees: a wild dragon. Standing eight feet high by the hips, it is tan with a white underbelly, has pterosaur-like wings, crests like a basilisk lizard, and it poses like a bird. The boys are shellshocked, seeing the dragon before them.

Forsythe: Holy shit. Ho- Holy shit. A dragon.

Oxy: He's a big guy. I think I saw one of those. My dad said it's called a Winged Warhead. One of those bird-types.

Hutch: He doesn't look like a bird.

The dragon, called the Winged Warhead, just stares at the boys, tilting its head curiously.

Hutch: What do you want? What, do you want food? Look at me. I just fell down a hill. I'm still soaked. I don't have any food. We're not even food. We are nothing edible for you.

But Hutch looks around on the ground and finds a stick. He picks it up and chucks it at the thing.

Hutch: Hey. Maybe you play fetch. Go get the stick! Fetch!

He throws it as far as he can. The dragon gets into the spirit of the game, but not the object.

Hutch: No? You don't get it?

Forsythe: Gold!

Forsythe looks over to see four golden eggs in a nest. He rushed over to grab one, until the Winged Warhead steps in front of him. The animal hissed; it rears its head back and it spits. SPLAT! A big glob of something wet smacks into the middle of Forsythe's chest. He reaches down and touches the goo that's dribbling down his slicker.

Forsythe: That's disgusting!

SPLAT! Another glob of goo smacks into the highlight, right next to Forsythe's head as he screams, rubbing it away frantically. All of a sudden, the bird dragon grabs the golden eggs and flies as if something scares it. As Forsythe tries to rub the goo off him, Oxy and Hutch use a bucket of water to wash it off.

Oxy: Forsythe?

Forsythe: Christ Almighty, that was disgusting! I almost got blinded!

Hutch: Obviously because you tried to steal her eggs when-

Oxy: Guys, quiet. [beat] You hear that?

Then, the vocalizing song is heard, and the trio know what that means.

Hutch: Damn. It's that song again.

Forsythe: Don't be stupid, it's just-

But the song increases as the ground begins to shake, and they get scared like before. Suddenly, the Siren Viper emerges from the sewers and growls at the boys, who recoil in fear.

Forsythe: Lord, help us!

But the dragon simply identifies his intruders, it then retreats back underground.

Hutch: What was that all about?

Oxy: I don't think he seemed interested in us.

Forsythe: Thanks for the tip, Mr. Obvious.

Oxy: Well, anyway, I can't get a signal on the payphone, so… we're on our own.

Hutch: Aw, great. Just when I thought it was going just as I hoped for.

But then, the ground below them starts to collapse, and they all fall right down.

Act Six

Back with the Regges, they are following the directions where their missing crate went, but they stop when they hear a scream.

Bazooka: There it is. That screaming again.

Javelin: I hear it too. But that means… there's people out here.

Rose: Impossible. This city's been abandoned for ten years.

Crossword: Over here.

Crossword points forward, seeing a massive and lengthy snakeskin on the floor, and Rose walks over to examine it.

Bazooka: Snakeskin?

Rose: This is skin, from a Siren Viper.

Drake: They shed their skin like snakes?

Stryker: Some dragon species can, and they mostly do that during the winter, so they'd know what season it is.

Rose: It was just molted about an hour ago, so he can't be too far away.

The ground begins to shake, meaning something's going on from below. All of a sudden, two black, pterosaur-like dragons with clubbed tails and crocodilian snouts burst out the dirt.

Crossword: Those are Killermaces! Cover your ears!

One Killermace lets out a loud, deafening roar and Drake covers his ears, which makes him wince and fall to his knees. But the Regges open fire to fight back. The other dragon flies overhead of the team. Bazooka loads his anti-tank weapon as the Killermace arrives with opened jaws. He fires his weapon at the beast in sight. He brings his hand into a thumb up gesture, and as it falls down, he brings it into a thumbs down pose. But for the other dragon, Rose simply fights it off with her own cyborg arms, beating it up.

Rose: Come on! I'll take you with my bare hands!

However, the Killermaces pick up a scent of something else nearby, and they take their leave.

Dozer: Now what's eatin' them?

The Siren Viper emerges from the ground again, and Dozer gets so startled, he rushes ahead to Bazooka. But with the snake dragon slithering towards them, Drake simply walks over towards it.

Stryker: Hold on. Do you actually have a plan, or are you just trying to get yourself killed?

Drake: If I can train it, it'll leave Shadow alone….

Javelin: Right, so you are trying to get yourself killed?

The Siren Viper charges towards Hiccup, but stops short in front of Drake's outstretched hand. The dragon sniffs it and turns away, retreating back into the sewers, as the team rush over to watch it disappear.

Drake: Again with the sewers?

Rose: That's how they'd like to hunt. Siren Vipers cannot dig holes, but they follow the diggers into their home, the same way as gopher snakes do.

Crossword: She's right. And those Killermaces are like gophers. They dig holes for shelter, but in the 21st century, they'd could sometimes go into the sewers.

Drake: But still, we need to know more about our snakey friend there.

Javelin: Don't tell me you're still thinking about following it. It's a suicide mission.

Bazooka: Well, cannot do it-

However, from up on the trees, a bone shower pours down on them, and they quickly seek shelter away from the area. But much to everyone's surprise, someone jumps down the manhole, and they realize it was Drake.

Dozer: He actually got down there.

Rose: I knew that would happen. Stryker, I'm going down there with him. Stay up here and be in charge. Dozer, I'll need one of your bombs.

Dozer gives Rose a phial of red substance, and Rose catches it before she jumps down to join Drake.

Rose: There you are. By all means, take a dive into sewage, while the others go through Jack Skellington's shower.

Drake: No one's abandoning anyone. Now, uh… we should be near it.

Rose: Hold your horses. You haven't seen what those things can do. I have, so this time you stay behind me.

Drake and Rose follow the Siren Viper's trail around this maze of tunnel networks in an attempt to find any advantage to thwart the dragon. Suddenly they then hear scraping up top causing Rose to be increasingly alarmed of her surroundings. While searching, Rose is startled by a hand bone touching her shoulders and screams in fear.

Drake: What, what is it?!

The two look around, seeing nobody around.

Rose: It's nothing.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps begin to descend on them from one of the tunnels, and they are forced to hide behind a maintenance room, closing the doors to hide.

Rose: [whispers] Stay quiet.

But the creature is about to open the doors, and once it opens, Drake and Rose are shocked to discover it was only the trio making fun of them with a skeleton arm.

Hutch: Hey, guys! Need a haaaaaaaand?

Rose: [enraged] Why you…!

Rose tackles Hutch by beating his head with the hand bone used on Rose earlier repeatedly, smacks him repeatedly.

Hutch: YEOUCH! OW! AUGH! UNCLE! YOUCH! OW! AUGH!

Drake: Alright, alright. Break it up, you guys.

Rose stops the beating with the skeleton arm, but she hits Hutch once more.

Oxy: Drake, you're here. Thank God for that.

Rose: [to Drake] You know these three?

Drake: Hutch, Forsythe and Oxy are my classmates. But how did you guys get here?

Oxy: We stowed away in one of those crates. We were in the middle of a dare game, but we didn't think it would take us all the way here.

Rose: You were in one of our crates? That's the idea of smuggling, which is illegal to us. I should have you three flogged for that.

Trio: [ashamed] Yes, ma'am.

Drake: Captain, hold on. We can deal with them later. Right now, we're inside the Siren Viper's lair, and we could-

All of a sudden, they all hear a slithering sound, which they know is the dragon again. When the Siren Viper springs up in front of them, they hide back in the maintenance room. The beast tries to find the trespassers, unbeknownst to the dragon the humans are just at its side. It sees water dripping down from the manhole cover above, and it quickly avoids it, slithering around the drippings.

Forsythe: Guess he doesn't like-

But Rose covers Forsythe's mouth, shutting him up. The Siren Viper hears the voice; it whips around with a snarl, but it finds nobody in sight. But as it gets closer towards the maintenance door, oblivious about the people in there, Drake peaks through the door crack and sees a scar on the Siren Viper's head above the left eye. When the dragon slithers away to go somewhere, the humans slowly emerge from the door.

Hutch: Now he's gone.

Drake: Guys…. Did you see that?

Oxy: See what?

Drake: His face. He had a scar above his left eye. It looked like a claw mark.

Rose: Not just any, that's a Dark Saber claw mark.

Thinking about it, Drake recalls the time when he first met Shadow during the war's final days, where the dragon clawed him for shooting him down.

Drake: I think I know why these two are looking for each other. They're rivals.

Oxy: They have a history.

Rose: A grudge.

Drake: If that's true, how long do dragons carry a grudge?

Rose: Usually…. To the death….

Drake: Let's get out of here before it comes back.

Hutch: Good idea.

But when a part of the walls falls down and impacts on the floor, Hutch lets out a loud scream.

Forsythe: Did you just scream like a little girl?

Hutch: No. Um…. Maybe…. [beat] Don't judge me!

Act Seven

Forgetting about that, the characters escape, only to bump into a bullKillermace, who is staring at them.

Oxy: Nobody… move a muscle.

Rose: He still sees us.

The Killermace roars at the group, causing them to run away, but Rose throws the phial she was given, causing a red explosion on the dragon's face to disorient it. The Captain starts trailing behind and theKillermacechases them throughout the tunnels, into the wider area where theSiren Viper shows up, but it looks over at the other dragon. The group manages to find a safe place to hide, but Rose falls and finds himself stuck in a ditch between two pipes.

Forsythe: There's going to be a fight!

The Siren Viper roars at the Killermace aggressively, while the black dragon gives a loud bellow in return, but this one is loud enough to cause a little earthquake. The Killermace almost crushes Rose under his foot, but the pipes combined with the ditch holds strong enough and saves Rose from being crushed. At first, the Killermace has the upper hand of the fight, able to grab onto the Siren Viper neck and bite deep into it and shove it to the floor. After regaining its focus, the Siren Viper frees itself from the Killermace's jaws, after knocking down a pipe which nearly crushes boys. As Rose manages to escape, she is almost crushed as the falling pipe tumbles near her.

Rose: Fall back! Fall back!

As the group makes a run for it, the Siren Viper roars and snaps at the Killermace which is backing up, roaring back. The two predators bite and snap at each other's flanks, and the Killermace lets out its Sonic Roar, loud enough to shake the whole earth. Even the Regges waiting on the surface above hear it and stand up.

Crossword: Was that an earthquake?

Javelin: That, my friend… was a dragon.

Rose's voice: Troopers!

The team hears that call; they look down the opened manhole to see Rose calling to them.

Rose: Lend us a rope! We've got stragglers down here!

Stryker: You heard her! Dozer, let's get the rope out!

Drake and the trio make it to Rose's side, shortly before the rope is dropped down to them.

Forsythe: I'm really starting to hate this dare contest.

Oxy: You think?! YOU ACTUALLY THINK SO?!

Drake: Can we talk about this later? We really need to get out of this sewer!

[Siren Viper roars distantly]

Hutch: Yeah, we do. I'll go first.

Oxy: No argument here.

With the Siren Viper's roar getting louder, Drake lifts Hutch to reach the rope and make it to the surface. Oxy and Forsythe both climb up as well, followed by Rose. Drake tries to climb up, but then he slips and falls back down.

Hutch: Drake!

Drake: I can't climb! I'm soaking wet now!

Rose: Soaking wet? Corporal, use your head! You've got a brain, so use it now or you'll never get your chance after this!

Drake is trying to think of a plan, and he gets one as the Siren Viper slithers ahead towards him. He ties the rope around his waist, and Rose yanks him out of the sewer through a dust cloud. The Siren Viper sticks out its head to devour Drake as he plummets down towards its mouth, luckily, Dozer throws another phial to disorient the dragon, before Rose catches Drake.

Drake: That's what you mean by using my head?

Rose: Well, you made it this far, haven't you?

The Siren Viper is now in its aggressive state after the humans trespass inside its home, as Drake plans to thwart it.

Hutch: [scared] Can we get out of here, please?

Drake: No. I know I can train this thing. But…. Does anyone have chocolate?

Then, Oxy takes a Coffee Crisp bar out, giving it to Drake, and the latter slowly approaches the Siren Viper, as it is calming down.

Drake: Look. Chocolate. You'll love this. All the dragons love this.

Javelin: For God's sake, Dalloway, leave the serpent alone.

Stryker: He doesn't look like he has a sweet tooth.

But the Siren Viper doesn't seem interested in the chocolate and sneezes it out of Drake's hand.

Oxy: Shit. That was my last one.

Drake: Any ideas? I'm throwing it wide-open to the group.

Hutch: I got an idea…. RUN!

The Siren Viper chases the group, but is suddenly tackled by Shadow from above. He fends off the serpent and they resume their duel. However, the Siren Viper finds that he is encountered by the Regges and falls back.

Drake: Shadow!

Drake tries to mount him, but Shadow once again doesn't let him.

Drake: Bro, it's me. I know what's going on with you and that other dragon.

Shadow calms down from his growling, understanding what Drake is telling him.

Drake: But you don't have to do this on your own. Please.

Drake approaches Shadow, with his hand extended out. But Shadow just runs off.

Drake: Shadow, come back!

Shadow fires a blast at Drake's feet, stopping him from following, then runs off.

Drake: Hey, he…. He just….

Rose: Kid, relax. He knows you're here in the wild zone, so just wait for him to come back. [to the trio] Now, if you three are Dalloway's classmates, why aren't you in school today?

Forsythe: I uh…. I mean, we uh…. see, it's….

Rose: Skipping school, are you? I think you all had better stay with us.

Up on a hilltop, the group is being spied on by Snoop and Tiger Blade, before they make a video chat with Hunter.

Hunter: Well, Mr. Snoop? What news from your hunting grounds?

Snoop: It's simple. We intercepted a transmission last night, and learned that the kid is gone looking for his dragon in the wild zone.

Hunter: Then why haven't you captured him?

Snoop: Because, uh… SC Reg is at his side, Hunter.

Hunter: That's why you two must work together! So do the job right, or I might have you demoted to do maintenance!

Tiger Blade: We're only waiting for the enemy to let their guard down.

Act Eight

The trio are sitting on some rocks, being watched by the team, while Rose and Crossword are giving calls.

Oxy: We're doomed.

Stryker: Not necessarily. We're just protecting you. The wild zone has all kinds of feral dragons around here.

Drake: But you know, guys, I thought you would know better than to skip school like this. And into the most dangerous part of the country?

Hutch: Honestly, coming here wasn't the master plan. It was to leave home, not go to school, and walk around or something until 3 o'clock when we can all go home.

Dozer: Then I guess you didn't think that truck you stowed into was heading our way, did you?

Oxy: No. And now the school is going to be furious about this.

Forsythe: I'm sure they won't be too hard on you, Oxy. It really isn't your fault.

Oxy: You can say that again! It's your fault! If you hadn't dared us, none of this would've happened!

Drake: Lemme guess, daring to skip school?

Done with the phone call, Rose walks over with Crossword, talking to the trio.

Crossword: I just called the Billy Madison Centre. Professor Miller is fully aware you three are gone.

Rose: But we also called your parents, and they're very disappointed in you. So where'd you get the idea to skip school?

With an angry tone, Oxy was going to point fingers at Forsythe and Hutch, attempting to blame them, but after some thoughts about it, he looked like he was feeling down.

Oxy: It was my idea I guess. My stupid idea.

Rose: Then I'm afraid you'll have to spend all of next week after school, going through some of my basic training. That way, you should learn some more discipline. This better not happen again.

Oxy: It won't.

However, Hutch is feeling sorry for Oxy, then he stands up in objection.

Hutch: WAIT! Oxy's not telling the truth. It was my idea, only not really, because it was Rocky and Dusty who came with it. But then, we got dared and Forsythe said we HAD TO do it. I went with it, so I could watch TV and not do my homework. So, anyway, this whole thing happened because… I'm a lazy-ass. If Oxy's punished, then I should be punished.

Forsythe: Hutch's right. I got us into this mess, so punish me too.

Oxy smiles as Hutch and Forsythe stand up for him.

Rose: You three… would really want to be penalized together?

Oxy: That's what you do for your best friends. You count on each other.

Forsythe: We may not look like it, but we've always treated ourselves like we're brothers.

Hutch sniffles, looking touched, and wipes a tear from his eye.

Hutch: Yeah. And I always wanted a brother.

Drake looks at the trio, understanding what they mean, and he thinks about Shadow again.

Rose: A for effort and spirit. But you three still broke a few laws by tagging along with us. So I'm appointing you all to do community service, starting with reloading our weapons and collecting firewood.

Forsythe: Wait, we should talk about calling the plane. It's going to leave in nine hours.

Bazooka: So what? We gotta find the Dark Saber.

Forsythe: Hey, didn't you hear what Tymbark said? We're gonna be stranded here. Look, Drake, Shadow was a great pet. No question. He's a rare find, and losing him in the wild is a terrible loss, so we're gonna miss him.

Drake: Clearly, you don't really know him, Forsythe. Shadow isn't a pet, he's a brother to me. We're as close as you three are together. I have to find him before that Siren Viper kills him.

Hutch: What? You mean… going back to that snake?! No way! Count me out of it!

Stryker: You don't like snakes, do you?

Hutch: Hell no. I hate snakes. When I was a kid, my cousins liked to dunk my head into something. One time, they dunk my head into a snake pit; they were garter snakes, but that traumatized me.

Drake: We'll proceed with the mission. But first, I have to call Tyler for more info.

Drake walks away from the team, to where Javelin is standing by, and he takes out his phone to call Tyler.

Javelin: You really think your dragon has a rival?

Drake: I've seen that look in his eye, and I now know what it meant. But I… just wanted him to be safe from being killed.

Javelin thinks of something, and he shows Drake an AK-47 assault rifle.

Javelin: You see this? I got this before the war, when I was working in the Hostage Rescue Team for the FBI. We were six men against forty terrorists, and they had several hostages, who were the Canadian Ambassador's family. We stormed the building, took out the kidnappers and rescued the hostages, right before we ran into a sailor trapped in the basement. He said he hadn't seen a gun for years until we came along. Just when I had my back turned for inspections, he grabbed this and opened fire at me. I dodged it, and fired back at his legs, crippling him. The last thing I saw was that look in his eye when we arrested him, and it was the look of retribution. When I saw that Siren Viper, he had that look too, the look for getting even with a rival. [pauses] But sometimes, a rival cannot just appear out of nowhere. They'd have to be found. And when that happens… that's when you'd gotta fight for survival.

Javelin takes his leave, letting Drake to be by himself.

Drake: And what happens if the guy shows up for you?

Javelin: I'd still have his gun.

In the Shelters, Vanessa is in the hockey rink, writing down a check list on a clipboard, as Tyler and Gilbert are pushing a cage in.

Vanessa: Check… check… double check…. And…. That's all of them. I guess we didn't need Drake for this.

Tyler: [sighs] Damn, I've forgotten how heavy these things are.

Gilbert: Well, we made it. So let's have a good cup of tea. That kennel should've boiled by now.

Then, a phone rings, and Tyler reaches into his pants to take out his cell, answering it.

Tyler: Hello?

Drake: Tyler, it's me.

Tyler: Drake. You're on speaker.

Vanessa hears Drake's voice, and she gets excited as she walks over.

Vanessa: Drake? Thank goodness, you're alright. Have you got Shadow?

Tyler: No, but I found out why he's after the Siren Viper. They have a grudge.

Gilbert: [stunned] A rival. By Jove.

Vanessa: So that's what it is. He must be trying to protect you.

Tyler: That's not what it is! Shadow doesn't want you around because this is between him and the Siren Viper. I should know. I have that feeling with Goliath, but I wouldn't want anyone getting killed over me when it is personal.

Gilbert: Maybe, but Goliath was way too big for you to face.

Still on the phone, Drake thinks of something, and he gets an idea.

Drake: Actually… I think you're both right.

Tyler: Wait… what? You guys heard that, right?

Drake: Maybe it's not a fair fight! Yeah, Goliath was huge, which makes the Siren Viper puny in comparisons, but the only difference is… the Siren Viper is more agile than Shadow. He sings, breathes fire, and he's got a blade on the tip of his tail.

Gilbert: That is true. Siren Viper tails are not as sharp as a Pecker's, but it's still a deadly weapon. It's almost as if they react like a scorpion, so that makes the tail being the best option for that serpent to take on.

Vanessa: So, what are you saying?

Drake: I'm saying I need to find him. And this time, I'll find a way for him to let me ride and try to catch that tail.

Vanessa: What?! You idiot, you heard what Gilbert said! That tail would kill you!

Drake: I will keep my eyes on it. Seeya.

Drake hangs up on the phone, then he sneezes.

Voice: Excuse you.

Drake: Thanks.

But Drake realizes that it wasn't from anyone in his team, nor from the trio, so that could mean trouble. He looks ahead, and sees a Goku Ninja in front of him.

Drake: AMBUSH!

Act Nine

The whole team is alarmed, just as more Goku Ninjas show up to surround them, holding out their weapons. Snoop comes over, tipping his hat down.

Snoop: Howdy, y'all.

Rose: You invited you in here? This is a restricted area!

Then, Tiger Blade hops off from a tree, confronting Rose.

Tiger Blade: Ah, the iron-fisted Tymbark. Always so aggressive.

Rose: [groans] Tiger Blade.

Drake: Another Blackhawk?

Snoop: You betcha. So… now that you're cornered like bees to honey, y'all best move along while the Dragon King comes with us.

Stryker: Not gonna happen. He's with us.

Tiger Blade: You say that now, but you will eat those words.

Snoop: Okay, men, stick 'em up!

Goku Ninjas: We surrender!

Snoop: [annoyed] No, not that way, you idiots! I mean the swinging-the-weapons thing!

Goku Ninjas: Ohhhh.

All together, the ninjas swing their weapons around, prepared to face off the Regges. But during the time, Rose gets a plan.

Rose: Corporal, on my signal, take off.

Drake: Copy.

Rose: [beat] …NOW!

Lightning fast, Rose throws a grenade, then the Goku Ninjas recoil and dash away before it detonates, killing nobody. But that is the signal for Drake to run away, which he does.

Snoop: Hey! He's gettin' away! Do something!

Tiger Blade: Everyone, to action!

The ninjas resume their attack position, and the Regges open fire at them, sending them away. But Tiger Blade draws his dual katanas and slashes the guns into pieces, disabling their firearms. Now the ninjas fight back, while the Regges counter to defend themselves, but during the fight, the trio make like a tree and run off deep into the woods. After a long run, the trio stop to make sure nobody is following them.

Forsythe: [sighs] Phew. I think we ditch 'em, guys.

However, something appears out of nowhere behind them. They look back to see a pair of Winged Warheads, who change colour like cuttlefish, and they stand near a nest of golden eggs.

Hutch: This is not what it looks-

Suddenly, the Warheads hiss before they spit venom on Hutch's shirt. So the boys make another run for it.

In the ruins of Winnipeg, Shadow travels throughout the street to thwart the Siren Viper to come out and settle their grudge. Then Drake arrives; he slowly approaches his battle-hardened attitude dragon to try and disenchant him, and he succeeds by touching his snout. Drake finally sees Toothless returning to his old self.

Drake: Shadow, I know you can hear me. You can't do this on your own. He's your enemy, but he will kill you with that tail of his.

[Shadow chirping]

Drake: We need to go. Blackhawks are here, so should go.

Then, Snoop arrives to hold Drake at gunpoint. Shadow hisses, ready to fight, until several ninjas hold him in chains wrapping him.

Snoop: And you should go where, Drake?

Drake: Uh… maybe to talk to… Hunter. To tell him I'm not interested in any offer he has. [to himself] Aw, God.

Snoop: You can tell him that in person. Now stop whining, and just take it like a man.

All of a sudden, the vocalizing song of the Siren Viper is heard. Shadow goes back to his feral state, knowing it is the rival. But one of the ninjas is enchanted by that song, so he just wanders over to where it is coming from.

Ninja 1: Hey! Hey, you, don't! Don't walk over there!

Ninja 2: [tranced] I can't help it. It's so beautiful.

When the ninja is close enough, the Siren Viper pounces on him, devouring him.

Snoop: [shocked] Great horny toads!

The Siren Viper spots Shadow and taunts his rival. Shadow accepts to settle their rivalry and pushes the ninjas away, shooting his Thunder Blast but is knocked down by the serpent's flailing tail blade. As the two dragons take flight, the Siren Viper whips Shadow away, which Drake feels when he winces, but he runs away from Snoop to enter a building.

Snoop: Hey, where are you going?!

Rose and Tiger Blade are both locked onto mortal combat. With her metal arms, she gains an advantage to parry the ninja's swords, and she kicks him away, making Tiger Blade roll down a hill. But he stands up, wiping the dirt off his shoulder.

Tiger Blade: Still as tough as you said you were.

Rose: I've gotten stronger since the last time we met.

Tiger Blade: Good. With that pride, comes a fall.

Tiger Blade runs back uphill, and slashes his blades around, able only to cut Rose's leg that she recoils in pain for. Then, he kicks her back, before he makes a run for it, going after Drake.

The Regges are all battling the ninjas with hand-to-hand combat, but even they are beaten by their opponents.

Javelin: Dozer, get some bombs!

Dozer: I've got no more!

Bazooka: I got this!

Bazooka readies his anti-tank weapon, only to be sabotaged by a thrown sai, and he throws it away before it explodes. Now the Regges are completely vulnerable. However, there is screaming heard from behind, and the trio run for their lives towards them, chased by the Warheads. One of the ninjas throws a sai at a Warhead; now ticked, the dragons are after them before spitting their venom on them. The Regges make a run for it, hiding in the trees as the Warheads maul the Goku Ninjas.

Javelin: Nasty.

Forsythe: I swear, we didn't try to take their eggs this time.

Stryker: Luckily, they didn't kill you. Winged Warheads are poisonous. They spit venom that causes blindness and paralysis.

Forsythe: [shocked] And one of them… spat on my face?! [faints]

Rose: Troops, let's keep going. Dalloway needs our help.

On top of the building, Drake comes out to see Shadow and Siren Viper fighting in the air. He stands there, hoping for a way to help Shadow, but down below, Snoop is loading an M23 rifle and takes aim for Shadow.

Snoop: One shot for the cowboy.

BANG! Snoop fires the gun, and the bullet hits Shadow on the leg, injuring him. Drake feels it too, falling down in agony. But when Snoop sees that reaction, he is stunned, but Tiger Blade sees it too, glaring at the cowboy.

Tiger Blade: What the hell are you doing?! Our orders were to take him alive and well.

Snoop: I didn't shoot him.

Act Ten

With Shadow injured and landing on a building, the Siren Viper creates a ring of fire with his Heatwave, trapping him in the centre, and becomes an easy target for the serpent. The Siren Viper decides to finish the fight; he shoves Shadow towards the edge by flailing his tail at him, to have him plummet to his doom.

Drake: Shadow!

Drake has to do something to save Shadow, but he is getting cornered, then he has one option. Suddenly, Drake takes a step off the edge and falls, which stuns the Blackhawks and Shadow. Shadow decides to discard the fight and rescue his half-brother. With only feet away until they meet their doom, Drake manages to mount up onto Shadow and they both fly upward.

Drake: You see? We're both in this together. Now let's both handle that snake… as one!

[Shadow barks]

Reunited, Drake and Shadow together decide to finish what they started. As they fend off the Siren Viper, Drake looks back to see its tail about to jab him, but he fires a pistol to fend that off, agonizing the dragon. Pissed, the Siren Viper is about to use its Heatwave, but it begins to rain and that forces the dragon to retreat inside the building. Drake sees it, puzzled about it, but he remembers that the dragon retreated before the rain fell, and earlier today when it avoided dripping water in the sewers. Then, he has a thought.

Drake: The rain. That's his weakness! Let's force him outside!

The duo uses this advantage to get the Siren Viper to exit the building by blasting it with thunder to the inside, creating a burst of electricity erupting in each opening.

Snoop: Let's just shoot again, without killing the kid.

Snoop reloads his gun, until he and Tiger Blade see the Regges shooting at them, forcing them to duck behind a car.

Tiger Blade: Goku Ninjas, aid us! [pauses] Ninjas?! ANYONE?!

Snoop: We're on our own. We're gonna have to…. I mean….

Tiger Blade: [beat] It's your call. You're second-in-command, so give the order.

Snoop: Alright. Let's bail!

The two operatives make a run for it, heading off somewhere in defeat, and the Regges roar in cheer for their success.

Rose: Save it, men. We're not out of the woods yet.

In the meantime, the Siren Viper eventually emerges, and succumbs in writhing annoyance for being wet under the rain. Drake and Shadow tackle and pin the dragon. In the end, Shadow wins the duel and the Siren Viper is now at the mercy at the Dark Saber.

Drake: Shadow, don't!

Shadow brutally taunts the dragon preparing to finish him off, but for a moment, has an epiphany that reflects his violent attitude of himself, and decides to spare his long-rival dragon despite his grudge, and the Siren Viper returns to the sewer in humiliating defeat. With the fight over, the team runs over to Drake, accompanying him after what they witnessed.

Bazooka: He let him go? Shadow could have finished him off!

Drake: Well, I guess not all dragon grudges are to the death.

Forsythe: Then, now we got what you came for, so can we please go home now?

Rose: Mission accomplished. Crossword, contact the plan.

Drake: Hey, bud. What do you say we go home?

In a chopper, Snoop and Tiger Blade are on their way back to Chicago, but they both look disappointed.

Snoop: First the duo, then Ice and now us? I feel like bad luck is with us.

Tiger Blade: I do not believe in luck, Mr. Snoop. We failed because we underestimated our opponent. Next time, we won't.

Blackhawk: Mr. Snoop, Hunter demands an update on the pursuit.

Snoop: [nervously] Um…. Tell him it was a cosplayer.

Hunter: [through speakers] WHAT?! TAKE HIM TO MY OFFICE!

Blackhawk: Sorry, sir, but he's not on hold, and he heard the whole thing.

Snoop: Shit.

In Ottawa, Drake is telling Tyler about the Siren Viper's weakness, and he puts it down on the Dragon Journal.

Tyler: Very interesting. Never thought a dragon would be scared of rain.

Drake: Me neither. And what's more, Forsythe, Hutch and Oxy tagged along and helped out a bit. …Mostly.

Drake looks out the window to see Rose having the trio running laps.

Rose: Let's go! Pick up the pace and do it!

Trio: [scared] Yes, ma'am!

Narrator: When our past rears its ugly head, it usually doesn't have a blade-like tail and a bad attitude.

Shadow is lying down on the floor, eating a big serving of ham.

Narrator: If it does, you're going to need a great friend who has your back. I will always have Shadow's back. And he will always have mine.

The End