Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The air in the taming arena is thick, damp enough that he feels like he’s drowning the second he steps in. This particular arena is big, the door sitting on a balcony several feet above the main floor.

Kai looks over the railing, staring down at the dragon sitting on the ground. It’s aqua blue in color, leaning against of the wall opposite, staring up at him with wary eyes. There’s a frill traveling along its neck, stopping once it reaches its wings, which are also blue, although a shade lighter than the rest of it's body, and are tucked neatly into its side.

Kai looks away, heading to the stairs and traveling down them carefully. He glances at the dragon every few steps to ensure he’s not about to be sideswiped, but it's frozen in place, it’s eyes not leaving him.

Once Kai reaches the bottom, the dragon stands, moving along the wall to the opposite side once more. It's wings acts as its two front legs, and it reminds him of depictions of wyverns that he’s seen in fairy tales, except this one is much more real. And blue.

Kai moves forward slowly, taking a step at a time. The dragon tenses every foot Kai gets closer, and he stops once he’s only a few feet ahead. He reaches into his pocket slowly, anticipating that the dragon will pounce any second.

And it does.

The dragon uses its hind legs to push itself forward, one of its wings pulling back to take a swipe at him. Kai jumps to the side, falling into a roll. He reaches into his pocket once more, but the dragon is faster.

Its tail swings towards him, connecting with his stomach, the force of it sending him into the wall, and all he sees is black. It takes him a few seconds to recover, and he knows that he’s gonna need stitches from the scratches on his stomach from the frills on the dragons tail, and maybe even the scratches on his back from his collision with the wall.

As the dragon takes a breath in Kai rushes to move, standing quickly (despite how dizzy he is) and diving (more like falling, but it works anyways) to the side. And a second later a stream of water hits the wall where Kai was a second earlier. He breathes out a sigh, reaching into his pocket quick enough this time to pull something out.

The dragon seems to narrow its eyes at him and Kai braces himself, throwing what he holds so it lands directly in front of the dragon before falling back quickly, feeling like the scratches on his stomach are about to rip open. A cloud of yellow expands and the dragon roars, wings expanding to its side and flapping once before it freezes and falls like a dead weight to the floor.

Kai’s shoulders relax as he stands up straight, stretching his arms out above his head and wincing once he does. The dragon isn’t moving, yet its eyes are open and fixed on him. He walks towards it slowly, not wanting to make it think he’s gonna hurt it. He kneels next to it, and the dragon narrows its eyes at him.

He reaches out his hand, laying it flat on the top of its head. It glares at him for a few seconds more, than closes its eyes and relaxes. Kai stays kneeling there for a few seconds more, than turns around to head up the stairs. He only makes it up one step before he freezes. Standing on the balcony overlooking the arena is Kris, arms resting on the railing.

Kai continues up the stairs slowly, Kris’s eyes staying on the dragon sleeping peacefully below. It’s only once Kai reaches the top of the stairs that Kris’s eyes travel to his, and Kai straightens unconsciously. Kris smirks at him and Kai frowns, dodging around him and making his way to the door, which slides opens as he reaches it.

The sunlight outside is blinding compared to the darkness of the arena, and the change of air from the dampness inside to the clean air outside makes him take a few deep breaths before his breathing adjusts.

The clearing that the arenas are located in is huge, surrounded by arena after arena. He’ll have to tell someone to bring the dragon back to its cage, and frowns when he realizes who is still trailing behind him. He turns to face Kris, and walks backwards in the general direction of the headquarters.

“Can I help you?” Kai asks, meaning for it to sound sarcastic and greatly failing.

“I wanted to go somewhere quiet, and I just so happened to walk into the arena you were in.” Kris shrugs as he says this, and Kai makes a general noise of apprehension before turning back around.

“Well since you were spying on me, you can go tell an agent to move the dragon back to it’s cage.”

Kris ignores him, opting instead to say, “It was impressive. Water Serpents are known for being feisty, and for seriously hurting those who try to tame one. There hasn’t been an agent in the headquarters with one since I started working here.”

Kai raises an eyebrow at Kris’s complement, but then the words ‘seriously hurting’ ring in his ears and the pain finally registers. He stumbles a few steps before he catches himself, and takes a few deep breaths. He hears grass crunching underfoot before he recognizes Kris’ presence by his side, asking him, “Are you alright?’

Kai nods faintly, feeling dizzy, and looks down at the red blossoming, the color a stark contrast against the white of his shirt. He tries to stand fully only to stumble once more, and the only reason he doesn’t fall is because Kris catches him, putting a supporting arm across his shoulders, taking half his weight.

They limp slowly together across the clearing, up a small stone path to the side door of the headquarters. It’s a smooth stone wall, or it looks like one at first until you see the red light blinking slowly above them. The light turns green a second later and a part of the wall slides back, and they enter.

Chapter Text

Kai wakes to a white ceiling. He blinks at it a few times, remembering what happened and where he is, though he doesn’t remember fainting. He shifts a bit in the bed and is surprised when he feels little to no pain.

The curtain opens and in walks Kris, leaning against the wall to the side of the bed. He’s wearing the outfit used when transporting dragons, tightly fitted black pants and a padded shirt that helps to protect you from any attacks. Kai raises an eyebrow at him.

Kris turns his head away, looking at the wall to his side instead. “You fainted once we entered the building, the docs said you lost too much blood. I moved the dragon into its cage. The first thing it did when we got there was to jump right into the water.” There’s a hint of a smile on his face, and he pauses for a second, then says with a frown, “I think it splashed me on purpose.”

Kai laughs, trying to cover it with a cough, which earns him a glare. Then something occurs to him and he asks, “How long have I been sleeping?”

“A few hours,” Kris answers, adding, “They gave you some pain meds, stitched the ones that needed to be and just cleaned and bandaged the others. They weren’t deep, most of them will heal within a few days.” Kris laughs suddenly and it’s a very dry laugh, his voice quiet when he speaks next. “I think I broke my leg when I tamed him, I know I broke something...or multiple things. Just be happy you’re not like me.” His voice is almost silent when he finishes the sentence, and Kai has to strain to hear him.

Kris shakes his head. “Anyways,” he says louder. “The boss wanted to see you. He said take your time, he a lot of work to do so go quick as he’s gonna be locked up in his office for a while.” He looks to Kai for a reply, and once he nods Kris excuses himself and leaves the room quietly.

Kris has been in the company for a while, taming and training dragons for years before Kai got into the company. Kai was only just a rookie when it occurred, so he didn’t know what had happened until only just over a year ago.

The company name is DPH, which simply stands for Dragon Protection Headquarters. The role of the company is to help any dragon that is in need of it, whether they’re injured, being transported illegally, or if they are just overall in a cruel persons hands. If this is the case, then agents are sent out to help and to bring the dragon back safely. Once they are brought to the headquarters they get seen by one of the DPH’s doctors, and then they are either brought to a place that they will keep them safe where they’ll get to live in peace and in large, open protected areas, or they are kept here.

Agents in the DPH are assigned dragons, much like Kai was with the Water Serpent. They then have to earn their trust, which usually starts with besting them in a fight, and then spending enough time with them that the dragon grows to trust them. From there, the dragon is moved into a larger area, in a clearing next to the one with the taming pens. Each agent has their own section, and that is where the dragons of that agent live. Although the name for them are cages, they are each made differently in a way to comfort the dragon, yet not let it escape. Not like they try to, in all the time that Kai’s been here he’s never heard of a dragon trying to escape.

The Water Serpent will most likely have been moved into a cage that is mostly water, with enough room for it it to be able to sunbathe comfortably, as close as they can get to the type of environment it would have had back home. Kai doesn’t have any other dragons at the moment, the ones he did have had been moved somewhere else where they can live out their days peacefully.

Kris had really only one one dragon in his time with the company, one dragon that he really trusted, and that trusted him in return. There had been many fights happening throughout the country, between agents of the DPH and companies similar, and those who planned to use the dragons as they see fit.

A black dragon. That is what Kris had managed to befriend. Black dragons are one of the most dangerous types of dragon, second only to Brown Dragons. They are able to spit out acid, which is capable of even melting the strongest of metal. They are rare, too. Kris’s dragon, though, he was special. Kai had only seen him once or twice, and not in person as he wasn’t an agent at the time yet.

There is always a chance that dragons can have a special ability, like Water Serpents or Blue dragons being able to control the weather, or for Air Dragons to have the ability of ice. There was a sighting once, of a yellow dragon being seen flying like the speed of light through a thunderstorm, but that is unknown if it is true or not, or if it was an air dragon or a new undiscovered type of dragon.

This dragon though, had a power of no other. He controlled time. He was able to freeze it, fast forward it, or move it backwards. He was also able to move through it when he did any of these things, and he was also able to allow others to. He was a young dragon, however it was hard to know how old he was exactly due to having continuously moved through time.

Kris and the dragon were involved in the fights across the country, along with the boss and a few other agents. One of the fights was huge, many people and many dragons from all over involved. It wasn’t only the dragons fighting, but the agents as well. Kris had been injured, along with most of the other agents. There had been many other dragons, all of different abilities. One however, held the power of time as well.

The two dragons of time fought, bringing those around them back and forth between years. Everyone there would have died, including the dragons, but Kris's dragon sacrificed himself facing the other for a last time to allow them to escape. He brought them back to the present, rearing up for a final charge. The two dragons had collided, rolling in a tangle of claws and fangs before they disappeared, somewhere into the expanse of time. The foe dragon never appeared again, though neither did Kris’s dragon. It’s still unknown to this day what exactly happened, if they both died or if something had gone wrong.

The name of the dragon, the young dragon with a power only one other had ever been known to share: His name was Tao.

Chapter Text

Kai stayed in the doctor's ward for only a few more hours before deciding that he’s tired of staring at white walls, and therefor signing out. Once the doors shut behind him he remembers Kris’s words that the boss had wanted to see him, and starts heading towards his office.

The doctors ward is located in a separate hallway of the DPH, room after room consisting of nothing but a simple bed and side table, and a big room at the end of the hallway for the doctors and all the medicine and equipment they need.

He makes his way down the hallway, turning right once he does. The hallway he enters just consists of offices for the agents at the DPH, though that’s not where the Boss’s office is. He turns left when he reaches the end of this hallway, and stops when he reaches the end of another.

There’s a few agents lingering in this hallway, and they bow slightly to him when they see him. He’s not exactly the most notorious agent, but he certainly is a well respected one. He doesn’t recognize them, and assuming that they must be rookie agents, he nods back.

At the far end of this hallway is the main entrance, looking like nothing but a wall of stone. The only thing hinting that it is a door is the faint light blinking near the ceiling, similar to the one by the side entrance. There’s a few doors along the sides of the hallway, consisting of some meeting rooms and a few storage rooms. And lastly the door that belongs to the boss of the DPH at the far end of the hallway.

Kai head towards that door, knocking softly on it. He doesn’t wait for a response, knowing that boss is probably too busy reading some document or something to answer - like usual. He opens the door slowly, peeking his head in first to check if he’s right and . . . he is. He enters quietly, closing the door behind him before moving to stand behind the chair in front of the desk.

Hunched over his desk, blond hair falling over his eyes is where he finds his boss - otherwise known as his nickname Suho - hovering over a pile of papers. Kai clears his throat gently as not to scare him, but he doubts it would have anyways. Suho gestures to a chair seated in front of the desk, and Kai bows slightly before sitting.

Suho continues to gaze at his papers for several long seconds that feel like minutes to Kai, before finally picking his gaze up. “So…” he says, drawing the word out for several beats. “You managed the tame the serpent? But not without several injuries, I heard.”

Kai sighs before nodding, willing for him to just get to the point already. The thought of being careened into the wall makes his stitches give a responding twinge of pain. “It’s impossible to tame the smallest and weakest of dragons without some sort of injury, no matter how skilled the agent is. Nevermind a Water Serpent.”

Suho nods at this, looking down at the papers on his desk once more and skipping through a few pages after briefly skimming through them. “And the fact that you managed to tame it - arguably one of the strongest and biggest dragons of them all - with only a few scratches is no small feet, indeed.” He reaches for a packet of papers on his desk once the last syllable is out of his mouth, placing it on top of the other papers in front of him.

Kai flounders at Suho’s words, opening his mouth for only long enough to say, “That - that's not what I meant,” before he decides not speaking at all is the best thing to do. He simply watches as Suho briefly looks at the first page of the packet before evidently deciding it is the right one and reaching across the desk to hand it to him.

The first page is just a date, which he realizes a second later to be tomorrow's date, 4/15/20. He continues on to the second and third pages, consisting of a picture each. One is of a relatively unsuspicious trailer, the only things suspicious about it being its size and color, being at least 8 feet long or so, and a dark blue. It takes him a second to realize that it’s not the color of the trailer itself, but instead the color of the tarp wrapped tightly around it. Its tight enough that its flat in most places except for a few wrinkles near the edges and in the center, probably that way from getting billowed in the air current, which would suggest that the trailer is on a highway and moving fast enough to make even the relatively tight tarp be under enough force to be stretched out enough for the wrinkles to form.

He’s seen this type of tarp before, meant to keep noise from escaping and also for the least amount possible of air to get inside - just enough that whatever is inside has enough to breathe. The picture on the second page is a close up shot of the license plate number which he’ll need for tracking the locations of the trailer.

He flips to the fourth, fifth and final pages of the packet. The fourth page is filled with information that he already knows: how to best stop the trailer and how to safely cut through the tarp to get the dragon out. It’s a general direction and not specific for which type of dragon, so he skips it. The fifth page is in smaller text to fit all the information of this case in particular, from what kind of dragon is inside to who and what is responsible for this dragon being illegally transported around.

“So,” Kai says, skimming through the page for any questions he’d have to ask the boss about the details of the mission. “This is a rescue and retrieve mission. That’s why you asked me about my injury - though I’m sure you dug through the video evidence of what exactly happened to know if I’d be able to do it or not.” Skimming the page and re-skimming it again he points out, “This is a test, isn’t it?” He looks up to his boss for a second - whose eyes scan Kai from what feels like head to toe - before looking back down at the papers in his lap.

A test indeed. He knows without his boss confirming it. It’s a test to see Kai’s skills, at what he could do with a dragon that isn’t properly trained. It hasn’t exactly been made a secret, it’s the reason why all the other trainers bow so deeply to him when he walks by them in the hallways, the reason why new trainees look upon him with admiration in their eyes from the stories they’ve heard about him. It’s exactly that, stories, exaggerations.

Kris is the only agent still here of the last generation, one of the only few alive of the last generation. And Kai is one of the only ones still here from his. He also knows he’s the best of his generation, and the best of the ones after. It’s a lot of pressure, really, to carry on your back but he burdens it. No, not burdens, exactly. Its more like he ignores it, doesn’t let it affect him, doesn't think about it.

He’ll have to leave tomorrow, then. The location is at the foot of the mountains, the total opposite side of the city. It’s a few hour ride, about two or so. He’ll have to decide what team to bring, which agents he trusts the most. There’s also the problem of his dragon . . . He chews on his lip in thought. He’ll think it about it later, once he gets home and can properly relax.

“I’ll leave it up to you to chose the team, though I would recommend taking along someone you fully trust,” Suho says, and something in his eye glints as he continues talking. “Someone who would be useful in case something were to go wrong with your Serpent.” Kai ignores the dig, and as much as he is against the idea of being trapped in a car with Kris for several hours, he can’t deny that he has a point.

He nods. His boss smiles a serpentine smile at him, and Kai frowns as he flips the packet to a close.

Chapter Text

He swears he’s going to die.

He storms out of the DPH, the doors banging shut behind him. He groans at the thought of the days ahead, at of how impossible it is going to be going on a mission with an untrained dragon. His arm gives a twinge of pain and he winces, hoping that getting thrown against the wall in the training room didn’t re-aggravate his shoulder injury.

He had only returned to the DPH not even a year ago after having been out due to … multiple injuries, his shoulder being one of them. He had been trapped in his house the whole time, and had been happy when he had finally returned. Except, the first thing he heard when he walked through the doors of the DPH was that he was being sent out to the marshes, to bring back a Water Serpent that had been causing problems to the nearby village.

It hadn’t hurt anyone, or at least not yet by the time that he and a small team had gotten there. It had scared away all the fish within a several mile radius of it - their main source of food. The villagers had been relieved when he had arrived, and he had gotten swarmed by a crowd of people; old and young. He had heard countless stories from the elders about the last time they had seen a dragon, and how they aren’t exactly common around the village. The young ones were full of questions. ‘Are you going to tame it?’ and ‘Do you have a dragon?’ being some of the most popular ones.

He remembers one child, not yet of the age of 6, that had come up to him with tears in her eyes, her small hand gripping onto his with all her might. He had knelt down to look her in the eye, and was surprised when she asked in a small, wavering voice, “Will you hurt the dragon?” He remembers seeing the little girls mom taking a few steps forward to take her away if need be. She had stopped however, when Kai smileed at the girl, a smile that usually works to calm others: new recruits nervous before their first mission, younger agents after suffering long lasting injuries.

He had smiled to the girl, maintaining eye contact with her as he shook his head. “I’m not gonna hurt the dragon,” he said. “Have you ever heard of the DPH?”

The girl had sniffled once, twice. Was blinking the tears away as she nodded. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small card; something all agents have to carry around should they need proof that they are indeed an agent of the DPH. He had pulled it out, the girls eyes widening as she saw it. She had sniffled once more, a final time, as she raised her eyes to meet his. Had smiled at him, asking him to come back after the dragon was all tamed. He nodded at her, looking over her shoulder to meet the gaze of her mother, who smiled at him and nodded. He had smiled back, once more looking to the girl and asking one final question. “What’s your name?”

The girls looked at the card in Kai’s hand once more, then up to meet his gaze. Held it for a second, and something about the gaze gave Kai a faint chill, a feeling that he didn’t quite know the word for. Then she smiled, one that excluded brightness and said “Dorika.”

“Dorika,” Kai had repeated, standing and accepting his bag from a member of his team who had carried it for him. Gazing around to look at the children and elders gathered around him, he had been surprised when he finally realized just how many people of the village had gathered around him. The crowd was no longer only made up of the children and elders, but people of all ages. He had understood, as he nodded at the crowd around him, had accepted the ‘good luck’ that had been chorused. Had understood, as he tossed his bag swiftly around his shoulder and turned, heading towards the direction that the dragon had last been seen in.

The children and elders had been his test. Should he not have comforted them, should not have proven at least capable around people, the villagers would not have allowed him anywhere near the Dragon. Would have kicked him and his team out, acclimating their village to the dragon instead, not an unusual - though a rare - occurrence.

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The effects of the glamour shimmering around him as he passes through the barrier, a feeling similar to that of emerging from underwater. He continues driving forward, the road ahead flat enough that it seems like it goes on for miles, though it is only a few minute ride. He drives until he reaches his driveway, nothing but a strip of asphalt leading the way to his house. The driveway itself is about a minute long drive, and eventually he parks his car in front of his house. He steps out, stretching his arms out above his head, ignoring his shoulder when it twinges in protest.

His car seems dwarf sized in front of his house, a Kia-Forte compared to a multi-floor, wrap around balcony. He’s gotten many criticisms from other agents - mostly Kris - about his choice of car when he could have bought the nicest and most expensive one. Kris had still complained, asking why he would waste money on a car that can easily be smashed - likely resulting in him dead - with one well placed hit of a dragon. He had ignored him, opting instead to say how the car fits him, and refusing to explain when prodded.

He twirls the key in his hand as he turns towards his house, admiring the way it perfectly blocks the sun from his view - a fact that will annoy him once he gets into the house, having to shut all the curtains facing the back of the house so he isn’t blinded by the setting sun.

His house is nice, he’ll have to admit. A full wrap around balcony, with a door on each side, the front of which leads to the entrance way. The door on the left side of the house leads into the kitchen, the door on the right leading to the living room. The door at the back of the house connects the large dining room with the deck, the latter of which consists of a table and a few chairs, and a barbecue grill. The spiral staircase to the upper floor are located to the left of the dining room, built into the walls, a feature which took him years of living in this house to finally stop being so amazed with.

He steps up the stairs and onto the deck, the wood creaking a bit with every step. He opens the screen door, putting the keys into the lock and turning them, pushing the door enough that it stops halfway open. His shoes make a pleasant noise against the wood flooring as he steps into the house, closing the door fully behind him with a flick of his wrist.

The house has just enough light that he can see clearly, and he doesn’t bother turning on any lights. Not when he knows the house like the back of his hand. He takes off his shoes and places them neatly in front of the door, stepping right into his slippers. Walks to the left, into a slim doorway into to the kitchen hidden in the corner of the entrance way, a similar doorway in the right corner of the entrance way leading into the living room, the hallway leading to the dining room straight ahead.

He heads straight towards the fridge, his slippers padding against the hard floor tiles. He pulls out some left over food from the other day, popping it into the microwave for a minute to let it warm up. Keeping the fridge floor propped open with a hip, he grabs a bottle of water and lets it shut behind him. He grabs the utensils necessary, grabbing the food from the microwave and shutting it with his elbow, hurrying to drop the plate of food on the counter before it burns his hands. He tucks the water bottle under his arm, grabbing a few paper towels to grab the plate with and darting into the dining room, almost spilling the food all over the table in his rush to drop the plate.

His rush didn’t stop his hands from nearly getting burnt, but his stomach grumbles at the idea of his first meal for the day and he opts to sit down and start eating rather then run his hands under cold water. He takes his first bite of food for the day, and then nearly lunges for the water bottle, drinking about half of it in several large gulps. He sighs, standing and moving to the window to wait for his food to cool, his eyes squinting from the brightness of the sun reflecting against the glass.

His yard is big - huge, actually. He feels bad for the people hired to mow it, because there’s no way he can even think about doing it himself. All the main agents of the DPH have huge yards, enough space for their dragons to roam around freely. It goes back for miles, eventually meeting woods that serve to block his yard from whatever building lays behind them. He hasn’t really bothered to look into it.

His yard is almost unused. He’s had dragons before, yes, but not for longer for a few months. None of the dragons he has had so far have stayed with him for more than a few months. Each trainer goes through at least a few dragons before they find one that fits - that connects with them - the best, the one that will stay with them throughout their time as an agent, and sometimes even longer. He just hasn’t found once yet.

As the sun sets even lower, casting his house into almost blackness, he remembers the food sitting on the table behind him and rushes to eat it before it gets too cold.

Chapter Text

It’s dark in the room when Kai opens his eyes, not yet fully awake. He turns over in bed, burying his head in his pillow, only to pick it back up again a second later to look at the clock sitting on the nightstand next to his bed. It reads 7:30, and he sighs, flipping over to lie on his back. It's only then that he notices it, a light sound in the background, a pitter-patter against the roof. Its raining.

Kai nearly jumps out of bed, heading straight to the window and pulling back the curtains. There’s a light brightness outside, the sun fighting to be seen through the clouds. It’s raining, the rain making it hard to see for more than a few feet in front of the window.

He feels like banging his head against the wall. Repeatedly.

He has to leave for the DPH within the next half hour, a list of things needing to be done before he leaves for his mission later this morning. He leaves his room, heading down the hallway into a small entrance room, one the stairs open up to. He goes downstairs and heads to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water and a quickly making a sandwich that he’ll eat when he gets to the DPH, closing it tightly in a ziplock bag. Dropping it on the counter to grab on his way out, he (almost) runs back upstairs, changing quickly into a pair of black jeans, and a plain black shirt (preferred colors for when out on a mission) and shrugging on a dark blue colored jacket.

After scanning his room one last time to make sure he isn’t forgetting anything (the bag he brings with him on missions is always left in his office at the DPH and he had left the packet of the case on his desk), he goes downstairs, grabbing the water and the bag with his sandwich and locking the door behind him.

It is quarter past 8 when he parks his car in front of the DPH, only a few of the younger agents lingering around in the halls. They bow to him when they see him, and Kai inclines his head at them in greeting. He enters his office and flicks on the lights, striding around his desk to sit in the chair. He goes over the case info for the last time, committing it to memory. Illegal transportation of a blue dragon, across one state to another. Tight quarters for such a large dragon, and Kai somewhat hopes for the dragon to be a juvenile if only so that it isn’t in such tight spaces.

Kai grabs the bag he’ll take with him from the closet, putting the packet into a folder and stuffing it inside the bag in case he needs it later on. He’s about to leave his office when he remembers that it’s raining and grabs an umbrella. He pulls the door shut behind him when he leaves, placing the bag to the side of the door, his phone pinging in his pocket. He takes it out as he walks down the hall, a text from Kris saying he’s here and ready. Kai texts him back, asking if he could grab his bag for him and to meet him in the parking lot in 10. Hopefully the serpent will be cooperative and they could make it in time. Kris texts him an ok, and the phone goes back into his pocket.

He brings the umbrella with him as he passes row after row of cages, the rain battering the umbrella so hard that it shakes in his hand. Most of the dragons in the cages are laying with their heads tilted up to the sky, basking in the dampness in the air like one would bask in the sun in summer (the cages are designed to not allow rain through. The few types of dragons that don’t get along with rain (or dampness) are curled up right in the middle of their cages, sleeping to escape it.

Its a few minute walk to the serpents cage, and Kai takes a deep breath before entering. The cages on the far side of this area are wider, longer than the others. They're made for the rarer dragons, the bigger ones, the ones that need more space; Water Serpents being one of those kinds of dragons.

Kai unlocks the door and enters the cage, not bothering to relock it and only closing it behind him. Most of this area in this cage is water, a large place at the far edge for the dragon to swim, something to make it comfortable. There's not as much land space, and Kai only walks halfway towards the water before he stops.

It is not hard to spot the dragon in the water; its color being a natural protective trait that allows it to blend in, but the frill sticking above the water gives its location away anyways.

Kai stands there for a couple minutes, having no doubt that the serpent has heard him, but is just ignoring him. Figuring that the serpent will come out if it sees that he isn’t going away, Kai continues to stand there for several more minutes.

Eventually the dragon slows its circling, coming to a stop in the water in front of him. It jumps out in one smooth leap, water flying to all sides, Kai nearly getting soaked in the process. The island of land in the cage isn’t all that small but it’s also not that large, the Serpent managing to crowd Kai even after he backs up a few steps, the Serpents tail hanging off the edge of the land and dipping into the water.

The Serpent's head is close to the ground, and it looks up at him with a wary expression. Wary it might be, but Kai can make out a difference in the expression it gives him now versus the untrusting version of it that it used to give him.

“We have some place to be,” Kai starts, and the Serpents head tilts a bit in understanding. Kai kneels down to the height of the Serpent's head, saying in a soft voice, “It’ll be hard. We haven’t had time to train, so you’ll have to listen to me. Trust in the decisions I make. Trust them to be right.” He stands, looking down at the Serpent before gazing up to the ceiling.

'I’ll have to go get someone to open it to let the serpent out,' he thinks, turning towards the door. Though the issue of how to bring the serpent with them is another problem, and one he’ll have to figure out fast. It’s not like the Serpent will shift, Kai thinks again. A dragon trusting its trainer enough to shift this soon is unheard of, never mind the fact that they haven’t even started with the training process.

Kai sighs, starting towards the door. He’s a step away and reaching to open it when there’s a flash of light and he pauses, turning slowly on a heel until he’s once again facing the serpent. Or at least where it once stood, for now stands a man who looks a few years older then Kai, blue eyes the only showing of the dragon lurking underneath his skin.

His hair is a messy black, and as he stands there in a multi-color knit sweater and blue jeans Kai wonders - not for the first time - how dragons manage to maintain perfect clothes without them ripping during the shifting process, nevermind the fact of how, exactly, the Serpent had gotten the clothes in the first place.

Kai isn’t surprised about the human form of the dragon standing in front of him, not exactly. One of the first things learned during training is that dragons have the capability to shift into a human form to blend into the world better, but it is something either done only in emergency situations or when the dragon has complete trust in their trainer, as they are extremely vulnerable while in their human form.

Kai shakes the thoughts out of his head as he takes a few steps towards the dragon, noticing that it - he’s - a few inches taller than Kai. Kai speaks first, as the look on the dragons face suggests that he might just be regretting shifting. “I’ve said it before, but let me introduce myself again.” He feels awkward doing this, but for the sake of getting the dragon to talk, he’ll do it. “My name is Kai,” he continues. “I’m your trainer, and we’re about to go on our first mission, and without any prior training. So in order to get out in one piece, you are going to have to listen to me.”

Kai inwardly winces, feeling extremely awkward, hoping he didn’t go too far. The dragon shifts on his feet, his hands intertwined in front of him. It takes a few seconds but he eventually talks, his voice just above a whisper. “My name is Leo,” is all he says, not looking at all inclined to say anything else. Kai just nods, not wanting to push him.

“Follow me,” is all he says, turning and striding for the cage door. He stops to open the umbrella and steps out into the rain beneath it. He gestures for Leo to walk with him underneath it, but he just shakes his head and steps sideways out from the cage, dodging Kai with the umbrella and stepping out into the rain.

Leo tilts his head up to the sky, closing his eyes as he does. The rain runs in rivulets down his face, disappearing under the neckline of his shirt. Kai is only somewhat surprised that he remains dry no matter how much rain lands on him, as if the rain is soaked into his skin. His blue eyes flash bright when he looks at Kai as if gaining energy from the rain. 'Maybe it’s a good thing that it is raining,' Kai thinks as he turns and leads the way out of the maze of cages.

There’s a car waiting in the driveway in front of the DPH as they arrive, and Kris exits the from the driver's seat as they walk up. He’s quick to dart under Kai’s umbrella but the rain is faster, Kris shaking the rain off his hair and getting a glare from Kai in the process, who wipes his face and glares at Kris again. Kris laughs at him, turning and facing the dra-- Leo -- and freezing. He doesn’t move, his face giving away no emotion, no hint of his thoughts (though Kai could guess what is currently going through his head). Kris just turns, striding for the car and paying no mind to how soaked he’s getting in the process, before climbing into the driver's seat and the door slamming behind him.

Kai exhales softly. He should have expected Kris to have some kind of reaction, but he was too in a rush to have remembered to expect one. He turns to Leo, who just stands in the rain giving a confused look towards the car. Kai’s just unsure if the confused look is because of the car or because of Kris’s actions. He just shakes his head a bit, heading towards the car and gesturing for Leo to follow him. He walks around to the back of the car, opening the car door and gesturing once more for Leo to get in.

Leo steps under the protection of the umbrella before ducking to climb into the car, and subtly shifts more to the side as Kai shuts it. He opens the passenger side door, sitting in the seat and closing the umbrella before closing the door and dumping the umbrella unceremoniously onto the floor in front of his seat.

Kris glares at him before he starts the car, the rain battering against the windshield the only noise as they leave the DPH, the invisibility runes rippling around the them as they enter the road leading to the city, and towards their new mission.

Chapter Text

The rain, thankfully, had stopped somewhere along their travel.

They’ve been driving for about two hours, trees flying by as they go what is surely above the speed limit. They should be at the mountain pass in about half an hour, having to drive around the mountain to reach the correct road. And then they’ll have to stake out and decide what steps to take until they see the truck.

Kris is still driving, eyes glued to the road ahead as Kai reads and rereads the mission info aloud. After committing the image of the truck to mind, and explaining it in as clear detail as he can to Kris (and showing it to Leo for good measure), he tucks it away into the folder and stashes it under the car seat.

It’s then that the trees start thinning out, the curves in the road hinting that they are nearing the mountain pass. Kris stops the car in a patch of trees near the entrance, them having decided to take Kris’s car as it blends in better then Kai’s blue one. They’ll be able to see the truck as it enters the road, though they’ll have to be fast to catch up to it while not giving the driver a hint as to who they are.

Kai unlocks the seatbelt as he turns in the car so he can see both Kris and Leo, thoughts in his head running like crazy.

“The road starts off large but thins out about a quarter of a mile around the mountain,” Kris says before Kai can voice his thoughts, eyes scanning everything around them. “We’ll have to be careful. We can’t let the truck fall off the side of the mountain, and I’ll have to drive my best to not let this car fall either.” He turns suddenly, the seatbelt catching and straining against him. He faces Leo, asking, “How fast are you? If something happens, can you catch Kai?” Leo blinks, blue eyes narrowing slightly before he nods. Kris just turns back in his seat and faces the front. The fact that Kris didn’t mention that he would need to be caught should things go wrong remains unsaid, and Kai can see the confusion on Leo’s face because of it. Kai understands, but just turns back around in his seat instead of explaining.

Instead, he grabs his bag from between the two front seats, strapping on the holder that is inside and filling it with things that he had packed due to knowing that they would be helpful: a wide variety of kinds of marbles to which Leo subly hisses at, a gun to pop the tires of the truck, an army knife to cut the tarp off the truck. He hands the bag to Kris, who pulls out another holder, though this one is for wrapping a rope into and around, which he also grabs from the bag. Then he opens a compartment under the wheel and pulls out his gun, a gun that Kai is familiar with. It is one Kris has had almost since he first came into the DPH, one that is a part of all the stories surrounding Kris. Kris tucks it into the holder and closes the compartment, leaning back in his seat, eyes once more glued in front of them.

Kai faces Leo once more, an idea forming in his head. He turns his head towards Kris, body still turned towards Leo as he says, “Water Dragons are one of the biggest kinds of dragons right?” Kris turns to face him slowly, and Kai can see the idea come to him, too, as he nods. Kai continues. “We’ll wait until the truck is around the bend before we follow. That way they won’t be able to tell we were waiting for them. Leo, how fast can you shift?”

Leo’s eyes are once again narrowed as he says, “Fast.”

Kai nods, the idea coming together. He looks at the road ahead as he talks. “You’ll have to get out of the car the second that we see the truck. Go around to the edge of the mountain, to where it drops off. It’s over there.” He points to it, past the entrance of the pass where a canyon had formed between this mountain and the next one. Leo looks out his window, nodding when he sees it. “If you can, jump off it before shifting. The driver will probably be cautious, we can’t risk him even having a chance of seeing. Wait until we catch up to the truck, until we slow down. The car will block his sight so you can jump. That will be your signal. Fly slowly after that, listen for the car and keep up with it far enough below that you can’t be seen. I’ll lean out my window and pop the back wheels of the truck. That will be the second signal. Dive up and make sure the truck doesn’t go flying off the cliff. We don’t want the dragon to die because of a mistake we make. Only when you are sure the truck is safe should you check the road ahead. I’m sure they’ll have back up incase something like this happens. We can’t let them catch up.” He turns to Leo, who looks up from processing the info. Kai smirks as he says, “Them, you can toss off the cliff.”

Kris is nodding as Kai turns back around. “You said before not to worry about how we are going to bring the dragon back. Now is the time to tell me, isn’t it?”

Kris just smiles, shaking his head. “All you need to know is that they’ll come up behind us.” Turning to Leo he adds, “Leo, be careful not to attack them by accident.”

“Wait.” Kai says, a thought starting to form in his head. “You can’t be serious. Are you??” Kris just smiles once more in reply. Kai smiles too, then jerks his face forward as a truck comes slowly into view. After committing the image of the truck to his memory, he’s sure that it is the right one.

They watch as it lumbers up the road, turning as it starts on the pass around the mountain, speeding up a bit as it does. The truck is bigger than they thought, and Kai wonders what dragon is inside. If it is a full grown one or not. He turns to Leo and nods, and Leo carefully gets out of the car and ducks down behind a tree, the door closing softly. Kris waits until the truck disappears around the corner before starting the car, which rumbles to life softly. He moves it forward slowly, giving them time for it to appear like they came around the other corner. The car bumps along as it gets onto the road, and it only takes a second before they are driving around the corner.

A few more seconds after that and they are right behind the truck, close enough to see the texture of the tarp as it blows in the breeze. Kai doesn’t look back lest the driver of the truck is looking at them, but he trusts Leo enough to have shifted by now.

They rumble along slowly, the right side of them dropping away to reveal the canyon, a small metal guardrail rising up in its place. Kai doubts it would be enough to stop even Kris’s car from falling off, never mind the much larger truck in front of them. They drive for a few minutes before the mountain closes in on them, and Kai draws the gun from his belt in preparation. Kris presses a button to roll down Kai’s window all the way as Kai checks the gun and rechecks it to ensure it will work. He hasn’t used it in a while and he forgets to clean it ninety percent of the time.

He looks up again just as the road thins up a bit more, and Kris nods at him that the road is the perfect size for Leo to just barely fit. Kai takes a breath before getting his feet onto the seat, adjusting how he’s sitting so his feet are under him. He grabs onto the handle above the door before leaning his upper body out the window. Kris drives straight to ensure that he doesn’t lose his balance and end up falling.

The wind is rough and Kai takes a second to adjust his position accordingly. Only when he’s sure that he won’t fall does he raise his arm holding the gun, lining it up perfectly with the wheel on the left. He shoots, the sound echoing off the mountain and down the ravine, the truck skidding and sliding along the road. Kai hurries to shoot the right wheel before the truck collides with the side of the mountain, and the truck veers quickly and crashes against the railing.

Kai slides back into the car and rolls the window half way up just as Leo darts up the side of the mountain, using his hind legs to stop the truck from tipping over the railing. His wings beat the air as he skids the truck over to the middle of the road, then glides over to the opposite side and lands in front. There’s no movement from the front of the truck, the driver hopefully knocked out due to the collision.

Kai and Kris both exit the car, Kris scanning up and down, left and right. With his gun still in hand, Kai walks to the front of the truck to peer up at the driver, slumped forward in seat, blood seeping from a wound on his head. Kai opens the door and hoists himself up, the step being over a foot above the ground. He checks to see if the driver is still breathing, which he is, and then checks to see if there’s a window or a door to the back of the truck, which there is.

Before Kai looks however, he puts his hand on the side of the truck and hangs out of it enough to signal to Leo, who obeys and flies off to do circles around the area. If any backup for the truck shows up Leo could surely fight them off.

Kai swings back into the truck, stepping carefully around the driver and then moving forward a step to look through a window into the back of the truck. Kai sighs one of relief when he sees that the dragon is only an adolescent, though that breath freezes in his throat when he realizes what type of dragon they just saved.

It’s a black dragon.

Kai steps over the driver once more, jumping out of the truck and striding to where Kris stands leaning against his car, way more relaxed then Kai currently feels. Kris stands up straight when he sees Kai. “Well?”

Kai just shakes his head in a we-are-dead kindoff way, and opens the door of the car before finding the bag and rummaging through it for some more marbles and weapons. Kris just watches him, unsure of what, exactly, has him so worried.

Kai closes the door when he’s unpacked everything he needs, and he gives a few more marbles to Kris just in case. “Soooo…” Kai starts, drawing out the word. “That backup that you said was coming? I think once you see what kind of dragon is inside the truck, you will agree with me that we need that backup right now.” Kris looks confused as he walks to the truck and disappears inside it, emerging once again with a pale face. He simply just nods at Kai in agreement before taking out phone presumably to text them, but then the roar of a dragon stops him.

The harsh beating of wings follows the roar, and a second later Leo is zooming for them, coming to a stop above the ravine next to them, scanning the sky. It comes into view a second later, though at first all they see is a vague shape until the figure comes closer. The dragon is sky blue in color, and looks to be about half of Leo’s size. Kai glances back at Kris, who has the faintest of a smile playing on his lips. Kai turns back around, Leo giving him a questioning glance to which Kai shakes his head at.

The blue dragon veers suddenly as it gets closer to them, disappearing around the mountain. It reappears a few seconds later, along with a vehicle that looks familiar to Kai and causes a grin to form on his face. The vehicle stops, turning around so the back of it is facing Kris’s car. The driver then becomes visible: about the same height, blond hair contrasting his dark clothing, 4 years older then Kai. Luhan.

Luhan slips around Kris’s car, stopping a few feet in front of them. It had been years since Kai had last seen him, he had left when Kai was just getting started as an official trainer. Luhan’s eyes take in Kai’s appearance, surely comparing him to the last time he had seen him. Luhan’s eyes then meet Kai’s and he smiles, white teeth nearly gleaming in the sun. Kai smiles too, he can’t help it. Luhan was friendly to everyone at the DPH, and was the nicest senior to Kai for the short while he had been around.

Luhan’s eyes then travel behind Kai, flickering with a small amount of surprise, and then happiness. He walks forward a few steps and is met with Kris, the two of them sharing a brief hug before they pull back. There’s no words said, there doesn’t have to be. They had been friends for the longest of time, are the same age, and had been there during that time in what felt like so many years ago.

Their reunion is a quick one, a small noise from the blue dragon that had come with Luhan drawing them back to attention. Said dragon glides over the air above their heads, and Kai recognizes the young air dragon as Sehun.

Luhan nods at the reminder, and his attention goes straight to the truck behind them. “Your gonna need to move your car,” he tells Kris, who nods in agreement and goes to do just that. Leo flies off over the mountain to start circling once more, Sehun following after circling them one last time.

Luhan strides up to the back of the truck carefully, sharing a glance with Kai that tells him that Luhan knows exactly what type of dragon he was coming to help save. The sound of tires against rocks sound behind them; Kris, moving his car to behind Luhans. Luhan gestures at Kai, who gives him the knife to cut the tarp with, and Luhan gives Kai a second to grab some different marbles from the holder around his waist.

Kris comes up behind them, probably ready to grab one or both of them should something go wrong. Luhan starts slowly, carefully working the knife into the tarp before starting to move it sideways, the tarp only giving some resistance before allowing the cut. He makes it halfway from the left side of the truck to the right side before there’s movement from inside, the dragon likely realizing something is going on and shifting itself into a defensive position.

Luhan pauses until the dragon settles, before starting once more. He finishes the cut, and lifts the tarp slightly for Kai to throw in a yellow marble, a paralyzing one. However, since it is a black dragon they are facing, Kris knows one won’t be enough and tosses in a second one. They all back away fast as the truck rocks slightly with the movement, the dragon roaring and hitting the sides of the truck. There’s a sound suddenly, that starts off soft but grows in intensity, and Kris is grabbing Kai and hauling him backwards, Luhan rolling to the side, as acid hits the tarp and melts it, and then goes flying right for where they were standing.

There’s a sizzling noise as the top of the tarp falls and continues to melt, the dragon staring out at the newly opened space at them, its black eyes narrowed. The dragon opens its mouth, showing rows of sharp teeth as it roars once more, and goes to leap out at them, the paralyzing orbs not having worked.

The dragon leaps, though it doesn’t get any more than it’s head out of the truck before beating wings sound, and the rush of air. Kris and Kai both duck close to the ground as the wind from Sehun hits the dragon, sending it flying against the inside of the truck, metal crunching underneath. There’s another harsher sound of wings as Leo comes to view over the mountain, Sehun flying out of the way, Leo veering to the side so he can head directly at the truck, water coming as a steady current directly at the black dragon. Some of the water sprays in all directions, the wind carrying back a fine mist that Kai doesn’t shy away from being that the weather is hot.

Leo swings up at the last second to avoid hitting the truck, coming to a glide above it. When the mist is done and they can look into the truck, the dragon is knocked out. The inside of the truck soaked with pools of water, droplets hanging from the ceiling and coating the walls, the black dragon soaked. The blast of water was just enough to knock him out, not enough to damage him. Kai gives his water serpent an impressed look.

Luhan moves forward from where he had been ducking against the side of the mountain, moving to stand in front of the open back of the truck. He glances from the dragon to his truck, as if trying to gauge the distance between them. He looks at his air dragon gliding back and forth in the air above the ravine, and makes a small gesture towards the dragon before backing up to his truck.

Sehun lands in the space between them, his size small compared to that of Leo’s. It’s hard to tell without them side by side, as Leo is still flying in place above the truck should something happen again. Kai remembers Leo’s size while on the ground as about a foot above his head, and Sehun is not even that, his frilled ears level with Kai’s head at his normal height. Air dragons are built for speed, their size usually small to ensure they could fit through even the smallest of passages. They do not have the best of eyesight, or at least not in their dragon form, their frilled ears working to help them be able to sense their surroundings, the air lending them a helping hand.

Sehun had landed so he can see into the truck, the lowest of flying heights still too high to do so. His head tilts to the side as he stares at the black dragon, his ears rustling slightly. He shifts on his back legs suddenly, his front wings lifting and flapping once, twice, three times, the draft from them hitting Kai and causing him to fall back several steps, and then there’s a cold feeling against his back, the railing. He grabs the railing in both hands to stop him from falling over, seeing out of the corner of his eye Kris ducking close to the ground to avoid being sent flying backwards.

Luhan rushes forward to calm the young dragon, murmuring soothingly at him and lightly patting his head to calm him. Sehun is just a little over Kai’s age, having been alongside Luhan for as long as Kai has known him. Kai has no doubt that seeing a black dragon after what happened several years ago must bring up some memories for Sehun, his outburst natural.

Sehun calms for a few moments until the black dragon shifts suddenly, and it startles Sehun into motion. He stands fully and beats his wings, knocking Luhan away from him and to the ground. Kai grabs the railing tighter behind him as Sehun lifts into the air, though it doesn’t do him much good. The draft Sehun creates is enough to push Kai back that final step, until his heels hit the railing and goes tumbling into open air.

Muffled shouting is all Kai can make out over the wind rushing in his ears, and he collides with the mountain once (thankfully only once) before continuing to fall down to the ground. All he can see is the blue sky above him, but then there’s a figure hurtling himself over the railing and diving for him - Kris. Then there’s a larger shape diving for him, Leo, who folds his wings close and spins to try to gain momentum.

The fall seems to last minutes, hours, days, but in reality it only lasts a few seconds. The sound of wind is screeching in his ears one second, but then he blinks and there’s a presence at his back and the sky above him is still.

He gulps in air for a few seconds before gathering up his strength to lift himself up on his elbows, seeing Kris’s car in front of him and Luhans truck behind. His whole body hurts as he wonders what happened, as Luhan’s comes into view, his shocked face showing he has no idea what just happened.

Kai is about to open his mouth to say something - anything - but then his world fades to black.

Chapter Text

Kai opens his eyes slowly, blinking several times when all he sees is blackness. It takes a few moments after that for his eyes to adjust, and he realizes that he’s laying in the bed in his room. He sits up carefully, his shoulder twinging when he puts weight on it.

He swings his legs over the bed, looking at the clock on the table. It reads 2:30 AM. He looks at it in confusion for a few seconds before shaking his head and standing, pleased when there’s only a slight amount of pain in his back, but not enough that he can’t ignore it.

He manages to make it to the hallway without tripping over anything or bumping into the wall. From there the widows provide enough light for him to see well enough, and the stairs have a light switch that he flicks on before descending them. He’s halfway down them before he realizes the kitchen light is already on, and stops in the doorway.

Kris sits in a stool, head in his hands and his laptop open in front of him. He’s in the same clothes he was in before, his hair somewhat tousled like he ran his hand through it multiple times. He looks up when Kai walks in, pushing the laptop to the side and standing. He looks like he wants to say something and doesn’t know how to. Kai just walks by him and to the fridge, taking out a cold bottle of water and sitting in a stool across the counter from Kris.

Kris sits down after a second, awkwardness outlining his every movement. Kai takes a few sips of the water, having not realized how dry his throat was. Once his throat no longer feels like it’ll split open should he try to talk, he puts it to the side.

“So.” It’s an unsure word, fitting what Kai feels.

He remembers what happened yesterday, and there’s a million questions floating around in his head. He decides to start with the one easiest to answer. “What happened to the black dragon? Im guessing Luhan and Sehun took him to the DPH? And Leo?” Okay, so maybe he wants to start with three questions instead of one.

Kris smiles slightly as he nods and says, “Luhan and Sehun were able to move him to the truck. He stayed asleep the whole ride thankfully, and they threw in a few more paralysis orbs that actually worked this time. He’s in the cages, far away from any other dragons. As for Leo…” Kai blows out a breath before continuing. “Leo was worried about you. He wanted to stay here but I managed to convince him go to back to the DPH. Dropped him off then came back here.”

Kai decides to avoid the topic of what happened yesterday and decides instead to ask another question. “So instead of sleeping, you decided to pull an all nighter with your laptop?” He raises an eyebrow as he says this, and Kris laughs softly.

“Couldn’t sleep,” is all Kris says, and then they’re back to that topic.

Kai takes a breath and says, “So. Yesterday.” Kris nods slowly, and just like that, Kai doesn’t know what to say. He fumbles for words. “Yesterday, I...fell? I was falling. I saw you. And Leo. And then...I was on the road again. I saw Luhan. And then I fainted?” He sounds like a child just learning to formulate sentences.

Kris either doesn’t seem to notice it or ignores it. “You disappeared. One second you were there and in the next blink of an eye, you weren’t.” Kris huffs out a laugh that sounds sharp in the quiet of the room. When he talks next he does so quietly, in the soft manner that he gets into when thinking about events that happened years past. “I didn’t know what happened. Neither did Leo. He almost sent me careening into the mountain.”

Kris looks up at him from where he was staring at the counter. The look in his eyes is one he hasn’t seen before, one he can’t name. “Do you know what you did?” Kris asks. The question almost sounds funny. He had been there. It had happened to him. It would sound funny if you did not hear the way he asked it, a complicated tone to his voice that asks for more than a sarcastic answer, a one worded sentence. Kai can tell there’s more Kris wants to say, so he lets him.

“You didn’t just disappear,” Kris continues. “It wasn’t something that was caused by Luhan with his power, or Sehun with his air. It was caused by you. You did it.” Kris pauses for a moment, and it adds dramatic-ness to the situation. Not that it needs it. But no, Kris is preparing himself to say what he says next.

“You teleported.”

Chapter Text

After parking his car in the parking lot, Kai makes his way to the cages. He’s tired, not having gotten any sleep since he woke up this morning. He and Kris had stayed in the kitchen for a little while longer as they fixed up a midnight snack, and then they had moved in the living room where they stayed until the sun rose.

Kris had told him about when he had first discovered his power. He had told him about the process of discovering the extent of it, such as what speed he can manage to get while in the sky. He also told him about his other power, speaking softly and quietly when he told Kai how he had discovered he had the ability to call his dragon to him. He spoke about how he trained to master the power, how long it took.

Kris then talked about Kai’s newly found ability. They talked about how Kai should go about practicing it, what the factor may be to make him be able to do it again. They had eventually come up with a sort-of-plan, one that they would start either later today or tomorrow. Kris had talked about how important it is to start right way, should the power grow out of his control.

Kai sighs at all the work ahead of him. It’s not that he minds the new ability, it’s just that it wasn’t expected. At all. He’s done fine so far without the extra help of an ability (not counting minor injuries), and there’s no telling how the other agents with take to it.

He’s reached the cages by now, the dragons in the frontmost cages are still sleeping despite it being around 9 o’clock. It’s as he walks further in that he notices the change in the dragons in the further cages. They’re pacing, eyes scanning everything around them. They either growl or hiss at Kai as he passes, the only sign of hostility they show him. It’s still a large difference considering how they never even give him a glance as he passes.

He knows what the cause is, and he continues walking instead of trying to calm them down. They can sense the black dragon, and it’s making them nervous. He makes a mental note to check in the black dragon after he talks with Leo.

It isn’t until he reaches the cages made for the rarer dragons that he feels it. He pauses just a few cages away from Leo’s, trying to figure out what, exactly, it is. A vibration, almost, in the air. Kai can feel goosebumps break out over his skin even if he can’t see them under the sleeves of his jacket.

‘It must be the dragon,’ he thinks as he continues walking. He didn’t notice it until he got closer, and the feeling intensifies the further he walks. The dragons in the other set of cages must have felt it, and that’s why they were so nervous. It doesn’t seem to be doing any damage, and surely either Luhan, Kris, or Sehun must have noticed it before. With the thought that they would have done something if it was dangerous, Kai enters Leo’s cell.

It’s almost immediately after Kai enters that Leo jumps onto land and heads straight for him. Kai walks a few more feet and meets him halfway. Leo lowers his head from where it hovers about a foot above Kai’s, and stares right at him. Emotions are harder to tell in that of a dragon versus when they shift, and yet Kai can clearly make out the relief in Leo’s.

Leo makes a lap around Kai, who stands still. Kai knows Leo is checking for injuries using his sense of smell and doesn’t try to stop him. Leo pauses behind him to which Kai gets curious and half turns towards him, but then Leo headbuts him in the back and the pain takes Kai’s breath away. He falls forward a step, both from the force of Leo’s headbut and from the pain, but is stopped from falling by Leo quickly moving and putting his head in front of Kai.

He falls against Leo instead of against the ground, his hand having landed on top of Leo’s head and between his ears. Leo waits until Kai has his balance again before walking in front of him, and shifting. The process is quick, barely a flash of light before Leo stands in front of him in human form.

Leo narrows his eyes at Kai as he says, “Your injured.” His tone is accusing, his air falling messily in front of his eyes. He doesn’t notice it, and is too busy glaring at Kai.

Kai pauses before speaking. “Uhh, I think getting a scratch is the least of what could have happened after falling off a mountain.”

He had meant for it to be funny. Apparently he didn’t think it through because Leo flinches, a small movement that Kai barely notices.

He tries to backtrack by saying, “I’m alright though. I honestly didn’t even notice the scratches.” Leo’s eyes remain trained on the ground in between them and Kai tries something else. “I’ll need your help,” he says, and Leo’s eyes finally lift to his, a tinge of confusion in them. “Kris says its best to start right away, and for this I’ll trust what he says. After all, he’s had his power since when I first came into the DPH.” Leo seems to get what he means and nods his head in confirmation.

There’s a noise then, shattering the quiet that had formed after Kai had finished speaking. It’s a low pitched roar, and it comes from the direction of further into the cages. It lasts for several seconds and Kai feels like he has electricity running over his skin. There’s several other noises after the roar dies down, and it comes from the opposite side of the cages. It’s the other dragons, responding to the black dragon call.

Kai strides for the cage door and doesn’t have to look behind him to know that Leo is following. He heads down the row, the black dragon having been put in the cage at the very end. It is only when he is a few cages away does it feel it again, a vibration in the air - he ignores it and continues walking.

He's only a few cages down from the black dragon when there's a growl from behind him and he turns on his heel, expecting somehow the black dragon to have got out. However there's no one there other than Leo, whose eyes are glued ahead.

“What is it?” Kai asks. Leo just shakes his head, another growl rumbling softly in his throat. Kai pauses, thinking, when a thought dawns on him. “That feeling - it's affecting you, right? You feel it stronger then we - then people - do” Leo doesn't speak, and just nods. “You can handle it? It's getting stronger the closer we get. You can head back if you think--" Another growl cuts him off, though not as deep or serious as the last.

Kai just turns, heading once more towards the cage. It eventually comes into view, the black dragon laying in the center of the cage, it’s midnight colors a stark contrast against the colors of day. The fact that it is not yet fully grown becomes more obvious now that Kai can see it fully. It seems a somewhat smaller size then Leo, though it’s hard to compare with them not being side to side, a fact Kai doubts will happen any time soon.

It’s wings cast a shadow over it’s legs, the ends of them just touching the ground. It’s claws are somewhat visible and dig into the dirt beneath it. It’s legs are tucked into its sides, and the picture of a cat crouched and ready to pounce comes to Kai’s mind.

Kai walks forward until he’s in front of the dragon, the metal of the cage separating them by a few feet. Kai knows it is dangerous to be this close, and yet he doesn’t move to back away.

The dragon's eyes are closed, its sides rising and falling in an even rhythm. It seems to be asleep, or at least Kai thinks as it’s eyes fly open the next second, pinning Kai with a gaze he can’t read. The dragon shifts slightly, and it’s wings tremble slightly as it rises to stand.

It’s head is lowered to a height of just below Kai’s head, it’s wings drooping to touch the ground. It takes a step forward, hesitant at first but then it takes another step, it’s claws digging even deeper into the dirt.

The feeling intensifies when it stands still, Kai feeling like bugs are crawling under his skin. He falls backwards a step as if that would lessen the feeling, the dragon’s eyes focused on him. He feels no pain although the feeling is altogether very uncomfortable, though that can not be said for Leo as Kai hears a noise and turns.

Leo’s eyes are glued to the dragon the way the dragon’s are glued to Kai’s, though the dragon then transfers its look to Leo instead. The relief of the feeling happens instantly, though an afterthought of a sort lingers, tingles traveling over his skin.

As Kai gets relief from the pressure Leo falls to his knees, Kai imagining the feeling coming across as pain to another dragon. Kai moves to kneel besides Leo, except Leo’s growl keeps him still. Leo kneels on his knees, one hand in the dirt in front of him, his head bowed. The feeling pauses for a moment before pulsing, and Leo slumps forward further.

The black dragons eyes are glued onto Leo’s figure, with a gleam that he can’t decipher. Leo looks like he’s barely staying conscious, and Kai wishes that he can use his ability to teleport them out of there. But he can’t, so he chooses the next best thing.

He shouts instead, yelling the word ‘enough’ in the hopes to distract the dragon for even a second. And it works, the dragon glancing up at him for a second while the feeling pauses. He sees Leo taking a deep breath, and continues to talk.

“What are you doing? What is your point in this?” The black dragon just continues to stare, not hinting that he understands what Kai is saying though he knows that the dragon must.

“The point,” comes a voice from his left, “is that he wants our attention. Which he now has.” Kai turns to see Suho, Kris and Luhan trailing behind him. Suho steps in front of Kai to face the dragon and Kai takes the opportunity to rush to Leo, dropping to the ground besides him.

Leo’s eyes are squinted shut, his breaths coming in short gasps. The feeling has stopped, probably the only reason why Leo isn’t yet unconscious. Kai glances up in time to catch Suho making a gesture behind his back, a gesture meaning that they should take Leo away before the feeling starts up once more. Suho is talking, words that Kai doesn’t bother to listen to.

Kai grabs one of Leo’s arms and puts it behind his neck, Kris dropping to Leo’s other side to do the same. Together they haul Leo to his feet, and they trudge slowly down the line of cages to a side door into the DPH.

The enter into an empty hallway, and bring Leo into a room that consists of nothing but a bed, chair, and table. They lower Leo slowly onto the bed, who falls asleep the second his head hits the pillow. Kai sighs in relief and nearly collapses into the chair, all his energy suddenly feeling drained. Kris just opens a closet door and pulls out a blanket, draping it softly over Leo’s sleeping form.

And then they wait.

Chapter Text

There’s a feeling of a blanket softly being draped over him, which causes him to wake up despite not having known that he fell asleep in the first place. He opens his eyes slowly to adjust to the light in the room, and then sits up fully in his chair when he realizes that Leo’s the one who put the blanket over him, and that he’s awake.

Kai scans him while quickly checking for any injuries, and is relieved when he finds none. “You’re alright?”

Leo nods, backing up a step to sit on the edge of the bed, looking at the floor without speaking. Kai has a feeling that Leo wants to say something but doesn’t know how, so Kai thinks of something to distract him with.

Oh, right. “Where’s Kris? He was here whenever I fell asleep.”

Leo looks up for long enough to give him a glance and a shrug, but then he’s looking at the floor once again. Kai sighs before standing and stretching, raising his arms above his head. “Well,” he says. He looks at Leo once more to ask, “You're better enough to leave? Or you can stay and rest more if you want.”

Leo shakes his head and stands, saying softly, “I’m fine.” Leo pauses before saying in an even softer voice that Kai is slowly getting used to, “He knew what he was doing. It was just enough to knock me out, not enough to actually injure me.” He’s looking down while he says this, only looking up at the end to quickly glance at Kai for a reaction before looking down again.

Kai doesn’t speak for a second, and thinks again that Leo knows more than what he’s saying. He decides not to push though, and only nods before turning and opening the door. He freezes when he opens it though, due to Kris leaning against the wall opposite.

His eyes are closed, hands in his pocket, looking casual. Though Kai doesn’t fail to notice the gun at his side, nor the weapons hidden in his clothes. Something's up.

Kris doesn’t open his eyes as he says, “You’re both up?” He doesn’t give Kai a chance to reply though as he reaches for the gun at his side, finally opening his eyes as he stands fully and walks forward a few steps to give it to Kai.

Kai takes it and gives Kris a questioning glance as he puts the gun away at his side where it’s hidden under his shirt. He then steps out of the doorway enough for Leo to stand by his side as Kris starts slowly walking backwards towards the main hallway. “We have visitors,” is all he says, turning and starting to walk faster with a gesture for them to follow.

Kai and Leo share a confused glance before they do as Kris continues to talk over his shoulder.

“They showed up about an hour ago. The glamour didn’t seem to affect them as they walked right through it, which means that they’re more than likely dragons. Or powerful warlocks, but chances for that are almost impossible. So dragon's it is.”

They reach the main hallway and pause at the end of it. Suho stands in the middle, a small crowd of agents gathered around him, Kai recognizing some that came in a few years after him. They glance quickly at him, then notice Kris and Leo next to him and quickly look away. Suho notices their glances and turns only long enough to give him a nod and look pointedly behind him before turning again.

Kai looks behind him and may or may not have a small heart attack when he notices Luhan standing behind him, presumably having come out of Suho’s office. Luhan gives a small laugh, and says “Good morning,” in a mocking tone. Kai just glares. The door to Suho’s office opens behind them, and out walks someone Kai hasn’t seen in a while.

Black hair cropped close to his head, a few inches taller than Luhan. He’s wearing light colored jeans with huge rips at the knees, and a light gray sweatshirt. Sehun, dressed in light colors, per usual. He stops only long enough to smile at Kai before moving forward to talk to Suho and Luhan.

Kai hears a chuckle from at his side, and turns to see Kris smiling, shaking his head. “He still insists on wearing light clothes, I see. Dragon of air, indeed.” Now it's Kai’s turn to smile.

A second later Suho walks up to them, Luhan and Sehun heading around them towards the other entrance. “There are two people outside, they may both be dragons or maybe it’s only one of them, it's impossible to tell. Luhan and Sehun are going out the other way, they’ll be out sky backup just in case.”

Kris nods, rolling his shoulders, which causes Suho to throw him a meaningful glance. “We’re only going out to talk, unless they make the first move. You know the rules.” Kris opens his mouth as if to argue, but Kai steps forward before he can.

“Yes, yes, boss. We got it.” He then looks towards Leo, who's been standing against the wall this whole time. “Let’s go.”