So, I have a lot of fun au's planned so expect a few more soon. 😂

Also, I wrote this. Then decided I wanted to rewrite it so I copy and pasted it into my notes and then decided I didn't have the energy to rewrite the whole thing so now we have the original. XD

(EDIT: I was going to make a part two but I've been too busy and tired at the moment so that may never happen)
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I signed up for this job for the money. So, the cute coworker was a major plus. I had been walking towards the main building when I saw him. He was skirting some of the large chain-link pens, pink lips were drawn in a frown, bright green eyes narrowed as he regarded the cage.

"Hey," I called. I moved towards him and his head shot up. His face was startled so I gave him the friendliest smile I could muster. "Are you here for the job as well?"

He hesitated a moment and I waited patiently, stuffing my hands in my old, worn jeans. "Uh...yeah." The guy said awkwardly with a nervous smile.

"I'm Carter," I said.

He didn't reply. His gaze moving back to the pen behind him. I didn't mind. I don't like small talk so I just took the time to look him over. He had silky blonde hair, longer than most but was cut around his neck. He wore a lot of greens, his jacket a dark army green colour, his shirt in olive. On his neck was a golden chain but whatever hung on it was tucked beneath his t-shirt.

There was a loud creaking noise as the door to the main building was pushed open. A man stood at the door, his head was bald and covered with tattoos, he had a dark scraggly beard, and in his tainted lips was a cigarette. The boy beside me wrinkled his nose as the acrid scent wafted towards us.

"Are you the new meat?" The man growled.

Blondie just stared at him with green eyes wide and his breath barely leaving his body. What a nervous kid. I stepped forward and gave a mocking salute.

"At your service, sir," I said sarcastically.

The man rolled his eyes but gestured that we followed him. I moved in first, glancing curiously back to see the other guy just standing there.

"Hey!" Tattoo Guy barked. "Are you working here or not?"

Blondie nodded and followed, taking steadying breaths when the doors banged closed. I clapped him over the shoulder and steered him forward.

"Hey man, you okay?" I whispered.

He nodded, those green orbs dancing around the room. "Yeah, yeah of course."

I let him go and observed the area. Judging by the rusty metal, cracked walls, and distinct scent of mould this place wasn't up to code. But a small town, in the middle of nowhere, with a whole lot of illegal stuff so I wasn't surprised. Places like this didn't exactly have a lot of resources.

We entered a small, concrete room with a folding table and two chairs. Tattoo Guy walked up to it and lifted the two uniforms that laid on its surface. He carelessly tossed them to us. I fumbled with mine while Blondie easily snagged it from the air.

"My name is Kaen. There are two other people here. There's Fuji and he has a hook hand. If you say anything about it- he'll kill you. So, do whatever you want with that." Kaen told us bluntly. "The other is Shi. She's the only girl around here but if you mistaken her for a dude it hasn't been the first time."

Wow, I already feel safe here.

I shrugged on the oversized shirt and sniffed suspiciously at the red stains on the fabric. My name was chicken-scratched onto the pocket with a marker. I glanced at Blondie, he took off his jacket and pulled the shirt on, my gaze focused on the name.

Lloyd.

"Hey, Boss!" A surprisingly high voice for a burly guy came ringing in, the curved metal of a hook hand appeared in the doorway. "There's a dude outside claiming he has a job here."

Lloyd froze. I glanced at him curiously as he stared at Kaen, gauging his reaction. Kaen didn't seem to notice, a loud grunt of annoyance coming from his mouth as he turned to Fuji.

"We already have our two here. He just wants to get a look at the animals." Kaen grumbled. "Tell him to scram it before we send the fireball on him."

Fuji grinned, yellows and silver teeth glinting in the dim light as he disappeared.

I raised an eyebrow, side-eyeing Lloyd, who appeared distracted with fiddling with his shirt. Kaen ushered us out, moving quickly through the halls. I don't like being shoved around so I dragged my feet a little and let myself loiter no matter how much the scary dude glared at me.

"You'll get various jobs, most are simple and are on this chart." Kaen motioned to the scrappy piece of paper tacked to the wall. "Feed the creatures, clean the whole place, sort out the feed etc. But if I or the other two give you an order we expect you to follow that too."

I squinted at the horrible handwriting, huge ink blots and holes in the paper making it hard to read. "Uh... are you going to teach us any of this?"

Kaen grinned wolfishly which didn't instil a lot of faith in me. He grabbed two large spears hanging on a large rack and jabbed them into a smelly bucket of fish. Flies swarmed around the meat and fish blood leaked from the wound as he presented it to us.

I cautiously took the weapon and exchanged a confused look with Lloyd when Kaen marched towards the large door. He punched in a password to a panel and pressed the pad of his fingertip into a small screen. With a loud shriek, a red light flashed, and he yanked down a leaver. The whole room shook and shrieked with the horrible sound of metal scratching against metal.  I squinted through the small smudged windows that looked into the small indoor pen, my eyes widening as I focused on the huge iron door slowly lifting.

My breath hitched when a huge nose when sniffing out from the doorway. Then came the rest of its body. The entire reptilian creature had lakes yellow scales, crusted with dirt and grime, blood edged the spiked horns, and its tattered wings clung tightly to the poor thing's body. The orange eyes were narrowed, its lip curling to reveal the huge teeth that would give any child nightmares.

I was suddenly aware that the only thing keeping us between that monster was slowly being pulled open. "Um... is this safe?"

"Of course not!" Kaen looked unusually happy, eyes glinting. He placed a hand on both our shoulders and Lloyd glared at him with such vigour I swear he growled in the back of his throat. "Don't look it in the eye, give it the meat, the weak spot is just tucked under its wing, and given the choice between your life and the dragons, choose the dragons. It's much more expensive."

"You freaking-" My words were swallowed when we were shoved in and the metal door slammed closed. Leaving us right in the path of one huge, dangerous animal.

A dragon.

It crept closer, pupils dilating as soon as it heard the doors closed. A deep venomous noise came from the back of its throat as it focused on us. Hate was pure in its gaze but it didn't come charging at us. Like a restrained storm being blocked by some invisible force.

My gaze focused on the long scars across its body. "It's been hurt." I whispered. "Look at those marks."

Lloyd's breathing hitched as he saw them. "This isn't right." He murmured.

Was that the most he's ever talked to me? I glanced at him in surprise. But he wasn't talking to me, his gender green gaze was on the dragon.

The mythical beasts nostrils flared. Picking up on our hesitation with too much wit for an animal. The slotted glare bouncing to the fish skewer in my hands.

Crap.

"Carter..." Lloyd spoke lowly with warning.

Fear spiking in his tone when the dragon suddenly let out the loudest roar I've ever heard. My jaw hung open as it beat its wings, rising higher, making the little bit of sun coming from the skylights form around it in a powerful silhouette. Something golden built up in its mouth, coming deep within its throat, and lighting in its eyes.

My instincts took over and I threw a look at Lloyd, yelling, "Get out, idiot!" before I darted the other way.

The dragon was faster, obviously, and dove for me. The golden beam blasting from its maw and narrowly missing me by the skin of my teeth. It was silent like a simple ray of sunlight but the heat was so intense I felt it burning my skin even though it didn't hit me. A huge scorch mark appeared on the wall. I tripped over my feet, the spear falling from my grasp and rolling under some scraggly bushes in the corner.

Well, now into plan B.

Do something stupid, hope it works, and probably die in the process.

If not, I'm dead and Lloyd has only a 65% chance of survival. Either way I'm still dead.

"YOU LOOK LIKE A BANANA GOT DRAGGED THROUGH A SEWING MACHINE!"

A tail whipped out, a long dangerous weapon, the wind from its force knocking me off my feet. I felt the stinging in my knees, the rough feeling of wood chips on my face when I fell. Hitting the ground hard enough that the wind got knocked out of me.

I was gasping. There was a ringing in my ears and a fogginess in my head. My vision blurred and the scream of the animal seemed miles away. I blinked, struggling for breath, fear igniting when there was some sort of heaviness that stopped me from doing so. I could feel the breath of the animal on the back of my neck, my brain yelled at me to move but my limbs wounding work.

So this is where it ends.

Death by sunshine lizard.

"Hey! Stop it!" The words were followed by a low rumble. 

Stop what? Death? I'm not God! Oh wait-

My brow furrowed as two feet planted themselves in front of me. Small worded-Lloyd was suddenly facing down against this Lizardzilla with a calmness no one should have when doing this.

I struggled to sit up, coughing as Lloyd held out his hands, blocking the dragon from coming any further.

"Come on, calm down..." He said softly. His emerald gaze lifted and he locked eyes with the animal, the slotted pupils suddenly growing larger as they watched him.

I squinted, the light glowing around the dragon made it hard to see but for a moment I thought I saw a glimpse of green light.

Lloyd made a clicking noise, carefully directing its attention to the spear under the bush. "It's right over there, my friend."

The dragon made a small purring noise, creeping towards the bush while Lloyd quickly heaved me to my feet, supporting my weight like it was nothing.

"If she has another mood swing this could get messy." Lloyd grunted, hobbling me quickly to the door. He banged on it with his fist and Kaen opened it up, eyes wide with shock that we were alive. Lloyd pushed me in and we went stumbling to the floor, he barely managed to gently set me down.

I panted, hazily patting him on the thigh. My eyes staring at him with wonder. "I think I owe you some lunch."