While I walked back with General Landin, I spotted the two girls wearing clean outfits again, walking to the animal barn. “How did they get down?” I whispered, half to myself.

“Swoopers,” General Landin answered in his blunt way. Before I could ask what swoopers was, he was already speaking. “You’re lucky Colonel Piffer didn’t see you with your hands in the air at your descent. You would have been in a heckovalot of trouble.” He grunted.

I shrugged and looked down. I knew I was supposed to feel bad… but I wasn’t.

“I don’t blame ya, son.” General Wolverine mumbled, setting his cigarette to his lips and inhaling lazily. “That first flight.. it’s incredible. And just wait until you ride your own dragon..” he gave a shake of his head, smoke trailing from his nose as if he himself were a dragon.

I was baffled by these words. Somehow it was just weird for the General to be telling me this. I decided to be silent in case he kept talking.

He didn’t, and opened the glass door to his office, his cigarette still smoking even though that was probably against the law.

He sat down slowly on his chair, grunting. “So… how are you liking it here, kid?” he asked, looking at me with that piercing gaze of his.

“I…like it,” I shrugged, running my hand over Caedmon’s forehead.

“Seems like you’re liking it a lot. You’ve achieved more in two weeks than most trained kids can accomplish Freshman year.” General said. “We’ve been keeping an eye on you- you really seemed to have changed. Maybe finding that shadow creature was the best thing that ever happened to ya.”

“Changed? And how would you know what I was like before?” I asked, narrowing my eyes and folding my arms.

He sighed and leaned back, pulling out a drawer and gettinh out a large folder, plopping it onto the table. “Your files… all of them. From every foster home, every little mission you’ve ever had.” He said dryly.

My eyes widened and my fingers slowly crept for the folder before it was slapped away. “None of your business.”

“Of course it’s my business!” I said. “Those are my files! Does it say who my parents are?” The last demand shocked me. I didn’t care about not knowing who my parents were.. right?

When I fell silent, General Landin gave a deep, measured breath as if deciding what to say before slowly lowering his cigarette. “Your parents.. were great people.” Was all he would say.

“Is that all you can tell me?” I feel like someone had shoved a tennis ball down my throat and it was just.. stuck there.

“That’s restricted,” he said, putting his arms over the file.

“They are my parents! Please, I’ve never known them, just tell me!” I heard my voice rising as I stood up slowly, leaning over the desk, eyes narrowed and Caedmon letting out a hiss.

“That’s ENOUGH!” He yelled, so loudly and so suddenly that I sat down hard, stunned.

For the first time, General Landin looked flustered. “Give me the dragon,” he demanded.

I dumbly took Caedmon off me after prying every little claw off my shoulder pad. He squeaked angrily and twisted, his paws trying to grab my hands as I handed him to the General.

General Landin took the little creature in his hands, turning him on his back like he hated. I was about to tell him to stop but shut my mouth into a slim line, my eyes swirling a deep, angry purple.

Caedmon squeaked angrily and wiggled, trying to nip the General as he held him in a strong grip, looking him over, before setting him on a scale. Five pounds. “He’s gaining a lot of weight.”

“Growing dragon?” I ventured in a small voice.

“Getting fat,” General Wolverine grunted. “You feeding him human food?”

“He doesn’t like the dragon kibble,” I said, frowning.

“The dragon kibble will help him grow tall and muscular not fat and heavy in the air.” He replied in his gravelly tone. He pinched down Caedmon’s spine all the way to his tail. “Hmm..” he lingered on the tip of his tail. “Interesting. He’s going to have a flashy tail.”

“Flashy tail?” I echoed.

He nodded. “He’s growing some filaments here.. it’s going to look like peacock feathers in a way. Who knows what colors they will be. Never had a shadow dragon before.” He said before stretching out his wingspan, which looked painful to me. He measured the wingspan with a ruler. “If you get the baby fat off him he’ll be a great flyer.” He noticed.

“How fast?” I asked, too curious to be angry.

“No one knows for sure.” He said. He put pressure on either side of the angry hatchling’s jaw and forced him to open his mouth. “He’s teething too. Hmm… Growing very fast.”

He annoying! Caedmon’s squeaky voice echoed in my mind as I watched General Landin pull up his tail to look under there. Caedmon squeaked and tried to flail his tail but he was powerless in General Landin’s grip. Somehow seeing him struggle futilely was making me itchy, like I wanted to throw a punch or two. Maybe snap out my watch and watch him go night night. But.. I didn’t have that watch anymore…

“He pooping alright?”

“Yeah..” I drawled. Not like I watched him squat or anything..

“No pains or anything I should know about?”

I shook my head. No.

Suddenly he stuck a needle in Caedmon’s neck, making him let out a scream and I gasped as I felt like one had been stabbed into my own. “Sh-shoes,” I whispered shakily.

“Just a little.. flu shot,” General said bluntly, looking at me. “Your bond is so strong already. Incredible.. you could feel that?” He quickly put the needle out before he pinched Caedmon’s ear, making him squeak and I gasped, putting a hand over my ear.

He made a ghost of a smile, pulling his hand away from Caedmon’s ear. “Impressive.”

“Ouch.” Was all I could say.

He handed the grumpy dragon back to me. “Very good,” he said, before putting his hands together. “I bet you’re wondering why you were never questioned about the other times you.. managed to steal a few files.”

“Mostly I stole files about stupid buildings or the janitor’s files,” I shrugged, but I could feel a cold sweat coming on.

He nodded. “The only reason we’re keeping that safe is because you are part of the S-11 team now. We are a top secret branch of the government. In order to stay top secret, we try and keep our team secret.” He tapped the file cabinet. “This thing alone contains more security than the White House.” He said. “It contains the files of everyone on this team.” He folded his arms. “Believe me, you won’t be able to get in this one.”

“Why would I-“ I started to sputter defensively, but he held up a warning finger, telling me to shut it.

“Your file… stays safe in here long as you stay part of our team,” General said. I could feel a burn on the back of my neck and slowly swiveled my head to see another General Landin standing behind me, slowly stalking back and forth as if to inspect me from every angle.

I gave a shaky breath. “T-there’s two of you…” I tried to say.

He slammed his hand on the table before I could finish. “Understand? You mess up on us and I’m sending your scrawny butt to jail. Forever.” He said in his dramatic way.

I nodded furiously, gulping hard. After a moment of him staring me down, I shakily pointed to his double who was standing beside me, arms folded, also staring me down.

“You can see him? Oh right, you can see him,” he blinked, for once a bit bewildered. I guess I have that effect on him.

“You have a twin?” I asked in a squeakier voice than I meant.

His double stood next to the table, raising a brow at me. He shook his head with a much lighter flavor of General Landin’s voice. “No.. I can’t believe you haven’t already figured out, kid. I’m Mardu.”

“B-b-“

“But I’m a dragon,” Mardu said dryly. “Not many people know this because not many people can see me. But I can shift into my Rider at will.” He said, putting a fond hand on the General’s shoulder. The General didn’t move, but kept staring at me, judging my reaction.

Weird. But kind of cool in a way. “Wow,” was all I could say. “I saw you in the.. hall?”

“Yes. But no one else did.” Mardu said, with a small glimpse of a smile, but just large enough for me to see a glimpse of his fangs. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you.” He said, golden eyes swirling slow. “You are too skinny.”

I loved how nice he was.

“Thanks.” I mumbled.

“But in time you will improve.” Mardu added helpfully.

“You are dismissed,” General said, his voice like gravel compared to Mardu’s.

I nodded a bit too quick and got to my feet, scrambling out the door.

That was crazy.

After roll call, I was pooped. I headed back to the barracks, talking sleepily with Brandon about who would win in a Iron Man vs Batman brawl. He said Batman, I said Iron Man. And the rate we nerds were going, we could argue about it all night.

Right when I was about to pull the ‘tank missile’ card, Brandon stopped, forcing me to bump right into him at the entrance to our barracks.

There was a small circle around.. my bed. Avery was in the middle, her head bent as she looked at something. A stream of whispers emanated from the small group.

When I bumped into Brandon, making his combat boots shriek against the ground, they turned to look at us. And Avery looked livid.

She marched right up to me with intent to kill written all over her features. She grabbed me by the front of my jacket and jerked me forwards until we were nose to nose. “Give me one reason that I shouldn’t shock you so hard you pee yourself.” She whispered between gritted teeth.

“Because.. well these are my only pair of pants?” I managed, teeth grit. Caedmon- shadow mode an option right now?

Not nuff shadow! Came his response. I protect. He growled and jumped at her who just grabbed him and tossed him onto a nearby cot.

“Hey!” I said before she shoved me against the wall. “Just like old times huh?” I managed, smiling small.

“There was no old times between us!” Her eyebrows pinched and she shook me so hard  I’m pretty sure my brain was scrambled.

“W-wait.. before you zap me..” I slowly reached my fingers for a shadow. She narrowed her eyes at me, those golden irises swirling slow and I swore I could see lightning flash across them.

“What?” she demanded.

I touched the shadow cast by the bunk bed in front of us and felt the familiar icy feeling as my dragon pulled me away to a safer distance.

I popped up again, perched up on the bunk bed over her bewildered form, smirking at her expression as she grabbed at nothing. “Before you zap me.. mind telling me why?”

She whirled around fast as lightning. Whoosh.. remind me not to mess with this chick. “Because of.. this!” She showed me a baggy chock full of necklaces, ear rings and.. oh.. her necklace she had lost.

“Well.. glad you found it..” I drawled.

“Liar!” She yelled and the other girls folded their arms, glaring at me from behind her. “You were a theif and you still are! You stole this from us!” She shook the bag, holding it out to me. If looks could kill, my brains would be spaghetti on the ceiling.

“Listen.. I promise I didn’t touch your jewelry.” What did these people thing I was? Some sort of petty jewelry thief? What would I even do with the jewelry?

“We found these under your mattress,” she said flatly.

Oh.

“I’ve been framed!” I cried. “I did not steal any of that I swear.”

Caedmon suddenly hissed and jumped off my shoulder, grabbing the bag in all four paws but Avery was stronger than he expected so he just hung there for dear life, growling and swiping at her hands.

“Oh.”Avery blinked. “It was him.”

“Caedmon?” I blinked. “But-w-what?”

“And I was so hoping to beat you up,” she sighed, slipping her necklace around her neck. “He’s one of those types that gets a hoard I guess.”

The other trainees groaned that they hadn’t been able to watch a good fight and the crowd around my bed dissipated.

I hoped down from the bunk bed, grabbing Caedmon. “Bad boy. No stealing,” I said with narrowed eyes.

Caedmon meeped and lowered his ears, eyes suddenly said. He made a sniffling sound.

“No boo boo yaya for you,” I sighed as I slipped into bed with a huge yawn. “Bad.. boy..” I undressed under the covers in case the girls were around before rolling over and snuggling into the blankets. The punished dragon meeped sadly as he curled up to my back, his warmth seeping through the blankets.

That night I dreamed of flying.