Endangered Ch. 10

His first order of business was to do precisely as he'd promised, cutting off the magical catalyst for further fusion. The quarks would resume their usual aloofness.

The problem was the deuterium, heat, hard radiation, and other more exotic particles that had already been created in those few minutes of celebration. The enormous heat released in those nuclear fusions had been completely trapped. Every particle inside was vibrating faster, colliding harder and more frequently.

It was a hungry feedback loop that promised to burn so bright he would lose any chance of exercising control. Already it seared his senses, and the deuterium alone was quite happy to continue reacting for minutes to come. More concerning was that the helium created was finding it much easier to take the next step up the periodic table than he'd assumed. It wasn't going to stop.

He lost his grip on it, his magic retreating from the elemental rage. Feeling half cooked by the effort, he spent several agonising seconds swimming in that scorching light before he caught it once more. There was really only one thing he could think to do before it evaded him once more. He knew he wouldn't have the strength to master it again, so he put it to an abrupt end.

A scintillating lance burst into the dark void. A vivid, momentary tear, angled low across the lunar horizon. Space itself seemed to rupture and recoil from the unprovoked savagery.

Around them, there was nothing but pure, untamed light. It was a terrible thing, the violence of a coronal mass ejection miniaturised, enslaved, and finally set loose.

Dust exploded in every direction, fleeing whoever had been foolish enough to try taming that power. In front of the tiny orb, the very surface of the moon shattered. Rock and dust crumbling to constituent atoms, turned to gas by even the proximity to the beam's path. It would leave behind a glowing scar almost two hundred feet long.

Hailey screamed wordless terror as she clung to him for dear life. Her eyes were squeezed shut but it was still so bright that it hurt. Even though their orb stood firm, blocking a portion of it, it felt like the photons bypassed her eyes entirely, burrowing directly into her brain. Sheltering behind him, she prayed their larger globe held, that it only let in the comparatively gentle, visible wavelength photons rather than the invisible ones that would tear them to shreds on a microscopic level.

The Moon shuddered beneath them, silent, but clearly protesting their intrusion. She was supposed to be retired, her wild youth was long behind her now. Yet this coruscating intrusion almost lopped a mountain off her face and tugged jarringly at the leash keeping her bound to her larger, more beautiful sister.

It ended as suddenly as it had begun. No more than three seconds had passed, and the cold, boundless forgiveness of darkness rushed back to comfort the shaken Moon. The Sun seemed to brighten once again, answering the short-lived challenge to its supremacy.

"It's done," Chris rumbled defeatedly, watching dust start to settle across the Moon's new scar. Empty now, the little black orb was still hanging there. Not visible from their vantage, a pinprick size section on the far side still glowed softly as the last of the trapped particles escaped. "Once again, I apologise. It seems today is a day to be both awed and humbled by the universe."

"You didn't... was it anywhere near Earth?" she blinked, her sight still scarred by the afterimage of that initial razor's slice of brilliance."

"No. I aimed it away as best I could before I lost my connection to it. Perhaps I should have just left it be, but it was so strong, it wouldn't have stopped on its own."

"Please take me home," she whispered, pulling herself closer against his trunk-like neck.

***

Chris awoke to the patter of small bare feet on the wooden floor. The hushed voices of his dragonesses floated nebulously in the background, making his lips twitch toward a sleepy smile.

Hailey's warmth pressed satisfyingly down on his chest, short hair tickling his chin.

The pattering approached rapidly. With a soft groan, he braced for Immi's not so insubstantial weight to descend abruptly. Instead, the footsteps became delicate, and someone small leaned on the end of the couch they'd collapsed onto last night.

"He's still asleep," Amy loud-whispered in an attempt to both appear innocent and rouse him up at the same time.

"I'm up," he grumbled, pulling his hands out from under their light blanket to swipe away a fleck of crusty sleep and stretch his protesting muscles. He needed so much more rest.

Amy scampered away, leaving him to consider his almost drunken recollection of how he'd ended up there.

They'd arrived back much later than he'd planned last night, wholly shattered from their excursion and emotionally drained to boot. The lingering presence of the sun during their Moon excursion had bestowed a false sense of time's passage.

Back in his human form, with solid ground beneath his feet, he'd tiredly believed that his phone's empty message bank put him in the clear. But Annabel was waiting up, launching into his arms even as he tried to half carry Hailey inside.

She took one look at his face and somehow knew he'd had a hellish day. Perhaps it was the fierceness with which he embraced her, or the thickness in his voice as he apologised for her worry. She decided to spare him the haranguing she'd almost memorised. There had been plenty of time to practice in the hours spent wondering if he was going to make it home. Faced with the forlorn state they returned in, she was just relieved to have him back at all.

His First propped them up at the kitchen bar as she reheated leftover stew. Their exhausted recount of the lunar expedition boggled belief. She had to admit she didn't understand half of the technical points Hailey added to his retelling with her head resting on her arms. It all sounded too far-fetched, even as Bartholomew helped her perfectly melt the grated cheese on their servings with a careless wave of her hand.

She didn't tell them about Radek, about Michelle and the others working through the night. If she did, she knew he would feel obligated to walk back out the door, to help despite his obvious exhaustion. So, she fed them and got them ready for bed, loaning Hailey one of his old t-shirts from before his growth spurt. It was well past midnight when she slipped naked into her own bed and pulled Immi close, listening to her shallow, peaceful breathing.

He'd slept with Hailey on the couch, of course, they both needed that.

"Good morning," Petra's voice sounded distinctly cooler than usual, containing a hint of mockery as her face appeared above him. "You two missed out on yesterday's drama, and there's something new I think you might be interested to see. Scooch, lazy bones."

Damn, he had some serious ass kissing, grovelling, massaging, and general slavery to do. There was nothing for it, but his consolation wasn't insubstantial. Petra's curvaceous bottom was tailor-made for kissing, and the rest of her deserved just as much attention.

"Sleep," Hailey protested grumpily as he slowly sat up. Still exhausted from their ordeal, she didn't bother to do much more than turn her head so the other side of his chest could be drooled on too.

He wrapped the blanket tighter around them and patted the freed spot for Petra to occupy. She was wearing a magenta night robe which flounced around her figure, and her beautiful silver hair still had that sexy morning look about it. The sheepskin ugg boots warming her feet did something for him too, perhaps it was the number of times they'd rested on his shoulders.

"All warmed up." He summoned as much tired enthusiasm as he could, half expecting her to give him the cold shoulder and sit on a recliner instead. She didn't, and he pulled her close against him his side, scenting her neck and free-flowing locks with a tender sigh. "I'm truly sorry, my love. I claim stupidity as my defence."

"That's a start," she snuggled closer under his arm.

Claire and Amy joined them soon with bowls of cereal that made his stomach start to churn ominously. They still had on their pyjamas as well. He wondered how early it was that Annabel wasn't yet up and working on breakfast. That thought sounded incredibly entitled, even for a dragon, but he'd been conditioned like a Pavlovian hound, damn it.

Samantha's daughter boldly took up position on his other side, resigning his amused redhead mate to the end seat.

"Good morning, munchkin," he spoke to Claire but returned the raven-haired girl's inquisitive gaze, employing his most winning smile. "And a very good morning to you too, Amy."

"Silly," Amy chimed as Claire pretended not to have almost choked on her granola at his little joke. Her dark, curious eyes were clearly fascinated by the mess of short blonde hair on his chest and the petite woman it belonged to. "Who's that? Did she stay up all night worrying about you too?"

"I ah..." He was lost, her innocent words smiting directly to the core of his guilt. He found his throat thickening painfully as he searched for words. Petra only snorted her approval when he turned to her for assistance.

The clap of their high-five jolted him from guilty paralysis, and he discovered the conspirators grinning wickedly at him over their cereal. He shook his head in defeat, still struggling to overcome that sudden upwelling.

"Perfect delivery," Claire congratulated her tiny accomplice. "That's exactly the look we wanted to see on his silly face."

"Thanks!" The cute bundle of mischief beamed, eager for praise. Claire was fun and gorgeous, and she didn't treat her like a kid the whole time, so Amy was happy to help prank Chris. She hoped he might become a friend too, she'd already learned the advantage of big friends at her previous school. He was really kind and handsome, but there was something strange about these babysitters. She didn't know quite what yet, but she was going to get to the bottom of it. They would all be better friends once she understood what was going on.

"That's enough teasing for now," Petra only just kept her chuckle under control but gave his thick bicep a reassuring, much-appreciated squeeze. "It's must be almost eight am over there, put the news on."

Chris wasn't a fan of news shows before he found out he was a dragon. Now they just seemed utterly trite. He wondered if the over-enthusiastic droning of the anchors wasn't really another punishment cooked up by his mates. Sleep deprivation was technically torture after all.

He zoned out, missing the details of the absurd scandal some senator found himself embroiled in. That was the most important news today, was it? Not the looming collapse of global ecosystems, rampant inequality in their justice system, or even the fact that no one had travelled to or from Indonesia for more than a month now? His head lolling back onto the leather headrest, and he lazily supposed that the omission of that last one was probably a good thing. Hailey's warmth and weight felt nice. He'd very nearly dozed off when Petra nudged him.

The bubbly female anchor beamed at the camera

"You've probably already seen the chilling viral video that swept through social media yesterday sparking confusion and speculation." She said it as if their own station hadn't mongered the exact same rumours all night.

"That's right, Penny," the handsome male lead confirmed in a gratingly cliche cadence. "We've heard all sorts of theories about the origin of the clip, which appeared to show what has been labelled a supernatural event."

Chris was wide awake now.

"However, the predictions of several experts have been proven correct this morning, and we're proud to announce our exclusive update on this compelling story." The woman didn't miss a beat, and Chris couldn't help drawing a comparison between her and a skillfully piloted marionette. "In a moment, we'll cross over to a live report from our correspondent in Argentina which promises to explain it all."

"I just can't believe it. Argentina! And Claudia Hampson is actually on the movie set! The actors who took the world by storm yesterday in a shocking, and what some are calling irresponsible publicity stunt, are preparing for another incredible day of filming as we speak. I tell you what, Penny, they say the studio job is a good gig, but today, I want to be down there watching the magic happen."

The blonde anchor laughed, and at least it seemed she found some genuine humour in his comment.

"Folks, would you believe that yesterday, our very own Jim Henderson was actually questioning if the clip was somehow real?"

"Now, now," he chuckled back. "I only pointed out that the quality of the special effects seemed much better than what we've seen out of Hollywood recently. In case the viewers at home haven't seen this incredible piece of cinema yet, we'll play it for you in a moment."

"We caution that viewer discretion is advised," Penny's tone waxed serious. "The segment contains graphic violence that some may find offensive or disturbing. We can now assure you that the events you're about to see were staged by professionals for the purposes of entertainment, but they may not be suitable for small children or sensitive individuals."

"I've already seen it," Amy preempted Chris as he opened his mouth. "It's awesome."

The stronger protest he'd been crafting anyway died between his brain and his lips as he watched Radek step out of the bus into the unsteady frame.

"Jesus!" Chris leapt from the sofa as the carnage began, dumping Hailey unceremoniously in his place. For the first time since he was a kid, he sat on the floor, glued to the TV, so it filled his whole vision. He barely even noticed when Annabel sank down beside him in a black slip and tiny khaki shorts, her hand running soothingly up and down the tense muscles of his lower back.

He was still recovering from the shock of it all when the correspondent's live cross began. The distracting brunette was flawlessly made up against the early morning backdrop of dry prairie. She wore a thin, form-fitting white dress with blue trim and an enormous belt snug around her tapered waist. The dress had an off-shoulder neckline, display an eye-catching amount of sumptuous, bronzed bounty. It was practical of course, no doubt such a garment would help her stay cool on what was shaping up to be a scorching day.

"Penny, behind me you might recognise the stretch of road that will be cordoned off for a second day as the cast and crew of this ambitious project rush to complete their filming of this critical action scene." Sure enough, there was the bus around which the battle had raged. There were no bullet holes or blood splatters, and a team of riggers could be seen hauling cables and lighting equipment into position. "It's called shaky cam, and although you might have seen it before in the movie theatre, you've never seen it quite like this."

At that exact moment, Radek walked behind the woman, briefcase, suit, and all. He paused briefly in-shot to wave happily at the camera and wink just like he had in the previous film. It was chilling.

As the woman continued to talk, answering the anchor's inane questions as best she could, they rolled some prepared footage.

A somewhat cross looking elf sat in a trailer before a mirror surrounded by little lights. Two women dabbed brushes artfully at her face as she fidgeted in her dark leather costume. Those ears though, he might have sworn one of them flicked in annoyance. The shot panned to the man who Chris had watched brutally killed just minutes before. He was getting the finishing touches done on his mangled, bloody stump of a hand. He turned animatedly to the camera and waved it around in mock, exaggerated agony before laughing heartily and giving it back to the scowling makeup artist who began scolding him in Spanish.

Next, he saw two sweaty men in bodysuits standing in front of the deflated form of their dank haired, monstrous costume. They nodded along as a curly-topped, quintessential director type, acted out the exact sequence of movements he required from them with exaggerated sweeps of imagined tail and claw. In the background, he caught a flash of a tall, dark-skinned woman, out of focus but suspiciously beautiful nonetheless.

Finally, there was the almost furtive interview with the lead effects artist, through an interpreter of course. The untanned, grad student looking dude spoke of some proprietary video editing software that he and his team at the University of Buenos Aires were developing. They backed up the claim with a few tantalising snippets of how they'd modelled and imposed the wolf to battle with the hideous swamp creature based on documentary footage.

"What the fuck," he breathed. It was almost believable. "But I..."

"Jim, the most incredible part is that the whole project will be filmed exclusively on the latest smartphones." The correspondent beamed winningly at the camera. "I've been told by the producer that the unstable footage and handheld perspective helps trick our eyes to miss the subtle traces left behind in special effects. Not only that, they're saving the budget hundreds of thousands of dollars on expensive camera equipment! When the cellphone manufacturer heard about the project, they sent the crew an entire pallet of their latest devices which film in 4k resolution."

"That's incredible, Claudia. Are you having fun down there?"

Hogwash. Absolute BS.

"No shit it's incredible. It's fucking unbelievable!" Chris scoffed. His eyes narrowed, and he turned to his First. "Where's Michelle?"

"I didn't want to worry you last night," Annabel kissed his jaw apologetically. "You were so tired, and I knew you'd go running off down there."

"Oh my God. You guys know then, he's a dem... about Radek?" he looked around at Petra and Claire who nodded gravely. "And I was missing..."

Hailey was frowning, still waking up and not comprehending the full picture without that critical information on Radek's nature.

"We were worried sick," Claire pouted, cradling her pregnant tummy defensively.

"Ha!" Susan emerged from her bedroom, taking in the situation at a glance. "Don't let these two harlots fool you, honey. They knew you weren't involved by about three in the afternoon, and they've been plotting ever since."

"I wouldn't call what he was up to exactly safe, Susan," Petra countered, only mildly peeved that their ballbusting was exposed. There would be plenty of time to continue in the privacy of her bed. "They'll be reporting on that next if I'm not mistaken."

"Uh oh," Chris murmured, turning his attention back to the last of the report. Had he thought what they'd done would go unnoticed? He hadn't really had a chance to consider it yet, but he doubted anyone could point a finger specifically at him.

Claire sat back against the leather, regarding their young, ever attentive charge. The conversation was sloppy and unlikely to get better. However, ejecting the girl from the room without a choice wouldn't engender trust. She would have hated that at a young age.

"Amy, remember what I said last time you stayed over?" she asked the young girl.

"About not telling anyone the stuff I hear when I stay over, except to Mom?"

"That's exactly right. We probably shouldn't be having a grown-up talk like this while you're around, but you're very mature, and I think you can handle it. What do you say? We can go get a hot chocolate or something if you'd prefer?"

"I haven't heard anything." Amy wriggled, blinking innocently. "We can get a hot chocolate later, can't we?"

"That's my girl."

The morning show cut back to the studio, the anchors volleying a few comments and speculations to fill the time, as was customary in the longer time slots.