Warning: Industrial Strength Provocation

Ocean water surged over the streets. Avelina clutched the rails as she leaned for a better view. Given the power of the geyser spouting from the ocean, their vantage point no longer felt safe. A fist of water smashed foes in the moonlight. The suspect directed nature itself against the police.

“You have snipers trained on him. Aren’t you going to shoot him before he hurts more of our officers?”

The yellow dragon folded his arms behind his back, “No, that’s not the plan.”

“Then what is the plan? Are you going to stand here and watch like a coward as our nation's officers get slaughtered? Why are you holding them back?”

“It’s to the advantage of all dragons that we don’t take drastic measures. The artifact he’s using could be damaged and go out of control,” his mouth curled upward as puffs of smoke escaped his nostrils, “We have no idea what his connection to the artifact is like or how much will is contained within it. One wrong shot and your entire city could become a disaster zone.”

“That’s your plan, to stand here and observe like a coward while your people do all the work?”

He huffed. Wings spread wide enough to block out the moon. The staff with the violet orb slipped into a sheath on his belt, “I have an idea. How about you talk less and listen more.”

Wings spread with a slight creak as they stretched behind Avelina, “Stand back, I’m going to save the world.”

“You can fly?” Avelina ducked under the upraised wing to back down the steps, “You’re delusional! What are you doing!?”

A burst of wind from the first flap fluttered her uniform. She continued to back away slowly. Stretched flesh like leather pushed air. Back muscles tensed. Wings flapped faster. Clawed feet lifted from the platform. The yellow dragon ascended. Flapping wings blocked the moon as his wingspan stretched.

Once airborne, he glared upon the suspect directing the tide against the barricade. Keen pupils widened to assess the nature of the attacks. This wasn’t simply brute force. The suspect manipulated the water to disarm the officers. It lifted them out of harm’s way.

The yellow dragon shifted forward and glided down.

Darius recognized an attack from above. The watery membrane of his bubble thickened as water condensed in front of him.

A yellow-golden blur burst through the barrier. A left hook caught Darius by the chin. He flew upwards with the mop firmly clenched in his lower right hand.

Water flowed to stabilize him. Too late.

The yellow dragon shifted upwards to match his ascent. A series of controlled punches to his ribs launched him further upwards. He struggled to keep the mop and the bag in his grasp.

“Losing control already? Tsk, another loser with artifacts.”

The warehouse loomed below. The yellow dragon flapped his wings between punches. Darius continued to soar until it looked like he was being beaten to death in front of the clouds. The leather satchel dropped into the care of Zenobia’s coils. As the upward momentum faded, Darius swung the mop to release a high-pressure razor arc.

The yellow dragon glided behind it, “Do you forecast all your attacks?”

Darius struggled to arch his back for a mid-air turn. Interlocked fists slammed his face half-way through the motion so that his muzzle smacked together. Within that instant, he descended at free fall velocity. Coils of ocean caught his back repeatedly to slow his fall.

The warehouse roof broke under his back. Sheets of metal crashed into his truck bed. Several feet of ocean water coalesced over the cement floor. Darius splashed into it with a crack. Both his hip, then his skull, broke against the cement floor. Blood flowed into salty ocean that dispersed from the body, but Darius kept a death grip on the mop.

Grabby’s body bounced in the tide. He wedged himself against a support beam as he tried to cut duct tape with a sliced brake disc, “Gaaah! Fidglesticks!”

Bones groaned, even crackled as Darius forced himself to stand. Blood shot eyes strained through a red haze. He felt pleading whispers into his heart along with the sting of salt on broken scales.

The form of a young woman composed of briny water held his shoulders. Her translucent murky head rested against his back. A coil of water gently placed the leather satchel in his lower left hand.

Blood ran out his jaw, “There’s no point in running Zenobia. I want you to leave me behind.”

He raised the mop. A geyser of water shot for the yellow dragon, who was circling downward. It never touched him.

Wings spread as he arced his flight to glide to the warehouse. They folded when he further collapsed the warehouse ceiling with a kick. Then he jumped inside. Claws splashed against the wet cement.

Grabby continued to jump frantically, “Sir! I wasn’t expecting a visit. This criminal stole items I was curing for your birthday surprise! Now, I’m going to be tied to his crimes.”

Darius looked ready to collapse.

The yellow dragon cracked his knuckles, “Ah, Grabby, have you been withholding information again. What have I told you about being sneaky?”

Before Grabby could respond, Darius rushed forward with blood frothing from his mouth. A spray of water in the shape of a circular saw broke itself into millions of tiny droplets against a violet aura. Punches from all three left fists bundled together. Flowing water jet from Zenobia powered them further. The attack landed true against an aura flexed before the yellow dragon’s suit covered abs. Darius’ claws cracked as his scaled fingers snaped.

A gentle golden hand brushed the battered side of a violet scaled muzzle then fondled his mane, “No worries, once this is all over, and it will be all over,” he looked to Grabby as his grip on Darius became more vicious, “We’ll get you back to your library. I wouldn’t want your work to be disturbed because of this garbage.”

Darius coughed blood, “You stole my family’s dignity. I won’t-”

“Really, I did what?” he laughed, “I don’t even know your family.”

The yellow dragon twirled like a top. His tail struck Darius in the side. The office exploded into a clatter of dust and shattered glass as Darius flew through the window. His body crunched against the wall.

Grabby winced as a streak of yellow flew past. The strands of duct tape ripped apart to free Grabby’s wrists. The mittens wouldn’t push off his hands easily and his feet, wings, and upper arms were still bound.

The warehouse crumbled. Walls collapsed as water jets sliced through sheet metal. Darius’ flew from the office like a tossed rag. He rolled across the wet floor. The mop fell from his loose grip.

The watery form of a young woman glowed with faint blue light. It leaned over Darius’s unconscious, broken, and bleeding body. Hands desperately pressed against broken scales exposed from a torn maintenance uniform. A limp body tensed. Closed eyes opened. Blood shot from his nostrils as he failed to stand.

Zenobia coaxed him to relax.

The yellow dragon exited the foreman’s office with a crack of his neck, then dusted off his suit. The staff rejoined his right hand as he took a moment to lean upon it for support.

Zenobia gurgled. Her shape became more solidified. Neon blue orbs substituting for eye sharply focused on the yellow dragon.

He coughed but returned her gaze, “That was quite tiring. Don’t you agree? No need to continue this senseless violence. I even made sure not to kill your master. Why don’t you show me what’s causing you so much pain my dear child? Let’s have a chat. I’m no bank robber. I’m with the World Government. I’m here to help.”

Darius reached for Zenobia’s leg but his hand went through flowing water, “Don’t fight! Run!”

The orb on his staff glowed a brilliant violet.

“Gah! Boss, I mean sir, you’re feeding it aura!”

“Silence your commentary imp! I know what I’m doing!”

Zenobia clenched her fists as brilliant blue aura surrounded her gelling body. The mop flew into her watery hand.

Ocean around the industrial islands of Eastern Capital roared.