0.2 Reunion

They had barely survived the initial onslaught for reasons they could not explain, they had purposely avoided the stampede of running students and teachers and that had been the edge of survival. Now, however, they were on the run from small and medium monsters akin to demons not too different from those in fantasy and religious literature.

From above, a wingless dragon with scales green and yellow eyes glowing with malevolent fire roared atop the school's building and charged its jaws with flames.

"Lem! Is that...?"

"Just run dammit!" Lem ordered, pressing his legs and feet as demons charged their way.

The dragon's breath, a fierce yellow flame, lashed out at the demons, turning them to ashes in an instant. Lem glanced over his shoulder, noticing how the dragon seemed to clear the other attackers from pursuing them. For a moment, he considered the possibility that the dragon would be—

But then its gaze was suddenly fixed on Lem and Isamu, its eyes glowing as if they were its true prey.

"Shit!"

"What is it?" Isamu asked as they entered another school building, the one before the exit.

"It's on us!" Lem said, "Don't look back!"

Isamu looked back and squealed as they turned around the corner. The dragon's head entered as well, but then recoiled as it realized it did not fit.

"No time, idiot, we have to get out of here before..." 

“Mina...?” the two boys echoed. They looked at each other, their eyes furrowing as something clicked way in the back of their minds.

"Yes! Mina! From Middle School!"

"There is one Mina I knew," Isamu's eyes saddened, "She was in Middle School all right, but that can't be you..."

"It's me! We used to hang out a lot going to the Arcade!" the dragon girl revealed.

"She seems to know about that, Izamu," Lem said, darting his eyes between his friend and this divine apparition that seemed to be taken out of a fantasy videogame.

"But the Mina we knew died... remember?" Izamu said, choking as he remembered, "She was..."

"Run down by a truck," Lem said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, yes, she died! We went to her funeral!"

"That's the last thing I remember too," the dragon girl said, "I was crossing the street when I was blinded by some traffic lights and a big horn sound, and then the first thing I saw was that I was in another world!"

"Fascinating," Lem said, as he realized that all those stories, both good and bad, were true all along.

Izamu, on the other hand, was having an epiphany as his eyes watered, he was a tough guy most of the time, keeping his mindset simple and positive, Lem had always said they became friends because he liked his blunt and transparent side, they were the perfect brain and brawn duo.

"M-mina!! Mina-chan! Mina-chan! You're alive!" He exclaimed, crying as he fell to his knees, "Lem, you see this right? Mina-chan survived and she is now a dragon!"

"I see it, I see it," Lem said, his eyes diverting to the falling debris not so far as the ground shook a little.

"Well, I am actually a Dragonborn, just someone who can morph into one, and I go by the name of Raena now, I would prefer if you called me that!" 

"Tehehehe" Isamu giggled, "Ok, Raena the Dragonborn, that sounds amazing!"

Raena and Isamu looked at each other momentarily and smiled. Lem noticed Raena skipping a beat and blushing a bit, "I'm home," she said, tenderly.

Isamu's eyes lightened.

Lem clapped, "Fantastic, truly wonderful moment, such a blissful reunion you two are having" he said, "Alas, I beg you two, not to forget demons are ravaging the city as we speak."

"R-right!" Raena said, smiling, "Ah, Lem, always the 4D chess player."

"I don't need to be playing chess to notice the entire world may crack and go boom any time now."

"Mina-chan... I mean, Raena," Isamu interrupted, "if you are here, at this time, when all hell is breaking loose, then what does it mean?"

Raena cleared her throat, "Yes, yes! It's not safe here, let me get us out of here first."

Her hand morphed into a scaled draconic claw that had a cybernetic implant by the knuckles, and at its center, a jewel that seemed to power it with emerald energy. She opened the claw and revealed a similarly emerald orb in its palm. Isamu and Lem saw how she seamlessly aimed it at a wall and shot a beam that coalesced into an ovoid green portal. 

"Please go inside," Raena urged.

"Is it safe?" Lem asked, unsure of whether to cross.

"As long as I sustain the portal, you should be crossing to a safe zone."

"Safe zone?"

Isamu's eyes looked at Raena, exchanging a glance of trust as he frowned and gave a small bow to the dragon girl, "Come on, Lem, if it's an old friend asking..."

Lem looked at the city beyond the relative safety of the school, blasts could still be heard in the distance as the demons' advance progressed. 

"Hurry up!" Raena said, "come on, come on"

"Heeyaah!" Isamu shouted, jumping into the portal.

"Isamu!" Lem called, stretching his hand, he closed his eyes, "Oh come on, goddammit! Why do you always have to be so...!"

He crossed the portal and he immediately saw himself inside a storage room with a lot of items. 

"Awesome," Raena said, scratching her head, "Although you didn't have to make it so dramatic, ok let me go in now—"

"Her words were cut short by the sudden blast of fireballs that managed to scrape Raena. She immediately turned to the new arrivals, her eyes now widening with killing intent, followed by a grin full of bloodlust."

"Raena?" Lem called, "Is everything ok?"

"Everything is purrrrfect!" she growled, "Find Dr. Hero, I'll see you in a moment!"

She exited the portal's frame by roaring at the incoming enemies, her claw now aimed at them as she fired a concentrated beam of yellow fire now, "Incinerateee! Burrrn!" she roared, ecstatic, "Hahahaha! Burrrrn like the sorry-looking pigs you ar—"

The portal closed. Lem and Isamu stared at the now inert wall and shelves in front of them. They stared at each other, unsure of what to think of their old friend.

"Well!" Isamu exclaimed, standing up, "Let's find this Dr. Hero, let's see what he has to say!"

Lem stood up and looked around. The shelves had all kinds of things; pipe tubes, cans, knives, more cans—a storage room through and through. 

"Are you sure?" Lem said, "I mean, we've barely even spoken to Mina—sorry, Raena—and you say we should trust her?"

"We owe it to her, Lem, we go way back!" Isamu said, sure of himself.

"That was two years ago!" Lem argued, "That shy girl dead, instead we're stuck with a dragon girl who seems somewhat aroused at the thought of fighting."

"I don't know Lem, but my heart tells me that she could've killed us right there, old times be damned, if her intentions had not been pure."

"Pure, you say?"

"Yes! I say we go to find this Dr. Hero and introduce ourselves! She saved our lives!"

Isamu marched resolutely towards the door.

"Hold it," Lem said, calmly.

"I'm not sitting idly, Lem, you may do as you please," Isamu declared, not even glancing back.

"Catch!"

Isamu now reflexively turned and instinctively caught a tube. Lem grabbed one himself and then tossed a knife to his friend.

"You don't think we're seriously stepping out there without preparing," Lem said, weighing the pipe and giving it a swing.

Isamu smiled, "Isn't that a little too heavy for you?"

"A little," Lem answered, "but I can cope."

They smiled and then walked towards the door, Isamu slowly turned the door knob. They went through slowly as they scanned what was before them.