Be a Dragon: Spiteful Mistakes (ch.4) (Patreon)

You know what? Maybe this was a bad idea, I realized, watching the six villains carve a line through the parking lot, flipping over cars, tossing them around like they didn't way several tons. Civilians ran away screaming, some of them were in the cars that got tossed around and my stomach clenched when the cars landed with a horrifying crash. 

There were six of them and one of me. I had the power of the darkness, but, at the same time, jumping to murder for a car that I drove once seemed a bit much. Especially when I had a garage full of expensive cars. 

"You feelin' brave butt muncher?" The punk-ass bald midget that flipped over my car called out. He looked young, but the bald head was throwing some mixed signals my way. He wore a dark green heavy work suit, thick rubber gloves and black boots with a pair of yellow goggles resting on his forehead. 

Okay, no, they're definitely dead. Well, actually, that was still a bit much, but at the very least someone was going to be missing some teeth when it was all said and done. Hopefully, that person wouldn't be me.

"Yeah," I returned, striding to meet them halfway. The pale girl with pink hair and eyes looked incredibly amused, given that she was walking in the front, I'm guessing she was the leader of the group. "I am. You wrecked my shit, so I'm going to wreck yours." 

Now that I was committed to this stupidity, now would be a good time to figure out how I was going to wreck their collective shit. I had two things going for me -- my flames of destruction, and my true form. One was certainly going to kill someone, or at the very least maim, while the other wasn't exactly feasible for a straight punch up. Did I have anything else up my sleeve? 

I did, apparently, I realized as I could feel my dragonness surge within me. And it was in that moment, I realized why I had pink hair. 

I was a Natsu Dragonell knockoff. 

My body grew, flesh replaced with blackened scales, my shirt, and pants unable to stretch enough to accommodate my growing form. My shoes popped off, revealing an odd blend between a human foot with reptilian claws, my bone structure shifting so I could feel my heel moving upwards. My arms became thicker, as did my chest, but what tore what was left of my shirt off wasn't them, but a pair of wings that sprouted from my back. As I grew, my perception changed -- I went from looking up at the punk-ass midget to looking down at him even though he towered over nearly everyone here. If I had to guess, I was chilling around ten feet tall, or so now. 

The second thing that I learned when I reached within myself for a less instant kill ability was that I didn't have just one magic. Or, rather, there was another side to the coin. 

Pale white flames emerged from my mouth as I let out a sigh, the heat that they gave so intense that the air shimmered before my eyes. The punk-ass midget suddenly looked very nervous, but it only lasted for a moment. I was still outnumbered and if they were villains then they were used to fighting the Titans. 

The second to biggest one that stood about twelve feet tall, so he was both taller and thicker than me. His face was smushed together in a way that wouldn’t look out of place on a caveman, his greasy red hair was messy enough that it completed the image. He wore black and gold skin-tight costume, showing off rippling muscles, though his arms were left bare except for thick golden bracers. 

Mammoth, I think his name was, ran forward, bellowing a war cry as the earth seemed to shake with every step. I braced myself, my claw-like hands curling into a fist as I felt my face twist into a snarl, fire bubbling from my gut, smoke escaping from my nostrils, yet I hesitated to use it. Lightning, generally, was pretty bad to use on people. These were actual superhumans, so I don’t know exactly how much was too much but…

My hesitation cost me because Mammoth slammed into me like a linebacker, knocking me off my feet and tackling me into a minivan that I could only hope was empty. I grunted, surprised by how little that hurt as the metal warped around me, glass shattering. Mammoth placed a hand on my chest, pinning me in place as he raised an oversized fist, ready to bring it down on my face. That, I’m guessing, would hurt a great deal more. 

I slammed my hand where his elbow was, making his arm fold just as he brought down his fist hard enough to tear through metal like it wasn’t even there. Now that he was so close, I slammed my head into his hard enough that a loud thunk rang out, his head snapping back from the force of the blow- oh, I have horns too. Neat. 

Using the chance, I pushed him off me, rising out of the flattened minivan, only to realize that I had pushed him too hard since he went crashing into another car that was parked across from me. So, apparently I was strong enough to push around a twelve-foot tall superhuman. Cool. 

Rising out of the minivan, I fell upon Mammoth, my hand curling into a fist that I slammed into his jaw. The first punch I had thrown in years. I guess he had some level of durability, because he simply grunted, tanking the hit, rather than his jaw breaking or him spitting out broken teeth. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t just fighting Mammoth.

“His mind is protected, I can’t kill him!” I heard one of them shout, which caught my attention because apparently one of them was trying to kill me. My gaze snapped up to the source, a frail-looking man with stark white skin and...his head elongated with a glass bubble, leaving his brain exposed for all to see. I’m sure he had other characteristics, but none of them were as eye-catching as an exposed brain. 

Then my face was filled with fire as a small missile slammed into my face, knocking me on my ass like I just took a hard punch from Mike Tyson in his prime, but other than that I was fine. Distantly, a worry wormed itself into my heart. Something that I hadn’t really considered. When I said I wanted to kick their asses, that’s all I intended to do. I wasn’t a murderer. 

Yet, apparently they were. 

Yeah, this was a bad idea all around, wasn’t it?

“We have Titans incoming!” Someone shouted, shortly before another explosion blew apart asphalt with a green flash. Glancing up, I saw Starfire flying above, her hands coated in a line green aura, her red hair seemingly burning at the end while her eyes glowed ominously in the darkening sky. Starfire was forced to dodge as a bright pink ray that fired up at her from the girl with the pink hair and eyes. 

I couldn't afford to pay any more attention to the fight because Gizmo apparently decided I was still a threat. Another missile fired at me, forcing me to throw myself out of the way, though the explosion was still powerful enough that I was blown away. Somehow, I righted myself midair with the aid of my wings, landing on my feet only for the asphalt to change into quicksand. I sunk up to my knees, my gaze snapping towards a waif of a punk girl with red hair, realizing she did this. My attention was diverted from her when Mammoth approached, a wide grin on his face as he took a running start. 

"And the kick is---!" He trailed off, lashing out with an oversized boot. I blocked the worst of it with my arms, the force of the blow knocked the wind out of me, ripping me from the quicksand to send me flying in the air, my bones shaking from the force. Everything was so numb where he got me that I spared a worry that I broke some bones before I slammed on top of a convertible, flattening it. "--- Is. Gooooood!"

"Ugh," I groaned, glancing to my left. Beyond what my focus settled on, I saw a large green bear rushing the guy with the exposed brain, only to be hit with some kind of blast. Cyborg and Starfire were battling it out a couple of dozen copies of the same dude, and I think his name was...Billy numerous, or something. However, that wasn't what my gaze landed on that gave rise to a sense of dawning horror. 

The convertible hadn't been empty when I landed on it. 

A middle-aged man was dead in the driver seat, a woman in the passenger...and...I...felt…

No. No. No. No no no no no no. No. That was….no. I...I wouldn't…fucking...I… 

I rose from the convertible, bile rising in the back of my throat as Mammoth fucking smiled as he approached, carless of the people, the family, that he just used me to murder. Gizmo floated around him, cackling as his backpack shifted into a jetpack that kept him aloft. The punk girl was focusing on supporting the guy with the exposed brain since he was losing the fight against Beast Boy, who was now a t-rex. 

"That's funny, is it?" I muttered darkly as it finally clicked what kind of people these were. They were all unrepentant mass murderers. The fearsome five, even though there were six of them. They clashed with the Titans throughout comics, but it had really glossed over the consequences of their actions. When they destroyed a building, it wasn't empty. When they attacked a crowded supermarket, the parking lot was going to be a mess of people trying to get away. The Titans were doing their best to steer the fighting away from the civilians, but…

"Yeah, it kinda is fart sniffer," Gizmo informed, two laser guns forming on his shoulders.  White flames licked at my lips as I drew myself to my full height, feeling blood of others drip down my back as rage boiled over in my chest. An uncertain look passed over Gizmo’s face but he quickly wiped it away before firing another missile at me.

This time I didn’t hesitate to let out a torrent of flames in their direction. Gizmo flew upwards while Mammoth dove away -- tires popped from the incredible heat given off from the flames while metal sweltered and asphalt melted. The missiles detonated, yet the explosion didn’t do much. Whatever the flames were, they almost acted as some kind actual substance because when I cut off the torrent of flames, they remained while there were two places where the missiles had clearly exploded it. They just didn’t do it with enough force to escape the confines of the fire. 

That was useful. I could use that to restrain them. With that thought in mind, I rushed forward, the white flames hardening, leaving behind an almost marble-like statue. I zeroed in on Gizmo, knowing that he was the biggest threat. Leaping into the air, I used my wings to sail over the car he was hiding behind before I covered it with another helping of the white flames. He reacted well, though, it just wasn’t enough. 

Gizmo flew through the flames, sporting a few burns, but he couldn’t escape entirely. Like taffy, the flames clung to him, dragging him back. His face twisted into a grimace before he unleashed a pained scream of agony -- the flames had burned through his suit! Despite myself, I cut off my attack instantly as I continued to sail over the truck. Gizmo collapsed, the flames hardening around him to keep him pinned. 

“Giz!” About thirty different clones of the same person shouted in unison. I whipped around to the fight happening further away, just in time to feel a wave of something hit me in the chest with the same kind of force as if I was kicked by a horse. I fell a dozen feet, slamming into the ground, wondering what had hit me to see it was the guy with the exposed brain. 

Starfire seized the chance to swoop in and delivered a punch that looked like he would be spitting up teeth. The orange-skinned warrior princess glanced over at me, her eyes blazing with righteous fury. For a split second, I thought she was about to attack me, only for her eyes to widen, “behind you!” 

Her warning came a second too late because Mammoth grabbed me from behind, crushing me into his chest with incredible strength. My wings screamed in pain, the bone in them were far more fragile. Even still, I focused on Starfire, “I got him! You deal with the rest,” I said, really hoping that I hadn’t just liked through my dragony teeth. 

Though, that being said, how was I going to take care of him? I slammed my head back, feeling like my skull was bouncing off a brick wall, telling me that I was probably hurting myself more than I was him. I grabbed at his forearms instead as he crushed me against his chest, the pain steadily becoming worse, and carved bloody lines into them. Even still, Mammoth didn’t let go. 

“Yer goin’ to pay for hurtin’ Giz!” Mammoth yelled, squeezing me even tighter. I looked down, wanting to cook his arms, but that would leave me pinned to his chest. What else did I have going for me? I had...a tail? Yeah, I had a lizard tail! 

Using that, I cup checked Mammoth as hard as I could, earning a strangled gasp from the giant of a man but he didn’t let go, though he did stop squeezing. Naturally, I cup checked him again, harder this time. When that didn’t work, I ball shot him again, this time hard enough that his ability to have kids after this fight was in question. Only then did his arms loosen enough that I could slip from his grasp. 

Mammoth tried to lunge at me, but I wasn’t having it. Flames licked at my mouth before I unleashed a torrent of them that washed over his chest. The brute screamed, but he didn’t let it stop him from closing the distance between us, an oversized hand going to my face, acting as a muzzle to cut off the flames. The flames began to harden, just not fast enough for Mammoth to punch me in the gut hard enough that my feet were lifted from the ground. His hand kept me from flying back, squeezing down hard enough that my teeth ground together. 

Snarling right back at him, I grabbed the man by the throat, the flames hardening enough that he couldn’t tear my grip away. My wings unfurled to their full length before I flapped down, jumping up at the same time. The flames proved to be like taffy because they simply pulled apart from the bulk of what was left, leaving Mammoth intombed in it so that he was at my utter mercy. 

It was difficult with the extra weight, but I flew up and kept flying up, and then I flew up some more until I was a hundred feet off the ground. I looked down at Mammoth to see that he still glared hatefully up at me. Whatever he was feeling right now, it was nothing to the pot of rage in my chest. 

They used me to kill someone. People. A family. I...a kid, possibly. They were trying to kill me. I wasn’t an angry person, but I was a spiteful one and more than anything, I enjoyed irony. 

I was going to regret this later, I knew that as much when my gaze landed on the freak with the exposed brain. That had tried to kill me. He was still struggling against Beast Boy while Cyborg had taken out the original Billy Numerous. Completely unaware of what I had planned. 

“Hey, will you survive if I drop you from this high up?” I asked, just to make sure. Mammoth seemed to have mistaken my question to be one of concern because he looked fairly surprised. 

“I will,” he informed, sounding almost thankful that I had bothered to ask. 

“Good,” I said before I launched him like a missile at the freak with the exposed brain. Mammoth sailed through the air, crossing the distance between him and his target within a moment. If anyone had noticed, then it was too late for them to do anything about it. Mammoth landed on top of the guy with the exposed brain hard enough that asphalt broke, a single limp arm telling me that I struck true. 

I...just killed someone. 

Yeah...yeah, I’m done with this entire scene. 

“You!” The one with the pink hair screamed, launching a pink bolt at me that I dodged out of the way of. Beast Boy distracted her long enough that I could fly towards by buggy of groceries, grabbing it with my arms before I took off, leaving the chaos behind me. “You’re dead!” She screamed in the distance, making me glance over my shoulder to see that the fight was still raging. 

I don’t think I was meant to be a superhero after all. 

…

I ended up touching down some distance away from my house just in case someone had followed me back, but no one seemed to have done so. I reverted back to my human form, my stretched out and torn pants becoming a pair of baggy shorts that nearly fell off of me. Thankfully, my skin was clean when I changed back because if I had to clean blood and...If I did, then I was going to go back and finish the job, no matter how sick to my stomach it made me. 

I swallowed down bile as I set the buggy down on an empty road and started pushing it back home. Sparing at the sky above, I felt the first drop of incoming rain land on my face. So, it was about to start raining too. Great. Really fit the mood, though as I kept pushing, spotting my home in the distance. 

The rain started falling in force by the time I had finally reached the front door, soaking me to the bone and plastering my hair to my face. I didn’t mind, though. My mind was blank, pointedly not thinking about anything at all as I opened up the door and wheeled the buggy in. I didn’t want to think about anything at all, so I didn’t. 

“I’m home,” I called out in the off chance that Hinata had come back in the past few hours, but no such luck apparently. A sigh heaved out of me as I tossed off my ruined pants, dumping them in the trash before I headed to the bathroom to dry off. I didn’t even have the will to get dressed again, simply wrapping a black towel around my waist. 

“And today started out so well, too,” I muttered as I started putting up groceries, filling up the refrigerator rather nicely. The rice...was there even a point in preparing a nice meal when I didn’t know if Hinata was coming back? Or, if she did, then it would probably be old and cold…

You know what? Might as well, if only because I wanted some fried rice and fish. 

My gaze landed on the remote as I went about preparing the meal, curiosity burning at me but at the same time, I didn’t want to know. The former won out over the latter, and with a press of a button, the stupidly huge tv flared to life. I could see people’s pores, the definition was so crisp. That tv alone probably cost me more than my old apartment and car put together. 

“-tragedy struck at Wayne-mart where the Fearsome Five and the Teen Titans clashed just outside in the parking lot, killing fifteen.” A hot brunette informed me when I flipped to the news channel. The number of dead was a punch to the gut, leaving me unable to tear my gaze from the screen as my hands numbly prepared a fish. “Among the dead was the villain Psimon who was killed by an unknown vigilante.”

An image popped up of what I’m guessing was me. My secondary form had a lot in common with a deathclaw, from the curvature of the horns to the sharp claws that were short enough that I could make a fist, to the dark leathery flesh covered in shiny black scales. The only thing that was different was the wings on my back. 

“At the moment, nothing is known about this vigilante, but he or she is considered very dangerous,” the woman continued. I expected her to say more about me, but I’m guessing that the details about me weren’t being released to the public, or they just didn’t have them yet. Still, they weren’t plastering the face of my human form on the news, and they hadn’t said anything about a warrant...and I had my phone and wallet in my old pair of pants. So long as there wasn’t a camera, then I should be in the clear. 

“Additionally, the villain known as Gizmo has also been apprehended due to the efforts of the Teen Titans and this unknown vigilante. He has suffered third-degree burns on his back and legs, and is currently in critical condition at a secure location. The remaining members of the Fearsome Five have unfortunately escaped and are still at large. If you hear or-”

I tuned the woman out, turning my attention back to the fish I was prepping. So...I killed someone and possibly crippled another. I never saw myself doing that in a million years, much less willingly. Part of me regretted it. A large part of me. That small part of me, though...it kept bringing me back to that moment that I realized what I had landed on. 

Who I landed on. 

There was never a moment of my life that I ever considered myself to be an incorruptible fountain of good for the world, but I never thought I was capable of that. Was it because of my dragon heritage, or was there always that part of me that lurked beneath the surface and I just never knew? I’m not sure I wanted to know the answer. 

I cooked in silence, letting the sound of heavy rain echo through the house so I didn’t have to think about anything. The meal was nearing completion when a soft knock came from the door. My first assumption that it was the Teen Titans to kick my teeth in because I broke the no-killing rule that DC comics adhered to. However, I think it was far less likely that they would have knocked. And if it was the Fearsome Five, then they certainly wouldn’t. 

Cautiously, I approached the door, opened it up and was surprised to see who it was. 

Hinata stood at the door, completely drenched, her baggy hoodie clinging to her, rivers of water trailing down her face. She was the picture of misery. Her pale eyes looked at me with some faint surprise, as if she was shocked that I had answered. 

“It looks like we both had a shitty day,” I commented, stepping back and gesturing for her to enter. She hesitated for a moment before she obeyed, stepping out of the rain, though she dripped as if she was still in it. “I’m putting the finishing touches on lunch, so if you want to dry off, you’re welcome to join me.”

Hinata opened her mouth to say something, only to close her mouth a moment later in favor of mutely nodding. She left a trail of water as she disappeared upstairs. Once she was gone, I let out a small sigh as I closed the door. So, she hadn’t abandoned me. That was some good news, I guess, and from the look of it, her trip out went about as well as mine had. 

By the time she came down from the steps, dressed in a pair of form-fitting yoga pants and a dress shirt that her breasts fought to escape. She seemed to be cold too, though I carefully made sure that I didn’t ogle her. Though, I doubt that she would have noticed if I had because she still looked to be the picture of misery. 

“Thank you, Nero-san,” Hinata spoke, her voice just barely above a whisper. Right. She really wasn’t doing too well, was she? I guess, all things considered...she did leave behind a lot more than I had. And how she left probably didn’t help matters either. 

“Don’t have to thank me for anything,” I said, dumping a helping of rice onto a plate, adding a cooked fish next to it. It wasn’t as Asian as I wanted it to be, but it was better than nothing, I guess. “You’ve had it pretty rough if your entrance was anything to go by. There’s no shame in needing some space.”

Hinata looked down at the plate blankly for a moment before she shook her head. “No, I should be more composed than this,” she said, her tone full of self-loathing that I winced as I placed some chopsticks next to the fork, thinking that would be more familiar to her. 

Right. Hinata was in a worse headspace than I thought. 

“Says who? Is there any kind of code of conduct for this situation?” I asked, plating my own food before I turned my attention to making some tea while cleaning up a little. 

“I’m a shinobi of Kohona, I-” Hinata started, but I knew that downward spiral all too well. The should haves and could haves. 

“Died,” I finished for her, turning to her to see that her hands curled into fists. “And instead of seeing pearly gates, your ancestors and every pet you’ve ever had, you woke up here. In a strange place, far from home, and you have no idea how to get back. Freaking out is perfectly normal. If anyone says differently, not only are they an idiot, but they’re a liar.”

Hinata looked down at her food, her hair blocking my view of her eyes. “That isn’t an excuse,” she insisted.

“It is,” I shot right back at her. “Do you honestly think I’m not freaking out about this?” I asked, crossing my arms as I waited for the teapot to steam. “I died, now I’m a dragon, my body is way different than before and I…” I trailed off, the words wouldn’t leave my mouth. I had killed someone. Murdered them. I’m not sure how the courts would rule it, especially here, but in my heart, I knew I committed murder.

“You still did more than me. I ran away, while you collected intel,” Hinata argued, trying to find a way to put herself down. Low self-esteem will do that to you. 

“I’ve also had time to process,” I pressed, taking the pot off the stove and pouring it into two cups. I had no idea what kind of tea it was, but it smelled fantastic. “About five hours ago...what happened to you?” I asked, placing the cup in front of her.

“I…” Hinata began, looking up at me, her mouth open to begin, but something held her back. If I had to guess, it was ninja secrecy or something. 

“Okay, well, I’m going to be honest, but I kinda need to unload on someone. So, how about I vent to you, and if you feel up to it, I can lend an ear or two if you want to do the same?” I asked, earning a blink of surprise. I didn’t give her a chance to answer me before I began. And I didn’t hold anything back. 

“I killed someone today,” I started, making Hinata tense. “He was a bad guy, and he tried to kill me first, but I...it's because they used me like a goddamn hammer to kill someone else. A family. There was this huge guy, and he hit me hard enough that I was sent flying. And...I landed on a car. With a family in it. I’m not sure if the mother survived, but the man in the driver’s seat didn’t...and neither did whoever sat in the back seat. So...I might have landed on a kid.”

The words fell out of me like water as I found myself staring at Hinata’s plate rather than at her. 

“I freaked out and got so mad. I’ve never felt that way before. I...I just wanted to hurt them for what they made me do...I should have taken the fight away from the cars, but I wasn’t thinking that any of them would be occupied, you know? I figured that if a fight was happening, then they would have taken off running. Especially when that midget started throwing around missiles,” I said, taking a small sip of my tea. It was pretty good, but I might have overseeped it.

“There was this weird guy with his brain exposed -- he tried to kill me earlier with some kind of mental attack...oh, and I learned I have another power -- it’s this white flame stuff that’s burning hot. I think I crippled the midget that was shooting missiles too. After I crippled him, I grabbed the big guy and used him to crush the guy with the exposed brain.” I continued, my gaze drifting to the chopsticks. I should really learn how to use them. 

“The thing is? I don’t really regret killing him. I regret all that lead up to it -- I should have just walked away, or I should have made sure that there wasn’t anyone nearby. And I regret the consequences that are going to happen because I killed him, but actually killing him? I don’t regret that.” I finished, taking another sip and only then did my gaze drift upwards to Hinata’s eyes. 

They might be an opaque white, but they were full of sympathy. So much so that I was forced to look away. 

“Sorry-” I started, the awkward silence that was only broken by the sound of rain hitting the glass was unbearable after I finished unloading on her. And that was without touching all the other crap. Like what were my powers, why was all of this happening, why me and so on. Until that fight, I was on board with everything, but now I had doubts and fears. 

“My village was destroyed,” Hinata interrupted me gently, also finding her plate very interesting as our eyes met for the briefest of seconds before she began. “A man attacked it. We didn’t know that he was there until it was too late, and with a single gesture, he destroyed my home. Because of Lady Tsunade, we were able to avoid initial casualties, but…” She trailed off, falling silent for a long minute. 

“He was impossibly powerful. We were forced to pin our hopes on Naruto, he’s…” She fell silent again, though the pause was shorted this time. “He arrived when all hope was lost like a hero. Naruto saved Lady Tsunade, and he defeated one of the six enemy ninja’s that attacked Kohona. He was winning, and...the entire village was forced to watch him because we were too weak to aid him. We would have simply gotten in the way…”

“But, when Naruto was losing, pinned to the ground...I couldn’t watch. I had to do something, free him, or...because I...I’ve loved him for years. Since we were children. I’ve always loved him, and...I told him,” at that, she managed to form the barest hints of a smile. Then it fell. “I never thought I would...or could, but I did. I fought to free him, I did absolutely everything that I could, but I couldn’t free him. The enemy ninja, then he...he killed me.”

“I don’t know what happened after that. I don’t know if my village survived, if Naruto managed to escape, I...I never got to hear...his answer…” She trailed off.

Right. You know what Hinata needed?

I set my cup down before walking around the counter to Hinata and gave her a hug that she so desperately needed. She went tense in my arms, trembling ever so slightly. “You don’t have to put on a brave face for me. If you want to cry, then let it out,” I told her, muttering lowly. Those words were what broke the dam because a flood of tears escaped Hinata as she buried her face into my chest. 

She didn’t pull away. Hinata cried every tear that she had in her before her sobs trailed off then she fell asleep from emotional exhaustion.

We never touched our lunch.