Chapter 4: Chapter 3: The Million Dragon Question

“Susan, could I ask you something?”

Susan turned back to face Anne. The comforting view of the door to the lobby was replaced by the sight of the dull parallel walls of the hallway that fell away behind Anne like a bottomless pit.

Part of Susan wished she was the kind of monster who could say no to the desperate gleam in Anne’s eyes.

“Go ahead.” She said, trying not to grumble.

Anne shook her head in response. “Not here,” She said. “Could you follow me?”

Susan held back the urge to sigh for what must have been the tenth time today. She knew how this was going to go. Anne would have a problem that would need solving, then that would lead to another problem, and another, and within a week she would be off fighting eldritch horrors or something equally stupid.

Susan still found it within herself to nod in agreement. Anne smiled at the sight and turned around, darting down the featureless hall ahead of Susan. Once she was out of earshot, Susan let out the sigh she’d been holding back, then followed.

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Susan turned the fifth corner since they had begun walking twenty minutes ago. At this point it was quite clear that the administrative section of the Brick certainly wasn’t built for convenience. Door after door interspersed with dull gray wallpaper blurred together as the dizzying turns flowed into each other.

The monotony of doors moving past faded into the background as Susan’s mind began to wander. Looking at Anne it was clear that she was familiar with the layout of the building. She had a casual confidence in leading the two of them that only came with experience.

Susan’s mind stopped wandering when they stepped in front of a bank of elevators. None of them had the erratic sizing of the doors in the lobby so Anne pressed the call button on one and they settled in to wait.

Thirty extremely awkward seconds of shuffling in place later, the light above the elevator came on. The doors opened with a soft creak. They silently walked into the elevator together.

The elevator was a rather drab affair, with bland metal and faux wood walls. Susan walked to the back wall and leaned against it. Meanwhile Anne walked to the enormous wall of buttons that took up the space to the right of the doors. The bottom row was barely two feet off the ground while the top row reached at least six feet high. Floor numbers and buttons warred for space in between, Anne had to reach up to select her desired floor, pressing the very top button before moving across the elevator to lean back against the wall.

Susan couldn’t help but notice that Anne had settled into the corner best hidden from the outside. She decided not to comment on it.

It was a long minute of waiting before something happened. The indicator light had barely made it a third of the way up the slab of buttons on the wall when the doors opened on a young man.

He bore a striking resemblance to Anne, sharing the same shade of brown hair and her large black eyes. He differed in that he was tall and very well muscled. The resemblance clearly wasn't a coincidence as Anne visibly stiffened as she recognized him.

He gave a bored look around as he stepped in, not even acknowledging Susan. He turned to the bank of buttons and casually tapped the one for the next floor.

He turned away from the buttons and saw Anne. His eyes widened.

He was across the elevator in an instant.

“Anne, perfect I’ve been looking for you!” He said, slapping a hand down on her shoulder that she tried and failed to dodge. The elevator doors closed behind him with a somber clunk.

“Joseph said he wants to meet with you.” He continued in a voice that was a little too lighthearted.

“Sorry,” Anne squeaked out, “I’ll talk to him later, I’ve got something going on right now.”

“Really? He’s had me searching the tower day and night trying to find you. Besides, it's just a quick meeting,” The man replied, hand still solidly clamped on her shoulder. Behind him, the elevator doors opened to a still hallway.

“Sorry,” She repeated, visibly sweating now. “I have a friend over, can’t keep her waiting.”

The boy shot a glance at Susan. It was very clear that her presence was the only reason Anne hadn’t been trussed up and carted away already.

“Hey there, names Terry,” He said with a smile. “Mind if I borrow Annabeth here for a few minutes?”

Beside him Anne started to shake her head. Susan saw his hand flex and Anne stopped with a wince.

“Sorry, we’re a bit busy.” Susan said.

“Look, it won't take long. In fact, why not just come along? That way it will cut into your time less?”

Susan shook her head. “No can do,” She said, stepping up to him. He frowned, standing up taller to loom over her.

“Look, this is an urgent problem and she’s coming with me-”

Susan kicked him in the stomach. The rune of strength she had made earlier still had some effect even an hour later. So when her foot connected with his stomach it was more than enough to catapult him through the open doors and across the hall.

Susan reached over and pressed the close door button. Her last sight of Terry was him curling up into a ball on the carpet. An agonized moan reached her ears as the doors shut with a clunk. She turned to face a wide eyed Anne.

“Let me guess, this is what you wanted to ask me about?”

Anne nodded wordlessly. She wrapped her arms around herself and shrank into her corner of the elevator. The girl didn't seem to see Susan as she huddled there with the harried eyes of someone who had just barely dodged a bullet. Susan wished she knew what to say to help her here. Most of her talents lay in the laying waste to her enemies department. Comforting a lonely and desperate girl was definitely not one of them.

Without a better option she moved to stand beside Anne. Not saying anything, just trying to give a comforting presence. She let a minute pass as they listened to the hum of the elevator moving.

“Wanna tell me about it?” She asked.

“Not yet, it's not safe here,” Anne replied softly, still curled in her corner. She stared out at the rest of the elevator as if waiting for a monster to leap from the wall to attack her.

Susan decided to let it be for now and settled in to let the elevator finish its trip. She stared at the door as she relaxed against the wall, daring them to open. It was a long couple of minutes before the elevator dinged. Anne moved from her corner for the first time since the encounter, walking across the elevator to look at the buttons and see which floor they were on. She visibly relaxed at the sight of the top button lit up alone.

The doors slid open to show gray tiles. Anne stared out into the hall like it was a minefield. Susan decided to cut her some slack and led the way out. The hallway she stepped into looked like it was meant for maintenance. The walls were a tepid gray color, with metal doors every thirty feet or so.

There was no one to be seen. Susan shot Anne a thumbs up and the girl stuck her head out the door. After a quick check left and right she scurried out the door and down the hall to her left.

Susan followed silently.

They went a hundred feet down the hall before entering the propped open door to an emergency stairwell. Unpainted concrete stairs and plain steel handrails greeted them. A quick look over the edge showed that the bottom was a long way away.

Anne wordlessly led the way up the stairs to another emergency door. The ‘alarm will sound’ sign above it proved useless as the door opened silently. Anne swung the door open without stepping out, scanning the area beyond like some sort of military operator. Susan stepped past her and out into the sun.

As it turned out, Anne’s exodus had taken them to the roof.

Susan had guessed from the immense glamor surrounding the place that it would be large.

She was wrong. It was enormous. The area they stepped into must have been measured in square kilometers. It was a mostly flat gray roof, made of some rubbery material that squeaked underfoot. In the distance enormous AC units stood out like mountains on a plain.

The maddening size made Susan want to question her sanity. Why build this?

The murmur of voices from behind her made her turn around. In the distance a group of people only recognizable as gray dots were gathered underneath one of the towering units. It looked like they were playing a game of soccer.

Looking more closely, Susan could see more groups spread around, but thankfully there was no one close enough to identify people by sight. She gave another thumbs up and Anne hesitantly joined her in the sun.

After confirming for herself that they were unnoticed, Anne took off toward the far edge of the building. They walked for a few minutes across the sweltering roof. The sun’s rays glaring up from where they were reflected from the dull sheen of the roof. Susan quickly decided that if Anne were to have another problem she would just incinerate it rather than walk another marathon across this hellish plain of rubber and heat.

It took a few minutes for her to recognize Anne’s destination as the edge of the building came closer. The roof ended in a parapet, a raised ledge interspersed with drainage holes that stretched off into the distance to wrap around the rest of the roof. The line of the parapet was so large it seemed to bend. So wide it seemed almost unreal.

Susan briefly entertained some darker thoughts as to what Anne’s request might be. She quickly shook them off as she remembered the girl’s fiery spirit from earlier. In the end she decided not to say anything as Anne took the final steps up to the parapet. She sat down on the raised edge and swung both feet over to face down the side of the building. Susan joined her, perched over the gargantuan drop.

The world stretched out beneath them. Anne had chosen the side of the building facing away from the town. They looked down on the enormous forest stretching away from the back of the building like a shadow. Looking down over the edge they sat on, the title ‘the Brick’ seemed appropriate. The building was clearly shaped like one balanced on its end.

Susan tried not to think about how high up they were. She couldn’t give a precise number from the angle she was looking from, but it was definitely at least a mile. It made her briefly contemplate whether the size was a product of the sheer number of the residents, or the enormous size some of them seemed to have. She had to shake her head to bring her mind back to the girl next to her.

Anne was quiet. Susan gave her a few moments to gather her courage and was rewarded when she spoke up.

“You're strong, right?” She began quietly.

“Yes.”

“How strong? I know you can beat a vampire, but…”

Susan thought about how to answer.

“I’m a dragon, there’s not a lot out there that can stop me.”

Anne sat there, looking down towards the ground for a few moments.

“I need protection,” She finally said. Susan didn't respond, trying to give her room to speak. No words came. The encounter earlier must have rattled her badly.

“So tell me,” She said softly. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s…” Anne took a deep breath. “It’s my uncle. He… well…”

She started trembling. Glancing at the tiny girl, she saw her shrink in on herself. Leaning over, she put an arm over her shoulder. “Don’t worry,” she said quietly, “It’ll be alright.”

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The shaking didn't stop, Susan looked down, worried. Her eyes widened. Anne fists were clenched shut and her eyes stared into the distance with a burning fury.

“He’s a monster,” Anne whispered with a vitriol that defied her tiny frame. “He’s the leader of my tribe, the mousekin. Most of us are weak. Not him though, he’s strong. When the Mousekin were relocated here, he declared himself our champion and basically took over.”

Susan couldn’t help the sigh from coming out. “Let me guess, none of them know where he got his power from?”

“They do now!” Anne snapped. Susan leaned back, before she realized that Anne wasn't talking to her. She was glaring off into the distance, still staring at her phantom tormentor.

“My family used to be pretty big. Grandma always talks about my aunts and uncles and cousins. They’re gone now. They vanished one by one. Nobody knew why at first, but as my uncle got more and more powerful people started to put two and two together. Except by the time they found out it was too late. He was too powerful, and everyone was too used to having a champion.”

Anne turned to look at Susan, her rage finally breaking to reveal true fear for the first time. “I’m the only one of my family left, and he’s coming for me.”

“What about your grandmother, is she alright?”

Anne looked down, embarrassed. “Oh, she’s not my grandma, she’s my great times a million aunt. She’s a really powerful and really old seer and basically the only reason I’m still alive. If she hadn’t protected me, my uncle would have gotten me ages ago.”

Susan blinked. “So what do you need me for?”

“She can protect me when she’s around, and my uncle can’t interfere with school. Everywhere else though? He can get me.”

“And the magic cops, whoever they are, they won't help.”

Anne shook her head derisively, “The BSMP? They’re useless. You’ve met one of them already, that John guy.”

Susan thought back to their meeting earlier. “Let me guess, they wont do anything unless something is actively causing them problems?”

Anne huffed out a defeated laugh. “Pretty much.”

The two of them sat in silence for a few moments. Susan watched a few birds fly around below them. They were more than high enough to look down on most of the birds that flew around their town.

“Alright, how about this?” Susan began. Anne turned to stare up at her.

“I don't do bodyguard stuff, it never works out well,” She plowed on even as Anne’s face threatened to crumple. “But I would like someone to hang out with.”

Anne’s face bounced between despair and hope. “You think that will work?”

Susan smiled, “Yup.”

Anne sat thinking for a second. Her expression still seemed dark, but it finally firmed up as she turned back to Susan.

“Want to go get ice cream then?” She asked in a voice that was depressingly hopeful when compared to the mundanity of her request.

Susan shrugged, “Eh, why not.”

Leaving the tower was a significantly happier experience than entering it. Clearing out most of her problems really was a good pick me up. Thankfully, there were no more unfortunate encounters with other mousekin or vampires. Without any more interruptions they reached the nearest ice cream parlor.

Somewhat ironically located across the street from their school, it was a relic of the fifties. Garish chrome, checkered tiles, and red leather seats decorated the inside. They both got sugar cones, the waffle cones infamously dissolved on contact with any liquid, and took a booth looking out the window facing away from the school and tower. Susan didn't think the semi busy street was all that good a view, but it beat being reminded of the events of the past day.

They ate for a few minutes before Susan decided to pry more into Anne’s circumstances.

“Hey Anne?”

Anne looked at her with a hint of worry. They had been chatting off and on as they watched cars drive by. The hanging question must have caught her off guard.

“Yes?”

“If you don't mind,” She began carefully, “Could you tell me more about your uncle’s power? I know it must have something to do with sacrifice, but not much else.”

“Oh,” Anne looked both relieved and pained at the same time. “I don’t know much about it, just that it involves sacrifice. All I really know is what my grandma has told me.”

Susan nodded encouragingly.

“She said it’s a being beyond mortal comprehen-”

“Goddam it.”

“What?”

“Nothing.” Susan ducked her head as she tried to hold off a grimace. The universe seemed to have it out for her today.

“Can you tell me anything else?” She asked with a smile that was probably a little forced.

“Well, grandmother says it's something alien to this reality. Like, it's not compatible with our world. She’s guessed that part of my uncle’s deal with it is to help it sort of sink its teeth in and stay here.” Anne trailed off as she saw the pained look that Susan couldn’t hold back.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yep,” Susan said quickly, “I just think I know what you’re talking about.”

“You’ve seen it?” Anne sat up.

“No, this kind of monster tends to pop up from time to time.”

Anne’s eyes started to gleam, “Do you think you can kill it?”

Susan quickly shook her head, “Unless you know exactly where its lair is then no.” She hesitated, “Do you?”

Anne shook her head as well.

Susan sat back. Her best option at this point was to accompany Anne when she could. Outside of that she didn’t have many options to help other than outright stalking the girl. Then she remembered that she was no longer living in the dark ages.

“Wanna swap numbers?”

Anne acted nonchalant as they did the exchange, but Susan still picked up on her relief at the additional safety net. They spent another hour snacking on ice cream and talking. At the end Susan walked her back to the Brick. This time they took an elevator in the lobby, and went down instead of up. It was a much shorter trip than the one to the roof.

The doors opened to a well graffitied concrete hallway. A half obscured sign on the wall said that they were headed to the parking garage. A roar of voices and light from beyond a bend in the hall twenty feet ahead indicated that parking cars probably wasn’t its use anymore.

Anne stepped out and turned around to face Susan. Her lips quirked up into a half smile.

“I’ll be good from here,” She said. “And thank you.”

Susan smiled, “No problem.”

The doors slid shut between them. Susan pushed the button for the lobby and settled in to wait. She couldn’t help the deluge of thoughts that came over her. Her teeth clenched as every bit of the frustration and anger at the ridiculousness of her day hit her all at once. Her breath hissed in and out as she tried to push it back but she failed.

Everything, everything she ever wanted to avoid was back and in spades. Well.. almost everything. Though if an evil empire so much as peeped its head out she was going to go nuclear!

She ended up sitting and stewing there as the elevator hummed its way back up to the lobby. She stepped out still preoccupied but stopped as she came into view of the desk.

She stopped with her foot midair as she took in the room.

The receptionist was gone. Someone new stood in the center of the cavernous lobby. A light skinned, dark robed figure that seemed to darken the air around him.

Susan had a sinking suspicion she knew who it was.

“Hello?,” She called out, voice echoing over the tiles.

No response came.

She carefully made her way towards the door, trying to give the creepy figure as much room as possible. Her mental fingers were crossed that this whole surreal scenario was someone else’s business. Her hopes were dashed when she had made it halfway towards the door.

“Would you be the one to bring a yearling vampire to the tower, claiming it was one my spawn?” The voice was male, scratchy from disuse but loud and arrogant. It demanded both attention and obedience.

“I’m sorry, what?” Susan called across the room. She was closer to the desk now, but with the size of the room that didn’t mean much. The mysterious figure was still plenty far away. The distance hopefully made her question believable. The figure didn’t move for a few moments. Susan was about to keep walking when the room darkened.

The incredibly bright bulbs that lit the room dimmed. The light reduced to almost nothing, making the shadows grow into a looming mass. The darkness seemed the strongest over the help desk, hiding the figure from sight. As suddenly as it had come, the darkness left. The lights returned to full strength, returning the room to its full boring glory.

The figure was gone. Susan shrugged and turned to walk back to the door. A voice came from behind her.

“Are you trying to play with me?” Came a low hiss.

Susan turned around. The figure now stood only a few feet away.

It was a young, twenty-something man that wore a heavy black cloak. His face was the same porcelain shade as Kelly and as he spoke a flash of fang appeared below his upper lip.

“Sorry, honest mistake. I couldn’t hear you over here. Anyway, what’s the problem?” Susan replied. She tried to keep a calm demeanor, but her frustration gave her words a biting tone.

“Someone has brought in a yearling vampire and claimed it was my spawn.”

“And?” Susan deadpanned as her mind ran through the implications. This was the vampire that created Kelly. And apparently he was just as crazy as she was.

“It is a stain on my name,” He hissed.

“You mean you got a slap on the wrist for it and now you're mad?” Susan asked with a cocky grin as she crossed her arms.

The man leaned in closer with a sneer. Susan could see him better now. He had a sharp angular face with thin skin stretched over harsh bones. Dark hair fell in messy curls from under the robe.

“So it is you who brought the yearling, I recognize the arrogance in your words,” he snarled.

“That's not exactly solid proof.” She replied, not moving.

The vampire smiled. It didn't look good on him. “Oh, it is. Very few people would dare to insult me.”

Susan really wished he would move away. He smelled like mildew and something rancid mixed together.

“Really?” Susan asked, not even bothering to keep the sarcasm out of her voice anymore.

“Spare me your platitudes,” The vampire hissed in response. “I know your type!”

“My type? What’s that?” Susan said with a quirk of her head.

“A powerless, arrogant human challenging creatures she does not understand.” The vampire leaned in closer. Both of them were well past the turning point now. He was barely restraining himself from attacking. But Susan was actively looking forward to letting off some steam as well by this point. Neither of them even wanted to stop anymore.

“Let me clarify something first though, I’m not human,” Susan said as a grin spread across her face in anticipation.

“What does it matter if you're human or not? I will still punish your arrogance.” The vampire replied with a dreadful grin that matched hers.

“Oh believe me, it matters…”

She transformed. The vampire recoiled back from the expanding wall of steel gray scales and muscle. The smile that spread over her mouth was much much wider now.

The ‘fight’ began.

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Susan meandered down the street, still frustrated. The vampire had gone down in one hit.

One hit!

Sure it had trashed half the lobby and left the vampire unconscious in a crater the size of a car, but still. Just one hit! This was half the reason why vampires were so terrible, you didn’t even feel good after beating them up.

She had left the lobby quickly afterward. A quick inspection showed Ronda the Receptionist passed out within the floor of the circular counter. She was fine so Susan pressed the help button, and ran out the lobby doors.

Once again human, she breathed in deep and let it back out. Now that she was out of the stifling halls and maddening rules of the tower she was able to properly think over her actions.

The fight… had definitely been a mistake. Not because it wasn’t fun, but because it pulled her more into the small town magic politics of the Brick. Anne’s family situation was plenty enough for now. Susan didn’t need revenge crazed vampires coming after her now. And that wasn’t even considering whatever John and the government cronies would do in response.

She decided to put her thoughts in order.

First off, her problem free high school life was done for. That sucked.

Second, she had to figure out a permanent solution to Anne’s family problems.

Third, she had a problem. One she had been avoiding. What was she supposed to do? She was a dragon, a being of near unstoppable power. What did she do with it?

There wasn’t much in the world you could fix with mindless conquest or wanton destruction. If that were possible the world would already be a much better place. As it stood, her powers weren’t good for much in a world that had forgotten magic.

She shrugged. Time would tell. She didn't have any big plans just yet, so if any trouble was coming her way she wouldn’t solve it just by worrying about it.

Susan was broken out of her thoughts when her stomach grumbled. Thinking back, she quickly realized her problem. She had missed breakfast and skipped lunch. The most substantial thing she’d eaten all day had been the ice cream from earlier.

A thought occurred. There was a pizza parlor on the way home. What better culinary reintroduction to Earth than a liberal serving of bread, sauce, cheese and grease?

Her stomach rumbled in agreement.

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The door slammed shut behind Susan as she stepped inside the house and froze. Her family's living room stood in front of her. It was nothing special. A couch and a loveseat were arranged around a widescreen tv that faced the door. The entryway to the kitchen was off to the right.

The sight made her so happy it hurt. It wasn’t just the nostalgia, it was the smell of frozen lasagna cooking in the oven. She could hear her mother clanging her way through the kitchen as she assembled a readymade salad. It was a scene out of a dream or memory from long ago. One she had almost given up on without realizing it.

She didn't even notice as she teared up. She hung her backpack on the hook next to the door with shaking hands almost unconsciously. Her shoes were kicked off into the plastic tray for her family's shoes through habit. The only other pair were her mothers work shoes, her father and Elizabeth must still be out.

“Who’s there?” Her mother’s voice called from the kitchen.

Susan couldn’t answer.

“Hello?” She called again.

When Susan didn't answer the second time her mother must have noticed something. The clatter of forks tossing salad stopped and a moment later her head popped through the entryway to the kitchen.

Her mother, Chay to anyone who asked, was a tall, fit woman. Where Elizabeth was an athlete, and Susan formerly a couch potato, Chay had a toned body she alway attributed to yoga. Her black hair differentiated her from her daughters, but anyone who looked them in the eye could tell they were family from the shared blue irises.

“Oh, Susan are you alright?” Chay asked upon seeing Susan’s eyes.

Susan still couldn't say anything. She was already across the room hugging her mother with everything she had.

“What’s wrong? School go alright?” She asked.

Susan laughed into her shoulder in response. She stayed there for a little while before pulling away.

“Yeah, school was kinda crazy today.”

Chay gave Susan a concerned look. The oven timer’s harsh beep interrupted the moment.

“Tell me about it over dinner, okay?” She said before rushing back to the kitchen.

Susan couldn't help but smile at the sight. Whatever happened with the vampires or the mousekin didn't matter anymore.

Everything was right again.

The door opened behind her. She turned around to see Elizabeth step into the house. She quickly kicked off her shoes and beelined to the couch, not even acknowledging her sister off to the side.

“Who’s that?” Echoed from the kitchen again.

“Just me!” Elizabeth called back as she plopped down on the couch. Susan couldn't hold back a grimace at the thought of her sweaty sports uniform all over the fabric.

“Why are you home late too?” Came her mother’s voice again. Susan decided to leave. Her mother and sister were perfectly happy to scream a conversation across the house and she wanted none of it. With a roll of her eyes she turned to head up the stairs just to her right.

“Problem at the sports park. Something destroyed the turf on the football field.” Elizabeth yelled back as she looked around for the TV remote. Susan froze.

“Really? Chay continued the shouted conversation. “That’s terrible, what did it?”

“No idea.”

“Huh,” Chay yelled to the sounds of plates rattling, “Was it a bear or something?”

“No, they don’t think it was a bear.” Elizabeth called. Her muttered continuation froze Susan in place. “Maybe a dragon though...”

Everything was not right.

“Well I hope they catch it.” Chay’s voice was echoing more now, she had probably moved to the dining room.

“Nah, don’t worry about it,” Elizabeth yelled. Her voice continued again, low enough that Susan had to strain to hear it. “I will.”

Everything was definitely not right.

Susan’s mind was definitely in panic mode now. Elizabeth knew about her arrival. Elizabeth knew about dragons. Elizabeth apparently fought dragons.

Her whirling mind came grinding to a halt as Elizabeth spoke to herself again.

“Wait… too?”

Elizabeth’s head swiveled towards Susan with the weight of a swinging sledgehammer. Her mouth fell open in shock. Then her eyes narrowed, and her face hardened into a scowl.

Susan wasn’t sure how, but it seemed that Elizabeth was able to see the magic emanating from her body. A bead of sweat formed on the back of her neck.

Everything was extremely not right.