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Donnie arrives home from school and sees his mother in the great room with four men in suits.  One of them, a distinguished looking gentleman with grey hair smiles, "Donald, good to have you home lad.  Come over here a moment, I've something to ask you."

Donald gets the feeling that something isn't right.  His mother doesn't have a drink in her hand, in fact she seems rather nervous.  The hair on the back of his neck begin to stand up, and he gets a bit of a chil as the blood rushes from his extremities to his lungs.  a feeling of almost euphoria comes over him.

"You have something I want."  the distinguished man says, "And if you don't give it to me I'll be forced to have one of my men do something untoward to your dear mother."  As if it had been rehearsed one of the men standing near Donnie's mother yanks her from her chair, and with one arm around her neck produces a gun and places it against her temple.  "Where IS IT!"

Donnie begins to panic, then a strange calm slithers over him, a reptilian coolness that makes him assess the situation. Pip is at the edge of his consciousness, anxious and worried. Donnie sends calm back along the link, and instructions. When it goes down, go for the guy with a gun at mom.

Donnies eyes go wide. "What are you doing, Don't hurt my mom! Who are you?"

In his mind's eye, the words of power for his Ray Charles spell hang, ready to be cast..

"So many questions Donald, and so little time."  He turns his head back towards his cohorts, "Will someone please kill this little shit so that I can get about claiming the sword."

Guns are turned towards him in a fluid motion, and bullets begin to fly.  Donnie's hands come up in a primal reflex, and the sounds of the bullets shatters his focus.  His mother screams, and then there is nothing.  No pain, no warm trickling of blood.  Donnie opens his eyes to see that someone else is here, between him and the gunmen.

(http://[url=http://www.kfaq.net/marvels/2011/Faces/Uther.jpg])

The dragon is nearly 12 feet long from nose to tail and covered in coppery brown scales with spots of darker brown and green.  He is curled in a half circle around Donnie.  In a flash he plants his right front paw on the man who had been giving the orders, pinning him to the ground.  A sound that could be considered a growl comes from deep inside him, rumbling the floor, and his eyes begin to glow an eire green.  "Such rude behavior from a house guest Sir Reginald.  Your father would be ashamed of you.  Oh, wait, he is isn't he."  the deep voice of the dragon holds the attention of the other men, then there is a sound, a sound of twisting metal.  The man who was holding Donnie's mother screams, not unlike a little girl might.  He lets go of Donnie's mother and jumps back, most of his gun missing.  Pip flies up and lands on Donnie's shoulder, munching on the gun and grinning.

"Master Douglas."  The large dragon asks, "should I eat them, or ask them, kindly to leave?"

(http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5994/scan0001xm0.jpg)

Donnie looks up, jaw hanging open. He reaches out with one hand to the pebbly hide of the Bronze Walker. "Uther."  he says, breathless. He stands tall and reaches his main hand out, concentrating. With a clap of thunder and a flash of light, the Sword is in his hand. His eyes almost glow blue in their intensity as he looks down at the pinned man. A voice (mine  he thinks, feeling euphoric and almost disconnected) says "I am the Watcher at the Gate. I am the Border Lord. This sword is mine by Right and by Power. Dare try to take it from me and I will let the dragons tear you asunder."

The moment passes, and in his normal voice Donnie says "Asshole." He looks toward the other three men, who were  staring aghast at the massive dragon filling the living room, a burnished bronze beast of fearsome looks. "I think you ought to gently drop your weapons, unless you want to piss off my dragons." Pip hisses, dropping the remains of the gun on the carpet. Unspent bullets bounce on the thick, white carpet.

Donnie looks back down to the pinned man, who so casually told the three men to shoot him moments ago. He motions with the point of the sword. "Who is this soon to be eaten jerk, Uther?" Sir Reginald's shirt was already bloody where the thick, stone-like claws of Uther had pierced his shirt and skin. Donnie plants the tip of the sword in the carpet, noticing his hands beginning to shake with adrenalin.

"This is sir Reginald Albert Carver.  Worldy heir to the last human guardian.  That, however,  does not entitle him to everything he thinks it does."  Uther's head turns to the other men.  "Gentlemen, your paralysis is understandable, but young Master Douglas asked you to drop YOUR WEAPONS!"  The rising power of Uther's voice knocks over a chair and forces the ment to the floor.  They drop their weapons and raise their hands in surrender.

"Pip." The little dragon wings over the back of Uther, snatching up the discarded weapons. He lands on the mantle and starts eating. Donnie walks over to check on his mother, helping her stand up and guiding her to one of the chairs. He turns back to Reginald.

"So your father was the last Guardian, huh? I take it you were deemed unworthy of bearing the responsibilities then, sir Reginald?" After a response, Donnie continues "I never asked for this, but it has fallen to my shoulders, and is a responsibility I gladly accept. I am sorry you were not chosen, but the sword is mine now. I'm sure I don't need to give more example of that fact, do I?"  

sir Reginald chuckles, that nervous type of laugh one exhales after a Faux Paus.  "Right, well, um.  I should be going then."

Uther turns to Donald.  "There begs the question, what do we do with them?  In your world there are police and rules.  I'd be happy to stay and explain what happened to the authorities.  That would however take some time.  Perhaps if there were someone we could call who would be a bit more understanding?"  Uther looks back at sir Reginald.  "Or I could eat them."

ooc: Are the Banners still in town?

"Gimmie a sec. I dunno Uther. Blood's awfully hard to get out of white carpets."

OOC: No.  You have Jack's number and you also know that Colin's friend Chris O'Brian is with the Chicago PCD.

Donnie flips open his phone and dials up the number Jack gave him. "Hi Jack, this is Donnie. We met at the session last week? I need some advice here." He quickly explains the situation. "Should I call Detective O'Brian of the PCD to take care of these goons or what?"

He keeps an eye on the men, but Pip wings over them occassionally, slavering purposefully and leaving their jackets with smoking holes. Uther is still as a statue, glaring balefully at them.

"If you know someone in the PCD go ahead and give them a call.  Cops have a thing about people taking the law into their own hands.  I can come over too if you want, have another adult there when you explain everything."

"That'd be great. I think my mom is a bit frazzled."

Donnie calls Detective O'Brian. "Hi, officer O'Brian. This is Donnie Douglas. We me tthe other night when you brought COlin by? I have a bit of a situation.."

Donnie explains it all.

Within about ten minutes O'Brian and Inspector Kiernan have arrived.  Jack is there a few minutes later.

O'Brian has some of Oak Parks finest take the goons, including Carver, into custody and get statements from Donnie's mother and Donnie.  The uniformed officers picked the baddies up on the porch, to keep them from seeing the dragons.

KIERNAN: "We'll take them to Chicago and have them checked out.  Maybe we'll catch a break and they'll be wanted somewhere for something else too."

O'BRIAN: "If nothing else we have them for house invasion and attempted murder, the DA can work something out so you don't have to testify as to how they didn't kill you."

Jack has been in the kitchen with Donnie's mother since the police had finished with her.  she was shaken up pretty badly and Jack was working on getting her calmed down.

KIERNAN: "Nice work Donnie.  I have the feeling you didn't have to show nearly as much restraint as you did.  It says a lot about your character."

Donnie colors slightly at the compliment. "What was I gonna do? Let the dragons eat them? I'm not that kind of person Detective, sir. I was totally freaked at first, before Uther showed up." Donnie looks out towards the back patio, where Uther was gnawing on a mostly-thawed eleven pound roast Donnie had gotten from the downstairs freezer. Pip was winging around Uther, chirping excitedly. Uther rumbled something and Pip landed on one of his horns, perching precariously.

"The way they just started shooting at an innocent kid like me makes me think they'll likely be wanted for other things. Sorry about the guns, I just though it prudent." Donnie nods towards the evidence bags, where the Pip-chewed remains of the guns mingled with the unfired bullets.

Donnie sits down next to his mother, placing a hand on her arm. "Mom, I think we really need to talk about Grandfather. There is quite a bit you have not told me and it's come to me now anyway. It's best we do when dad's not around, I think." Donnie's frantic father was stuck in the horrible Chicago traffic, but was reassured that the police, and particularly Detective O'Brian, were there. "Jack, I'd really like to talk to you in a bit, if you have the time."

Jack nods, "I got all the time in the world kid."

KIERNAN: "I'd like a moment of your time Mr. Donaldson."

Jack and Inspector Kiernan go outside and Chris collects the evidence and exits as well.

Donnie's mother takes a deep breath, which comes out roughly as she tries to exhale.  "I ended up exactly like him.  Never there for you, not understanding you."  His mother nearly crushes him with a hug, something she's not known for.  "I'm sorry."

Donnie is stiff at first, surprised and almost frightened by her intensity, then melts a bit into her arms. He tries to swallow the huge lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. "Oh mom.."

A little while later Jack comes back in.  "The boys in blue have taken off.  All's quiet again on the suburban front."  He looks out the sliding glass door at the dragons in the backyard.  "Imagine the pooper-scooper you'd need for that."  he says, heading int othe kitchen, "I'll make some dinner.  Chinease okay, It's usually easy to do in an unfamiliar kitchen."

Donnie laughs. "We like chinese around here, but usually order out. Maybe you can work a miracle or two."  he says, thinking of the normally sparse pickings in the pantry. "I know there's about five different types of tofu and vegetables in the fridge."

He turns back to his mom. "You can talk in front of jack. He is teaching me and a bunch of other kids self defense. He's a retired super hero."

"I wouldn't know what to say."  She begins, "I'm not sure I understand what's happening.  Jack said you're going to be a super hero?  You sound like this is some destiny you've been expecting your whole life.  I just don't get it."

"Let me start then. You know I have been dreaming of and drawing dragons since I was little. Back before I discovered fantasy, you always thought they were dinosaurs. You see my room every day. To say i am obsessed over dragons would be an understatement. Recently I discovered I could call a dragon, Pip. He protected me from a bully at school. Remember when I had that bruise on my face? Yeah, he and a couple other kids helped out to take down this guy who was high on Superman."  

At Donnie's mental command, Pip wings over to the porch and hovers outside the screen door until Donnie reaches over and pens it for him. The little Jade dragon lands on Donnie's shoulder, eyes whirling in shades of green as he looks intently at Mary.

"Sylvia got a bunch of us together tio begin self-defense lessons because of the crap going on at school. Since many of us are amongst the 'freaks and geeks' group in school, we are often are targets. So Jack, an old friend of her mom's, offered to teach us. As I said, he's a retired super hero.

That's what has been goin on in my life, until I received a package in the mail. From Grampa, who told me on Sunday that I have some sort of destiny, or duty to protect the border between our worl and the one where the dragons live. I don't know what that all includes, but he's supposed to give me more information. You heard who that jerk who tried to kil us was: the son of the previous Guardian, who died recently. He carried the sword before he died, and it was passed onto me. Grandfather is part of some group called the Legacy Group, which started in WWII as a sort of magical protection/investigation team. That was why he was gone so much when you were younger. Now, he said he told you stories and stuff when you were young, and had expected you to pass them onto me. Do you know what he was talking about?"

"He used to tell me all kinds of fairy tales when he was home, and sometimes he'd tell stories about his adventures."  She shakes her head and rubs her temple for a moment, "I honestly don't remember much of it."  She looks into Donnie's eyes, "You have to understand, the more disappointed I got the less I listened to him, and the more I tried to forget him."  she looks out at Pip.  "I guess it might have helped if he'd said I was supposed to pass that along to my son."

Donnie relates some of the stories he's written, to see if any of them spark a memory in his mother.  Occassioally she will brighten and be able to relate something about a place or a type of dragon.  It's not much, but it's enough to let Donnie know that his dreams and fantasy imaginings are likely reflections of Dragon Reach.

"I'm not sure how your father is going to handle this."  Mary says, "I'm not sure how I'm handling this."

About ten minutes later Donnie's father arrives.  He rushes in the house and shouts for Mary and Donnie.  Once he finds them he hugs them both for a few moments before asking what happened.

OOC: What story do you give him, regarding the actual details of what happened?

Donnie looks at his mother, an unreadable expression on his face, then over to his new friend, the soldier Jack, who was studiously plating up his chonese concoction onto four plates and not looking up.

Donnie turns to his dad and says "Dad, there's some things I need to tell you.."

ooc: Donnie tells him the truth about his dragons, the sword, and the Legacy Group. He tells him abaout the PCD, their involvement, and Jack teaching them self defense. He omits the fat most of his friends and Sylvia all had powers..

He figures honesty is the best policy in this situation  

Dad plops down in a nearby chair.  He runs his hand through his hair and shakes his head.  "This is why grandpa came by I guess.  We haven't seen the man since he walked you down the aisle, and he turns up for brunch out of the blue.  Should have known it was going to be trouble."

"Well, trouble and a blessing. Look at it this way. At least you know your son will be able to defend himself, once I get things under control."

At that, Pip slithers into existance around his shoulders and daintily walks down Donnie's arm within range of his plate, quickly cleaning off what remains of the food Jack prepared. He then snags the bamboo chopsticks (collected by the handful at every week's Chinese run) and hops back to his shoulder, where he starts munching on them.

"Jack, can I talk to you for a few minutes?"  Donnie turns to his parents. "I am gonna be outside with Uther for a while, getting acquainted. I need to see if Uther from my story is Uther in real life. If there's one thing about being the only house completed in this cul-de-sac, it's privacy."

He heads outside, and before he calls Uther, he asks Jack "Will you teach me swordsmanship? Bearing the sword feels natural, but I really have no idea how to utilize it in a fight if necessary. If you don't know how to do so, I'd appreciate suggestions for a teacher."

"Well, as strange as it is I do actually know how to handle a sword.  It's a long story, but I guess it's for the best.  We can work on some one on one sessions to let you get the hang of it."

"Awesome. That's a relief. I will talk to my parents about fees and stuff. I'm sure they'll pay it, since I don't bother them for money for other clubs or activities. What do you want to hage per session? Can we make it weekly or a couple times a week? I feel the need to get familiar, fast, especially if crap like today is gonna happen again. "

"Just look it up and whatever this sort of thing costs have them send it to the Veteran's Administration as a charitable donation.  Normally I'd say don't worry about it, but your folks seem a little too superficial to be okay with me doing this stuff for free.  Of course, that's just an observation.  Granted, I don't know them very well.  As for how often, you can come over every day someone else isn't already coming by, or just later or earlier."

"Thanks a lot, Jack. I will. I've pretty much given up on my other extracurricular activities. Lets say four times a week, since I  still need to continue learning and devoting time to learning magic too. Plus I need some time with my friends and homework and stuff. My guess is fifty bucks a session? Two hundred dollars a week ought to be enough I'd say. They've been getting away with not enrolling me in anything for too long.."  Donnie grins, a somewhat savage smile. There's a glint in his eye, of something. Something..other. But it's gone in a flash, and he's once again a fourteen year old boy.

He turns to the yard in the deepening dusk, raising up his arms to the starred sky, and suddenly there's a dark blot in the yard and two lamplighted eyes opening. Donnie plummets off the porch and runs into the yard, leaping to throw his arms around the dragon, laughing and touching the ebon horns and the dry, scaly skin in wonder. He leans forward, bumping forehead to scaled forehead with the large dragon.

Jack hears his delighted laughter, and the contented rumbling of the mythical creature, a deep hum of gravelly contentment. Pip wings through the air, diving and climbing, eventually perching on the shoulders of the bronze walker. Donnie sits crosslegged in front of the dragon, and they begin to talk in low tones, acquainting themselves, or possibly reaquainting.

Jack shakes his head in wonder before heading back inside.

ooc: anything else you wanted to occur, oh masterful gm?

OOC: Nothing on my end.

ooc: cool to archive then. :D