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The Guild of Gamers: The Dragon by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Young Justice & Justice League Unlimited Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Fantasy, Words: 26k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Dec 24, 2023 Updated: Jan 6
507Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Atrius, Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Old man of the mountain
The Guild of Gamers: The Dragon
Chapter 01: Always be Yourself, Unless You can be a Dragon
The Dragon system, one of the first ever made and arguably one of the most powerful, was made through the extremely rare cooperation of all four founders (due to Dragons being cool and them not being able to agree on who got to make it).
Unfortunately, it was given to an idiot who immediately got eaten by the hungry, hungry Glutton and absorbed into her system, but if he was honest, many of the early gamers were hit or miss. Picking a gamer was a serious task that required careful thought; it shouldn't be treated as casually as it used to be.
With the system finally pulled out of the Glutton, Kuro smiled to himself and nodded. Kuro trusted him to find the proper user for their system this time, and Kuro never let Kuro down. Heh.
"Hey kid, you wanna be a dragon?" Kuro Dantalion asked, making the random teenager blink in confusion.
"I mean, yeah?" he answered, his eyes widening as he was dragged into the uncaring void. New gamer get. Man, he was so good at his job.
'Meh, close enough.' Kuro the First said, mentally shrugging as they yeeted the new gamer to his new world.
Now, after his long and hard day at work, he really needed a nap.
– ? –
Memories blurred, the chains sting my flesh as I pull against them, trying to work out where I am and how I got here.
Thick golden chains wrap around my four legs, my powerful scaled wings bound to my body to prevent me from stretching them in the somewhat spacious cavern I seem to be imprisoned in. New memories of a purple-haired woman flash through my mind, the woman speaking foreign words as the chains around me glow.
The cave shakes as I fight against the chains that bind me, making them glow all the brighter as my mind grows slow, my eyelids growing heavy, but I push past it as I rage. How dare they imprison me like this, but the momentary burst of anger catches me by surprise. In the brief moment where I wonder where it came from, the magic of the chains overcomes me, and I collapse to the ground, struggling to stay awake as the large doors at the far end of the cavern open slowly. The purple-haired woman walks towards me and stops before my head as I try to stay awake just a little longer.
A fury burns in my chest, demanding I reduce this human to a corpse, but as I try and unleash it, she simply giggles as the chains flare up once more, the power dying in my chest as she places a hand on my scaled snout.
She's so… small, standing before me as I stare at her through barely open eyes, dwarfed by my sheer size as she rubs my glorious blue scales, unafraid despite how close she is to a mouth full of very sharp teeth.
"Still so prideful, beloved? Calm yourself," she whispers, pressing her head against my face, only surviving because I'm too tired to open my mouth and bite down on this worm. "It's not time yet, you aren't ready."
Her accent sounds exotic. I can't place where she could be from, but her words send a spike of futile rage through my body. Prideful?
I am a Dragon; of course, I'm prideful. I will not be lectured by some hu- wait, I'm a Dragon, that's not right, I'm human, right?
Extremely blurry memories flash through my mind, one clear image of a smirking black-haired man approaching me, making my mind race even as I collapse into an unwanted slumber; what did he do to me?
– Later –
Waking again as footsteps approach me, I pause as I see a different purple-haired woman wearing what looks like green fantasy armour standing next to an angry-looking blonde girl, both staring up at me. The blonde also wears armour, though hers is white and gold.
I'm not a fool, not wanting to trigger whatever magic is within the chains as I stare down at the pair who approach me, seemingly uncaring of my attention.
"So this is Tala's pet?" the blonde girl says, looking over me in a mixture of curiosity and rage; I can almost taste the hatred rolling off her, though it doesn't seem to be aimed at me.
"It is. He's quite the majestic pet, isn't he? I can see why Tala is so proud of her new toy," the purple-haired woman says, giving me an admiring gaze.
Pet? Pet? Toy?!
Sparks come from my mouth, making the blonde girl take a step back, her hand going to a sword at her waist, but the power within my chest dies once more, my rage going unsated as I glare down at them.
"Don't worry, Aresia, he is powerful, but Tala has him nice and tamed. She took more precautions after he ate Grodd," the purple-haired woman says calmly, amused at the blonde's fearful reaction. "He will work nicely; Tala won't mind us borrowing her pet as long as we bring him back in one piece."
"Are you sure you can control him, Circe? If we lose control of him-" Aresia starts making Circe laugh.
"I'm a Goddess, girl. Even if I wasn't a Divine sorceress, Tala has done most of the work with these lovely chains," Circe says easily, placing her hand on one of the golden chains covering my body as I feel her magic attune with the chains before I feel her enter my mind. "He will work; if he's half as impressive as Tala boasts, he'll be the firepower we need to get our revenge on her."
Trying to defy the magic I feel flooding my mind, I rage as I try and break the chains, trying to resist the orders I can feel entering my head, to no avail. I don't understand my powers, leaving me utterly unable to fight off Circe's magic as she smirks.
"Now, let's take this poor boy out for a walk. It's not nice of Tala to leave him inside all day," Circe giggles, images of a Hellenic island flooding my mind as my rage is forcibly redirected, an older regal blonde in a white Greek-style dress flashing through my mind as my fangs bare despite my efforts to stifle my reaction.
Circe casts something, a portal opening as many of the chains unravel, leaving only a single golden chain around my neck and allowing me to move freely as I rise onto all four legs, wings stretching. My draconic mind demands I crush these two fools and escape this place; my fading human side just wants to get the hell out of here, and yet both are ignored as my body starts to move, obediently following behind the pair as they head through the portal, Aresia even daring to mount me like I'm a fucking horse as we head through the portal, finding myself flying through the skies high above the ocean, my wings moving automatically as I obediently follow Circe as she flies towards an island in the distance.
With my enhanced senses, I can already hear the shouts of the woman on the island, see them running around and preparing themselves as they see me heading their way, and Circe once more whispers into my mind as she demands I announce us.
I want to eat her, but as my mouth opens, I let out a fearsome roar as we speed up, the power in my chest building up again, and this time, I can actually unleash the rage within me, swooping down despite the bronze arrows being sent my way, opening my mouth as a burst of deep-blue lightning leaves my mouth, raining down on the warrior women below as they try to dodge.
Their armour provides little defence against my might, lightning coursing through their bodies as their screams of pain fill the air, some dying on the spot as they fall to the ground, twitching.
Both my human and draconic mind rage at this violation of my free will, the human horrified at the sight of the corpses left in my wake, the dragon enraged at being commanded like some attack dog, but neither can stop our body from reacting as we head towards the largest building on the island.
I don't know who the blonde woman I saw in the images is. Still, I hope for her sake that she's a strong warrior because if she's not, I do believe I'm going to eat her.
– Queen Hippolyta –
She did not know what manner of beast was currently flying towards her, but she did recognise the filth commanding it, Circe having already broken her word to not come after Hippolyta over her imprisonment in Tartarus.
The beast's eyes were clouded, Circe's magic commanding it as her warrior's arrows bounced off its majestic blue scales, making it roar again and unleash a devastating blast of lightning from its giant maw, killing two of her guards instantly.
She didn't miss that even Circe seemed surprised by the sheer might of the beast, which landed in the courtyard, towering over them all, massive fangs snarling as Aresia jumped from its back and landed in front of it.
"Aresia, I took you in, raised you, and this is how you repay me?" Hippolyta asked, giving the younger girl a stern glare. "What horror have you inflicted upon Themyscira? How many of your sisters have you slain, and for what?"
Aresia hesitated, a hint of shame passing through her body before she gathered herself and glared at Hippolyta and the gathered amazons.
"Queen Hippolyta, you are weak, unworthy of your throne. I challenge you; the beast won't attack as long as you accept my challenge. Decline, and I'll take the throne from your corpse," Aresia said, a hint of madness filling her tone as she pointed the same blade Hippolyta had given her at the queen. Aresia truly hated men, and with the developing world, Themyscira was starting to slowly negotiate with Man's world, so Aresia's actions didn't surprise her.
"Alternatively, we can just put you down, traitor," Artemis said, the Bow of Ra in her hands, an arrow made of pure energy already primed as Aresia scowled. "We have you outnumbered several thousand to three."
Artemis might not be of Themyscira, but the champion of their Bana-Mighdall sisters was a welcome addition during this crisis.
"Is that a refusal, Hippolyta?" Aresia asked, watching as the Amazons gathered around the massive beast, weapons readied. "So be it."
Her confidence seemed entirely misplaced as the Amazons prepared to battle their rogue sister and the cocky Goddess, but as a rift opened behind them, she realised that she'd not been watching Circe while Aresia was speaking, hidden behind the wings of the beast.
Several more rifts opened, warriors clad in black armour charing through as her eyes widened at the symbol on their armour and banners, Ares.
"Dragon, kill her," Aresia demanded, the beast opening its maw as Hippolyta dived to one side, a blast of lightning scorching the spot she had been standing on moments prior, the building behind her collapsing from the force. It was as if the beast was delivering the wrath of Zeus himself, but as Artemis loosed her arrow, the beast moved with surprising speed to put one of its bulky legs in front of Aresia to protect her, the arrow actually managing to sink into the beast's flesh as it roared in pain.
They could hurt it, a fact that made her feel a hint of sympathy for the creature she was sure was attacking of its own free will, but she would protect her island and people, and she watched with bated breath as the beast took to the air once more with Aresia riding on its back.
Calming herself before rallying her people, she glared up at the smug-looking Circe (who had already turned several of her Amazons into pigs), the 'Dragon' raining down on them with its deadly breath as Aresia hid atop it, staying high in the sky.
Storms formed above the island, lightning striking out at any who tried to fly up into the domain of the great beast, arrows barely able to reach it even as Artemis struck the beast's stomach, finding purchase.
Drawing her own sword, she joined the fray against the forces she could attack, Ares' army meeting heavy resistance.
– Cassandra Sandsmark (Wonder Girl) –
Arriving at the island, she paused for just a moment in horror at the sight of her second home engulfed in chaos, bodies littering the ground, both Amazons and Ares' minions alike, the conflict empowering Ares' men further, but they weren't the true threat.
Flying high above the battlefield, the giant fucking dragon soared through the skies, swooping down to indiscriminately electrocute everything in its path, killing more of Ares' servants than Amazons in its rage.
In truth, it was a majestic beast with azure blue scales and a golden underbelly, with a single golden horn. If it wasn't trying to destroy Themyscira, then she might have wanted a closer look, but the destruction it left in its wake made her shudder slightly, not entirely used to such sights even as Diana flew right into the fray, flying towards the dragon with no hesitation.
Several lightning bolts struck at her as she tried to rise, halting her ascent even as she blocked them with her shield, the divine bronze protecting her. She hoped she didn't die here; as a daughter of Zeus, it would be just embarrassing to die to a creature of lightning.
"Zatanna, what kind of beast is that?" Miss Martian asked, making Zatanna shake her head from where she'd been staring in shock and awe.
"It's a Dragon, a real live Dragon. Can you feel the pure magic coming off it?" Zatanna asked, even as she muttered a spell to try and shield them from the lightning. Now that she mentioned it, she could feel something, like its very presence was pushing down on her psyche, demanding she flee or kneel, but she shook it off with disciplined ease.
The rules of Themyscira meant many of the members of the Team and League couldn't join them on this, for no man could step foot on Themyscira.
"Do Dragons have any weaknesses we can use?" Diana asked, blocking another lightning bolt as the beast circled above them.
"I- none that I know of. Dragons are true apex beings," Zatanna explained, her eyes widening as the beast suddenly changed directions, soaring towards them as its maw opened and revealed some very large teeth, a light growing in the back of its throat. "Su dleihs!"
Zatanna tried, a purple barrier forming as they all spread out, but the barrier barely even slowed down the dragon's shocking breath as it shattered, the dragon getting much closer as Diana charged it.
Cassie quickly realised her mistake as the dragon engaged them in aerial combat because she'd thought the dragon's presence was easy to shrug off… when it was far above them, and now that it was right beside them, she found herself frozen as her mind rebelled, screaming for her to flee from the beast. Diana did her best to fight it while Kara uppercut the dragon and actually managed to knock it back before a swipe of its tail sent the Kryptonian flying back in a wild spin.
"Move!'
The voice in her head made her take action, breaking through her momentary terror, barely managing to avoid the claws of the beast which clipped her side, cutting through her top with laughable ease as they sliced into her side, her blessing doing nothing to stop the beast.
Miss Martian's warning had likely saved her life, and she shook her head and gathered her wits as she clutched her side. Even with Wonder Woman and Supergirl engaged in close quarters, the dragon seemed to have the upper hand, crushing Diana's shield between its teeth as it roared in anger, the lightning intensifying.
The storm grew to such a strength that she was forced to fly lower, the constant barrage aggravating her already nasty wounds, but there was plenty to do here as she quickly engaged the forces of Ares.
– Princess Diana –
Aresia had overreached, and as the battle raged on, the rogue Amazon fell to the ground, dismounted from her beast. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Circe flee the scene as Ares's forces were driven back, repelled by the combined force of the Amazons and the reinforcing League members.
But even with the army routed and the two masterminds bested, this was far from over as the massive dragon raged endlessly.
Right now, she wished her mother wasn't so stubborn. Her rules meant that Clark couldn't come with them and assist, and his strength would be greatly appreciated right now. The thought was an especially irritating one as she glanced toward Kara's unmoving (but thankfully still breathing) body.
Kara had taken a full blast from the beast to protect Diana's mother, confident in her Kryptonian durability, but the breath this beast was unleashing was truly deadly. Were it not for the several blessings and divine items she wielded, Diana herself would be dead several times over.
The first great victory they got over it was when she managed to bind its mouth with her lasso, the unbreakable rope wrapped tightly around its maw, preventing it from biting or breathing its devastating lightning upon them. She'd seen it bite one of her Amazon sisters in half in a single bite, but its claws were no less deadly.
"Oh no," Miss Martian whispered, making her turn to the young Martian. "You poor thing."
"Miss Martian?" Diana asked, making Megan turn to her.
"It- he is screaming. I couldn't get into his head with Circe around, but now that she's gone… he doesn't want to be here. He's not a mindless beast; he's an intelligent creature, and they made him a weapon," Miss Martian explained quickly, her eyes widening as she watched the creature try and bisect Artemis, the red-headed Amazon dodging under the claws. "I can't affect his mind; he's too powerful, but Circe's orders are being screamed into his head over and over again."
"The chain collar is enchanted, though I don't recognise the magic. I can feel Circe's touch on it," Zatanna added. "Something has to be maintaining Circe's control, perhaps if we can get it off…"
It wasn't a brilliant plan, given how little they seemed to have hurt the dragon so far and how much damage it had done. Trying to remove the enchanted metal from the dragon's body would likely be a deadly challenge, but even after all this time, the dragon seemed barely injured.
It was the best chance they had.
– ? –
If I could, I'd likely be sick from the taste of blood in my mouth. I ate someone, bit them in two and swallowed their upper body as a snack, but all I can do is continue to fight the hordes of warrior women and their strangely clad reinforcements.
Aresia fell in battle, taken down by the dark-haired one they call Diana, and I did collapse the building they took her to. Hopefully, she was crushed in the ruins, but somehow, I doubt it, not that I have time to worry about that with another arrow piercing my wing from the redhead.
I'm actually somewhat rooting for these guys; binding my mouth was a good start, even if the draconic side of me is infuriated, but I really don't want to die like this as I lash out at the green girl, my draconic side annoyed as she goes intangible and my claws pass through her harmlessly.
Something grabbing my tail makes me try to lash out, but I am surprised when the person is able to spin me and toss me away from the others, making me mentally groan at the sight of the blonde in a fairly ruined red and blue outfit. Oh god, not her again; she kept punching me in the face.
And it actually hurt; she hits like a fucking truck.
A flash of magic makes my eyes sting, the girl in the tophat once again fucking with my senses, she can't really hurt me, but she's surprisingly annoying. She's also wearing fishnets, so I hope she survives.
Shaking my head to try and clear my vision, I once again get punched in the face by that goddamn flying brick. Didn't I electrocute her earlier? What does it take to actually put her down?
Getting uppercut, I pause as I feel her dive in and grab at my restraints, and hope begins to kindle in my chest as she tries her best to break them through pure brute force, but my hope fades as she fails to affect these damnable chains.
My body attempts to gore her, even as I mentally encourage her to try again and free me of this hell, the tophat girl chanting something as the chains around my neck glow. They seem to know what they're doing. Even the redhead with her goddamn magic arrows of energy is aiming for the chains, with impressive accuracy at that.
I want to stop fighting and let them try, but my body insists on making this hard for them as a woman with wings and a mace tries her luck, bringing her mace down on the chains with surprising force. She looks a little fried; I think I struck her with lightning earlier.
'Calm, we mean you no harm.'
The soft voice is barely audible over Circe's demand for me to fight to the end, to slay as many of these fools as I can to buy her time to escape, but I manage to pick it out as I look towards the green girl who has closed her eyes amid the chaos.
She continues trying to soothe my rage, her voice clashing with Circe's, and moments before I slice the bird girl in two, I manage to break free and stop my claws from bisecting her long enough for her to move back.
The two voices warring in my head help me a lot, moments of self-control returning to me, allowing the defenders of this island to strike at the collar with impunity, without me trying to rip them apart for daring to be within claws' reach of me.
It is still a long and deadly fight. My claws drenched with the blood of those who weren't fortunate enough for me to have a moment of control before I was forced to slay them, but as the blonde berserker flies towards me again, her uniform torn and blackened, she grips the chains once more and pulls, and for the first time since I got here, Circe's voice goes silent in my head as the girl tears my collar in two.
The battlefield falls still as the heavy chains hit the ground, watching me carefully as my head snaps around quickly, eyes flickering around as I feel something wrong, the immense power I have at my beck and call rapidly failing.
Run, we need to hide!
The draconic part of me has a point, my strength fading as I feel myself grow weaker. If they choose to attack me again, they'd be able to kill me!
Backing away, my eyes move wildly as I try and keep an eye on every threat, the panic I've been feeling since I woke up in this body finally showing itself.
Sands, call on them, cover our escape!
Before I can stop myself, I call on my powers and watch as a thick sandstorm starts to form around me. To the surprise of my opponents, as powerful winds and coarse sand buffet them, and following my draconic instincts, I take flight and head towards the ocean, immediately diving into it as I feel myself start to shrink.
Wait!
That's not the dragon, but the green girl, and while I pause for just a moment, I continue my flight from the battlefield, swimming with surprising grace as I leave them dealing with an island-wide sandstorm.
Quest Complete
[Escape the Light!]
Reward: ?
…what?
Shaking my head, I continue swimming further and further away, determined to put as much distance between me and that island, my mind still racing as I try and work out what the fuck is going on.
– Days Later –
Resting in my hiding place, deep beneath the desert sand, I sigh to myself.
So far I've worked out a few things, but entirely not enough.
I am a Dragon now, a Blue Dragon to be exact, my soul ripped out of my human form and stuffed into this body. I don't know how or why the strange man did this, but I have to accept the truth. I am no longer human.
This is also not my world. While it looks so very similar in many ways, there are so many more in which this world is utterly alien, a world of heroes and villains, gods and aliens.
In truth, I don't particularly know where I've ended up, but I think I've ended up somewhere in the Sahara after all my running and burrowing. The sands called to me, and I feel at home here, deep beneath the desert.
But this is far from perfect. I have needs that must be satiated, such as my rumbling stomach. Hunger alone isn't the only thing that I feel a need to sate because something deep within me is demanding I find a lair, that I build a hoard.
Quest Added
[Humble Beginnings]
Objective: Build A Lair
Objective: Acquire a Hoard
Oh yeah, when I don't have my draconic instincts shouting at me, I have a game menu instead, so it's possible I've gone mad. Also, I don't remember my name, so that's fun.
Much of the power I held faded after the collar was removed, but I see that as a worthy trade for my free will, and I get the feeling I can reclaim it in time, and I am by no means weak, like some squishy mortal.
So, what am I supposed to do? Well, first things first, I need something to eat and a place to sleep safely. I also need to get a handle on my new powers. Everything I've done so far has been pure instinct, but I know I can do more; I can feel it in the back of my mind.
Once I've got a handle on those, I can worry about building a hoard and working out a long-term plan of what the fuck I'm going to do in this weird world I've been unceremoniously dropped into.
…still, if you're ever asked 'Do you want to be a dragon' and you don't answer 'Yes', you're full of shit. Of course, I want to be a fucking dragon.
— Bonus Scene — Tala
Summoning a dragon from another plane was difficult, especially one with as much potential as her beloved, potential she'd spent so much time and resources in helping blossom. She'd dedicated so much effort to him, and then, mere weeks before he was ready, two of her allies decided to 'borrow' him.
And, of course, they lost her masterpiece in their failed attempt at revenge against the Amazons, but she would not let this be the end. Her time with the Light had been fruitful, but it had come to an end.
Her dragon had fled the battle, lost and confused, but she would find him. No matter what, she would find her beloved. Lex and the rest of the Light would stay out of her way if they knew what was good for them. Nothing would keep her from him.
Author's Note: You dumbasses actually thought I was done? Morons, take another Christmas present.
25 is a good number, far better than a cringe 24 active fics. Basically, I'm OCD, and also, I want a heroic character in DC since Nightmare isn't exactly a good one for waifus.
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster.
I have a Discord server with a bunch of other authors and a load of porn. So much porn.
Here's the link for that: discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
If it says it's expired, it is probably your account being unable to join NSFW servers, and you'll need to fix that. If you fix that and it still says it's expired, add me (ThePumpkinKing), and I'll invite you myself.
I've finally put my Pat reon to use after months of procrastinating. My Pat reons now have the ability to vote for which fics they'd like to see updated more during the next chapter cycle. The winner of the normal tier poll gets one extra chapter per cycle, the second tier poll gets two extra chapters, and the highest tier pat reons can pick a fic that will get three extra chapters per cycle. The current cycle is probably going to last until early-mid January, so voting is open until then. I'll also be starting the actual early access chapters around the same time, so if you want a fic to get some extra love, feel free to check it out.
Link: Pat reon TheDarkWolfShiro
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The Guild of Gamers: The Dragon by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Young Justice & Justice League Unlimited Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Fantasy, Words: 26k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Dec 24, 2023 Updated: Jan 6
507Chapter 2: No Solicitors
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Malcolm Tent, Marethyu, Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Atrius
The Guild of Gamers: The Dragon
Chapter 02: No Solicitors
I need a hoard; my draconic instincts demand that I start to build my own hoard. Not to mention that the system that the bastard who turned me into a dragon shoved into my head tells me that it's one of the ways I can grow in strength.
My lair, if it can be called that, is a cavern deep under the desert that I've dug out far below the sands. I've realised that now that I've officially claimed this place, I can always find it. I can sense the direction and distance no matter how far I wander.
Beyond carving out these caverns, I've used my lightning breath to crystallise the sands into a glassy material. My instincts told me it would work. This is how blue dragons have made their lairs in the deserts for aeons, and it will work for me here.
As for my hoard, I have but a single item worthy of being added to my collection.
Looking at the golden lasso that I finally managed to get off my face once I calmed down, I nod at it, sitting in the middle of the largest cavern. It's a start, but I need more. Fortunately, my system provides.
[Treasure Sense]
You can sense the location of nearby treasures; the larger the collection, the more it will call to you.
I have a plan on how I can start building a worthy hoard.
Shipwrecks. I swam underwater for what seemed like hours without issue when I escaped my attackers. Admittedly, the trek from my desert to the ocean is a large one, but it is better than risking an encounter with humans while I'm still weak.
They held me off in my more powerful form. Now that I have shrunk, I would be captured with little effort if I fought them again. I think the collar the purple-haired witch used to take away my freedom was empowering me, though I do not know how.
Maybe I'll ask her right before I tear her limb from limb and feast on her corpse. I will not forget or forgive being turned into a weapon; all three of them will pay. Circe, Aresia and the witch. All will suffer for this insult.
I may lack the sheer might I had before, but I'm still a dragon. The apex of all creatures. I can feel the power within me, the potential. I will regain that power without the need for magical trinkets.
But first, I need something else. I need a name.
– Diana (Wonder Woman) –
Themyscira had been attacked many times throughout history.
Yet this was one of the most devastating since Hercules had tricked and enslaved her mother; the dead were beyond counting as the creature, this 'dragon' had rained death upon her island, and countless Amazons had fallen to its breath and claws.
And yet, she could not hate the dragon for the destruction it had unleashed. Once they had removed the chains binding it, she could see the fear and panic in its eyes, and it immediately tried to flee and abandon the fight.
No, her hatred was aimed elsewhere. Aresia and Circe would both pay dearly for this crime.
Aresia herself was in the custody of their people, where her mother and advisors were discussing the potential of simply executing the woman for her crimes or locking her away in Tartarus for the rest of time. Circe was still missing, but the coward would not escape justice for her actions.
Moving onto less dire but more embarrassing thoughts, she sighed. She had not realised that her lasso was still attached to the dragon until it had already fled, moving with surprising speed for a creature so large.
Kara had wanted to pursue the dragon, but a cornered beast was a dangerous one, and it had already proven that it could hurt her, so they'd let it go.
And yet, the idea of that dragon being loose in the world did not fill her with confidence. Man's world was not the most accepting, and people would either fear it or covet its immense power. The next time it attacked might very well be because people would not leave it alone.
She wanted to be amongst her people in this dire time, but having received a message from the League, she reluctantly headed back, arriving on the Watchtower and heading towards the room where they were waiting for her.
Superman, Batman and Zatara turned to her as she entered the room.
"Diana, how badly did this attack hurt your people?" Superman asked, making her pause.
"Terribly. We haven't suffered losses like this in… perhaps ever. It will take us months to bury the dead and start rebuilding," Diana admitted. "Which is why I should be with them; why have you called for me?"
"Because this is about the attack, Zatara has learnt more of this 'dragon'," Batman answered bluntly, turning to the magician. His daughter, Zatanna, could barely stop herself from fangirling over the creature and its immense magic.
"Firstly, it is not of our realm. I know not how, but Tala managed to summon the dragon from a different plane, one where magic flourishes," Zatara started, not wasting any time. "There were traces of the magic she used on the remains of its shackles."
"What can you tell us about its kind?" Superman asked.
"His kind, make no mistake, the dragon is as intelligent as any human. He's a blue dragon, one of the chromatic species. In that world, most draconic species can be separated into one of two groups: metallic and chromatic. Unfortunately, chromatic dragons tend to be less benevolent than their metallic counterparts," Zatara explained.
"They are evil creatures?" Diana asked, making him pause.
"They tend to lean towards evil, in truth, but it is not unknown for one to fight its nature and be good. Blue dragons are known for their vanity and manipulative nature, often malicious tricksters who love to lord their power over the lesser species," Zatara replied. "As prideful as they are, I imagine that being used as a weapon has especially angered him. That said, the shackles possessed temporal magic upon them along with many other spells; they were an incredible masterwork, in truth… one I do not believe Tala alone could have produced."
"Temporal… time magic?" Batman asked, with his distaste for magic clear in his tone.
"Indeed, dragons grow stronger with age. I believe that he was artificially aged, as Zatanna noticed that he was growing weaker once the collar was removed. He held the power of an ancient dragon, but if my studies of the shackles are correct, I suspect he is merely a youth. Snatched away from his world and used in this scheme," Zatara explained. "Had they tried to summon a true ancient dragon, I imagine it would have slaughtered them long before they could enslave it."
"We fought a child," Diana asked, shocked as she tried to picture the dragon that killed a dozen of her sisters with a single blast of its lightning being merely a child.
"More likely a teenager, in truth," Zatara clarified. "This has both good and bad implications. He likely has much less power now, making a repeat unlikely. He is by no means safe to fight; he is still a dragon, after all. That said, we don't know what effect the shackles and Tala's experimentation have had upon him, so by no means should he be underestimated."
That was a relief, at least. The feeling of helplessness as she watched the dragon ignore her attacks and lay waste to her home would likely haunt her dreams for years to come.
"And the bad?" Batman asked.
"As I said, blue dragons are rarely benevolent creatures, and this one is just a youth. He will be guided by his draconic instincts and is likely in a state of fury at being taken from his home and used as a weapon. We are fortunate that blue dragons are less impulsive than most of their chromatic counterparts. Were he a red dragon, I imagine we could just follow the trail of destruction he left in his wake, but he will still be troublesome for anyone who encounters him," Zatara explained.
"How do we find him? We can't leave some magical beast with a biological instinct towards evil to his own devices," Batman said grimly.
"I suspect he continued his flight until he found a place that felt safe to him, and from the reports and sightings you've gathered, I think I know where that place was. Blue dragons are known for preferring arid climates, especially deserts, where they make their lairs deep underground. The sightings place him moving in an almost straight line towards the Sahara, where I believe he settled," Zatara explains, making them all pause.
That was a big area to look for a creature that could burrow deep underground.
"I realise that this does not give us a small area to search, but fortune smiles upon us. You reported that he took your lasso, correct?" Zatara asked, making her nod, her eyes widening. "Unsurprisingly, dragons can rarely resist the lure of treasure, especially young dragons. Still, your lasso was blessed by the goddess Athena, and I believe I will be able to craft a spell to help track it down. I imagine the dragon has kept it within his lair, even if he may not have meant to take it. An item with a divine blessing would be a good start to his hoard."
"What is the plan for when we find him? I doubt he's accepting visitors," Superman pointed out.
"Can you send him back to his own world?" Batman asked, making Zatara pause for a moment before shaking his head.
"I doubt it. The multiverse is a large place. I could potentially send him to a world with others of his kind, but the chance of that being the same world he was taken from is slim. In truth, that would likely be a death sentence for a young dragon. Other blue dragons would likely see him as a potential rival to be slain before he could gain power," Zatara mused, rubbing his chin. "No, I do not believe that would be wise. Again, I could send him to a world where magic is more common than ours, but I do not believe that is wise either. He would most likely be slain as an invader and threat, or he'd indulge in his instincts and use his vast power to terrorise any world that couldn't deal with him."
"So what are you suggesting we do with a large, likely enraged, dragon?" Batman asked, frowning. Not that frowning wasn't his default expression.
"Oh, that is simple. As long as he is in our world, the villains will attempt to reclaim him. If they are smart, they'll play to his greed. I imagine he would be easily bribed, and the chance of him being corrupted is high," Zatara explained. "As such, I believe it would be best if we took him in ourselves. We are in a rare position to try and guide a very powerful and majestic creature down a more compassionate path."
"You want to recruit the dragon that just laid waste to Themyscira?" Batman asked, the disbelief clear in his tone.
"Zatara speaks the truth. We cannot simply banish him to some unfamiliar world where he faces certain death, and we've seen the danger he poses should he side with the Legion," Diana pointed out. "I do not hold the attack against him; he was as much a victim as my people. My mother feels the same."
Batman didn't agree with this plan; he didn't need to say a word to show that. Yet, he didn't have a better plan either, going quiet.
"Regardless, I'll need to work on the spell to try and track down the Lasso of Truth first, which may take some time. Perhaps it's better to let him cool off a little so he's less likely to attack on sight," Zatara said, making her nod.
Still, she just hoped they found him first.
– Two Weeks Later –
With Zatara's spell, they'd managed to narrow the location of the dragon to somewhere in Egypt, and she'd decided to lead the search for him firsthand.
It wasn't as hard as she thought it would be, given how active the dragon had been since his disappearance. He was certainly smaller now, given the reports of him flying around Africa, rumoured to be closer to the size of an elephant rather than the towering behemoth he had been before.
Zatara suspected he could sense treasure, which made sense given one of the first real appearances he had made. Descending on the camp of a warlord hiding in one of the jungles to the south of the Sahara, he'd attacked with surprising ferocity and made short work of the warlord's men, who had quickly retreated, seeing their bullets failing to harm the dragon.
However, he didn't pursue them, instead continuing deeper into the camp where the warlord had kept his stolen loot, gold bars, pilfered jewellery, and even art-work. When the survivors returned, they found the place barren of all valuables and the dragon gone.
The locals seemed to almost like the new apex predator that was wandering the land, but then it made sense. Most of those who saw him were from smaller villages, since he avoided cities, and frankly, they had nothing worthy of his attention.
Why would someone who wanted treasure for his hoard bother robbing some poor farmers? The worst they had to face was the potential of him stealing some of their livestock, and they'd wisely decided that no, it wasn't worth chasing the flying reptile that could breathe lightning over a stolen cattle.
Still, finding his exact location wasn't easy, even as Zatanna recast her spell, sweating slightly from the desert heat. They were slowly triangulating the location of his lair, but she suspected that the magic of the dragon himself was making things more difficult.
"We're getting close. I can feel his magic in the very environment around here," Zatanna said, seeming excited. "His presence is changing the very region around him. If he were older, we'd likely be facing miles upon miles of sandstorms and thunderstorms."
Heading further into the direction Zatanna's spell indicated, eventually, they paused as Zatanna cast it once more.
"Where now?" Diana asked, making Zatanna look at them.
"Down. I think we're right on top of his lair," Zatanna said quietly, excitement and caution in equal measures on her face. They had decided that a small team was better for this, not wanting to intimidate the dragon and make it immediately flee or attack.
"Is he down there?" Diana asked, making both girls focus.
"I can't feel his mind, but he could be too deep for me to reach," Miss Martian said, and Zatanna shrugged herself.
"The entire area is saturated with his power, I can feel a strong source of power below us but that could just be his lair itself," Zatanna explained.
Pausing, they decided to wait for him to come home but as the minutes turned to hours, Diana frowned, becoming increasingly impatient. The sun was starting to set, and she made her decision.
"Zatanna, can you make us a passageway into his lair?" Diana asked, seeing Zatanna pause.
"I think so, though he's not likely to appreciate us trespassing," Zatanna explained, making her nod. "I think he's down there, but I can't say for sure. It's possible he has other ways to get into his lair and just went around us."
"If we can find him, so can the Legion. They won't be so patient, we need to meet with him," Diana decided, watching as Zatanna nodded and started her spell.
The sands shifted as they started to part and make a passageway down, but this would be risky at the best of times. She was half tempted to send the two teens home or make them stay here but shook her head and started her descent.
As they reached the bottom, the passageway ended in a crystalline cavern, the sand having been blasted away by his breath as he carved out his home. She wasn't sure of the science behind it, but she supposed a dragon did not particularly care about logic or physics.
"The lasso is that way," Zatanna said, pointing down one of the large passageways. "I can't sense him, the entire lair is permeated with his magic, it could be camouflaging him."
"I can't sense any minds but ours. I don't think he's home," Miss Martian added; this was why she'd been brought along. She managed to start to get through to him before, and they didn't know if he could understand regular speech.
Following the passageway Zatanna had gestured towards, they came into a truly massive cavern, all freezing as they looked at the room in shock and awe. Where on earth had he found so much treasure?
Surely he had not managed to steal this much from the local criminals?
Piles of gold and valuables in all forms were neatly arranged with a surprising amount of care, artwork lined against the cavern walls, and the treasures sorted into nice neat piles.
And there, sitting alone in the dead centre of the room, was her lasso.
Heading over, she picked it up as they looked around the room in astonishment and confusion.
She wasn't leaving such an important relic of her people behind, and as she went to lift it Zatanna called out for her to stop, a moment too late.
As she lifted the lasso, she froze as she felt a shudder of something run through her body right before the cavern started to shake.
"We need to get out, and quickly," Diana shouted, getting the two teens to move as they headed back the way they came. The entire cavern shook as the walls of the passageway started to crumble, but as they turned the corner, they all froze despite the need to move.
Staring right back at them was a pair of golden eyes attached to a large and angry head, lightning already sparking around his mouth.
Instantly, she remembered part of Zatara's explanation about dragons and their covetous nature. The lasso was a prized piece of his hoard and a piece she'd just stolen. He didn't care that it used to be hers, only seeing a thief taking what was his.
"Wait!" Diana shouted, holding out her hands as he snarled.
"Intruders!" he roared, the entire lair shaking with his anger. "Invaders, die!"
Grabbing the two, she moved quickly as she dragged them down a secondary passageway, away from their exit, well aware of how deep underground they were as a blast of lightning lit up the passageway behind them. She didn't want to attack him; that would almost certainly guarantee that this could only end in violence.
Making a decision, she tossed the lasso behind them as she ran, leaving it for the dragon to claim in the hopes of calming his rage. The passages were a twisting maze, likely made to confuse intruders, which was working to great effect.
She could hear the heavy footsteps behind them, their pursuer not giving up, but looking behind her proved to be a mistake.
"Watch out!" Miss Martian shouted, but it was too late as they triggered a trap, the ground beneath them breaking apart as they started to fall, and while she and Miss Martian could fly… Zatanna fell into the deep sinkhole, Diana shouting out as the entire sinkhole started to fill with sand, quickly blocking their view.
Miss Martian tried to use her telekinesis to lift the sand, and she heard Zatanna shout out a strangled spell as she sank, but Miss Martian lacked Martian Manhunter's experience, and the sand just didn't stop.
They might have stopped, but their hunter had not, still charging towards them as Diana turned to face him, raising her hands in a universal sign of surrender, no matter how much it hurt her warrior's pride.
"Please, we did not come here to harm you or steal what was yours. Our friend needs help; let us save her, and we will leave," Diana pleaded, making the dragon stop its charge as it looked at her for a moment. She could see the indecision in its eyes before it suddenly looked down and started to claw, burrowing with incredible speed as the entire body vanished into the ground.
"I- I couldn't feel his mind until he was on top of us," Miss Martian said, still shaking slightly as they looked towards the hole he had left behind.
He wasn't gone for long, burrowing his way back up, one clawed appendage clutching a sand-covered and clearly-scared Zatanna, letting her go as it lightly tossed her towards them.
"Leave," he growled, fangs bared slightly as the tremors stopped. "You aren't welcome here."
"W-wait," Zatanna said, still clearly shaken as the dragon turned to her with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "We mean you no harm and meant you no offence. We wanted to ally against our common enemy, those who enslaved you."
The dragon paused, head tilting as it backed up and sat much like an overgrown dog, staring down at Zatanna intensely, the suspicion still clear.
"The lasso means a lot to Wonder Woman; it is an important relic of her people, the same people who you were forced to attack. It was blessed by her people's patron gods, granted to her by her mother, the queen of Themyscira," Zatanna continued, the dragon remaining silent as it stared at them. "She didn't consider that it was a part of your hoard now; she did not mean to steal from you."
"Open your minds; if you are lying, you will die here," the dragon demanded, making their eyes widen at the knowledge that the dragon had telepathic powers.
She felt a presence pushing against her mind, and after a moment of hesitation, she relented and relaxed, allowing the dragon to pilfer her memories. She briefly feared it would search for the many secrets she knew, like the identities of her fellow League Members, but instead, it searched for the Lasso, and she helped, bringing the relevant memories up.
It saw the tournament she took place in to become the champion of her people, one of her proudest moments laid bare. It saw her memories of the goddess Athena and heard her mother tell her of the Lasso's creation before the presence moved on to find out why she was here.
The meeting she had with Zatara, Superman and Batman came forward, her discussions with her mother about the aftermath of his attack before she saw herself and the others leaving to search for the dragon and then he pulled back, leaving her mind entirely.
Next, he moved on to Miss Martian, who seemed entirely comfortable having someone enter her mind, and their mental engagement did not last long before he pulled back and moved on to Zatanna, who shuddered as the dragon entered her mind.
This seemed to take the longest, but Zatanna didn't show any discomfort as he plundered her mind before he finally pulled back.
"You," the dragon said, turning back to Diana. "You will bring me something of equal value, and I will permit you to take my lasso," he demanded, and given what she knew of the covetous and possessive nature of dragons, she could see this as the reluctant olive branch it was and nodded, wondering what would be equal to her divine lasso. "You will leave my lair and return in three days' time. I have work to do thanks to the damage caused by your trespass."
They hesitated, sharing a look, but Zatanna nodded to him.
"As you wish," Zatanna agreed, appearing almost submissive towards the large creature as it stared down at her. "May I ask if you have a name? It feels disrespectful to just keep calling you 'dragon'. I am Zatanna, as you saw within my mind."
"I am Io, or at least that is the name I have chosen for myself since I was dragged to this place," Io answered, his eyes glowing as the earth and sand shifted, once again giving them a way out of the lair. "Now, begone."
Zatanna paused to bow before Io, appealing to his ego before she obeyed and turned to leave via the new passageway, not wanting to test his temper any further.
Io just watched them, golden eyes locked to their forms as they left his lair.
Once they reached the surface again, the tunnel collapsed behind them, making them share a sigh of relief.
"That could have gone worse," Miss Martian said hopefully, not quite hiding the way she was shaking slightly.
"It certainly could have, but… blue dragons aren't supposed to be telepathic, nor have that level of control over earth," Zatanna mused, looking down at the ground, knowing what was deep beneath their feet. "I think Tala's experimentations did something to him, but without more information, I can't say what. Still, he isn't unreasonable, even going as far as to save me, so things could certainly be worse."
She very carefully didn't mention the slight blush on the younger girl's cheeks. Some things were better left unanswered.
– Io –
The moment the invaders leave, I get to work. My hoard isn't safe here, so I need to relocate, stuffing everything into my inventory. That was a feature that rapidly sped up my collection, saving me many trips home.
I've learnt part of how I grow. I just get stronger over time as long as I have a hoard. The larger the hoard, the faster I grow in strength. It's why I can't just keep it all in my inventory. It doesn't make me stronger; just stuck in there. It needs to be in my lair.
But I'll take a temporary pause on my growth to make sure nobody can steal what is mine.
My new psionic powers are the fruits of my labour, much to my happiness. I needed a way to protect my mind and decided that instead of making myself an Adult Blue Dragon, it was better for me to shift my focus slightly and find a way to keep people out of my head.
[Sapphire Dragon: Young]
You are a young sapphire dragon. Sapphire dragons are known for their love of conflict and their territorial nature. They are militant by nature, studying battles and wars past to further their martial knowledge and desire martial items for their hoard, such as weapons, armour or relics from great battles past.
[Debilitating Breath]
You have the ability to unleash a burst of nigh-inaudible high-pitched sonic energy, which can panic and incapacitate your prey for easier feasting.
[Sapphire Psionics]
You have the powers of telepathy and telekinesis and are able to teleport a short distance.
I need a way to secure my lair better. They got in far too easily despite how deeply I hid it; I can't have that. Had I not been nearby, Wonder Woman could have fled with the greatest treasure of my hoard, and then I'd have no choice but to wage war to get it back. It's mine; I'll trade for it, but the Lasso of Truth belongs to me now.
It is both a very nice relic of considerable power and a weapon that I can tell has seen much combat; as such, it is perfect for me.
If she wants it back, she'll need to offer something equal in return. To accept any less would lessen my growth, lessen me.
As for their suggestion, there is logic to it. The magician and the green-skinned telepath were the two responsible for freeing me and returning my mind to me, and my new Sapphire nature points out that I don't know the strength of my enemies or their allies. I can't risk hunting Circe or Aresia without knowing who they have allied with, and I don't even know the witch's name. I risk being recaptured if I just charge after them and don't even know where to start.
I will have my revenge, but there is no shame in making an alliance to deal with those fools, as long as they don't try and stop me from claiming my vengeance. My fangs will taste their flesh for the injustice they committed upon me, and those who protect them will meet the same fate.
I felt them when they arrived in my lair, but I just burrowed deeper and hoped they'd leave. If they hadn't gone after my hoard I'd have left them alone, but blue dragons have a trick for this.
If someone invades your hoard, you just collapse the lair on top of them. Then you can get your hoard later, along with whatever loot they were carrying. Wonder Woman's armour is very impressive, it would have made a fine addition after she suffocated.
But Zatanna was one of the people who released me from the witch's control, I am not so heartless as to let one of my saviours drown in the sands if they didn't come here to kill me.
Collapsing my lair, I start to burrow away from it, heading deeper into the desert.
– Zatanna Zatara – Three Days Later –
Given her success at talking to Io, it went without saying that she'd be part of the second attempt to convince him to come with them, arriving at the location above his lair.
Io wasn't visible, but she knew he was here; she could feel him. His presence was unmistakable; she'd missed it within his lair because the entire area felt like him. The feeling of his magic sent tingles throughout her entire body, her ability to sense magic making her especially sensitive to his intense aura.
Diana dropped into a more combat-ready stance as the ground shook but quickly corrected herself as Io burst from the sands, rising out of the ground.
Moving in front of them, he was even more majestic in the light of the day. His eyes roamed over them imperiously before landing on her. Perhaps it was because she was the one to speak up last time.
"You know those that took away my freedom," Io said, his voice booming as they nodded.
"We do, Circe, a Goddess who has only recently been freed from Tartarus. Aresia, a rogue amazon of Themyscira, and Tala, an ancient sorceress. They are all members of the Legion of Doom, an alliance of villains made to counter the Justice League," Zatanna explained.
"And you," he said, turning to Diana. "I saw the man with the strange hat inside your head. He suggested you recruit me to guide me away from the evil of my kind. Is that why you came?" Io asked, lowering his head until it was almost ground level, his maw very close to Diana as the princess' hair moved with his breath. "Do you think you can change me, princess of the Amazons?"
His words were challenging, threatening even, but Diana was not easily intimidated.
"I think you're a youth, far from home and in an unfamiliar place," Diana answered calmly. "I have no doubt you have the power to take care of yourself, but I also don't want to leave you to be manipulated or recaptured by villains whose names you do not even know. We have mutual enemies, and you have great potential. It would be an honour to help you achieve it."
Io pulled back, sitting as he nodded.
"You speak wisdom; this is not my home, and I will not be enslaved again. I will aid you against this Legion, and they will learn why my kind is the apex of all species," Io claimed, wings spreading wide. "The villains of this world will cower in the shadow of my wings; they will learn to flee at the mere sight of my glorious form."
He was prideful, but given his power, could he really be blamed? He was glorious, sapphire scales shining in the desert sunlight, and now that she could see him properly, she noticed the azure-blue gemstones seemingly growing on his body along his back. There weren't many, but she was pretty sure they hadn't been there when he was in his larger, more powerful form.
A part of her wondered what his gleaming scales would feel like, but she pushed that thought down as Diana nodded.
"Are you okay with leaving your hoard undefended? I fear the Legion may have tracked our movements to find it," Diana admitted, but he simply smiled a fanged grin.
"I have already relocated my hoard. It is safe where it is," Io said. Ah, that was why he wanted them to leave. They'd exposed his hoard to danger, so he'd had to move it. "I will come with you, at least until those who wronged me have been dealt with. Afterwards, we shall see."
Zatanna smiled, looking up at the massive being who looked back at her.
She understood that there was a lot more going on, but that seemed to pale when put next to the simple fact that they had a dragon on the team.
— Bonus Scene — Tala
Her beloved had left with the League fools; this was inconvenient. Without the Legion behind her, she was hesitant to try her luck against the united heroes, who would likely attack her before she could try and convince her beloved to return to her.
Still, this wasn't the end. She had put too much into this to give up; her beloved was magnificent, already coming into his powers from what little she'd managed to find out. In time, he'd be the mightiest of all beings; even the likes of Superman wouldn't be able to stand before him.
Of course, she needed a way to stop him from devouring her on sight, but she simply smiled.
She'd be by his side again in time, at her rightful place, as he took this pathetic world for all it was worth.
Author's Note: I lied again. Merry Christmas, fuckers.
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster.
I have a Discord server with a bunch of other authors and a load of porn. So much porn.
Here's the link for that: discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
If it says it's expired, it is probably your account being unable to join NSFW servers, and you'll need to fix that. If you fix that and it still says it's expired, add me (ThePumpkinKing), and I'll invite you myself.
I've finally put my Pat reon to use after months of procrastinating. My Pat reons now have the ability to vote for which fics they'd like to see updated more during the next chapter cycle. The winner of the normal tier poll gets one extra chapter per cycle, the second tier poll gets two extra chapters, and the highest tier pat reons can pick a fic that will get three extra chapters per cycle. The current cycle is probably going to last until early-mid January, so voting is open until then. I'll also be starting the actual early access chapters around the same time, so if you want a fic to get some extra love, feel free to check it out.
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The Guild of Gamers: The Dragon by The Dark Wolf Shiro
Young Justice & Justice League Unlimited Xover Rated: M, English, Adventure & Fantasy, Words: 26k+, Favs: 2k+, Follows: 3k+, Published: Dec 24, 2023 Updated: Jan 6
507Chapter 3: The Justice League
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Mike God of Lore, Malcolm Tent, Priapus, Old man of the mountain
The Guild of Gamers, The Dragon
Chapter 03: The Justice League
– Zatanna Zatara (Zatanna) –
As she looked up at the majestic beast that was Io (though calling him a beast felt insulting even in her mind) she blinked as she realised something.
"Erm, question," Zatanna said, getting their attention. "How are we supposed to take him with us? The Watchtower might be big, but it's not exactly designed for someone as large as Io."
Wonder Woman paused, looking up at the dragon that seemed mildly amused by this.
"True, he could fit in many of the rooms, but moving around would be very difficult for him. Our doors aren't quite meant for someone that large," Diana agreed, frowning slightly. It was slightly embarrassing that nobody had thought of that yet. It would be the same if he came to join the Team with the rest of the younger heroes. Their base was not meant for someone the size of a large elephant.
Trust her; she'd seen Beast Boy try.
"An easily-solved issue, though I do this with great protest," Io said, getting their attention as he started to shrink. Her eyes widened as he rapidly shrunk down to a much smaller and more manageable size. Around the size of a large dog, Io looked up at them with some irritation in his eyes. "This world is ill-suited for one of my stature. Fortunately, I can take on a smaller form, though this weakens my power, so do not expect me to stay in my younger form for long."
She gasped in realisation. The temporal magic that Tala had used, he could harness it. Tala had used it to forcibly age him, but he'd been able to return to a younger age. She could feel his magical aura weaken, his might fading somewhat even if he was still a true monster by magical standards.
…he was also extremely cute, sitting on his hind legs and staring up at them with an imperious look, his intense golden eyes seemingly out of place on the far less intimidating form. She was certain he could return to his full power in an instant; perhaps he could even temporarily take on the ancient form he'd used to wreck Themyscira if he was pushed; his new form didn't make him less dangerous even if it made him more vulnerable. A show of trust, like them letting him into their minds?
"That will certainly help, can you hold this form for long?" Diana asked, making him scoff.
"Of course, I despise being this vulnerable, but it is no effort to remain in my child form," Io snorted. "Though, as I said, I will not remain in this form indefinitely."
"We'll think of something; if you're ready, we can return to the Watchtower now. It's the home of the Justice League," Diana explained, making him nod easily.
"My hoard is secure; I have nothing else to do here. Those who wronged me will pay. Until our mutual enemies have been crushed; we have an alliance," Io declared, which made him look even cuter as his wings flapped once. If he were in his full size, declarations of vengeance would be far more intimidating, but he just looked adorable right now.
…she could see another issue coming up. Io wanted blood; that much was clear already. The League tried to avoid killing, but somehow she didn't think Io was going to take 'we'll lock them up where they'll escape again in a few years' as an answer.
Not to mention that the Amazons already had Aresia; would he accept Queen Hippolyta's judgement when he clearly wished to dole out his own?
– Io –
My Sapphire Draconic Instincts convinced me to temporarily show weakness to my new allies. Sapphire Dragons are far more tactical than most and less bound by pride. My Blue Dragon side despises being so weak, but I can handle it for a short while.
The important thing is to gather information and allies against those who crossed me, and the promise of vengeance is enough to satiate my Blue instincts. One thing both sides agree on, this 'Legion of Doom' must fall. They will feel my fangs and claws upon their bodies and be torn apart with my sonic and lightning breath. Even the kindest of the dragons would demand nothing less for those who sought to enslave me.
Watching with interest as Diana calls for Watchtower, my own eyes widen as we're teleported away from the desert and into the futuristic base. My concerns are quickly proven valid because how can I hunt in a world I'm so unprepared for? What counter do I have to people just teleporting away like this?
Unless I adapt to this new world I have been dumped into, my quest for vengeance will go unsatiated. It is in this that my new allies will prove useful. Once the Legion has been torn apart, literally and figuratively, we shall see.
Blue Dragons are manipulative; Sapphire Dragons are tactical. Both see the value in biding my time with the Justice League, allowing me to grow stronger with the protection of these 'heroes. Of course, my Blue side wants to use this to rob anything of value from the heroes, then run off to a new lair while laughing at the naivety of these fools.
But then this is the same species that thinks it's peak humour to trick dehydrated and lost travellers into drinking sand by making it look like a pristine oasis. Basically, we're dickheads.
"How do you intend to start hunting these villains?" I ask, getting Diana's attention.
"My people have dealt with Circe before. She's very good at hiding, but her narcissism will eventually force her to come out of hiding. Aresia, we have already been captured; she fell during the battle and was taken prisoner by my people to face my mother's judgment. Tala is the one I suspect will be the hardest to find. We know very little about her, and she has apparently abandoned the Legion over this," Diana explained, making me pause.
I remember little of Tala, aside from the fact that she was responsible for both my capture and the experimentation. The other two took me from her without her knowledge, and she has broken off from the Legion because of it, then?
There are pros and cons to this; if she has gone solo, then she'll be far harder to find. It would be easy enough for a mage of her talent to hide away from the world, but it also means she has no more allies to protect her. She'll come for her project, I'm sure of it.
Circe, I am the most hesitant to hunt. Even my ego isn't eager to challenge divinity. Using my points to gain the powers and wisdom of a Sapphire Dragon was a good call because I suspect I wouldn't be so cautious with just my Blue instincts guiding me.
"You have one of my slavers captive?" I ask, focusing on what matters, but Diana gives me a look.
"Aresia is one of my Amazon sisters, even if she went rogue. I understand your rage. I have had my own freedom taken away from me before and have felt the same hunger for justice, but Aresia's actions led to the deaths of countless of our people. She will face my mother's judgement; Queen Hippolyta will be the one to decide her fate," Diana warns, and briefly, my Blue instincts flare up before I suppress them.
"Your mother, the blonde woman whom Aresia tried to challenge? I remember her," I admit, making Diana nod. "She was brave in the face of my might," I compliment.
I wrecked Wonder Woman's island and killed hundreds of her sisters, but she does not hold my actions against me. She is cautious of my might, as she should be, but she knows where the true blame should be aimed.
"What punishment does Aresia face? What does Amazonian justice look like?" I ask, making Diana pause.
"Mother has not yet decided. The League does not believe in the death sentence, but the rules of Man's world do not apply to this. Aresia may very well be executed for her crimes or locked away in Tartarus for the rest of her days," Diana explains, making me nod. From what little I saw of her, Hippolyta seemed like a good leader.
My mind brushes against Diana's again, and her eyebrow raises before she allows me entry. Seeking this' Tartarus', I nod to myself again. It is adequate, even if allowing me to eat the coward would be better. Aresia made such bold claims, but even when backed by the God of War's army and me she still failed to defeat Hippolyta, pathetic.
"Your people were the most wounded party; I shall leave this Aresia to you. If she escapes your justice, she will face mine," I warn, making Diana nod gratefully. There's no doubt in what form my justice would take, the fury in my tone making things clear. "The others are mine. Tala and Circe are the ones who violated my mind, and they will answer to me for their crimes."
Aresia may have directed me, but Tala captured and experimented on me, and Circe took my mind from me. They are my main prey; Aresia is just a weakling throwing a tantrum. If she escapes the Amazons, she'll wish she had just bared her neck to Hippolyta's blade. None of them will die easily. I care not for the Justice League's distaste for executions; their lives were mine the moment they enslaved me.
"Thank you," Diana says, not commenting on the second part. "Zatanna, Miss Martian, why don't you show our guest around? The Watchtower can be rather confusing to newcomers."
Following the witch and the green-skinned telepath, I frown slightly. Diana seemed like she was trying to get rid of me, so I wonder what she is going to do?
– Princess Diana (Wonder Woman) —
"I'll admit, I didn't think you'd convince him to come with you," Batman said in a rare showing of him admitting to being wrong. "But what exactly do you plan to do with a large, mind-reading dragon? He can't remain on the Watchtower. You said it yourself. He won't remain in this child form for long; that's not even mentioning the fact that he's not likely to accept a jail sentence for Tala or Circe."
"He rightfully wants vengeance for his enslavement, and need I remind you of the argument we have already had over Aresia?" Diana reminded him, making his scowl grow deeper. The League weren't thrilled with the idea of Aresia potentially facing the death sentence for her actions, but they had no say in Amazonian politics. Circe's actions had been a direct attack on her people, a petty revenge against her mother, Circe would also face Amazonian justice. She was a warrior at heart; she didn't share Batman's reticence to resort to lethal measures. "Though keeping him where we can keep an eye on him is wise if what Zatara has said about his instincts is correct."
"Indeed, had he not been taken away from his world, he could have grown with others of his kind and learnt to control them. A raging young dragon is no real threat to an adult dragon after all, but he'd certainly be a threat to us mortals," Zatara said with a laugh, rubbing his chin. "Still, sapphires growing out of his body? That's new, and highly curious. It's not a normal trait for his kind, and his new abilities match that of a Sapphire dragon."
"Could he be a half-breed?" Diana asked, making Zatara shake his head.
"No, there's more to it than this. I'd need to do more research, but I do not believe that dragons can be multiple types at once. I suspect Tala's experimentation is to blame. This has both benefits and potential issues. If I recall correctly, Sapphire dragons are known for being highly intelligent, militaristic and often warlike creatures. I suspect his newfound willingness to work with us comes from that tactical mindset," Zatara explained, pausing in thought. "That said, if he could develop other 'colours' at random, there are some that could be highly dangerous. Black and Red stand out as two colours that would be very dangerous to deal with."
"At least any changes should be easy to notice; we just have to watch for him changing colours," Superman said optimistically. "Which doesn't answer the main question. What do we do with him? The Team were meant to be able to act under the radar, and Io attracts a lot of attention, but I doubt he wants to remain cooped up on the Watchtower, either. We don't know where Tala or Circe have gone, especially if the rumours of Tala going rogue are true, and I don't think Io will just sit around and wait for them to return."
"I may take him to Themyscira; mother has expressed an interest in meeting him. He is different enough not to be counted as a man," Diana explained, making Clark raise an eyebrow.
"Then would I not be counted as a man? Or Martian Manhunter?" Clark asked, making her laugh slightly.
"No offence, Superman, but it's literally in your name. J'onn might be closer to being allowed to visit, but he still looks like a man, just green. You aren't wrong, though; Io should be banned from the island, which makes my mother's request to take him there more strange," Diana admitted, frowning slightly.
"Is she planning on trying to punish him for his part in the attack?" Batman asked, making her shake her head.
"No, Io is not to blame for his actions, and she knows this," Diana said confidently. She had her suspicions about what had caused her mother's request, but that didn't help clear things up. Only one group was above her mother after all, and why would the Gods want Io on Themyscira? "I will speak to her first, but since Io is a teen in draconic terms I do believe it will be best to put him with the other young heroes for now. They're investigating the Legion's actions anyway. Being a part of the hunt for his captors may convince him that working with us is for the best."
It would be better than just trying to get a very powerful and impatient being to sit on his backside and wait for Circe or Tala to show up. If they showed that the League was looking for those who had wronged him, he was less likely to leave to find them himself.
Even if she didn't blame him for the attack on her home, she suspected that it would be better for everyone if they had an eye on the large, powerful and rather arrogant dragon.
– Zatanna Zatara (Zatanna) –
Watching him scratch at himself as he sat on the bed of the guest room, she very much tried not to laugh at how doglike he was acting, failing as he turned to her balefully.
"Sorry," Zatanna said quickly, making him huff.
"I have sand stuck between my scales. Normally, I'd just go and take a dip in the ocean, but that's not really an option right now, and my control of my telekinesis isn't that fine yet. Both it and my telepathy are new developments," Io admitted, shaking slightly as he tried to dislodge the sand that was itching him. "It wasn't noticeable when I was at my true size, but the smaller I am, the more irritating small things like this become.
Megan nodded, giving him a smile.
"It took me ages to master the finer control of my own telekinesis; maybe I can help you train your telepathy and telekinesis? It'll be nice to have another person with similar powers around; I can shapeshift and use telepathy and telekinesis as well," Megan explained, getting Io's attention. "Though I can't breathe lightning, that's a bit out of my reach."
"I would… appreciate the assistance," Io admitted, sounding like he was trying not to be insulted at the idea that he needed help. Megan beamed at him, and Zatanna frowned slightly as she realised they were speaking telepathically.
"How did you get your telepathy and telekinesis? My father knows a little about your kind but I thought you were a Blue dragon," Zatanna asked, making him look up at her smugly.
"I was, and now I'm both a Blue and Sapphire Dragon, gaining the psionics of the Sapphire dragons," Io boasted, the gems on his back briefly glowing with an azure light. It made him look majestic despite his size, but then he frowned and went back to trying to dislodge the sand. Her eyes widened at his boasts, was there a limit, or would he eventually encompass every colour? The powers of every dragon in a single being sounded both terrifying and magnificent.
She could see his point; it was hard to notice grains of sand when you're the size of a bus, but now that he was smaller, it was probably very irritating.
"Do you require a bath, Io?" Megan asked, making him blink and look towards the en suite.
"...I may have underestimated how irritating sand could truly be. It's coarse, rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere," Io complained. "Either I get it out of my scales, or I go back to my full size. I will not stand for this irritation."
For some reason, she didn't want to have to explain to Batman that they had a full-sized dragon wandering around because he was annoyed by some sand, and a spark of genius struck her as she looked at him. She'd wanted to touch his scales since she first saw him, and an opportunity had presented itself.
Plus, she was somewhat annoyed at how fast Megan seemed to be befriending Io; she could be helpful, too.
– Princess Diana (Wonder Woman) –
Arriving at the room they'd chosen for Io; she let herself in after a moment of nobody answering. Immediately, she paused in confusion as she spotted something on the floor.
Zatanna's top hat sitting right next to the rest of her clothes. Following the sounds with a confused frown, she opened the door to the bathroom and stopped, her eyebrow raising at the sight before her.
"Hi!" Megan said cheerfully, wearing only a white and red bikini as she knelt down next to Io, who was covered in bubbles.
Zatanna blushed slightly, also having changed into a small black bikini as she stroked Io's scales tenderly.
"There was sand in my scales," Io helpfully added, sitting down as he let the two barely dressed teenage girls wash him. Well, she supposed it wasn't like he found the human form attractive, was it?
"Have you decided what to do with me," Io asked, his tone almost mocking and certainly somewhat menacing (an effect that was slightly ruined by the bubbles on his head). "Did the one dressed as a bat scowl again?"
She knew he'd seen their meeting about him, but it was still somewhat unnerving. She was just glad that his telepathy was not subtle; it gave her confidence that he hadn't seen more than she thought. She didn't admit that, yes, Batman had indeed scowled again.
"We have come to a decision, yes," Diana admitted, making him look up at her in curiosity. "If you are willing, we think you'd be best suited joining Zatanna and Miss Martian on the team we made for younger heroes. They could do with a heavy hitter, and it will give you an opportunity to spend time with other younger heroes."
She was mostly flattering him; the Team already had some very heavy hitters like Raven, Wonder Girl and Supergirl, but she knew Io had an ego like any male. Stroking his ego was easy enough.
"Ooh, nice. You'll like the others; they're really nice," Miss Martian said, making Io pause. Zatanna seemed happy as well, still stroking Io's gleaming scales.
"And this Legion? When do we hunt them down?" Io asked, making her smile.
"The team you're joining are already looking into the Legion's actions, as is the League ourselves. Once we find any of their hideouts, we shall strike," Diana promised, making Io relax. She didn't mention the way he was almost purring at the ministrations from the two heroines. She also tried not to think about the way they almost looked like slave girls cleaning their master. "We might not be able to find Circe or Tala directly, but we can strike at their allies and flush them out of hiding. Someone will know where they are hiding."
"Then we have an accord; until this Legion has been destroyed and ground into the dirt beneath me, we are allies, and I will assist this team," Io declared, wings flapping briefly, which sent bubbles flying everywhere. "Congratulations, heroes, for the greatest of all dragons is on your side."
Again, he'd look more majestic if his leg wasn't beating against the floor from how Megan scratched his ear.
– M'gann M'orzz (Megan Morse/Miss Martian) –
Leaving Io to nap, she smiled as she thought about her newest team member. She'd quickly learnt that people on this planet did not like telepathy, but it was as natural as breathing to her.
It was a good feeling to have someone around whom she could speak in the most natural way, and their powers were oddly similar in many ways.
It didn't escape her notice that Zatanna was getting jealous when she and Io spoke telepathically, and she hadn't missed Zatanna's apparent attraction to Io. She didn't judge; it wasn't like she had any romantic options that weren't going to be interspecies. Sure, Io was more bestial than most aliens, but there were plenty of species around that were equally different. It was his mind that really mattered, and he was certainly very intelligent, even if he was a little arrogant. She didn't really blame him, she'd seen inside his mind. An intelligent mind warring with ancient instincts.
His mind was amazing, incredibly complex, and impressive. She wondered how safe it was to have two different sets of ancestral instincts warring in his mind, Blue and Sapphire. When their minds intertwined, she could see them both when their minds intertwined.
If he kept taking more colours, would 'Io' be lost in the sea of instincts? She hoped not; he may be rather conceited but she was fairly convinced that there was a good person under his ego. She'd felt his guilt ever-so-briefly when the attack on Themyscira was brought up, intense but quickly suppressed. His rage at his enslavement was, if anything, understated. She didn't pity those who had turned him into a weapon because his fury was immense.
'This 'team', are they strong?'
She blinked and missed a step, feeling his mind touching hers as she walked away.
'They are, though some of the members fall on the weaker side.'
It was perhaps unfair, but she wouldn't lie to him. Robin and Artemis especially were normal humans, very well trained but she could see how they would not exactly impress Io.
'If they hold us back, they will be left behind. I will not tolerate weakness in the pursuit of my enemies.'
Io's rage was clear, even from this distance. He'd made the Legion his sworn enemies for their actions. She hoped he'd calm down when they started acting against the Legion because it was an intense feeling. It was almost infectious, her own fury responding to his memories of helplessness as Circe and Tala toyed with his mind.
She didn't think he meant to send the memories along with his words, but he was inexperienced, and his telepathy was powerful. Able to send entire memories and emotions along with his words. It would be fun to try and teach him how to use it.
Either way, she knew that adding Io to their team would change things. For better or for worse, she didn't know just yet, but she looked forward to seeing how things would go all the same.
– Amanda Waller –
She had access to a lot of resources, but that didn't mean infinite. Some of their plans took a considerable amount of resources, and it made losing them all the more annoying.
Tala was supposed to make them a weapon, something that could counter the League if they went rogue. It had worked, as well, given how badly her pet had destroyed the Amazonians' home. But now that weapon was rogue, Tala was missing, and to make things worse, Tala had stolen another powerful asset in the process as well, on top of killing one of their lead scientists.
Io, as he'd named himself, was Cadmus property. She intended to reclaim him. Of course, attacking a large, angry reptile that could breathe entire storms and had managed to badly hurt Supergirl was basically suicide.
Luckily, she had just the squad for the mission.
— Bonus Scene — Tala
The Legion and their Light backers had cost her dearly. If the Light hadn't been distracting her, the fools wouldn't have been able to run off with her beloved. If the Legion weren't filled with such short-sighted fools, they wouldn't have taken Io before he was ready.
Her lips twitched at her beloved's chosen name, all too fitting for the ultimate dragon. He had the potential to become the strongest dragon in the Multiverse, so it was fitting that he'd chosen to name himself after the God of Dragons.
He would hunt her; she knew this. His nature would demand justice; she did not blame him. He was taken from her before he could truly understand what she was doing for his benefit. He didn't understand that everything she did, she did for him. Aresia and Circe had ruined things, but she was not one to give up easily.
With the Light and Legion to blame, she'd decided to return the favour. They'd cost her Io, so she'd return the favour and cost them one of their tools. She'd need the protection anyway, as Io had started to grow and to hunt. Until she could convince him of her sincerity, she would be his prey. If he still wished for her death once she enlightened him, she would bare her neck and allow him to devour her.
Already, he'd started to grow; the Light's infiltration of the League's systems showed that. The sapphires growing from his body showed that he'd added the Sapphire Dragon to his powers. It made sense; after being used so crudely he would want to ensure it could not happen again. Taking the psionic powers of a Sapphire dragon would help him protect his mind from future intrusions.
Smiling, she looked at her latest acquisition.
"How are you feeling?" Tala asked, making the young woman blink, blue eyes coming back into focus.
"Strange," Galatea replied, making Tala nod.
"It is unsurprising. Your 'father' was a hack, and even now, you are linked to Supergirl with bonds even I could not untangle," Tala said, looking over her prize. Galatea was powerful and beautiful and had reasons to hate the Light. She would make a fine bride for her beloved. Of course, the clone's mind was made to be pliable, so a little magical encouragement helped turn her to Tala's cause. "It will fade, and I have removed the insurance they put in your body. They have no control over you anymore."
Galatea gave her a small, grateful smile in response, even as her fists clenched. With a little magical nudging, Galatea had happily crushed Emil's head like a grape, officially ending her partnership with the Light.
The Light and their puppets had cost her Io, so she had taken their pet Kryptonian in response. Making Galatea despise her creators wasn't hard, and it gave her a powerful ally for what was to come.
Author's Note: This chapter was delayed by the fight for Liberty and Managed Democracy. Are you doing your part against the bug and bot menace?
It's also shorter because I wanted to have him joining the Young Justice team (I hate that they never named it anything but 'The Team) next chapter.
I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I'll probably write faster. I do read every review/comment, because it gives me the happy brain chemicals and motivates me to write more. My body is a machine that turns positive reviews into new chapters.
I have a Patreo n, where my supporters can vote on which fics get bonus chapters each cycle and have access to advance chapters, up to ten chapters ahead of the public release. Feel free to check it out. I also set up a Subscribe Star as well, more or less just as a backup/test to see which I prefer.
The chapters are available on Discord if you're a Patreo n and on the site directly on Subscribe Star due to the different site rules, so if you don't use Discord or have issues finding the chapters, Subscribe Star is the better choice.
The Advance Chapters
Basic Tier (Employee)
The Planeswalker, Ch08
Gold Tier (Manager)
New Game Plus, Ch07
The Sorcerer's Legacy, Ch08
Plat Tier (System)
The Tamer, Ch12
A Sorcerer's Ambition, Ch25
The Nightmare, Ch12
Diamond Tier (Founder)
The Guide to Conquest, Ch08
The Origin, Ch03
The Tamer, Ch13
The Warlord, Ch13
The Quest
Celestial Roulette, Ch01-04
Links:
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