Oh, shit!
The creature was huge, almost Elder-size, and his emerald eyes were already open. His massive head lifted, the fanged jaws opening in attack, and all I could do was stare up at him, rooted to the spot by both awe and an alien, paralyzing terror.
Is this what humans feel when they look upon a dragon?
Fortunately, the Mad Mink wasn't so easily impressed. The M203 in his hands made a loud TONK, and an M651 40-millimeter shell went zipping across the intervening space. An instant later, the dragon's head disappeared within an explosion of white crystalline powder that glittered prettily, like fine new snow in the dim light from outside. There was a moment of shocked silence. . . .
. . . .Then the dragon screamed.
As quickly as we could we worked our way around the thrashing behemoth, most of us with our shoulders hunched against the sheer ear-splitting volume of the choked, gargling howls of agony. Jeez, that's torn it! As I hurried past I glanced back, flinched when I saw the dragon's slate-gray scales running red as he clawed wildly at his own face. I thought about what it must be like for someone with senses several orders of magnitude keener than a human's to take a full load of military mace right in the face, and winced in sympathy. Sorry pal, but maybe you'll pick the right side next time.
I almost slammed into Deebs before I realized the rest of the team had ground to an abrupt halt in front of me. "Deebs? What the hell are you—"
Then I saw what everyone was staring at.
Situated in almost the exact center of the warehouse's vast floor was a waist-high pile of tattered old mattresses, arranged into what was unmistakably a nest, and within that nest, three pairs of jewel-bright eyes stared at us. I didn't have time for more than a single indrawn breath before there came an electrifying hiss from within that nest and three gleaming forms launched themselves at us in a glittering cascade of metallic scales.
The clicking sound of safeties flipping off came to my ears as heavy assault rifles were brought to bear. "NO!" Frantically I clawed my way to the front of the team, shoving Luce roughly aside as I put myself between the humans and my attacking children.
My children. Ancestors, how beautiful they were! Already the size of Bengal tigers and far, far more deadly, they gleamed the colors of gunsteel, chromium, and quicksilver, their luminescent eyes glowing with savage anticipation, their glittering talons tearing chips from the concrete floor as they accelerated straight for me.
Lord, man, shift! They don't recognize you in this form! SHIFT BEFORE THEY RIP YOU TO SHREDS! I blinked, tried to shift, but there wasn't enough time. My heart in my throat, I swung the dart gun up, my finger tightening on the trigger as I prayed to anyone willing to listen. . . .
The lead dragonet was within twenty feet of me when suddenly the child's eyes went huge. Jaws lined with gleaming fangs closed with a snap reminiscent of a bear trap and four sets of talons dug into the floor, the child actually sitting down in its frantic effort to stop. Less than a second later dragonets number two and three plowed into their leader from behind, all of them going down into a thrashing heap of legs, tails and nascent wings, literally right at my feet.
It took several long, almost-comical seconds for them to untangle themselves and get back to their feet, then the leader of the little pack gingerly extended his head and began sniffing gently at my black coveralls. A pause, then the dragonet began to make a strange purring noise, almost a croon as the child began to rub the side of his armored head against me. Within moments the other two were following suit, and I found myself surrounded by rubbing, purring, happy children.
I allowed myself the luxury of closing my eyes for the amount of time needed to draw in a breath and let it out in a huge gust, a giddy rush of both joy and relief almost sending me toppling to the grimy floor. But then I frowned and looked about myself, scanning the surrounding dimness for someone I'd both hoped and dreaded to see.
Where in the hell was Pasqual?
"Max! MAX!" Reluctantly, I turned to look at a frantically gesturing Lucifer. "Max! We still need to block the other stairwell! Can you control them?"
I blinked, then shook my head to clear it. "Um, yeah. Go ahead; I'll hang onto them."