Tera rolled her eyes at the comment that Mike made to the boys. It didn't seem to upset either one of them which was huge because usually Tim would get all kinds of bent out of shape at a comment like that. He always tells his dad that it would be social suicide if any of his classmates heard him even make a joke about him being gay. The reason for this is the amount of devout christians. You can't throw a rock without hitting at least five churches. Everyone in town is extremely religious to the point it's sickening. And Tim is worried that if the wrong person hears his dad joke like that it would cause trouble.
"I will meet you three here at six" she said as the boys got out of the van.
"why so late" asked Tim
"Because Dean has Drama club after school" said Mike "and mom doesn't want him being alone right now"
The boys said their goodbyes to Tera and started to walk towards the school building. The middle school and high school shared an entrance. They were connected by a hallway that housed the principal and vice principal's offices as well as the guidance counselors offices. The high school was to the right and housed grades nine through twelve whereas the middle school was to the left and housed grades six through eight. The elementary school was a separate building and housed preschool through fifth grade. The middle and high school also shared an auditorium and a lunch room.
The boys passed the F.C.A which stand for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. It was a group of students from all sorts of different sports or music programs that would get together every morning before classes began and pray. They would also get together outside of school and do bible study. At least that's what it started out as. Now its a group for gossipers to talk about folks who they think are going to hell. They just make it look good with their prayers around the flagpole.
Once they entered the building Tim had to say goodbye to the older two as he was only in the sixth grade. But he didn't leave without giving Dean a hug and telling him to be safe. Dean stood their and watched Tim as he rounded the corner into the middle schools sixth grade hallway. Mike watched this and smiled. "They haven't even bonded yet and their this close? I've heard of protectors being protective and loving after being bonded but this is on another level." he thought. He rolled his eyes as Dean was still standing in the same spot staring at the empty middle school hallway. "come on dude" he said as he shook Dean "were going to late for class"
They walked up the stairs to the tenth grade hallway. They had to go separate ways as their lockers were on opposite ends of the hallway. Dean walked to his locker and opened it up putting his bag inside and grabbing his books for the first part of the day. Dean was a bit confused as to why he was feeling like he had lost his best friend forever. He didn't really have that close of a relationship with the younger boy before today. He didn't even give the boy a second thought most days actually. So why all of a sudden can he not bear to be away from the kid. None of what's happened in the last day or so has made any sense. Dean felt a tear roll down his face as he walked to class. Why was he crying. He quickly wipes it away before anyone could see. He sniffed the snot that was threatening to escape from his nostrils back up and tried to tuck his wild emotions away and took his seat.
"Dude, you really need to wipe your face. The tear stains and watery eyes make you look like a little boy that misses his protector" he said as he introduced the word to Dean.
Dean's eyes went wide at the mention of the word. He remembered what Mr. Wayne said. "shut up....I do not look like a little boy that misses his protector... I don't even know what that means." he lied partially, then crossed his arms.
"ok pouty puss" Mike chuckled "whatever you say. But you really need to pull it together and control those little boy emotions raging inside that little body of yours.....you're making it rain" he whispered in Dean's ear.
"are you nuts" he asked his friend "it's a perfectly sunny day...out....side...." Dean had trailed off as he glanced at the torrential downpour that was happening outside. "am I doing that" he thought "no, controlling the weather is something out of a superhero movie. It's impossible to do in real life" just then he felt fingers on his side as they danced in place eliciting a yelp then a giggle. "hehehehe don't tickle me, stupid, hehehe" he giggled as Mike continued tickling the boy.
Mike's efforts were paying off. The rain was stopping so he doubled his efforts and used both hands. This flung Dean into a fit of the purest laughter anyone has ever heard. It was so powerful that it filled everyone in the room with energy, chasing away their fatigue. The plants in the room decided to show their appreciation by growing to triple their size and blooming in the most beautiful flowers. Mikes eyes grew wide as he saw this happen and stopped tickling the boy.
"oh look Mike" said Dean in a happy tone "the suns out again." he leaned over and Mike seeing this leaned over as well. "thank you, i feel so much better"
"you and every living thing in this area does" said Mike
Just then then the teacher walked into the room and her jaw about hit the floor. "look at my plants" she gushed "they are so gorgeous and big. I don't know what just happened but I feel like I could run a marathon"
Their teacher proceeded to take attendance. Then came the morning announcements. "Not to bring the mood down but some new rules have been put in place in light of recent events. Until further notice students who do not drive must either carpool with friends or be brought in by a parent or guardian. The perpetrator in yesterday's massacre is still at large according to police. All afterschool activities are temporarily suspended until the investigation is complete. The city has declared the woods as restricted. This means you will be charged with trespassing and arrested if caught. To add to that you will also be suspended. Let me repeat that. The woods are off limits from now on. On another note investigators will be calling students out of class to question them on the events of yesterday. Do not be alarmed if you are call, you are not a suspect. Does anyone have any questions?"
"Is everyone being called or just certain people?" asked a girl in the back.
"Just certain people. I believe" she said
The day went by like any other. Mike was called in for questioning at 2pm and told Dean that they asked the standard who, what, when, where, and how questions. He also mentioned that he most likely wouldn't get called in. They were looking for a bigger guy that was strong. Someone capable of killing a person with one blow. Dean sighed in relief. He was a horrible liar and the investigators would have seen right through him in a second.
When the last bell for the day rang and their things were put into their lockers, Mike and Dean headed to the cafeteria to get a snack while they waited on Timothy to be done. Dean wanted to ask Mike about the whole protector thing and why all this stuff kept happening to him and why he even needed a protector in the first place. But Dean didn't think the school lunchroom was the right place to do that.
Mike wanted to test a theory and so whipped out the old smartphone and opened his movie app. He went to the the little kid section of the app and chose a movie that had pups as emergency responders and handed it to Dean.
"really" said Dean "you know I don't watch cartoons anymore"
"you haven't been able to watch cartoons" said Mike "there's a difference. I think if given the chance you would still be watching them. Tim does"
"Tim also just turned twelve not that long ago. So that's not a very good example." he responded as he watch the screen in his hand.
While Dean was focused on the movie he claimed he didn't want to watch. Mike was texting with Tera and told her that after school activities were canceled till further notice. She offered to come get them so they weren't waiting till the middle school let out but Mike told her they would be fine waiting. He glanced at the boy beside him who was now engrossed in the movie and chuckled. He put his arm around the boy and watch it with him.
"you guys watched Paw Patrol without me" said the voice of a disappointed boy.
"See how the time flies when you're watching an entertaining movie" said Mike as he patted Dean on the back.
"I guess" Dean responded as they headed for the exit. They Greeted Tera and as they piled into the van. Mike in the front, Tim and Dean in the back. As they were heading back to Mike's house Dean popped the question. "so....you guys are my protectors huh"
Tera nearly spit the drink out of her mouth when Dean said this and looked at Mike. "well sweetheart I guess I should ask you how you know about protectors first" she asked
"My attorney, Andrew Wayne told me that every non human good and bad felt my energy pulse yesterday and that I needed to learn to control my emotions. He wouldn't tell me how he knew it was me though or how he would know of such things. He just said to ask my protectors. It didn't take me long to figure out that was you guys." explained Dean
"didn't you say you knew that attorney" Mike asked Tera
"He must have been really good at hiding his tracks because I did not detect anything" she said
"what did this guy look like" asked Mike
"He had golden brown skin. That was flawless now that I think about it" she said
"It couldn't be.....could it. Why would he be here in this little farming hub of a town" said Mike more to himself then anyone else.
"who" asked Dean
"Set" said Mike
"Set....like the Egyptian god of the sun....that Set" askeds Dean
"most likely"
"isn't that bad" asked Dean "I mean, he's an anunnaki. They fooled the humans into thinking they were gods and turned them into a slave race basicly."
"It's not bad" said Tera "the anunnaki just took advantage of the humans like all of us have in the past. Even the aglings took advantage of them. The anunnaki just have a bad reputation for only helping when they think it benefits them"
"anyway to answer your original question, you only have one protector and the aglings are the only entities in the cosmos that get them." said Mike
"and which one of you is my protector" asked Dean as he looked at his best friend.
"which one do you think it is" asked Tim as he looked at Dean
Dean looked back at Tim and didn't even have to think about it. "it's you" he said "you're my protector"
Tim nodded and smiled as he hugged Dean. "you were expecting it to be him weren't you. He's way too old to be a protector now"
"what do you mean hes only sixteen" said Dean
"that's just a disguise" said Tim "he's a lot older than that. Like a lot"
"how is that possible" asked dean in confusion "we've known each other since preschool"
"dragons develop the ability to control their age at around a hundred years of age. Most dragons choose to look about twenty five to thirty years old. Even our matriarch who is over a million looks to be in her thirties" Said Mike
"so if you're not sixteen then how old are you"
"he's old enough to be your grandpa" Tim said laughing
Dean's eyes went wide as he stared at Mike "your an old man?"
"hey, i'm actually still considered a young dragon for five hundred years old" he said in his own defence.
"I was wrong" said Dean "your not an old man. Your older than an old man. You're older than the crypt keeper. Your love for the old people video games makes sense now"
Tera looked at Mike and laughed "you need some ointment Mike" she asked between giggles "because that was a pretty good burn"
"I guess I deserved that" said Mike
Dean looked a Tim with sad eyes "does that mean your older than me as well" he asked in a tone that suggested he was about to cry.
"i'm actually the same age as you...well i've been around the same amount of time as you. Dragons age four times slower than humans so that would be one birthday every four years." he said as he rubbed Deans back in an attempt to keep the sun out at least until they got into the house.
"so how old are you really" asked Dean
"promise you won't laugh" asked Tim with a worried look.
"I promise" said Dean
"I'm only four" he said with his hung in embarrassment.
"like...four years old" he asked Tim who nodded his head "why do you look like a twelve year old then?"
"its a spell daddy put on me so the humans didn't ask questions" said Tim
"when we move i'll remove the spell so he can be his normal age" said Mike
"I didn't know you guys were moving." said Dean
"source trusted me enough to let me care for one of his own as well as his protector. Did you honestly think I would let you go anywhere with me close by. You are nowhere near ready to be on your own."
"how'd you know I was gonna leave?" he asked as they walked into the house.
"Dean my boy I know you probably more than you know yourself. I knew the moment you got your inheritance and your emancipation you'd be gone"
"if you were tasked with caring for me, why was I living with humans" he asked
"you never were supposed to be. You guys were supposed to be raised together" said Tera "you magically appeared at the moment Timothy hatched from his egg. Surprised the heck out of Mike."
"Tera had agreed to watch Timothy while I took you up to get some sunshine. I must have fallen a sleep because when I woke up you were gone. They must have thought I was dead because dragons tend to sleep like the dead. It took us a month to track you down. By the time we found you and we figured out who had you it was to late, you were already in the human system and we had no proof that you were supposed to be ours. so we had no choice but to watch you grow up and protect you like we have been"
"so....Virgil was correct. I was kidnapped. All that nonsense about me having to go to the doctor to get looked at was all an act" he said as he looked up at Mike. Mike saw tears well up in the boys eyes "was our....entire friendship an act" he sniffled. Dean couldn't hold in his tears anymore and they rolled down his cheeks. The look in Mikes eyes said it all. Dean felt his heart braking and the tears doubled as he broke down into heart wrenching sobs. Wanting to get away he ran out their back door and into their Garden area where he hid and curled up into the fetal position and continued to cry.