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Description
At first, there was nothing. Only his thoughts permeating the endless void.
"Where am I?"
"What happened to me?"
He asked these questions in his mind, with no one to ask and no way to ask them. Confused, he existed, with no reason other than to simply exist, as if to spite the void in which he inhabited. Just him, alone, floating in nothing.

*PHASE ONE* Out of nowhere a hard metallic female voice rang, stirring him out of his idle reverie. Soon after, there was a deep heavy rumble, that escalated into a titanic crescendo, a thunder clap to end all thunders. It went through his mind like a bullet, and mentally he cried out in anguish. When it eventually subsided and died away, it left him badly shaken, which meant it took him a while to realize he now possessed a body.

He had limbs, he could touch, and feel... but what was he feeling? The sensation was unfamiliar, unsettling even, as something cold slid all over his form. He tried to open his eyes and determine what, but found he could not. As far as he could tell, his body was curled in on itself tightly, limbs bundled together and unresponsive to his commands. This worried him, to have a body and not be able to use it was tantalizingly irritating.

*PHASE ONE COMPLETE. INITIATE PHASE TWO* Again, the metallic voice boomed through his brain, followed soon after by a solid thump to his chest. Unable to recoil, prepare or even clench his teeth, he could do nothing but scream in his head as there was another rattling thump, and another, increasing in tempo until it became a regular thrashing beat within his ribcage, joined by a rhythm of his chest inflating and deflating, hard at first, but then less so.

Willing himself to persevere through this grueling torture, he could not perceive what was happening beyond the fact Were he to complain, even mentally, it might take it from him again, confining him to the void from whence he came. So he steeled himself, and eventually the thumping beat subsided to a more tolerable level. He was still unable to move, but from what he could gather his vitals were being activated. Pleased, he awaited the end of Phase Two.

*PHASE TWO COMPLETE. HAZARD PROTOCOLS NOW ENGAGED. WARNING, PHASE THREE WILL COMMENCE IN 10,9...* The numbers racked through his mind, heavy and hard. Phase Three sounded like it could be dangerous, he anxiously awaited the end of the countdown, hoping he would be able to take on whatever was coming his way, or in the very least survive it. *4, 3, 2, 1... PHASE THREE, COMMENCING*

And with that came a sudden WHACK! through his body like a lightning bolt, coursing through him and sizzling down to his extremities leaving them sore and tightened. The electricity went through and died to a numbness. The slick feeling on his body became more erratic and began to increase in temperature, from ice chilling to a more comfortable cool sensation.

Again, he tried to move, and could barely contain his excitement when his fingers jerkily responded to his commands, curling and tapping lightly on the side of his biceps. Gradually, more of his extremities gained function, his fingers, then his hands. His feet clenched under his legs, as his tail lightly flicked in front of his muzzle. First his left wing, leathery and thick, unfurled slightly, then his right, stretching to their full extent and clenching against his back. Slowly, but surely, the dragon opened his eyelids and saw for the first time.

Green was the first color he saw, everything around him was tinted with a deep green tone, hazed and out of focus. It was when a bubble went past his cheek that he realized that he was in fact submerged in a green liquid, confined in what he could only assume was a glass tank... but how? He had no memory, his only experience had been his time in the void and what had happened up to this point. And yet he simply knew he was in a glass tank full of green viscous liquid. However, the tank was big enough for him to move, and so he did, unsteadily placing his hands on the steel grill underneath his feet and pushing himself up from the bottom, crawling towards the edge to peer out through the glass.

And there was something outside, peering in.

It wasn't a dragon, and that somehow saddened him, for reasons he didn't know. Instead it was a human who stepped back from the glass tank in shock. It wore a white jacket of some kind, one he mentally pinned to the humans that studied science. The dragon waited, watching his companion with a wary eye, until it approached and placed a small hand against the glass in front of his muzzle, almost trying to feel him. The dragon pulled his own hand up and slapped it against the inner wall of the glass. Out. The dragon wanted out of this tank.

The human seemed to tremble at his motion, and its eyebrows furrowed as it checked where the dragons hand hit, checking the integrity of the glass. It pointed to its mouth and made wide mouth expressions, stretching and contorting its lips, til the dragon realised it was trying to communicate. "Can you understand me?"

The dragon nodded, planning ahead in his mind. Either the human was going to let him out, or he was going to smash his way out. Either way this tank was not going to confine him for long, the humans reaction testified to that. Oblivious to his planning, the human then mouthed "Do you know who you are?"

Do I... He didn't. He was a dragon, he knew that, but beyond that his identity was a complete mystery to him. He responded with a curt shake of his head, trying to mask his concern on the matter. The human's frown deepened at this, and it tapped away at a keyboard, with an interface made of light flickering away to its fingers. He watched this intently, and was so focused he didn't acknowledge the liquid he was immersed in was draining away from the tank, until it swirled past his muzzle and away from the mouth.

His lungs suddenly convulsed, as though something had crushed them inside his ribs, and he flailed against the glass in agony, eyes clenched and fingers wrapped around his throat, making gasps and wheezes as he fought for oxygen. Eventually his insides knotted together and he spewed forth a chest full of green gunk, spattered against the glass chamber.

His heaving over, his chest on fire, he slapped against the side of the glass again, forcefully this time. The glass didn't give, but the scientist noticed, and after a few more flurries of button pressing the glass chamber whirred and withdrew upwards. The human approached him, although being sure to keep out of his reach.

"Are you... are you ok?"

The dragon coughed violently, a wad of green phlegm coming out and hitting the human square in the face, knocking it over with a cry of surprise. The dragon pushed away from the floor and got to his feet, limping slightly as he walked over and held out a hand, to help the human to its feet. His throat raw and his chest still somewhat in pain, he was able to rasp out a quiet "Sorry."

"I should have made sure the Jelex was out of your system before I approached" the human said with a feminine voice, confirming to the dragon it was in fact a lady. She flinched at the offered hand, but reluctantly grabbed onto a finger and pulled herself onto her feet. "S- You, you're having memory fluctuations. It was most likely impaired as a direct result of the procedure."

"My.. memory is im-impaired?" The dragon responded numbly. "Will it.. can I rememb- how do I re-"

"I'm sorry, but it might be permanent." The lady human concluded "There was mutations throughout the implant, the genetic grafts took to you too well and the added bioactive tissue meant there were com-"

The dragon raised his hand to halt the lady human, her words were confusing him too much "Who... who am I?"

"Volunteer 4A, that's all this record says." She rubbed one of her hands along the side of his huge tail gently, pushing against his thick skin "Project administration will know, I'll ask them right away. Just.. stay here."

She went back to her light interface and tapped away at the console as he strained his head, trying to remember who he was. Dragon, he was Dragon. Was Dragon his name? No that's what he was, not who. She leaned in towards a microphone and asked "This is Jane Heynolds, volunteer 4A has completed Phase Three without incident, but has had complications with his memory synapses. Could we confirm his identity please?"

"Right away Doctor Heynolds" a male voice smoothly replied. "4A... here we go. Name confirmed as Samuel Dora-"*KSSSSSSH!

The name was cut off by a radio squawk, and a deep BOOOOM! resounded throughout the lab, rattling all the specimen tubes and sending two of them smashing on the floor. The lights turned red, and a familiar metallic voice echoed throughout the room *ALERT! BREACH IN SECTORS 4,5,7,9..."

"Shit!" Heynolds exclaimed, angrily thumping her fist against her console. "We have to go, they've gotten in. Follow me" She ran off down towards the end of the room and disappeared through a door... that was too small for him to use.

However, this was a body of strength, strength soon realized as he pushed against the door and the wall gave way, crumbling against his touch as brittle as wet sand. He growled as he shook his wings to get the remnants off his hide and looked around.

It was evening, and the sky was streaked with red and orange hues, as well as streams of black smoke. He could see several buildings like the one he had exited, most of them on fire or blasted to pieces. Rubble was strewn across the ground, mingled with the crumpled remains of humans, their blood staining the dirt in dark pools. And amongst the slaughter and destruction, the dragon saw a black figure, almost as tall as him, smashing a building to pieces with a cannon torn off of a tank. It was hunched over, making low growls as it pummeled through the building, silencing the cries of the humans trapped within.

"Oh Christ." Heynolds exclaimed, looking at all the wreckage. "Daniels.. McKay... S-Samuel you have to stop it... please..."

"STOP!" He called with a deep and booming voice. A voice with as much anger as authority. He growled as he approached the figure, his feet leaving hollows in the earth, his tail swishing from left to right.

But if the dragon intimidated this creature, it didnt show. Instead it turned around, dropping its makeshift club and brandishing long sinewy claws to bear. It howled a monstrous cry as it launched itself into the air and down on Samuel with a slash, slicing into his hide. The dragon roared with anger and used his hands to grab onto the wretched things arms, meaning to tear them from its body.

It writhed in pain as the dragon tugged, but in a desperate bid for escape it opened its maw and latched its teeth into Samuels neck, drawing blood. He relinquished his grip, leaving it free to lash out with its claws again.

The dragon wasn't ready this time, and the claws found their mark, digging in behind his breast plating and leaving three deep gashes down his side. He grunted and staggered back, kicking aside a scrap pile of car in the process. Blood seeped from his wounds, dribbling down his side in small red rivulets.

Something, unknown even to him, began to surge and course throughout his body. His heartbeat ramped up to a dense pounding and his skin sparked and tingled. He fought through it in his head and regained focus, clenching his hand into a fist and ramming it into the creature's chest. It let out an ear deafening screech and flailed back, grabbing at the crunched pit in its middle. Victory was near.

But it held its ground, not falling from the blow. It's screech turned into a low growl of pure fury, and it launched itself at the dragon one more time, in an all or nothing attack.

That's when something weird happened.

Samuel's heartbeat suddenly roared in his ears, his insides burning and pulsing with activity, his breath slowed to a stop. Everything in him jolted at once, and the arteries on his left arm pulsed, glowing a pale blue under his skin. They became brighter as they descended down his arm, illuminated at his wrist in a web of light. There was a flash in his palm, and out of nowhere Samuel's hand was firmly grasped around the handle of a long steel sword, shimmering with the failing light of the day's end.

The dragon wasn't going to question where this weapon had materialised from, not when it had come at such a desperate time. He gritted his teeth, pivoted his chest and in one deft movement swung the sword into the oncoming monster. He was rewarded with a splatter of black ichor across his muzzle and two resounding *THUD* noises as the two halves of his adversary crashed into the dirt, twitching and gurgling as it died.

The dragon went to look at his new sword, to discover his fist was clenched around nothing, the weapon gone as quickly and mysteriously as it had appeared. His other hand pinned against the bite on his neck, he staggered towards where Heynolds had last been, to find her kneeling at one of the dead corpses, clasping its limp hand firmly in her own.

"Barkson..." she murmured under her breath as he approached, "Guess we won't be going to Proxima."

"Friend of yours?" The dragon asked, unsure what else to say.

"Husband." she replied, letting his hand fall against the ground. "Love in such times of darkness.. it was a rare thing to find."

Samuel went to proffer support, but a radio crackled into life from a nearby vehicle. "This is Outpost 31, calling Station Alpha! Station Alpha we are under attack! Station Alpha please send backup! Send anything, please we are under attack! Please! Help!" Gunfire chirped across the comms, followed by an inhuman howl. More of these monsters, maybe a lot more.

The dragon grimly grabbed the tiny receiver between two fingers and pressed on the transmit button. He barely knew who or what he was, what these creatures were, or why they were destroying human settlements. But they were creatures of the dark, beasts of wrath and annihilation, and he could not stand by and let them continue to take more lives. At least that much, he knew of himself.

"Outpost 31, this is Samuel Dora. Help is on its way."

Description
At first, there was nothing. Only his thoughts permeating the endless void.
"Where am I?"
"What happened to me?"
He asked these questions in his mind, with no one to ask and no way to ask them. Confused, he existed, with no reason other than to simply exist, as if to spite the void in which he inhabited. Just him, alone, floating in nothing.

*PHASE ONE* Out of nowhere a hard metallic female voice rang, stirring him out of his idle reverie. Soon after, there was a deep heavy rumble, that escalated into a titanic crescendo, a thunder clap to end all thunders. It went through his mind like a bullet, and mentally he cried out in anguish. When it eventually subsided and died away, it left him badly shaken, which meant it took him a while to realize he now possessed a body.

He had limbs, he could touch, and feel... but what was he feeling? The sensation was unfamiliar, unsettling even, as something cold slid all over his form. He tried to open his eyes and determine what, but found he could not. As far as he could tell, his body was curled in on itself tightly, limbs bundled together and unresponsive to his commands. This worried him, to have a body and not be able to use it was tantalizingly irritating.

*PHASE ONE COMPLETE. INITIATE PHASE TWO* Again, the metallic voice boomed through his brain, followed soon after by a solid thump to his chest. Unable to recoil, prepare or even clench his teeth, he could do nothing but scream in his head as there was another rattling thump, and another, increasing in tempo until it became a regular thrashing beat within his ribcage, joined by a rhythm of his chest inflating and deflating, hard at first, but then less so.

Willing himself to persevere through this grueling torture, he could not perceive what was happening beyond the fact Were he to complain, even mentally, it might take it from him again, confining him to the void from whence he came. So he steeled himself, and eventually the thumping beat subsided to a more tolerable level. He was still unable to move, but from what he could gather his vitals were being activated. Pleased, he awaited the end of Phase Two.

*PHASE TWO COMPLETE. HAZARD PROTOCOLS NOW ENGAGED. WARNING, PHASE THREE WILL COMMENCE IN 10,9...* The numbers racked through his mind, heavy and hard. Phase Three sounded like it could be dangerous, he anxiously awaited the end of the countdown, hoping he would be able to take on whatever was coming his way, or in the very least survive it. *4, 3, 2, 1... PHASE THREE, COMMENCING*

And with that came a sudden WHACK! through his body like a lightning bolt, coursing through him and sizzling down to his extremities leaving them sore and tightened. The electricity went through and died to a numbness. The slick feeling on his body became more erratic and began to increase in temperature, from ice chilling to a more comfortable cool sensation.

Again, he tried to move, and could barely contain his excitement when his fingers jerkily responded to his commands, curling and tapping lightly on the side of his biceps. Gradually, more of his extremities gained function, his fingers, then his hands. His feet clenched under his legs, as his tail lightly flicked in front of his muzzle. First his left wing, leathery and thick, unfurled slightly, then his right, stretching to their full extent and clenching against his back. Slowly, but surely, the dragon opened his eyelids and saw for the first time.

Green was the first color he saw, everything around him was tinted with a deep green tone, hazed and out of focus. It was when a bubble went past his cheek that he realized that he was in fact submerged in a green liquid, confined in what he could only assume was a glass tank... but how? He had no memory, his only experience had been his time in the void and what had happened up to this point. And yet he simply knew he was in a glass tank full of green viscous liquid. However, the tank was big enough for him to move, and so he did, unsteadily placing his hands on the steel grill underneath his feet and pushing himself up from the bottom, crawling towards the edge to peer out through the glass.

And there was something outside, peering in.

It wasn't a dragon, and that somehow saddened him, for reasons he didn't know. Instead it was a human who stepped back from the glass tank in shock. It wore a white jacket of some kind, one he mentally pinned to the humans that studied science. The dragon waited, watching his companion with a wary eye, until it approached and placed a small hand against the glass in front of his muzzle, almost trying to feel him. The dragon pulled his own hand up and slapped it against the inner wall of the glass. Out. The dragon wanted out of this tank.

The human seemed to tremble at his motion, and its eyebrows furrowed as it checked where the dragons hand hit, checking the integrity of the glass. It pointed to its mouth and made wide mouth expressions, stretching and contorting its lips, til the dragon realised it was trying to communicate. "Can you understand me?"

The dragon nodded, planning ahead in his mind. Either the human was going to let him out, or he was going to smash his way out. Either way this tank was not going to confine him for long, the humans reaction testified to that. Oblivious to his planning, the human then mouthed "Do you know who you are?"

Do I... He didn't. He was a dragon, he knew that, but beyond that his identity was a complete mystery to him. He responded with a curt shake of his head, trying to mask his concern on the matter. The human's frown deepened at this, and it tapped away at a keyboard, with an interface made of light flickering away to its fingers. He watched this intently, and was so focused he didn't acknowledge the liquid he was immersed in was draining away from the tank, until it swirled past his muzzle and away from the mouth.

His lungs suddenly convulsed, as though something had crushed them inside his ribs, and he flailed against the glass in agony, eyes clenched and fingers wrapped around his throat, making gasps and wheezes as he fought for oxygen. Eventually his insides knotted together and he spewed forth a chest full of green gunk, spattered against the glass chamber.

His heaving over, his chest on fire, he slapped against the side of the glass again, forcefully this time. The glass didn't give, but the scientist noticed, and after a few more flurries of button pressing the glass chamber whirred and withdrew upwards. The human approached him, although being sure to keep out of his reach.

"Are you... are you ok?"

The dragon coughed violently, a wad of green phlegm coming out and hitting the human square in the face, knocking it over with a cry of surprise. The dragon pushed away from the floor and got to his feet, limping slightly as he walked over and held out a hand, to help the human to its feet. His throat raw and his chest still somewhat in pain, he was able to rasp out a quiet "Sorry."

"I should have made sure the Jelex was out of your system before I approached" the human said with a feminine voice, confirming to the dragon it was in fact a lady. She flinched at the offered hand, but reluctantly grabbed onto a finger and pulled herself onto her feet. "S- You, you're having memory fluctuations. It was most likely impaired as a direct result of the procedure."

"My.. memory is im-impaired?" The dragon responded numbly. "Will it.. can I rememb- how do I re-"

"I'm sorry, but it might be permanent." The lady human concluded "There was mutations throughout the implant, the genetic grafts took to you too well and the added bioactive tissue meant there were com-"

The dragon raised his hand to halt the lady human, her words were confusing him too much "Who... who am I?"

"Volunteer 4A, that's all this record says." She rubbed one of her hands along the side of his huge tail gently, pushing against his thick skin "Project administration will know, I'll ask them right away. Just.. stay here."

She went back to her light interface and tapped away at the console as he strained his head, trying to remember who he was. Dragon, he was Dragon. Was Dragon his name? No that's what he was, not who. She leaned in towards a microphone and asked "This is Jane Heynolds, volunteer 4A has completed Phase Three without incident, but has had complications with his memory synapses. Could we confirm his identity please?"

"Right away Doctor Heynolds" a male voice smoothly replied. "4A... here we go. Name confirmed as Samuel Dora-"*KSSSSSSH!

The name was cut off by a radio squawk, and a deep BOOOOM! resounded throughout the lab, rattling all the specimen tubes and sending two of them smashing on the floor. The lights turned red, and a familiar metallic voice echoed throughout the room *ALERT! BREACH IN SECTORS 4,5,7,9..."

"Shit!" Heynolds exclaimed, angrily thumping her fist against her console. "We have to go, they've gotten in. Follow me" She ran off down towards the end of the room and disappeared through a door... that was too small for him to use.

However, this was a body of strength, strength soon realized as he pushed against the door and the wall gave way, crumbling against his touch as brittle as wet sand. He growled as he shook his wings to get the remnants off his hide and looked around.

It was evening, and the sky was streaked with red and orange hues, as well as streams of black smoke. He could see several buildings like the one he had exited, most of them on fire or blasted to pieces. Rubble was strewn across the ground, mingled with the crumpled remains of humans, their blood staining the dirt in dark pools. And amongst the slaughter and destruction, the dragon saw a black figure, almost as tall as him, smashing a building to pieces with a cannon torn off of a tank. It was hunched over, making low growls as it pummeled through the building, silencing the cries of the humans trapped within.

"Oh Christ." Heynolds exclaimed, looking at all the wreckage. "Daniels.. McKay... S-Samuel you have to stop it... please..."

"STOP!" He called with a deep and booming voice. A voice with as much anger as authority. He growled as he approached the figure, his feet leaving hollows in the earth, his tail swishing from left to right.

But if the dragon intimidated this creature, it didnt show. Instead it turned around, dropping its makeshift club and brandishing long sinewy claws to bear. It howled a monstrous cry as it launched itself into the air and down on Samuel with a slash, slicing into his hide. The dragon roared with anger and used his hands to grab onto the wretched things arms, meaning to tear them from its body.

It writhed in pain as the dragon tugged, but in a desperate bid for escape it opened its maw and latched its teeth into Samuels neck, drawing blood. He relinquished his grip, leaving it free to lash out with its claws again.

The dragon wasn't ready this time, and the claws found their mark, digging in behind his breast plating and leaving three deep gashes down his side. He grunted and staggered back, kicking aside a scrap pile of car in the process. Blood seeped from his wounds, dribbling down his side in small red rivulets.

Something, unknown even to him, began to surge and course throughout his body. His heartbeat ramped up to a dense pounding and his skin sparked and tingled. He fought through it in his head and regained focus, clenching his hand into a fist and ramming it into the creature's chest. It let out an ear deafening screech and flailed back, grabbing at the crunched pit in its middle. Victory was near.

But it held its ground, not falling from the blow. It's screech turned into a low growl of pure fury, and it launched itself at the dragon one more time, in an all or nothing attack.

That's when something weird happened.

Samuel's heartbeat suddenly roared in his ears, his insides burning and pulsing with activity, his breath slowed to a stop. Everything in him jolted at once, and the arteries on his left arm pulsed, glowing a pale blue under his skin. They became brighter as they descended down his arm, illuminated at his wrist in a web of light. There was a flash in his palm, and out of nowhere Samuel's hand was firmly grasped around the handle of a long steel sword, shimmering with the failing light of the day's end.

The dragon wasn't going to question where this weapon had materialised from, not when it had come at such a desperate time. He gritted his teeth, pivoted his chest and in one deft movement swung the sword into the oncoming monster. He was rewarded with a splatter of black ichor across his muzzle and two resounding *THUD* noises as the two halves of his adversary crashed into the dirt, twitching and gurgling as it died.

The dragon went to look at his new sword, to discover his fist was clenched around nothing, the weapon gone as quickly and mysteriously as it had appeared. His other hand pinned against the bite on his neck, he staggered towards where Heynolds had last been, to find her kneeling at one of the dead corpses, clasping its limp hand firmly in her own.

"Barkson..." she murmured under her breath as he approached, "Guess we won't be going to Proxima."

"Friend of yours?" The dragon asked, unsure what else to say.

"Husband." she replied, letting his hand fall against the ground. "Love in such times of darkness.. it was a rare thing to find."

Samuel went to proffer support, but a radio crackled into life from a nearby vehicle. "This is Outpost 31, calling Station Alpha! Station Alpha we are under attack! Station Alpha please send backup! Send anything, please we are under attack! Please! Help!" Gunfire chirped across the comms, followed by an inhuman howl. More of these monsters, maybe a lot more.

The dragon grimly grabbed the tiny receiver between two fingers and pressed on the transmit button. He barely knew who or what he was, what these creatures were, or why they were destroying human settlements. But they were creatures of the dark, beasts of wrath and annihilation, and he could not stand by and let them continue to take more lives. At least that much, he knew of himself.

"Outpost 31, this is Samuel Dora. Help is on its way."