In lieu of recent events, Ryoga's already famous status as the Dragon in New York became even renown. He had brawled with Isabel and Forte, two powerful mutants in broad daylight. And he had lost. That thought plagued the dragon far more than any injuries he had sustained, the stain on his honor was unbearable. If he had lost in fair combat it would be a different story, that Isabel woman was no mere mortal, but had to be some sort of Oni, a demon of some kind. Her ability to morph bone in various implements of tortue was proof of that. He couldn't stand her insufferable arrogance and pride, but in the end he had still lost to her. But it was only because some other fool had the audacity to control his mind. The arrogance to manipulate a God, Ryoga couldn't comprehend it, and when he found this person who hijacked his brain, he would personally anihilate them, and their entire blood line from his world.



Even with his criminal rampage and dangerous status in the eyes of the public, the Mansion still offered him a home, calling in a favor even for him. A structure was carved from stone, turning earth and rock into a cave, but not just some hole in the ground. This structure was grand enough to house him, carved to his specifications. Somewhat reminiscient of a Japanese shrine carved from rock, the entrance even had an archway, stone lanterns, and most importantly a door. Though it was open most of the time, it was nice to be able to shut out the cold winds of this city. Ryoga was pleased, but his mind was distraught trying to put together the pieces of this puzzle thrown into his life. Who had tricked him? Why send him after that Sanctuary? Why put him up against that horrible ogre of a woman? Ryoga wanted answers for his rage, and following that a fitting vengeance.



Sitting within his new room, Ryoga was lost deep in thought. He pondered over these things, his massive form hidden within the shadow of his cave, hiding most of his form from the world outside. Outside of some questioning by those in charge of his home, Ryoga spoke with no one else. Ryoga was both Japanese, and a God, the matter of his honor took place over anything else. However his status as a deity and a dragon never stopped the random students and mutants from coming to gawk at him, which of course they should. Ryoga's status here in America as a God was questioned by far too many people, and he needed to fix that. He was majesty incarnate, so magnificent his Father's organization in Japan had planned to one day contest the Japanese Royal family and set him, the Dragon God upon a throne.



But this country, with it's mutants, and plots was putting into question a lot of things. How had he been controlled? How had he been harmed? And why had the Sanctuary let him leave with his life? That woman stank of bloodlust and violence, for her to stay her hand bothered him. Mostly because owing her a debt was nauseating. Distracted by his inner thoughts, Ryoga paid no mind to the next mutant who would come to look upon him, but this meeting would be different than all those before. Perhaps today would be a step forward after the debacle at Sanctuary. Only time could tell as the drama of a Japanese Deity played out.

There weren’t many people still alive who knew what it was like to be a god.

Kaitlyn was one of those people. Or, ‘Firecracker.’ Not exactly a grand title, but she didn’t think she would need any grand titles anymore, once the Church of Everlasting Life dissolved. Only two years – a surprisingly short lifespan for a cult that promised its members eternal life, and could have truly delivered.

Firecracker stood before the den of the Dragon. “Orochi.” Supposedly, he had a cult following in Japan, which is why he kept stomping around telling everyone he was a god. And in this modern day and age, with its modern deities, nobody believed him.

The fools. Their modern deities hid in holes where science could never find them, too detached to care for mortal lives, probably long dead or having never even lived in the first place. They believed that all true gods needed to be so beyond reach, so inscrutable, so weak, and anything they could actually see was a ‘mere mutant.’ They had all forgotten the truth: their own gods were all ‘mere mutants,’ much like Orochi. Sebastian had met the gods of the Greeks, or so he claimed; they were all ‘mere mutants,’ but at the same time, they were so much more. And that ‘Jesus’ guy? With the power to turn water to wine, walk on water, and raise the dead? Probably a ‘mere mutant,’ but a legendary one.

How does one approach a god? She knew how to approach Sebastian, but he was different. Ceremony was not something he encouraged, but something he tolerated. The man lived in an apartment – a nice apartment, but still an apartment. Kaitlyn could even approach him as an equal, once he elevated her to godhood, just as he had done for himself.

Orochi, on the other hand, lived in a freakin’ shrine. He had never met Kaitlyn before; he had no reason to pay her any respect, and every reason (as a god) to expect it from her. He and his cult probably loved ceremony.

The redheaded girl took her shoes off and entered the shrine-cave. Her socks did little to protect her from the cold, but it would be better to have cold feet than to disrespect his home by wearing shoes inside. Thanks to some light from outside, she could see the dragon, and He could see her. She bowed to him: hands clasped in her lap, back straight, waist bent at around 70 degrees (any farther and she’d certainly fall over). She held this position for several seconds (just like she read about on the internet) before she stood upright to speak.

“Hello. You can call me ‘Firecracker.’ I have heard you called ‘Orochi,’ but from people who don’t seem to respect you very much. How should I address you?”

Even though she read that making eye contact is bad in Japan, with her new eyes, Kaitlyn thought she could get away with it. Nobody could tell where she was looking anymore, apparently. And it would be hard not to stare - he was an impressive creature.

Godhood was a complex existence, most assumed a God would be wrought with thoughts beyond the scope of mere mortals, but even Gods possessed more "human" inclinations. Orochi spent much of his time concerned with those thoughts beyond mortals, but when he interacted with them more than anything he was a creature of vanity and pride. He craved worship and admiration, like a man would crave wealth. And though he had been lost amidst the thoughts in his mind, the tiny silhouette walking into his home was still enough to garner his attention. The creature sat on his heels, wings folded up and holding form up, head and neck high in the air as he looked down upon Kaitlyn.

First impressions were important, but the first impression of a God was a life or death situation. Whether Orochi approved or despised someone all boiled down to that first meeting, and now was the time to judge Kaitlyn, even if she was a young girl. The girl bowed deeply, the dragon's eye opening a bit as he watched her manner. A proper bow from an American already intrigued him, before she introduced herself. An odd moniker, Firecracker. It wasn't a human name, but seemed to be one of those self given names some of the mutants took. Orochi had learned more about this mutant culture as he interacted with it, so he was curious what this girl's name meant to her. An ability to control fire? Explosions? Did she just enjoy fireworks?

Her manners were impeccable, her etiquette proper, and her reverence expected. The dragon was pleased, his wings stepping forward and lowering him into his normal theropod like stance. He lowered his own head, putting his eye level closer to hers. "The first proper introduction I have received since arriving here. Your appearance masks your wisdom child." The dragon said, his voice booming against the cave's walls. It was a compliment, though the dragon wondered how clever this girl was. Proper Japanese manners from an American child? It was odd, but pleasing none the less. "Konnichiwa little Firecracker. In Japan I am addressed as Orochi-sama, you may address me as Lord Orochi." The dragon's fiery eyes were glued to Kaitlyn, so much larger than the girl's own that you could see her entire face reflected in those majestic eyes.

The girl was polite, and knew how to bow, but she didn't avert her gaze. Perhaps she didn't believe in his Godhood either, like the rest of the foolish men and mutants he'd met so far. "Are you not afraid of a God Firecracker?" His voice rumbled, the sound coming from deep in his throat and passing past those knife sized fangs filling his mouth. " What brings a child to my quarters?" He inquired, paying attention to Kaitlyn's manners as he questioned her. She had intrigued the dragon, both with her introduction and her steady gaze. Her eyes were unlike any other he'd seen so far, making them difficult for the dragon to read.

She was right about him. ‘Lord Orochi’ was the kind of deity who made a big deal out of titles and ceremony. Not quite as humble as Sebastian, but it made a lot of sense: Orochi was a god, after all.

“Well, Lord Orochi…” How could she put this in a way that wouldn’t offend him? “…I thought we might have some things in common. We’ve both been revered as gods. Though, uh, I was never as important to my followers as you probably are to yours.” She tried not to make it sound like a huge deal. In a way, it wasn’t. Not anymore. Not after the Oracle ruined everything for Sebastian and the Church he built, one of the few things Kaitlyn ever believed in.

“I was only a minor goddess,” she clarified. “The death and destruction one.”

Titles and ceremony were core parts of Orochi, his father having ingrained arrogance and nobility into the dragon man. Godhood was meant to come with at least some amount of synchophancy. The girl spoke, properly addressing Ryoga making the dragon like her even more. However hearing her refer to herself as being worshipped as a God was surprising. She was just a child, a normal...well mostly normal looking little human girl. But Gods took many forms, perhaps that of a child was clever enough to be a real god. Though Orochi doubted it, a God would always take a form as majestic as his own, at least he knew he'd always choose this form over any other.

The dragon would smile if he could, of course no human or even human shaped God could stand up against his congregation. Orochi was the epitome of majesty, the dragon, greatest of all creatures on this planet. Death and destruction, for a child? Now the dragon was curious. "You were a God of Destruction?" Ryoga didn't laugh, but sort of chuckled once, a hmpf sound as if he didn't quite believe her. "My Godhood has been visible since my birth, I hide nothing of my power, even this city knows this now after my rampage." There was a bit of reluctance on those last words, as Ryoga hadn't chosen to display his might but had been coerced, a fact that angered him greatly. "But you Firecracker, you do not look like a mighty Goddess of wrath, what are you hing in so small a frame?" The dragon eyed the girl, each moment forming a new opinion of her in reaction to her next move.

“I didn’t choose to be small. It’s a side effect of the immortality I was granted, and the… um… I’m gonna call it time travel?” That was the less complicated explanation. “Long story. But sometimes, it’s nice that people don’t know I can blow up cities.” She shrugged, visibly uncomfortable about admitting this, even ashamed. She quickly changed the subject: “And at least I look older than I did when I was fifteen.”

Killing millions of people and starting a nuclear war still made Firecracker feel a little guilty, even if it technically didn’t happen, and even if her heart was in the right place when it... didn't happen? Time travel was a headache.

First she asserts her own claim to godhood, and now time travel? This little girl was truly unique compared to any one else he'd met so far. The dragon was visibly interested, his eyes widening at the words time travel. "You...You have traversed through time? Such a thing is possible?" The dragon's tone was suddenly less dramatic than it had been earlier, his usual show of pride was sidelined by genuine interest in the topic. The girl also claimed to be able to blow up cities, a statement that rang true with Ryoga. Though he claimed the name of an ancient deity, Ryoga did know the modern history behind his origins.



Ryoga traced his blood back to the Atomic bomb, greatest of all weapons. A bomb that could blow up a city, and so could this girl she claimed. "You create explosions? Like an Atomic weapon clad behind the face of a human child." The dragon mused, trying to make up his mind of how to feel about Kaitlyn. Most human shaped creatures were dull, fit only to be a servant without even a name. But this girl, so much more than just a human child, this girl interested the Dragon God. "Perhaps you're belief we share a similarity was not so far off Firecracker." The dragon's voice rumbled, echoing against the walls of his cave and dominating the room.

“I’m flattered that you think so, Lord Orochi.” Firecracker smiled a little. She did do some pretty exciting stuff, didn’t she? Not bad for a technically-sixteen-years-old-thirteen-year-old.

“I lost all my human followers when I time travelled, though.” She didn’t realize how much she liked being a goddess until it was over. The humans used to know who she was; they looked at her with fear, awe, and respect. It made her feel so powerful. “But I stopped a nuclear war from happening.” So it wasn’t a total loss.

The idea of time travel was mind boggling, so many things you could learn, see, and do with such a power. This was one of the few things beyond even Ryoga, an infuriating thought. So the girl enjoyed her own time as a Goddess and gave it up when traversing though time, an honorable deed it seemed considering her reasonf or it. The dragon spoke "Too many do not know just how terrifying the idea of nuclear war is. An honorable reason to give up your own Godhood." The dragon was taking a liking to this girl.

He moved, circling a bit around her, observing her as he spoke with her. "My home in Japan knows more about nuclear war than any other. Do you know the word Hiroshima?" He asked her, curious how educated she was, though nearly everyone knew that word, the city destroyed in one of the only two atomic bombings. And Ryoga's home town. As he circled around her, curious how she would answer and respond to the next bit of information he gave. "An atomic bomb destroyed my home, obliterating everything in a sea of flames like none other." This tale was especially important to Ryoga because that very weapon, it's deadly power flowed in his veins. "My Grandmother lived here, and the weapon seared the design of her kimono right into her flesh, leaving a permanent reminder." He continued, setting in front of her again, putting his weight on his heels and lifting his wings up.

He spread his wings outward, showing off the true magnificence of his form as he finished his tail. "But she lived on, and had a healthy daughter. My beautiful mother Miki always carried within her the power of that weapon. And eventually she too became a mother, the power of that weapon finally finding a home." He couldn't show off his radioactive traits, but his form alone was enough to show just how much power he wielded. "I was born Honda Ryoga, but I am Orochi! And I am atomic fire made flesh." He dropped down to his claws again, and stared at Kaitlyn with fire in his eyes, adding a final dramatic flare to his story. "And you little Firecracker, are a welcome friend. A similarity we share indeed." He said with a chuckle escaping his throat.

The redhead followed him with her eyes. Nod. She knew about Hiroshima. “That was one of the cities that got nuked in World War 2, right?”

She was right.

But that bit about his mother made her uncomfortable. Others’ good memories about their biological parents contrasted too sharply with memories of her own. As he stood up and spread his wings, she tried to focus on the dragon, stared at a certain part of the membrane on one of his wings, fought to push those intrusive memories aside.

A sharp breath in. An twitch of the eye. For a moment, the booming voice faded into the background. Kaitlyn was eight years old again. Powerless, small, weak. No amount of struggling could save her from --

No. She wasn't eight, and she wasn't Kaitlyn. She was thirteen, she was Firecracker, and she was in a cave with a dragon.

Orochi wasn’t standing anymore; she only realized this a few seconds after he stopped showing off for her. She forced a smile: being a welcome friend was a good thing, and thing she was supposed to smile about.

Nuked, such a simple term for something so powerful and history altering as an atomic weapon. Ryoga hadn't experienced, but the power of that weapon flowed through his veins, carried from his grandmother who lived through that power. "Yes, Hiroshima was the first city to ever experience the bomb." He answered mid way into his story. It seemed his power had an effect on the little goddess, as her mind seemed miles away during his story. But that was the power of a God, to sit in his shadow and embrace his words could only be mind altering. The dragon didn't miss a beat of Kaitlyn's activity, his mind constantly looking for what the girl did, and how she responded to him.

He leaned down, his large head drawing close to her minuscule frame. "You seem in awe little Firecracker, what is it?" He questioned, his large fiery eyes reflecting the image of the little girl before him. Two mutants, so different in form and function, whose lives were also vastly different. The destiny of a mutant seemed it would always be grandiose in some way, even if Ryoga didn't believe himself one, he could recognize that Kaitlyn was more than the little human girl she looked. Kaitlyn smiled at him, though Ryoga could recognize this gesture, and the synchophancy it entailed. What was Kaitlyn after, what favor did she want? He already owed two favors to much less enjoyable company than Firecracker, so perhaps his generosity could be given. "And for that matter, what is it you want from a God, a question yet to be answered." Ryoga mused out loud.

Awe?

Firecracker answered this question with a blank stare. It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. He noticed her zoning out, and he wanted to know what she was thinking about. She really didn’t want to explain that about herself.

Thankfully, he asked a second question before she had a chance to come up with an excuse. Now she could completely ignore the first question without being rude.

“Oh, um… I didn’t come here to get anything from you. I just thought you’d like to have company. You’ve had visitors, but a lot of them sound like they just came to stare at you a little.” It sounded kind of demeaning, really. Like he was some kind of exotic animal caged up in a zoo.

“Do people normally ask you for favors, back home?” That would sort of make sense, with him being a God and everything.

So far her company had been enjoyable. Ryoga generally didn't care who was around him, he always expected to be the center of attention and the object of devotion, but this little girl had her own interesting story to tell. And here in the states, his personal hoard was lacking, not of gold but literature, stories were what he chose to gather. And a little Goddess girl who traveled through time? Perhaps she would make a fine addition to that collection some day. His own mind lost in thought for the moment, he nearly missed Katilyn speaking up once more.

He laughed a bit, a powerful bellow that rumbled out of his throat. "Of course they stare, I am a God!" His pride swelled as he again took to the dramatic role as he conversed with the girl. "They look at me in awe, respect, fear! And I relish it, though the Americans are an arrogant race of men I've found. It's surprising how many of them question the divine." Or straight up fight against it like that awful bone woman. He couldn't smile at Kaitlyn, but he did assure her of his favor. "And you little one, are pleasant to spend time with, Your story must be quite fascinating." Then she asked another question that made him laugh.

His eyes narrowed a bit. "Every man wants the favor of a God, but in my home it is honorable to give before receiving. My Father garnered favors in exchange for others, and all of it was for and because of me." He bragged about his home and cult, which in Japan even rivaled groups such as the Yakuza, with goals as lofty as eventual rebellion in Japan. But he refrained from explaining how all that paled in comparison to the hold his Mother held over him, and her part in placing him in this country, right here in this little den with Kaitlyn.

Well, if Lord Orochi actually liked it when people showed up to gawk at him, Kaitlyn wasn’t going to ruin that for him.

“I’m not a very good story-teller, Lord Orochi, but if you want to hear it…”

She sat down, cross-legged. The cold, stone floor of the Dragon’s den was not being kind to her feet. It may have been more polite to take her shoes off before entering, but now she was beginning to question whether it was worth it.

“I think the story should start with…” Alistar? No. Her own origins? Hell no. “Sebastian.” Sebastian was the central character, really. “He was born before the Trojan War. He actually knew the ancient Greek Gods, back when they were alive, but I guess they weren’t actually immortal. He actually is, but he can make himself look as young as he wants, and he heals anyone he touches. He can also turn into a unicorn. But even when he looks like a human, he has a tail, and a…” at a loss for words, she pointed at the center of her forehead. “Horn. On his head.” Right there, where she was pointing.

She cleared her throat, buying herself a few seconds to think. “Nobody thought of him as a God until a few years ago. He revealed his divinity, you could say, by killing a guy called Perry and bringing him back to life. Perry was one of his first followers, but we got a couple hundred pretty quick. We were kind of a big deal around here for a year or two.”

Following Kaitlyn's example, Ryoga sat as well. Though he was unable to sit the customary way a Japanese would, instead setting atop his feet and putting most of his weight on his rear, his wings folded in and planted on the ground in sort of an outwards v shape, his attention focused on her. She began her tale with a man named Sebastian, certainly a more interesting name than most. However much more interesting than his name was a life long enough to have personally met Greeks of ancient myth, Ryoga was already impressed. When the annals of time passed and this world was long behind him would his future servants be amazed he'd met people of this era?

"He could raise the dead?" Ryoga interrupted the girl at this point, the idea of being able to twist the life of a man and both kill and revive him was certainly something of note. He even felt the pangs of jealousy deep down, no such miracle was within his power...yet.  This girl was certainly an interesting, her life filled with things straight from the fantasy worlds of literature. To think she could have been the catalyst that spawned an explosion just like the one that lead to his own birth.