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"Yeah... I'm not used to soft carpets,"

At that comment Rico could not help but laugh. "Yeah, this place is a bit to rich for my blood as well. All the more reason to enjoy it while we can. I'm pretty sure I cant stay here forever." Thinking back on it the mansion sure beat the cheap apartments he had. He could have swore that some of the roach's were as big as mice.

"Just... keep your distance, my spines are very poisonous,"

Ah, now that explained a lot right off the bat. "Oh, No worry's. While I am pretty sure with my healing ability I would get mildly sick. I will keep a safe distance. Better to be safe then sorry." Rico tried to be as casual as he could be as if the whole thing was no big deal. Not that it was not. But sometimes just treating another soul like a 'normal' person was the best thing to do.

Rico went down the halls of the mansion and the stairs to the main door now no longer concerned about the cameras. Pushing open the doors he went outside into the cool night air and took in a deep breath and exhaled with a stretch. "Now that is much better. Hey, something just came to mind."

With that he turned to the other mutant. "Maybe tomorrow you should go speak to the Doc at the infirmary. Might be a good idea for him to take some samples of that poison. If its venom maybe he can work up some antivenom to help if any accidents happen. Cant remember exactly when. But I also remember reading somewhere that venom is actually very important in the medical community. They can help with medical treatments and breakthroughs for medicines. Like treating high blood pressure, or treating heart attacks. Just food for thought."

As much as he wanted to shift forms and fly tonight. Rico decided to hold back. "Maybe another time....." Rico mumbled as he looked at the sky with longing. For some reason he just did not want this person seeing his body rip itself apart from the inside out. It was not exactly a pretty sight.

“No friends or family you remember now, but some are out there”

"That a fact?" Rico said. He tried to hide sarcasm in his voice but Rico was irritated that Tempest thought he knew anything about his past. Rico did not talk about it. His mom and dad were long dead. His adoptive ones anyway. He watched with his own eyes as there bodies were given to fire to prevent the sickness that killed them from spreading.

Rico did suppose his biological mom and dad were still out there somewhere. But he did not really know anything about them. And honestly, he liked it that way. The mystery of just who his flesh and blood kin were left a lot to the imagination. Maybe they were scientists or even politicians. Maybe famous writers or artists. Of course they could also be some of the worst scum on earth. But Rico liked to think of the cup as half full on that.

There was a faint memory of a woman and a child. But Rico had given up trying to access that memory. It was faded and seemed like it was from another life. Like trying to remember things from when you were very young. It was funny how things worked like that. You forget the things you want to remember and remember the things you want to forget.

“And remember, you’ve only been here for a short time. I’m sure you’ll meet more people. You’ll fill up that contact page in no time,”

At that statement from Juliette Rico could only nod his head at first for a moment before speaking. "Well time is the one thing I have plenty of and time heals all things as they say. Doc Prof says because of my healing mutation I might end up aging very slowly, if at all." At that thought he added. "A bit of a mixed blessing if that turns out to be true. Still trying to wrap my head around that." Watching friends being ravaged by time did not sound very appealing to him.

When the X beckoned the two of them to follow Rico did just that. For some reason he was suddenly filled with dread at what was to come. Rico did not understand why he had to talk about anything in the past. That was exactly were it belonged. Behind him. Sometimes it was just best to let sleeping dogs lay as they say. Or dragons in his case.

It was his first time in this classroom. He was a student of sorts. Just not the kind that sat with other younger students. Still being nervous Rico did what he always did. Joked. Looking at the posters on the wall he looked over his shoulders. "What the sam hell is a condom?" At that he looked at the poster and pretended to read it more. "Oh!" He exclaimed in fake surprise. "Where's the fun in that?" Giving out some laughter he continued.

"I know I aint got no learning. But if you ask me we all got to do our part for the propagation of the species. I am a more passive aggressive guy. Let nature take its course and defeat the human race in the bedroom." A funny thought that. A lot more humorous then the other things people heard about mutants wanting to defeat humanity in all out war. But they were the radical ones and thankfully in the minority population wise.

Taking a seat he spoke to Juliette first. "So are you going to teach me a Sex Ed class dragon edition today?" Turning to Devon he added. "Or is this the part were you pull out a dragon doll and ask me where they touched me?"

Rico gave some more obvious nervous laughter and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ok, so what is it you want to talk about?"

Was it wrong to break a promise or a rule? For the most part Rico normally believed it generally was not. But that depended on the circumstances. The wyvern shifter had been at the mansion almost a month now. During the day he was happy for the most part. But at night the walls seemed to close in on him. Since coming here he was kept under close observation at first.

But after a while he was granted the liberty and freedom to move around so long as he stayed in view of a X or a security camera at all times. Rico understood why with his history of giving in to animal instinct and eating people. Mutant, beast and human alike. But food was not a problem here. He practically had everything he wanted. But there was a itch that needed scratching and Rico could not ignore it any more.

He longed to feel the wind under his wings. To be free of the world and soar above it carelessly on the rivers of air high above. Shifting to his dragon form was not something he was really able to do as of late. Rico had promised Juliette Lawson but the way he figured..... it was better to ask forgiveness then permission.

Feeling restless with the instinctive need to shift and fly around above Rico stayed up until most of the mansion activity had come to a stop in the middle of the night. A few sleepless souls would no doubt be up and about. There always was. But fellow residents and students were not the problem. The problem was getting outside past the security cameras and night shift staff making sure Rico and a few others deemed dangerous would not go anywhere without supervision.

Having built up the courage for the attempted sneak out tonight Rico left out of his room and closed the door carefully as to not make to much noise. A grandfather clock down the corridor ticked away giving a almost creepy air to the corridor lacking any activity. His predatory senses were very much active but not for the purpose of hunting prey as was the case in the past. Tonight he wanted to go cloak and dagger.

Rico crept through the mansion his ears listening for the slightest sound, his eyes looking for the outline of body heat in the darkness. So far it was going well. But as anybody would tell you. Plans never really worked out as you planned them.

"There is no greater prison then one of the mind"

--Unknown

Rico did not remember much of the one that took him to this place. He remembered the warehouse. A hole in its ceiling and a bright form with a human outline floating in from the hole in the roof. She spoke in a humans voice and appeared almost as a angel in his eyes. A woman, a angel with a name he did not know. She along with Devon took him away from that place.

The dragon did not remember how exactly they got to the school. Maybe he was entranced by the angel of light. Or maybe it was because of his "thousand yard stare." His blank detached from the world eyes that seemed to stare on forever. It was not unusual in those whose eyes have seen to much and suffered mental and emotional trauma.

He had been medically screened and went through the usual routines of those taken to the school for records sake and in finding ways to help. It created quite the file on him and explained a lot of mysterious things about him. He was a walking cure for one thing when it came to diseases because of his healing mutation. And that he had dozens of genetic bases unknown to science. Rico did not remember any of it though. While his body could heal. The mind was not so easy to recover. His memories were fragmented and from the things he suffered on the mysterious animal research facility on Plum Island even more became suppressed memories.

In his first week at the school the dragon in his human form was quiet and detached. In the second week he actually spoke to students and staff that talked to him. In his third week he seemed happy with smiles as if nothing had ever happened to him. But this was primarily because he did not remember much of it. Only the good things. He even remembered his name.

His mind had buried all the trauma and anything associated with it. If situations occurred that could act as triggers that would cause a bad memory he was quick to flee from it. He lived in a prison of the mind. Only the good in life existed. None of the bad. And in truth who really had the right to upset that peace of mind?

Rico was outside on the basketball court in gym shorts and sneakers with no shirt on playing alone. He did a few running lay ups and a few three point line shots honing his skills. After a good hour of that he walked over to a bottle and poured the water onto his face and his thick unkempt beard enjoying the shock of the cold on his overheated body as it ran down his chest. Shaking his face and causing water to escape his beard in drops all over the outside court the dragon shifting mutant in human form rested both his hands on top of his head so he could breath a bit easier in his panting from the physical exertion of his workout.

During this time to allow his heart to slow down Rico smiled as he looked over the bright and vibrant colors of the gardens plants and flowers. Rico could not help but think this was a great day for flying and made a mental note to do that later. 'I wonder how Devon is doing?' He thought to himself quietly. Rico also wondered about the X-man that took him here. From what he had heard of the group around the mansion they were heroes. The dragon mutant figured the X-man was just busy out saving the world.

The dragon was hungry. Terribly so. But it was not surprising considering how fast his body broke down energy to maintain his dragon form and healing. But that was really something only a scientist could understand. Or at least someone who was familiar with that downside part of mutation. It was not exactly unseen in the world of mutation.

He did not really pay much attention to the surroundings and thus could not appreciate it. The dragons eyes had mutated for hunting purposes. Níðhǫggr fought against his feral nature and the grumbling of his stomach to the best of his ability. Better then anytime he had done so before in the past. He was slowly mastering self control, but it was far from perfect.

The dragon landed on a old brick building and watched his comrade dash through the rubble and enter a warehouse with the collapsed roof. But at that moment Níðhǫggr blacked out as the scent of blood came within olfactory contact. The sweet scent of rich blood that made his mouth water thin tendrils of drool. It was the last thought he could remember before he attacked a homeless man with a wrapped up cut hand and snatched him off the ground as easily as a eagle would a fish from water with his talon covered feet and just as elegantly.

Níðhǫggr did not land far from the warehouse on top of a old brick building with no roof access. He stepped on the humans chest to pin him and prevent the escape of his prey before devouring the man alive bit by bit. It was not a silent affair and the humans high pitched screams would carry through the still fogged air until it was finally silenced. Finished with the meal and leaving the bodies remains on the roof of the building that had no access and would probably not be discovered until years later the dragon took flight.

A column of swirling air was clear as day. Almost like a tornado in shape. But more gentle and served as a beacon. Níðhǫggr flew into the spire of swirling air and flared out his wings to allow the air to carry him through the hole in the roof to land on the ground heavily kicking up dust in the old building at the force of his impact. Still accepting he had resumed control of his body the wyvern rested his wing joints on the ground and trembled for a moment before allowing his chest to sink to the ground almost in spiritual defeat. "I'm sorry." The dragon said lowly with panted breaths of stress. His muzzle dripping bright red blood softly onto the ground in rhythmic taps. The ragged cloth of human cloths dangling from out the right side of his muzzle having been snagged between his serrated teeth. "I lost control...... The hunger was, to much. I really am a monster. I deserved to be locked away in those labs. At least then I would not hurt anyone"

He felt truth was in order. Níðhǫggr could have lied. But the mutant deserved to know just how bad his hunger was. That was if he did not already know. But how would he react? Most humans when confronted with a "man eater" hunted down the animal with extreme prejudice for the greater good as they called out. Man eating animals was a threat so they killed it. But his friend was not human. Would he understand? And if he did. The mutant should realize as much as he wanted to help the dragon. Níðhǫggr was the kind of mutant that was a threat not only to others, but himself. The mutant school specialized in helping those like him. The sanctuary? Well, they specialized in helping mutants in other ways. The dragon said he had left the sanctuary because he was to dangerous. Could his new friend who was the leader of the sanctuary really be able to help him? And if not, would he be willing to show the dragon to those who had the money, resources, and the facilities to help Níðhǫggr learn control.

Or was he willing to bring the dragon through those golden doors and risk it devouring all the life that lived in supposed sanctuary. The creature echoed a low thoughtful rumble in his chest as he looked to the table with about a weeks worth of fast food on it. "Seems so meaningless now....." The creature grumbled at the gift. Seeming to realize how he had come off the dragon added. "Thank you none the less. I did not mean to come off as ungrateful. You risked a lot to help me. I have little to offer you accept my gratitude."

"The world does not seem  so bleak now knowing people like you live in it. Rare are the souls that shine so brightly."

He was not sure what the Falkor reference was centered around. But it sounded familiar and he could only guess it put him at the butt of some kind of joke. So that left him only one appropriate response. "Smart ass." The reptile said to him with a monotone voice devoid of emotion indicating if he was amused or angry.

Feeling the harness fall free from his body was liberating. It would be even more so when he left the world and its problems far down below. "That is a sound plan. I just hope I don't end up like a bug in a zapper." Walking over to the door the creature bumped it with the flat of his head  and pushed the door open. Squeezing back outside the reptile was lucky not to get himself stuck like last time.

It was still foggy and rainy outside and Rico took a moment to look up and close his eyes to feel the drops hitting his face. "God is in the rain." It was a strange memory of a woman's voice. Was it a lovers? Perhaps his mothers? Whoever it was the memory of them was hazy and already fading away. "Ok..." The dragon said. "First things first, I need to stretch."

Balancing on one leg instinct took over and he kicked out the other leg with the outstretched bat like wing to stretch almost exactly how birds do. Afterwards it proceeded to do the same with the other wing and leg. Puffing out his chest the dragon beat his strong membrane wings that caused powerful gusts of air. "Yes, I am ready!" The creature said proudly. "Lead and I will follow."

Cover or no cover from the fog and storm the creatures pursuers were already setting up a outer and inner cordon in the immediate area. Anyone driving would run into a traffic control point with black SUV's and barricades at some point on the roads no matter what direction they went. A TCP being manned by black operations looking mercenary types with the words Academi on there vests and vehicles.

“I’m a mutant too although not with a power like you. I do help mutants. Sanctuary like you said. I’m in charge there now. Sounds like we have to help you though.”

The creature did not really know what to think of that. That he was even thinking was good progress though. "Like me? I don't know what I am. My head is not as foggy as before. Some things are coming back to me. I left sanctuary. Was a danger to myself and others. Had to learn control." Taking a wing joint Rico tapped his head with it, and not gently at that. "I don't want to remember. Its painful. I can still hear them."

“No name though? I’m Devon. Any idea what you’d like to go by til we figure out your name? It could be anything.”

"My name...." The reptile grumbled and bumped the side of his head against the wall. "My name....." He banged his head a few more times and then a look of realization dawned. "After I fell out the tank there were others like me. But different also floating in tanks. There were bodies everywhere in strange orange suits with tanks on there backs and masks. Orange flashing light. Alarms. I remember one who was still alive. He called me Níðhǫggr." It was a strange word and felt alien as he spoke it. "I don't think that is my name. But is all I have."

The creature grew restless after letting the name linger on his mind. "We must go and leave the humans behind. Academi will never let me go or anyone that knows." Pausing to look at the ground the dragon raised his head slowly to look at Devon. "They are coming."

"I can feel it inside of me. Get it out!" He barked. "I want it out!" If it was memory or just his mutation on the cellular level telling him was left for interpretation. There was something in his right leg. The flesh started to move as if worms were wiggling around under it as if trying to expel a foreign object. Out of nowhere the creature turned around his long neck and started to bite away at his leg producing quite a bit of blood and gore before ripping something free from the bone. Just as quickly as he chewed away the flesh healed and returned to normal as if no damage had ever occurred. Opening his mouth a chunk of tissue fell free and hit the ground with a wet smack. Lifting the very same self healed leg he stepped on the fleshy mass and was rewarded with a metallic crunching sound and a few sparks. The medically cemented tracking device attached to his bone being destroyed.

That was one less problem to worry about and probably for the best it was discovered now then later. But still the dragons words would ring true. "They are coming."