#in the name of science though so its just research 🤪

[whumpflash]

Ashes, Ashes 2: Click

previous //// masterlist word count: 1,542

ingredients: lab whump, knives, burning, threats

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"Wakey wakey, dragon boy."

Rhys grunted, opening his eyes halfway at the sound of a low female voice. A young woman stood over him. Stranger. Copper skin and a dark pixie cut. Her blue eyes reflected what little light there was in the room, making her appear almost cat-like.

He tried to sit up, but a leather strap across his chest (let's see, wrists, ankles… dammit.) prevented much movement. The attempt, small as it was, left him with a deep ache in the center of his chest, almost like– right. Chick with a gun. And now a chick that looked sorta like her (sister or cousin, most likely) was keeping him in her basement.

His shirt was gone, he realized. Shoes and jeans too. Everything gone but his boxers.

"Usually they buy me dinner first," he muttered.

"What was that?" Blue Eyes asked, her gaze still boring into him.

"Tell me you didn't throw out my jacket," Rhys said.

"Burned it, along with everything else," she said with a huff. "We wanted to see if your belongings somehow took on any draconic properties."

"You really thought my clothes might be magic?" Rhys said, but her words stung. He'd had that jacket for nearly 40 years now. It was practically a family member. And now–

"Not really. It was a long shot that they retained anything unusual," Blue Eyes said. "But sometimes it's just fun to watch things burn."

Hells, she had a scary smile. Still, he bit back any feelings of discomfort.

"You like watching things burn? How 'bout your house? Your town? Your adorable little sister? At least I'm assuming the one who shot me is–"

She struck him across the jaw with a closed fist. Not a painful blow, but definitely a dazing one. Rhys tried to raise his hand to rub his chin. (Right. The leather crap.)

"Gonna burn us all down, huh? Then what's stopping you?" Blue Eyes said.

"Maybe I just need to recharge," he said, pulling his face into a sneer, trying to look intimidating. "Maybe you should watch your back. Let me go now, or else I'll–"

"No." Blue Eyes had looked at least apprehensive for a few seconds, but now her expression had fallen back into something disdainful. "Obviously I don't know much about dragons, but I doubt leather's enough to hold one down. Well," she smirked. "A normal one, at least." She paced around the table, stopping at his left side. "So what's wrong with you, dragon boy? Get cursed?"

(Something like that.) 

"No," Rhys said. "Like you said, you don't know anything about dragons. Maybe I'm being merciful. Do you really want to throw that back in my face?"

She shook her head, giving him a mocking smile. "I think if you were capable of polymorphing, you would've done so well before now." She began sorting through a box behind her. He could hear the clink of metal on metal.

"In most stories, polymorphed dragons return to their true forms as soon as they're injured. Yet here you are, looking pretty human."

Rhys bared his teeth, but couldn't think of anything to say, at least not anything good. Of course she knew he couldn't shift. It was obvious to anyone who took the time to think about it, to anyone who looked past his empty threats. But still, some stupid part of him didn't want to give up, futile as it was. (That's why you lost it in the first place, dumbass–)

"Last chance," he said. "Let me go or you wake up to a pile of ashes."

Blue Eyes glanced over her shoulder, looking almost curious. "Hm. Do you retain the ability to breathe fire in human form?"

Rhys seized onto this immediately. "Yes. And I'm warning you–"

"Do it then." She circled around until she was at the foot of the table. "Burn me alive and escape. Those leather straps won't hold very long against dragonflame."

Rhys opened his mouth, and found he had nothing to say. She'd called his bluff. (Now she knows you're just a helpless little weakling, huh?)

"That's what I thought," Blue Eyes said, a smug look on her face. She reached into the box and pulled out a small, sharp knife.

(Weakling or not, I can still be difficult.)

"What are you gonna do with that? Poke me?" he said. …Or was she going to try and kill him? Granted, it was hard to kill a dragon, even in human form, but if that was her goal… 

"Maybe a little." She held the knife up, examining the blade. "As we've both acknowledged, we humans know next-to-nothing about dragons. But we're all very eager to learn."

Rhys shifted uncomfortably. "Learn… learn what?"

"Oh, the usual. Strengths, weaknesses, anatomy… anything that could help a hunter."

"Yeah? So ask away, lady. I'm an open book."

"No, I don't think so." She smiled down at him. "You know the saying, 'actions speak louder than words'. I think I'll find getting hands-on to be far more reliable. The fact that you have a quick healing factor just sweetens the deal. Sure, if I go too far you'll just turn to ash, but I think I can be careful."

Rhys felt his heartbeat begin to pick up. (No. No, stop that. I'm calm. I'm stronger than this.)

"You think I'm hiding the secrets of the universe under my skin?" he snapped. "This is insane–"

"Your kind has been responsible for more death and destruction than any other magical creature," Blue Eyes said, pulling something else out of the box. "I think it's pretty reasonable to want to know how to disarm a walking nuke."

He saw that she was holding a small blowtorch, the kind humans used for creme brulee, and almost laughed. Maybe, just maybe, she really was stupid. (Which means she'll slip up, and I'll get an opening, and then I can run far far away from here–)

With a click, the fire came to life. She held it against his bare shin.

"Kinda tickles," he retorted. Fire was nothing to him. He was fire.

"Hm," she said, making a note on a yellow pad in the corner and putting the pen behind her ear. "As suspected, skin is fireproof even in human form."

"I coulda told you that," Rhys said. "I'm telling you, it would save a lot of time if–"

"Let's see if you're just as fireproof on the inside."

"Wh–"

The knife came down before he could process what was happening, slicing a sharp line of pain down the side of his calf and drawing a hiss out of him. Blue Eyes made another note.

"Skin easily cut with a knife, doesn't seem to possess any special protection."

Rhys scowled up at her. Polymorphed, he lacked any of the armor his scales had afforded him. His hide was as soft as a human's, and he hated it. Every papercut, every skinned knee, every bruise reminded him of how fragile he was in this form. 

A pause, and the knife dug in again, deeper. Rhys choked back a cry as he felt the blade tear through muscle.

Click.

"Wait–"

Fire exploded in his leg, something bright and jagged that burned away every thought that wasn't centered on it. It took every effort not to scream. He'd never been burned before. Yes, he'd burned other things. He'd seen fire. He knew it could destroy, but now it was biting into him.

After what felt like way too long, the torch clicked off, but the blistering feeling remained.

"Hm," said Blue Eyes, taking another note. "Pleasant surprise. Could you have told me that?" she asked, fixing her gaze on Rhys.

"Damn you," he spit out. His heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping through him, but he had nowhere to go. He dared to glance up, but only managed to catch a glimpse of the blistered cut on his leg for a split second before he had to look away. He winced as Blue Eyes poked at the wound with the tip of the knife.

"Healing's started already," she commented. "Guess it'll take more effort to find a way to counter that."

Rhys craned his head to look at her, determined to give it one more shot (especially after that. Being trapped with her would be a living nightmare).

"Maybe you're right about me. Maybe I can't do anything to you. But my family will be looking for me." (Liar, liar, pants on fire) He narrowed his eyes. "And I don't think you want to be nearby when I'm found."

Blue Eyes tucked the pen back behind her ear, seemingly pondering his claim.

"Maybe so," she said, then flashed him with a wicked grin. "But if I work fast enough, they won't want me to be nearby when you're found either."

Rhys strained against the straps. "Are you crazy? They– they'll burn you alive! They'll–!"

"I'll take my chances. In the meantime I have more research to conduct." She moved up the side of the table, laying the knife against his forearm.

"You don't know who you're–hells–d-dealing with!" he sucked in air through his teeth as the blade dug in deep.

"No. You don't know who you're dealing with."

Click.

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