Drake got up on the back of the Quetzal, she hadn’t spoken yet, but he felt she understood him well enough. She nodded to him and then she folded around him into a bubble made of the red energy and they floated up to the surface.

It was already a furious media circus out here.

Red Devil and that Roberbotto guy had made a mess. The funny thing was, no one seemed to care about what mattered.

All those who had died here.

All around the crater stood pillars erected with energy barriers made by Lightflare, a hero who worked for Newton power out of Alberta. His power to make and control electricity made him a strong candidate for them. There was also a gaggle of newb hunters too.

Drake recognized them from their V logo, and the white masks. They were known to back the lesser known guys; no doubt they had been Roberbotto’s lift here.

“Hey, sugar. You made it,” Red Devil walked up in front of him, she was very intimidating up close.

His head barely in line with her tight leather bustier, it forced him to have to look up at her through the heavenly hills. Her mask shining in the light he could see now was mostly see-through, her face was actually quite cute.

It was a shame he was going to have to mess her up.

“Stop teasing me,” he said flatly, “You and that robot bastard killed all those people. So stop it, stop being all cute with me.”

She frowned under her mask, “I’m just trying not to be rude buddy.”

“Well, I’m not your buddy, lady.”

“Well, I’m not your, lady, guy!”

“Dammit, you’re infuriating!”

She smiled, drawing a clawed finger under his jaw that sparked as it met the barrier across his body.

“And you’re cute when you’re angry.”

“Why do you do that?”

“What?” She asked, sounding genuinely confused.

“Make light of this, I just told you, you killed people down there.”

She crossed her arms under her chest, “Did I?”

He nodded, eyes transfixed on her bust, pretending he was looking through her; which wasn’t working.

“Check again, handsome. I tried to stop Roberbotto that whole time. You know, that’s why I like to fight hand to hand.” She leaned in close, her massive chest so close he could see the beads of sweat glistening in her cleavage.

Drake gulped looking up at her.

“It’s true, check my history, a fight between supes is between supes, I don’t believe in collateral damage being acceptable.”

“But, you’re sponsored by Exopond, the biggest oil company ever, considered the most evil refinery in the world?”

“Yeah, I’m a paid villain for the nexus of all evil, not a monster. I also volunteer at every animal shelter in my area, donate to charity, and personally ripped the spine out of the captain who crashed that oil tanker two months ago after he got off on the technicality that he was following orders.”

She stepped back and flexed side to side, the grinding creak of her body armour audible even over the clamour of the growing crowd. She turned her back jumping across the chasm, her long thin tail forming a heart at she walked slowly away. “Let’s make a bet! When we’re done here, if you win, I’ll quit Exopond and join your company!” She yelled at him, prompting a barrage of camera flashes.

“I don’t have a company,” he tried to explain.

“But, if I win, you become my evil sidekick.” She posed for the camera’s, “I promise,” she turned to him, massaging her chest and making a kissy face at him; “It comes with perks to being my whipping boy!”

Drake reached back, growling angrily, “You’re on!” In a swirl of diamond dust and red energy the others from his team came tearing up to the surface carried by the other dinosaurs, safely sent off to run for the barrier around the makeshift arena. Then reconstituting around him in a vortex of gnashing teeth and claws, his new bone friends growled and roared and shouted curses in a multitude of languages.

He raised his hand, compressing them all down to their diamond forms, except for Yvette who came to stand over him.

He looked up at her, “You ready?”

Yvette snarled, “I will tear er arms from er body, and feed zem to er.”

“I like the enthusiasm, but let’s just beat her up, not kill her.”

“But she makes yer art beat with such rage.”

“Uh, oh, about that, it’s less rage, and more… um, hey. Let’s just kick her ass.”

With a roar she towered over him, the sail on her back crackling with electricity. The charge built higher and higher running through her bones then shot out from between her gaping jaws in a blast.

The storm tore a hole through the energy shield around the arena, firing off into the sky to explode in the clouds like sheet lightning.

Yvette froze.

Red Devil looked at the place where the hole was slowly closing.

Drake snapped his jaw closed, “Wait, how’d you do that?”

Yvette seemed shocked too, “I do not know.”

“Hey!” Red Devil shouted, “What did I say about collateral damage!”

“That was new for her too!” He shouted back, thumbing the air at Yvette, “So~”

“Where’s Roberbotto?”

The guy who popped up next to him was tall and handsome, so sneak Drake hadn’t even heard a crunch as the guy crossed the gravel yard over the chasm.

“Rober~ oh, that asshole. Yeah, he’s down there, well, what’s left of him.”

“You killed the unkillable machine? Impressive.”

“Well, he’s not dead, but he’s seen better days.”

“That makes more sense, it’s why Red Devil picked out here as the match spot. No tech for him to absorb and reconstruct himself.”

“Who’re you?”

“Oh, how rude. I’m, Fantastic, I represent Sonie’s American division.”

“Thee Sonie, wow, that’s a big company. Wait, you’re thee, Fantastic?”

“Yeah, we were scouting, Roberbotto for representing the Canadian branch in Winnipeg, at the EB office.”

“Are we fighting or what?!” She shouted from the far side of the hole, “I’m losing my lady boner here!”

“Sorry Red, need a second!”

“Fantastic, shouldn’t you be off kissing some guy’s butt.”

Fantastic sighed, “Not till six. So, as I was saying. Roberbotto; if you were to beat Red there, well, I’d be happy to offer you a seat on the Sonie family’s board.”

Drake felt stunned.

CRACK

The ground under him shook, and he looked over at Red Devil who had stomped her heel down so hard that the chasm between them had collapsed further.

She growled, shouting petulantly, “I’m not getting any more patient here!”

Fantastic, slipped a card into the pocket of Drakes dusty gray overalls, lifted up into the air, and floated back off the field.

“Call me.”

Drake looked around at the cameras, all the onlookers, even the miners and porters he had saved. They all looked so expectant.

“Yvette?”

“Oui monsieur?”

“I’m all outta bubblegum.”

“What?”

Drake slapped his forehead, “Right, uh never mind.”

“I got it!” Red Devil shouted, “My ass is right here big boy!”

Drake chuckled, “Big boy, you ain’t seen anything yet Red!”

Smiling Drake stuck his arms out straight, Yvette’s bones forming up all around him till he floated suspended in her ribcage again. This time he let his senses sink into her though, their bodies becoming like one as his mind joined hers, no longer just commanding her, but one with her. Flexing his hooked claws, stretching out his arms and down his body feeling his thick heavy tail.

“Yeah,” they roared, “We’re doing this.”