Dragon's Pride (Ch 15) (Patreon)

I can see the hero’s face twitching while I stuff my own. Not too surprising given that he wasn’t smart enough to take me to someplace that’s a buffet. Still, even if he’s not smart, he at least has good taste in food!

“Uh, are you sure you can afford this, Hawks?” Accompanying us to… lunch? It’s still bright out so probably… are the Water Hose duo for some reason, with the husband giving the blonde hero a half-worried half-amused look.

“Maybe?” The bird replies uncertainly before wincing as I raise my empty plate to request another from the waitress, who looks a bit panicked as she rushes into the kitchen. “I can probably send the bill to the HPSC, even with all the stuff going on.”

I stuff a barbecued chicken wing dipped in ranch into my mouth, smiling at just how good it is. After I swallow I look at Hawks. “What’s going on with the HPSC? Someone important get fired?”

The hero jumps in his seat a bit, evidently having not expected me to actually talk with anyone given how I've been so focused on eating. But that’s mainly because the three of them have basically just been staring at me ever since I ordered one of everything meat-focused from the menu. They looked amused back then, probably thinking that I just wanted to take advantage of not needing to pay. Then they looked shocked, awed, and a bit horrified after I showed them that I did, in fact, plan to eat it all. And get seconds and thirds of the tastiest dishes.

But shouldn’t the fact that I’m naked have made them horrified earlier? In fact, now that I think of it, I wonder why none of them have even bothered to comment on my lack of clothes? Sure, I’ve grown my scales to cover all the important bits like a sports bra and work out shorts, but you’d think that they would still insist on me actually wearing something. Not that the lack of clothes bothers me, I just think it's curious how it doesn’t bother them.

Maybe they’re just all perverts?

Hawks raises an eyebrow at me while the wife of Water Hose answers, having not looked away from me the entire time. I still have no idea why the married couple are even here, but they insisted that Hawks bring them with us. In contrast, all the other heroes couldn’t wait to get away from us. Or, well, me.

Wimps, being scared of an eleven year old. Sure, I did almost roast them all, but I gave them a warning of what was about to happen. Mostly.

I even let them all live after annoying me, so really, they should be grateful!

“Yes, actually. The Chairwoman got tried for treason a few months ago so the Prime Minister ordered an investigation into the entire HPSC.” She shudders. “Let’s just say that a lot of new job openings became available.”

I hum before directly downing a bottle of hot sauce and getting flinches from all those assembled. I hold back a chuckle at their discomfort, which is the whole reason I even did it! It’s not like it’s even hot enough for me to feel it. Maybe I should raid the Bakugou household for their homemade hot sauce? Sure, I didn’t really use it in the past all that often, but now that I can breathe fire I’m curious what it tastes like.

“Sounds like the organization that oversees heroes was corrupt and they’re cleaning house now.”

Hawks lets out a surprised laugh, choking on the water he was drinking. After the husband Water Hose slaps his back a few times he looks at me. “Wha -*cough*- What makes you say that?”

I just give him a deadpan look, not even bothering to answer. I mean, it’s pretty obvious. Especially with the Hypocrite Symbol holding the number one spot in the leaderboards. Although that treason thing sounds kind of familiar for some reason…

I chew thoughtfully while I listen to the heroes discuss things.

The husband snorts. “Come on, Hawks. It’s no secret that the Commission doesn’t have everyone’s best interests at heart.”

“They aren’t that bad.” Hawks defends, but it’s half-hearted at best. “The Chairwoman was just… a big picture person.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” The wife retorts. “I’m just happy that it’s finally getting taken care of. I can’t tell you how worried I was about Kota growing up with how the Commission was.” She shakes her head, eating a forkful of salad before continuing. “At the very least, I hope the new President is moral enough not to commit fucking treason.”

“What did she do, anyways?” Her husband asks. “All I’ve heard is that she committed treason, but that’s all. What did she do that was treason?”

The wife looks at him and raises an eyebrow. “Pretty sure the only things that can be labeled treason are trying to kill the Prime Minister or the Emperor, or trying to destroy a city.”

Hawks shakes his head. “The Chairwoman wasn’t an idiot, she was happy with the power she held and wouldn’t have wanted to risk her position on something that wouldn’t have given her any benefits.”

His face screws up in some emotion I can’t identify before it’s gone. “Apparently, she held back information that was meant to be told to every hero. Supposedly, it’s so important that us not knowing put the entire country at risk.”

“Then why don’t we know this ‘vital’ information?” The winged hero holds his hands up at the clear skepticism the other two direct his way.

“I know, I know. That’s why I said supposedly important.” He shrugs, taking another drink. “The most that I was able to learn is that DAB needed to get involved.”

“Oh!” I snap my fingers, startling the heroes and the waitress who nearly drops my new plate of wings. Thankfully she manages to catch herself and put it on the table before gathering the large quantity of empty plates and scurrying away.

“You’re talking about how none of you are legally allowed to bother me!”

They stare at me blankly for a few moments before Hawks eventually finds his voice. “Uh, excuse me?”

I nod. “Yeah, apparently I’m outside the law because everyone is scared I’ll go on a rampage and raze Japan to the ground.” I grow my muzzle and just pour the entire plate of steaming hot wings down my maw. After savoring the taste and swallowing I continue. “The DAB agents assigned under me mentioned that they would be punishing whoever didn’t tell the heroes about me, and apparently that was the HPSC Chairwoman.”

I shrug disinterestedly before noting how the heroes have gone stiff, but I choose to ignore it as I finish off the rest of my plates and let out a satisfied burp. I grow some claws and pick at a piece of meat that’s stuck in between my teeth as I keep talking. “I didn’t really mind fighting Eraserhead and Present Mic, but apparently the DAB thought I would get offended and set the entire city on fire? Or something like that, at least.”

I grunt in satisfaction as I manage to pinch it and pull it out, peering at it for a moment before tossing it back in and swallowing. I look at Hawks, who definitely looks like he’s holding back panic for some reason, and nod. “You’d probably be arrested for treason too if they found out you actually got me mad when you and the other heroes dumped water on me.”

I hold back a smile while watching them exchange looks with each other, the silence stretching. Since it seems like they’re out for the rest of the conversation, I clap, causing them all to jump, before I stand up. “Welp, thanks for the meal! I’m going to go on a flight before I head back to the apartment and take a nap.”

I start heading towards the door before Hawks jumps from his seat. “H-h-hold on!” I pause, looking over my shoulder at him. He swallows before he speaks, clearly nervous about something. “Y-you said you were going on a flight? How about I join you? The sky gets a bit lonely with how few people are allowed to fly.”

I think about it for a moment before a grin lights up my face. “Sure! We can make it a race!”

He gives me a shaky smile before gesturing me towards the back of the restaurant for some reason. “Sounds like fun. But let’s start off in the alley behind the restaurant. Don’t want people thinking you're some villain getting chased by a hero, now do we?”

“Meh,” I shrug, not really caring if anyone thinks I’m a villain or not. Why would I? I don’t know them, so they don’t matter to me. But it would probably just be easier to accede to his request so we don’t get interrupted. I don’t want him saying that the only reason he lost is because he had to explain the situation to the police or other heroes!

Thankfully the dumpster behind the restaurant doesn’t smell, so I can focus on stretching everything out after I let my wings loose. I tilt my head at the hero. “So, where are we racing to? I’ll need you to pick something distinctive since I’ve got no idea what city we’re in.”

He lets out a surprised snort that he quickly covers with his hand before clearing his throat. “Well… how about we race to Trash Beach? It’s a straight shot in that direction,” he points in a direction and I give him a nod in confirmation. “I’m not too familiar with this area myself, so I don’t know its actual name, but it’s famous and distinctive enough that you shouldn’t have any problem knowing it when you get close enough.”

I raise an eyebrow at him. “If you don’t know the area, how’d you know this restaurant was so good?”

He shrugs. “I like chicken.”

Fair.

I direct a sharp smile at him, bending my knees. “On your mark, Chicken Cannibal.”

He laughs, the strain easing from his face and voice, before shoving his hands in his jacket’s pockets. “Just don’t be upset when you lose, Pyro.”

`~`

The Water Hose couple steps out of the restaurant just as two figures fly above the restaurant, quickly vanishing off into the distance. Around them, the wave of police and heroes called to apprehend the girl shout in surprise and panic.

“She’s running-”

“Hawks is chasing-”

“Endeavor is still-”

“How is-”

“QUIET!” The sudden shout from the local police chief -an older man with a set of antenna-like growths on his head- silences all of them. He looks at the two heroes who are looking distinctly nervous, sighing at the feeling his quirk is giving him. Whatever they have to say, it’s not going to be good. “Hold positions while I get a report from Water Hose, but make sure you track where Hawks is heading, just in case.”

He jerks his head towards an area away from everyone else, signaling for the married heroes to follow him. They do so, the husband wringing his hands while the wife furiously taps away at her phone, a scowl marring her features.

Once they’re out of earshot of the others, he sighs. “Give it to me straight, how screwed are we?”

The husband swallows and his eyes flicker to his wife before he answers. “Ah, well. The girl who started the fire outside the city supposedly is outside our jurisdiction. At least according to her, and Hawks seemed to believe it as well.”

The police chief just stares at the man for a moment before switching to the wife. “I’m going to need more of an explanation than a random child being outside of our jurisdiction.”

After a few more taps the woman swears. “Fucking- Ok.” She takes a deep breath to forcibly calm herself down. “Ok!” She looks at the chief with a scowl on her face. “I was just messaging the stand-in for the HPSC President, and after describing the girl, they’ve confirmed that neither heroes nor the police have the authority to do anything to her.”

The chief stares at her for a moment before dragging a hand down his face and letting out a groan. “Please don’t tell me the three of you called us in to arrest the girl DAB warned everyone to avoid?”

The couple grimace. “This is the first we’ve heard of her. From what was said while she was eating, the previous Chairwoman was tried for treason specifically because we weren’t warned. And with the entire Commission undergoing what essentially amounts to as house cleaning…”

“The information still hasn’t been spread around.” The chief finishes with a sigh. He turns and eyes the assembled raid team -because what else could he call the dozen high-ranking heroes and fifty police if not a raid team. He lets out another sigh. “Well, do you have any good news for me? I’d rather not have to tell everyone that they accidentally committed treason because a greedy woman was stupid.”

They shuffle their feet for a moment before the husband speaks up. “There probably won’t be anyone arrested for treason because the girl left in a good mood?”

The chief snorts. “We can only hope…”