Johnny hated the sewers. Even more, Johnny hated sidekick duty. But, above all, Johnny hated listening to Kammander Dragon’s lectures.
“…and that is why the council’s delaying your Hero status, Johnny. You are not mature enough!”
Johnny gave an empty nod and continued to wonder his thoughts as they walked.
“Right now, you are daydreaming so that I think you pay attention to what I say, correct?”
Johnny shook his head again. He wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t care what Kammander Dragon had to say. He could only think about that he wasn’t a hero, and he was going to be stuck doing lame sidekick duty until next term.
Suddenly, Johnny felt a strong force slap him in the back of his head. He looked up to see a stern faced Kammander Dragon with a mouth that looked as if he were going to blast a fire of scolding.
Johnny snapped back into realization of what he had just said and mumbled a soft,
“Excuse me”
They continued to walk down the repulsive and humid sewers. Algae were crusting on the rusty copper walls. As the smell grew worse, Johnny stopped believing it was algae.

As they went on, the yellow shine that had reflected off of the walls of the tunnel had started to fade and Johnny took one last look up at Kammander Dragon, who looked back as they shared a confident bright smile.
Kammander Dragon was a tall and muscular man. His skin was pale and tan. He had white short hair and half of his face looked as if it were covered in scales. He had a big jaw and sharp features. He wore a tattered green cape and matching color tights. His right hand appeared to have sharp talons at the end of his fingers. His tights were ripped at his shoulders where it seemed to have been torn by a large battle. You could see the wound was still healing.

Soon, it was dark. Johnny and the Kammander were consumed by the shadows. The only thing to guide Johnny was following Kammander Dragon’s pulsing red eyes that had transitioned in the darkness.
“Johnny?”
“Yeah?”
“Please, would you stop staring? You are making me a tad nervous.”
“Sorry, but I don’t know where we are going.”
“Johnny, if I have to remind you again…You might as well get used to it if you are planning to be a hero anytime soon. Many heroes would die for your gift. Use it.”
“Sir, it makes me tired and weak when it is over. Please. Let me star-.”
“HUSH! I am tired of your complaining! So you are no hero now! Boohoo! So what?”
Kammander Dragon thumped his chest with his palm, “It is what is in here…that counts!
“But…” Johnny stopped there as he saw Kammander Dragon’s eyes go from a blazing red, to a wildfire of different colors. Yellow, orange, and red in a harmony of hues gathering in his eyes.


For a moment, the footsteps stopped and Kammander Dragon’s blazing eyes centered right at Johnny.
“Ok…ok”
Johnny slowly let his eyes drift into his head.

Johnny focused hard on his hands. He rubbed them together a few times and clapped.

Soon, his arms became moist as they began to give of a neon blue fume. His palms were searing and he squirmed a few times because of it. His nose stung a bit because of the smoke his hands were giving off.

“Easy now…” Calmed Kammander Dragon.

Johnny opened his eyes to view the world in an ultraviolet tint. The walls off the tunnel opened up as his eyes dilated. He raised his hands to see what had occurred to them. He blinked in disbelief that his hands were glowing with blue plasma energy. He turned over to Kammander Dragon who squinted his red eyes at Johnny in approval.

“Let’s go” Suggested Kammander Dragon.

Johnny nodded, and this time, with understanding.

It was about another half an hour of walking down the sewers until they both approached something glowing through both of their eyes. It was crusted on the sewer wall.

“Either that is what we are looking for…or that is some nasty radiated diarrhea” Johnny remarked.
“These are scales, Johnny. Of what, I don’t know. We were sent to retrieve samples for testing. We found this on when patrolling the city. Dark Wing found radiation coming from the streets, but later found out it was coming from the sewer. Apparently, these scales are causing some sort of disease. A mutation. Who knows what has come down here and been infected.”


“What would want to be down here? How come we aren’t developing anything?” Johnny questioned.
“Travelers, wanderers, the poor looking for shelter. We won’t get this virus because we have plasma in our blood. It would kill any infection or germs the second it hit our blood. That’s why they sent us.” Kammander Dragon answered. “Now hand me the sample cup.”

Johnny slipped a sample tube out of his sidekick utility belt issue 3. It was loaded with gadgets but was one of the oldest models. Grapple gun, sample tubes, gas grenades, his Hero Training Facility communication device and a laser beam pointer to point out targets.
Johnny looked up into Kammander Dragon’s eyes when he handed him the tube that were still red, but his face looked purple after his own eyes had dilated.
Kammander Dragon slowly and gently scraped the scales off the wall with his claws into the tube. To Johnny, the scales look like something dried up. Maybe a nest for some mutated freak. It wasn’t all crusty. It was slimy at the bottom as if it took a long time for the creature to get out of the nest. It opened it at the top, and then ended at the bottom, Johnny thought to himself.
Disgusting.

For some reason, Johnny had the sensation to go pee out of nowhere. He tinkled around a little bit, trying to sooth the need. He decided to take a deep breath. But he gagged upon inhaling.
“You know… it’s ironic…I thought…You know…sniffing others doo-doo and pee-pee would make me want to go less….but…really…it makes you think about all the people…that enjoyed sitting on the toilet…to have themselves a great relief… and now I have to go more than I did befor-“

“Please! No more! Go! It’s a sewer for Christ sake! Just go where it won’t be able to come back here and kill me.” Kammander Dragon begged.