A pair of dragons could be seen in a clothing store, one minding the register, while the other arranged out of place clothing. In the background, a television played both broadcasts, "Aussir, what do you think of those two men?" the dragon asked, staring at the television beside the register. The dragon was no more than nineteen, her human appearance resembled that of a typical teenager, with long purple hair. Her golden eyes entranced many other male dragons, aside from Aussir, "I mean, they're making promises to keep out the terrorists, yet neither of them seem to be lifting a finger to do anything. Hell, you've done more for the neighborhood than they've done for the city in just this past week." she added, shifting her eyes to Aussir. The male sighed before turning to look at her, "Miyu, it's not wise to say such things about our government, even if it is us two in here. Sure, there's no doubt that I've helped this neighborhood out more times than I can remember, everyone around here knows that much. Despite all that, the world of politics isn't a world I want to be part of, it's much too dangerous. I'd much prefer this life, and sure, I deal with criminals on a daily basis, but that's nothing compared to what else this city has." he replied. Miyu turned her body to face him completely, "Then why not expa-" "No!" he interrupted her sharply. He turned back to what he was doing, speaking after several more minutes, "No, Miyu. Expanding the company will only draw trouble, the kind of trouble someone like you should never bear witness to." he said, not looking away from the clothes.

"But why?" she asked, leaning forward, now curious. Aussir sighed and shook his head, "You've heard the reports, right? The Yakuza, along with the Underhill Motorcycle Gang? How they fight for control of this city? The criminals I deal with are no more than petty thugs, however, those two gangs, they're far different. They're not some petty thugs, they're professionals. If they want something, they get it, no matter what. That's why I can't, no, I won't expand the company. On top of the gangs, there are also terrorists. They say they're helping to 'free the city from corruption', but in reality, they're no better than the Yakuza, or that motorcycle gang. They kill innocents, and they don't care." he answered, finishing up the arranging. He returned to his place behind the counter, flipping the television off, "I've had enough of the news for today." he said. The door chime went off as several people walked in, Aussir's cybernetic eye immediately darting in their direction, scanning each individual. Pushing Miyu to the ground, he took out the shotgun from behind the counter, "Stay down." he hissed at her. His focus returned to the men approaching the counter, "May I help you gentlemen?" he asked, maintaining a serious face. His eye revealed to him that these men were armed, whether or not they were here to attack him, was a different story. The man closest to the counter looked at him, "You can, actually. I came in here looking for a present for my girl, got anything with jewels in it?" he asked. Still unsure of their intentions, he nodded, "Yes. Miyu, would you please pull out the jewellery from the counter and show them to this man." he instructed her.

Miyu silently nodded, taking her key and unlocking the compartment that held the jewellery, pulling the small box out of it and standing. "Here you are." she said, opening the box so the man could have a look. Aussir remained tense, if these guys started shooting in his store, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to react fast enough to save the girl. "These ones." the man said, placing a pair of ruby earrings on the counter. "An excellent choice, sir, they were just recently made." Aussir replied. Miyu carefully picked them up and wrapped them before placing them in a small bag, waiting for Aussir to ring up the price. The male punched the price into the register, gripping the shotgun tightly as the man's hand reached behind him. Aussir placed a hand on Miyu's shoulder, preparing to push her the moment he saw a gun, though it never came. The man's hand came back into view with his wallet in it, a feeling of relief washing over him, "Are you alright?" he asked. Aussir nodded, "Yes." he said, taking the man's money and giving him back his change. Miyu handed the bag to the man, both of them watching as the men left the store without incident, "Aussir...are you really alright?" she asked, still staring straight ahead. It took a few moments before he gathered himself again, slowly removing his hand from Miyu's shoulder and replacing the shotgun, "No...I thought they were going to attack us." he admitted. Miyu turned her head to look at him, "You scanned them, didn't you?" she asked. He nodded slowly, "I've never trusted people, Miyu, anyone armed can possibly attack another person. It's the way things are in this city." he told her, slowly making his way to the back room, "I'm going to lie down for a bit, mind the store, would you?" he added. Miyu nodded slowly, watching him disappear through the door, [i]Aussir...[/i] she thought, turning her attention back to the store.

Inside the small room, Aussir slid down the door until he was seated on the floor, his heart racing as he went through what just happened again. The room was small, one bed, one nightstand with a lamp on it, and a large warsword which Aussir kept for some odd reason. After having calmed himself, he slowly stood and made his way over to the sword, placing a hand on the blade's smooth surface. His mind showed him what his adoptive father had said to him years ago, [i]"Aussir, I am not your real father. It was many years ago I found you wandering the streets alone, so I took you in once I realized you weren't the child of any dragons in the city. There was nothing to identify who you were, except for a tiny dagger in your hand, and even then that wasn't enough to confirm where you came from. That dagger you had, it seems to grow with you, as if it's part of you. You must never show that weapon to anyone, and you must never, [b]ever[/b] reveal your dragon self to anyone in this city. If someone were to see you like that, I'm sure there would be others who knew where you came from. I know you want answers to who you are, but the route of showing your dragon self...I feel as if it will cause you nothing but trouble. So promise me, you must never reveal your dragon self."[/i] his words echoed in Aussir's mind. He stared at the blade before standing, [i]I made a promise to him, and I have honored that promise, but I can't help feeling the need to change at times. The more I remain like this...the more intense the feeling becomes. What if I lose it and turn into a dragon? What will happen then?[/i] he thought, lying down on his bed. It wasn't long before he finally passed out, the stress of dealing with those men must've taken it's toll on him.