The dragonet was hardly half a year old, and already he was performing minor acts of law enforcement, even on evenings and weekends. This was a weekend, and Svar's day off. She was going to take the dragonet to a sushi establishment that she knew of and liked, but the dragonet had caught a man stealing an elderly metal-giants rather large and full purse (because everyone knew that metal-giants always kept their money in coinage, rather then on credit discs!), and of course, Aden was off. The results were like something from a B-rated chase scene: fleeing man, shrieking (or roaring) giant, squeeful yautja dragonet, and, somewhere behind all of that, Svar, with a very perturbed Rukel over her shoulders, in hot pursuit.

Thank god it was over! The purse had flown from the thief's hands to the ground, and people avoided it like one would avoid a large rock rolling after them. It had skidded to a halt a few meters away (yes, a few meters! Aden's pounce had been really rather tremendous!), and the elderly giant was homing in on it like bees to flowers.

Svar was standing nearby. She wasn't sure what to say. Praise would be good, but... well, now people were staring in various degrees of horror and fascination as Aden raised his fists and flared his mandibles and wings, doing a little victory dance on the man's back.

Hellim shifted on the woman's shoulders, retracting his claws from her skin (ouch!). Well that was interesting the creature sniffed.

Someone started clapping, and others followed suit, and it wasn't long after that that Aden's ego swelled to slightly larger then the station's bulk, itself. Someone even gave a whistle--or perhaps a chirp, whatever it was, it was too much. Svar started laughing. She couldn't help herself.

Aden finally stepped off of his quarry when security arrived--proper security, not his vigilante-style of immediate action-type security! and returned to a still chuckling Svar. ~See, and I didn't even hurt him, just like you said.~

"You mean, aside from all of those ribs I heard cracking?"

~Who needs ribs?~

I think he needs more anatomy training. Hellim interjected, batting at the air between him and the Yauttiedragon. Aden flared his mandibles up at the Rukel, a playful threat, like usual.

"What's important is that at least you've learned to curb yourself, when you need to," Svar interrupted, running a hand over her bond's dark, knobby crest. He'd grown so quickly--already he was nearly as tall as her! "The last thing we need is to have Security after you, even if you've been doing things for the right reasons."

~First they'd have to catch me,~ Aden replied, half sly, half playful. He strutted past Svar, back the way they came, his chubby claws held at his sides and his chest jutting out. He was getting better... even if at the same time, he was going to further lengths then before. For the first few weeks that Svar had taken care of the hatchling, Aden had seemed almost hypersensitive to the world, and, predictably, had run off more then once. Once he'd come back with blood on his mandibles--the red kind--and blood on his paws--bright green. Svar had reprimanded him such that the Yautjadragon couldn't leave their little apartment for two weeks.

He hadn't liked that.

Then again, he'd learned his lesson.

Whenever he wanted to do some real work, he simply slipped off when Svar was busy, saying that he was going to the gym.

He made sure to take care of any evidence, and he was good at that.

Aden opened one luminescent eye, but refrained from any other movement. He was larger, now, nearly reaching his full height. That is, he was almost twice as tall as a human, even of Svar's height. At the moment, he was laying on his back on the hard surface of the dragon side of the suite, his wings folded around him and his arms folded under that. Black, half-frizzed hair pooled behind his head-crest and onto the floor. No couch for him... for one thing, it was shaped for differently made dragons, and was uncomfortable. For another, he kept getting the feeling that being found sleeping in such a way would be... embarrassing. He didn't like to be embarrassed.

Hellim was perched on his chest, a cat-sized weight on a dark brown boulder. His feathered tail wrapped around his teal wings, the Rukel was licking one paw and skewing his ears, his own act of superiority. You're not as good as you think you are, fugly.

~Your tiny brain doesn't even remember what you had for supper tonight,~ Aden replied, closing his eye again. He was exhausted, and for good reason!

Synth tuna with a side of live cockroaches, thank you very much, Hellim replied, licking his forepaw more vigorously. Unlike some of us, who seem to prefer a tangier meal.

~Then the bugs have addled your brain, because I have no idea what you're talking about,~ the Yautjadragon said, vaguely annoyed with Svar's pet. The human, at least, had no idea of what was going on, but Hellim... Aden didn't like the way the Rukel seemed to be able to prize conclusions out of thin air.

Of course, said Rukel wasn't about to be dissuaded from his little game just because Aden didn't feel like playing. Nor did the raucous snore that the terrible two-year old emit cause him to flee. (It did, however, blow his thicker fur out of place, which required even more licking to put back in order!) Hellim sent a mental smirk, going to work on his own chest. Bugs, addling my brain? I wonder if there's anything left of yours, then!

Everyone knew that Aden and his sibling's sole hatching purpose had been to track and hunt the evils of the Nexus, be they hydras or xenodragons, or any other like-minded beast. What Svar had thought, however, was that her bond was reigning in his cravings for justice... at least, enough to let her get on with her job.

Such was not the case, and it hadn't been since the dragon had learned how to teleport! Aden opened one eye again and stared at Hellim with a look that could boil a less resolute person. ~I don't eat what I catch,~ he said, half contemptively, half dismissevely.

And I don't keep filthy 'trophies' of what I catch, Hellim replied, just as haughty. He flared his wings open and leapt from the larger beast's chest, flapping vigorously before setting down over Aden's unused couch. Hmm, what have we here?

~Get away from there!~ the Yautjadragon said, opening both eyes now and unfurling his wings. He rolled and put a hand down to steady himself, then raised himself to a crouch, mandibles flared, ominous and dark.

Hellim ignored him. With a hop and a skip, the Rukel lit up various keys, and a section of the couch slid back to reveal a little storage space--which reaked abominably.

- "Oh, Aden, phewf!" ~Excuse me!~ "What the hell are you keeping in there, dead bodies?" ~I get gas problems when I eat too much.~ "Well you might want to consider a diet, chubby boy! I'll go call the ventilators. Eugh!" - Inside the space, several dozen heads of various shapes and sizes were placed. Most of them were exoskeletal carapaces of drones and warriors, but several were the rotting skulls of hydra and hydra-kin. Hellim wrinkled his nose from his perch and peered down. Quite the collection you have there, stinky.

Aden stalked over and smashed a fist over the invisible keypad, and the door whooshed silently shut. ~You tell Svar of this and I'll make sure you end up in there yourself!~ He seemed highly harried.

Oh, if I wanted to tell her, I would have long ago, Hellim replied, sidling away from Aden's meaty fist. I've known about it since you landed your first alien, you big dough-brain. You think I don't have a sense of smell and a sense of cause and reaction?

The sleepy Yautjadragon stared at him, mandibles still wide. ~Why didn't you tell her?~

Please. She's busy as is, and she appreciates being kept in a bubble about your extra-curricular... activities.

Aden stared at the Rukel, the little thing that it was, and thought about that. ~What do you want from me?~ he finally asked. He could sense blackmail when it was waved under his nose--metaphorically or literally!

Well... Hellim replied, his tail taking up a faster pace, I'd like to sit shotgun on your next adventure, for one thing. Kids are kids are kids. I'd rather see some action from your perspective.

~No.~ It was ridiculous, thinking of a little Rukel sitting on his shoulder as he tracked down his prey.

Hellim stood, then, his tail in the air. Okay, fugly, then I guess I'm off to Svar's room for the evening. You know, curl up, speak a few words here and there. 'How was your day, owner-mine?' and 'that synth-tuna could use some more flavor' and 'oh, did I mention that Aden is going out and killing things when he could be helping you with those kids?' You know, the usual.' He leapt from Aden's couch and began to saunter towards the door, but found his mobility greatly restricted when a big foot came down on his tail. The Rukel yelped and cast the Yautjadragon a haughty glare, but the foot did not remove itself from Hellim's personal space.

~I have another foot.~ Aden said, rumbling a little.

Hellim's glare was enough, at least, to match the dragon's burning one. So you do. Know how to use them?

~Don't tempt me, little one!~ Aden raised his other foot and held it over Hellim's body.

The Rukel finally relented. Let me go, you massive muscle-bag. Slowly, reluctantly, his tail was released. That's better. How about this. Let's put things on hiatus until you go for your biannual checkup with Doctor... what'sisname? Schroedinger? in a couple of days.

~It's Doctor Schroeder, cat-thing,~ Aden corrected, and then looked thoughtful. ~He said he had something, a challenge for us, but after that...~

Ah ha. Hellim grinned wickedly, an expression that was picked up from his human, I'll accompany you.

~No!~

Yes, I think I will. Seeing as Svar couldn't get the day off. Hellim knew that Aden thought that the site of the Rukel made him look soft (after all, what Yautjadragon has pets?), and he was enjoying the thought of Aden showing up, along with his siblings, with a little teal cat perched on his shoulder. He would have chuckled at the growl that the dragon let out, if he could. A purr would do. Oh, don't worry, bumblebutt. I won't be too intrusive.

Aden snorted. ~We'll deal with this in the morning.~

As it suits! Hellim replied, already knowing he'd won. He finished his sauntering out of the room (the catflap swished shut behind him), and Aden resumed his floor-side position. He wouldn't fall asleep for a very long time.