Part Two: The Black Dragon
Part One by @hidave here: https://peakd.com/hive-161155/@hidave/rise-of-the-black-dragon

Eric broke free from his sheet prison. “I am the Black Dragon.”

Rajulio stood and spoke calmly. “Ah, I see.” He turned to Brent, “and why did you bring the Black Dragon to me?”

Brent hestitated, “Uh- uuu- Steve said you gave him some drugs and that’s why he’s acting this way.”

Rajulio’s face fell. He looked genuinely sad. He turned to Steve, “Is that what you’ve come to conclude? Your friend here, The Black Dragon, visits me regularly, and you think I’m giving him dr-”

Eric interrupted, “THE BLACK DRAGON WILL BURN YOU ALL.”

Nonplussed, Rajulio continued, “-ugs? You think, when we call you to pick your friend up because he can’t get himself home, that that’s what drug dealers do for their clientele?”

One of the men that Steve and Eric thought were threateningly cracking their knuckles and had mentally labelled “a gang member” cracked their knuckles again. “It’s because Rajulio is Hispanic, isn’t it?”

Steve spoke, “No! No, no no. It’s- it’s-”

Then Xochitl entered from further into the house, “Oh, leave the racist white boys alone, Rajulio. No one told them about the Black Dragon, so they leapt to racist white boy conclusions. What else would you expect?”

“GOLD DRAGON, WE FLY!” roared Eric at Xochitl, as he leaped free of the bedsheet. Brent thought, for a moment, that Eric was indeed flying, but the next moment their Black Dragon crashed to the floor.

“Ouch,” whispered Brent sympathetically.

“C’mon, Black Dragon,” said Rajulio, hefting Eric in his arms like a baby, “Let’s get you nicely nested.”

“And it’s time for you racist white boys to go home,” said the knuckle-cracker again.

“I WILL BURN THE CITY,” said Eric, writhing so much that Rajulio dropped him.

“Ouch,” whispered Steve, sympathetically.

“That’s good,” said Xochitl, “but after we have some dinner, ok?”

“The Black Dragon can watch Scooby Doo with me, ok?” Rajulio extended a hand gently but firmly to Eric, who grasped it with both hands and pulled it to his chest. Rajulio sat down on the ground next to Eric. “It’s me, Black Dragon. It’s me, Purple Dragon. Let’s go watch cartoons. The hatching won’t begin for several hours, so maybe you can let Eric come out for a bit, and you two can watch together?”

“Scoot,” said the knuckle-cracker, and Brent and Steve found themselves abruptly in the front yard.

“What was that?” Brent asked Steve.

“Secret drug lingo, I guess,” shrugged Steve, “Let’s go drown our confusion at The Faculty.”

“K.”