The Dragon Becomes Me

Cold

Raven Damien Berglund was cold standing outside inside the con. The temperatures were sweltering outside but when he was inside, his lightweight Blackwatch Genji costume didn't keep him warm, specifically the left side of his chest. His left nipple had gained the ability to cut glass. He cursed Jeff Kaplans left nipple fetish silently. He could only sigh as fellow cosplayers hustled around him, holding their loot, taking pictures and talking with other cosplayers, and of course standing in lines. Raven had thought being around his fellow nerds would be therapeutic, but instead his head was filled with the memory of his best friends disappearance. Nicholas Devin Taylor had disappeared at a con three years ago today, a fact Raven resented. The Genji cosplayer shook his head, Nick wouldn't want him to be down while he was surrounded by all these people, he'd want him to be happy. To honor his friends probable wishes, Raven perked up and resumed wandering around the comic con.

It wasn't long until Raven was conversing with a small girl cosplaying as D.Va, the two laughing like hyenas at some of their unfortunate mishaps in Videogames. After snapping a picture together, the D.Va cosplayer left to meet her friends. Raven smiled under his mask, watching the girl happily stroll off when suddenly something tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around startled, and was faced with an almost surreal looking Merchant cosplay from the Resident Evil Series staring him down with a piercing but curious gaze. Raven stood staring for a moment, neither attendee speaking until Raven broke the ice.

"Can I help you?" Raven asked slowly, confused. Another moment of silence fell upon the two before the merchant opened his jacket like he were dealing drugs. Instead of Meth-Amphetamine or Crack-Cocaine, laid an impossible number of props for the size of the jacket. Raven was instantly intrigued. The Merchant finally spoke after a chuckle.

"I was simply here to see if you may be interested in my wares? Yes?" The man said, in a low tone smooth voice. Ravens eyes darted around the jacket until they landed on the jackpot. Three Genji throwing stars, to scale, and for specifically a Blackwatch Genji cosplay.

"How much for those Blackwatch Genji throwing stars? I didn't have enough time before the con to get my hands on some...." Raven said moving his gaze back to the merchant, who closed his eyes for a second and smiled under his mask (which Raven couldn't see).

"300$." The man said confidently, holding his hand out, his eyes still closed, waiting for a nice cash prize.

"Fuck no!" Pierced his ears a second later, which caused the merchants eyes to fire open. He was stunned for a second, almost in disbelief.

"I'm sorry what?" The Merchant asked dumbfounded, which elicited a mumble under Ravens breath.

"What do you think I am? An ATM? Those shurikans are nice, and look great, and I get you're trying to make a profit but who the actual fuck do you think is going buy something they can find online for less than half that price?" Raven ranted to the Merchant, who frowned and rolled his eyes.

"115?" The merchant offered, a hint of frustration in his voice, as he had never had to OFFER a lower price to anyone, nor had he ever been ranted on. Raven looked like he was about to slap a bitch. The Genji cosplayer took a deep breath, but instead of exploding he let out a deep sigh and replied,

"Fuck it, 115 it is." Before forking over the cash, and being handed a nice set of Nihon throwing stars. Raven admired them for a second but when he went to look back at the Merchant to say something, the man was already gone. "Douchebag..." Raven muttered before slipping the shurikans into their regular gameplay positions, as Raven was finally ready to conquer the comic con. "Shit... I'm not feeling too well..." Raven said, as a cold sweat enveloped him and his legs grew weak. Raven stumbled his way over to a wall, and tried to lean on it. But in return his eyelids became heavy and his legs gave out, and he lost all control in his arms. With nothing to break his fall Raven hit his head hard, and fell unconscious.

Ravens eyes opened, and he was greeted with text surrounding his vision, and a red tint to the world around him as he was stuck on his back looking up at the sky. Raven seemed to try to focus on the text for what seemed like hours, but he could only assume his eyes were dilated, as that was the only other time something like this had occurred. Raven then realized he wasn't at the con anymore, instead in the wilderness if the trees looming over him said anything, and then the worst thing of all hit him. Raven couldn't feel his arms or legs. Panicking Raven started flailing around, but the sight of his arms and legs only panicked him more. They were entirely robotic except for one, left arm. His right arm had large scars running along its length, and that's when it suddenly occurred to Raven he couldn't feel because his limbs were cybernetic because he had been placed in Genji's position. Raven had a complete meltdown, and between cries of desperation and falling over everytime he got up he could only feel helpless. In an instant he had been stripped of 90% of his humanity and flung into a place he did not recognize.

It was too much for the poor nerd to bear and after toppling over for at least the thirteenth time, attempted to curl into a ball to cry as hard as possible. It seemed like the poor con attendee turned cyborg cried for hours, the sun rays between the trees forming a circle around him. Even after the crying stopped, Raven sat there for a long while, his head spinning, trying to wrap around the fact he was now mostly robotic and far from any place he knew. After an unknown amount of time passed, Raven finally made a calm focused attempt to stand and walk with his new limbs. After nearly falling a few times the ex-pure human fell into a comfortable rhythm moving forwards and didn't stop for anything.

Raven seemed to block out all sound around him, and became a driven force. If the cyborg was being honest, he felt alive. Adrenaline rushed through what he could only assume were artificial veins as he began to "feel" his new limbs. He did not tire of walking and dared to make it a sprint, yet he did not tire, he could not tire his artificial limbs. And then he broke into a run, and the reality of the situation left his mind. He could "feel" the wind hit him, as he ran faster than Usain Bolt and nothing would slow him down.

"WOOOOHOOOOO!" Raven cried out stopping suddenly when he realized he had made it to the exit of the forest, and his euphoric state shattered when reality and right back down on him. A town lingered in the distance, but unlike any Raven had seen in person. Thatched roofs, the wood and all it's saw marks put together, and nothing electronic that Raven could see.

"Jag är så knullad..." Raven said in Swedish. His family was from Sweden and could be traced back to the Scandinavian Viking age, and he had made an attempt to learn it, but failed miserably and ended up only knowing a select few phrases he deemed necessary. Raven began to scan around his environment, and spotted a large cabin in the distance. It was covered in leaves almost looking like a tree with a bridge that went over a small groove in the ground with a tiny stream. Raven froze, his famous inability to choose what to do taking hold. Should he stay where he way? Should he go to the town? Should he go to the cottage? Raven pondered on this for a hot minute before deciding the cottage would be his best course of action. He stalked slowly over to it, and noticed a growing crowd of small animals watching him. Ignoring the feeling in his gut he approached the door which got smaller as he got closer to the point he had to crouch to knock.

"Hello? Who's there?" Came a faint feminine voice from the other side of the door. Raven pondered this for a moment, quickly whipping up a half truth.

"I'm an adventurer, and I'm lost... could you help me?" He asked waiting for a response, swiveling his head nervously from side to side. Suddenly the clicking of hooves came from inside and the door opened revealing a small butter colored pegasus with a soft pink Mane who looked up at Ravens red eyes and intimidating stature freezing instantly. "No don't be afraid I won't hurt-" Raven was cut off as she let out a very loud EEP! Hiding behind her mane and suddenly much to Ravens Shock heard a bear growl from his left as it came barreling around the side of the cottage and lunged at Raven. Raven raised his arms to cover himself as the Bear toppled him over and began howling and trying to maul him. Not knowing his own strength Raven put a foot on the apex predators belly and pushed with all his might sending the bear flying nearly seven feet in the air in a wide arc. It landed with a splash in the stream below in the groove, and Raven got up to brush himself off. The little butter colored pegasus looked at him horrified, and suddenly before he could say anything a moving living rainbow came firing from the sky and hammered him so hard in the chest he went crashing through the wall of the cottage.

"Okay..." he wheezed, attempting to get up but falling down again, "I felt that..."

"Fluttershy! Are you okay? Did that freak hurt you?" A raspy voice that was female but could pass for male sounded out. It was followed by silence then something faint Raven couldn't make out. Silence overtook the area as Raven shakily stood, looking to see another pegasus with a cyan coat and rainbow mane. He realized they were distracted, and knowing he would be attacked again if he tried to talk to them, his stressed and panicked mind kicked into survival mode and he ran. It wasn't long until the Rainbow pegasus caught on and said something to her friend before taking off after Raven and gaining scarily fast. Raven panicked even more and since he wasn't looking tripped over a rock and down a steep hill as the rainbow pegasus flew right through where he had been just a second ago, while he was now instead rolling down a hill at high velocity hitting the ground hard. Not willing to be caught so easily Raven scampered to his feet, and continued his mad dash away. Had he not been granted the new cybernetic body he would've been mauled to death by the bear or K.O'd or even killed when he was slammed through the wall. Raven finally made it to the cover of an apple tree orchard, taking cover behind a tree saying all his prayers as his mind raced 1,000 miles a minute. Raven slumped down against the tree and let out a sharp breath in a land that was not his own, with only his own wit and his new body to sustain him.

With a cracking voice he spoke softly,

"I'm so fucked...."