Dragons

Joji ran into the store; he saw the car swerve into the road; he quickly rushed down to the road. He could hear the manager screaming at him, but all that was on his mind now was a worry for Amy.

He got to the road and quickly hailed a cab; lucky enough, he got one immediately. He hops in and tells the driver to go after the black van.

A chase soon ensued as they pursued the black van. When the road was free enough, Joji took a picture of the license plate number, just in case he lost it.

They followed every turn the van took and followed it into traffic and then into the worst parts of the city. Why would Amy be in a place like this?

"Hey kid, are you sure about this? This place isn't good."

"It's alright," Joji said. Just follow it. The van takes a turn into an alley and as they make the turn, they realized that the van had sped up immensely

What the heck! The driver said

"Step on it!" Joji screamed. They're trying to get away

The driver steps on the pedal and Joji had to brace himself as the car shot forwards, sprees of water splashed by the car window as the car ran through puddles, soon they were catching up to the van and it changed direction.

The driver with his immense speed misses the turn and both he and Joji screamed

"damn it!." the driver quickly reversed and makes the turn but the car was comes

"Damn!, we lost it"

The driver went down to the alley they looked left to right looking for the path they took and when they got it they saw the van parked and a couple of boys in black jackets standing in front of it with crowbars in hands

The driver tries to reverse but joji puts his hand on his shoulder and said to him "just wait a moment."

"Kid, you're gonna get yourself, kid, I can't wait for you"

"That's alright," Joji said.

The driver seemed shocked by the look in his eyes, are you crazy he said, Joji handed him his money and the man angrily took it

Joji grabs the handle of the door and pops it open.

"Don't waste your life kid," the driver said as Joji stepped out of the car. He closed the door and the driver reversed the car and left.

The boys in black jackets looked at each other wondering why the car had left. Joji didn't move, seeing they were armed and had the numbers advantage, he kept his distance.

"Who the hell are you!" The one in the middle screamed at him. Jojo screamed back, "Where's Amy!"

"What, Amy? Aren't you a little too old for her?"

"So you're with her?"

Then the back of the van opens, and it's Amy, "Joji," she said. "You're okay!"

Joji watched her closely to see her reaction, he feared they were holding her against her will.

"Are you alright?" he said, "did they hurt you? Joji looked at the boys in front of him, checking their reaction, and he walked a step closer.

"You know this guy Amy?" The guy in the middle said. "Yes, Amy replied, he's a friend from work."

"Amy, who are these guys?"

"We're a dragon, red dragon"

Joji thought The name sounded like something to do with gangs and drug traffickers. "And what do you want with her?" he screamed.

"Joji it's alright, they're from the game, they saved me"

Joji looked at them and they chuckled and gestured for him to follow them, Joji still kept his guard up taking the opportunity to at least be there to protect Amy if anything went wrong

Joji looked into the back of the Van, and another girl was sitting there; she had a shaved head and a piercing in her nose; he saw the back of their jacket and realized something.

Their jacket had the symbols of a dragon with its body wrapped around a game controller. Joji gasped; it's that dragon, he thought; he realized ur was the triad dragon; it was an underground esports thing; he felt a bit like a fanboy as he hopped into the find.

"You look cute," the girl with the shaved head said. Joji looked at her a bit confused. "Are you taken?"

"Joji puts his finger to his chest, "you mean me?" he said.

"Hey, Ruby," the driver said. "don't flirt with guys while I'm here." She chuckled; Joji looked at the driver; he only saw the man's red hair.

Seated opposite him was the guy that stood in the middle of the boy, I'm Cobra he said, putting out his hand for a shake. Joji looked at his hand, and then at his face; he had a bright smile on.

Joji reached in to shake him, and at the last moment, Cobra pulled back his hand and burst out laughing, and so did the other guys.

"Hey, cobra! What did I say about being rude to guests now, shaking his hand like a gentleman."

Cobra chuckled and said, "Alright." he put out his hand again, and Joji chuckled and said, "Don't worry about it, I'm good."

"You see that bro, he's the one being rude now"

"Well, you can't expect him to trust you after you pulled a childish stunt like that; you gotta grow up and live in the adult world of bills and responsibilities."

"Never!" Cobra screamed

"I apologize for my idiot brother," the driver said, "I'm Bell, its Joji right"

"Yeah," Joji said

Bell said nothing but focus on the road, and Joji turned to Amy. He wanted to ask her how she did in the game but didn't feel well saying it here, not with everyone here.

"So where were you, Joji?" Cobra said, "Where were you when your girl here was losing life like my brother loses hair."

"I'm not losing hair," Bell screamed as he stepped on the brakes. Joji looked at Amy and she looked away, he felt she was a bit ashamed,

"Come on, you know it's true, you're going bald bro." Ruby burst out laughing. "What are you laughing for?" Bell said, "You're supposed to be on my side."

"She's laughing because it's true," Cobra said, "that's why you dye your hair all the time, and you're using hair extensions too; I bet when we beat the game, you'll fly abroad to get your hair fixed…"

There's money in the game, Joji thought, then he remembered the video of the game's creator talking, yeah, that's true, it was in the video. So these guys are in it for the money, but why is Amy with them? And what does he mean by that question? Was Amy in that much danger?

The images of his ordeals in the games flashed through his mind. Who am I kidding? Who wouldn't be? I'm so sorry anyway, sorry I got you in this mess.

"We're here," Bell said.

Where? Joji wondered, he looked out the window and saw a large red iron door and thought it was a warehouse. Bell honked the horn four times, and after a few seconds, the door slowly opened.

"We helped her out you know, the team we saved her from the quicksand, she'd already died two times before, and I just couldn't help myself, we spent our resources trying to get her out of there and then kept her alive, you have no idea, its like she'd never played a game before. Well now the boss wants his pay"

"Shut up, Nicky," Bell said.

"Hey! Don't call me that; it's Cobra!"

"Hey, what do you mean the boss wants his pay? He looked at Amy; her face was cold and somber. He couldn't tell a thing from her; what did he want with her!?

Cobra chuckled, "it's nothing like that," he said. "He just wants a chat, that's all; there are so many levels to this game, Joji, it's like the holy grail; men will risk their lives looking for it just to know the life that comes after you've drunk from those cups."

The van stops the door rolls open and a flash of neon lights comes into the van, they all file out and Amy waits by the door for Joji as he comes out she grabs his arm and said, it'll be alright these guys are my friends their boss is just a bit more worrisome"

"I'm sorry I didn't come for you, " Joji said. I was…"

"You were on a different island Joji, it's not your fault"

"Well, it feels like it," Joji said in a low tone; he could barely look her in the eyes. Cobra saw they walked at a slower pace than the rest of the guys and he told them to hurry up.

Joji looked around the place and it was all empty and old, except for the neon lights. He walked behind them wondering where they were headed then they stopped and looked down, Joji followed their gaze and saw a brown iron hatch on the floor

Bell squatted down beside it and brought out a key; he stuck it in the keyhole and said, "Joji, you're a gamer, right?"

Joji was a bit startled but then he boldly replied. Bell chuckled, a small breeze made his red hair dance and he said, "Well I guess your life ends here"