Free Jack Blank and the End of Infinity by Matt Myklusch Page A

the area for the moment. “Where the heck have you guys been?” he shouted.
    Zhi intentionally bumped Jack’s dragon. “You’re welcome.”
    “Can we get out of here, please?” Roka asked. “This is the worst homecoming parade I’ve ever seen.”
    Jack shrugged. “Oblivia did warn us.”
    “Don’t even get me started on her,” Roka grunted. He pointed to a squad of airborne WarHawks riding jet packs and armed flight pods. “Let’s go. Now.”
    “We have to get the others,” Jack said. He took the reins and brought the dragon down and around, turning fast enough to leave skid marks in the air. He hugged the ground, flying underneath the fast-approaching WarHawks, and charged back up to the top of the staircasehe’d just fallen down. As soon as he reached the landing, he turned hard once again, causing the dragon’s tail to fly out and sideswipe a row of WarHawks and Varagog warriors. “Climb on!” he yelled to Jazen, Blue, and Allegra.
    Jazen and Blue made a break for the dragon. They would have easily made it, but Hovarth came out of nowhere. He lowered his shoulder and barreled into them, knocking them both to the ground. Hovarth’s men got back up and swarmed Jazen and Blue. Only Allegra got through the mob, shifting to her most liquid state to slip in between her attackers. She stretched out her arm and wrapped it around the dragon’s tail. Roka pulled her in, but Jazen and Blue were lost in the grip of Hovarth’s men.
    “Go!” Jazen yelled to Jack. “You’re the one they want, just go!” Jack hesitated, and Jazen nearly lost it. “NOW!” he shouted.
    Jack nodded and kicked his heels into the dragon’s sides. He became a brilliant blur as he flew away, with Zhi, Trea, and Lorem following close behind.

CHAPTER
    7
    The Getaway
    Jack broke away from the pack, following the natural instinct to fly up and away as fast as he could. He drove his dragon high into the air. A hundred arrows and five times as many laser blasts chased him into the sky.
    “Incoming!” Roka shouted in Jack’s ear. There was no cover up above the square. Jack was completely exposed. He turned the dragon on its side to avoid getting hit, but he was only able to protect himself, Allegra, and Roka. The dragon roared as a dozen arrows lodged into its belly and its scaly armor was riddled with bullets. The mythicalbeast spiraled back down toward Hero Square in a nosedive. Jack pulled up in time to soften the blow, but they still hit the ground hard and skidded into the center of the plaza. Jack and his friends were thrown off in the crash. The dragon kept going and slammed into a speeding HoverCar before it finally ground to a halt.
    “Is everyone okay?” Jack asked, getting up and dusting himself off.
    “No,” Roka said. “I gave you the reins because I thought you knew how to fly. What the heck was that?”
    “Sorry, I’m better with machines.”
    “Guys!” Allegra shouted. She was pointing at the dragon. “She’s hurt bad.”
    “No,” Jack said, running up to the wounded creature. It was his carelessness that had gotten it shot out of the sky. Jack reached out to touch the dragon’s head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think . . . I . . .” The dragon looked at Jack and let out an agonized groan. It laid its giant head against the marble flagstones and dissipated into luminescent vapors.
    Jack drew back his hand as Trea and Lorem circled overhead. “Hang on,” Trea shouted. “We’re coming down!”
    Roka shook his head, waving the glittery smoke away.“I’ve got a better idea. Let’s play to our strengths.” Roka directed Jack’s attention to the HoverCar that Zhi’s dragon had crashed into. “What do you think, Jack? This thing gonna run, or is it too banged up?”
    Jack coughed on the hazy remains of Zhi’s dragon. Roka’s words had yet to register with him. “I got that dragon killed. . . . It only took a minute.”
    Allegra morphed into a wall to guard against the WarHawks and Varagog