I don't know how long I was running for or when it started raining. I just know that I eventually stopped and fell to my knees in tears. Despite my best efforts, I kept replaying the events from an hour before over and over in my head. Wishing that what happened never did. Wishing that the people I called my friends hadn't just rejected me. Wishing that I could've just been normal.
It didn't take too long before I was driven out of my momentary spiral by a deep growl coming from behind me. My blood froze in panic as I looked around and realized who's cave I just stumbled into. As the realization dawned on me, something big was slithering in the darkness towards me. I cursed myself for blindly running into Her lair. Well, it was a little late for that now. Especially since the Storm Dragon who's domain I had entered was now directly behind me, her warm breath breathing down my neck, her cold booming voice echoing through the cave.
"H-hey, Priya..." I managed to utter, hesitantly looking over at the silver scaled force of nature the size of a small house that was currently staring me down.
For the first time since I'd known the Dragon, I witnessed her electric blue eyes, usually cold and harsh, soften, a look of genuine concern in her eyes.
"I don't think I've ever seen you cry over anything, young Witch. Tell me, where's the rest of the Guard Dogs, or whatever your team of superheroes call yourselves?"
Hesitantly, I looked up at Priya and corrected, "Hellhounds. And...they're the reason why I'm crying right now. I was just kicked out of the team."
"What? They kicked you out? What for?"
"Because I...why am I telling you this? For all I know, you're gonna fry me with a lightning bolt the moment I tell you. I was already rejected by people I called my friends. I don't need my arch nemesis to reject me for wanting to be myself, too..."
For a moment, there was silence between us. Then Priya ended up doing something I couldn't have anticipated. One moment, she was looming over me, and then as soon as I blinked she had transformed into her human form, a hint of genuine compassion in her blue eyes hidden behind silver locks of hair as she held out her hand.
"Come on," Priya said as I cautiously took her hand in mine, "I'll make us some tea, and if you're comfortable with it, you can tell me what happened."
I was understandably weary at first, but with some gentle prodding and reassurance that the tea wasn't poisoned, I ended up telling Priya everything. How for years I'd been questioning my sexuality and gender identity, constantly wondering whether I truly was a man or not, and had recently come to the conclusion of it being the latter. How I had excitedly come out to my teammates, not expecting much other than some basic acknowledgement and care. How devastated I was when everyone I knew, including my girlfriend and my parents, had looked at me with disgust and kept saying that I didn't know what I was talking about. And how that quickly turned to despair when my former team leader, my own father, personally stripped me of my badge and connections to the Hellhounds before unceremoniously throwing me through the door and telling me to never come back, essentially leaving me homeless. Priya never interrupted as I opened up to her, just sat there silently listening to me pour my heart out while being barely audible through my tears.
"...Well, that sounds like an unfair and unjust reason to kick you out of that team."
"You heard me. Thunderclap. It's not right for you to be treated as less than a person just for existing."
"...I don't understand. You've frequently given the Hellhounds and our higherups in the UN for razing towns and stealing food. You're considered one of the most dangerous vigilantes on the planet. Why would you care about some t-"
"Don't even think about calling yourself that slur," Priya growled, making me shrink back in my chair and fall silent.
With a small sigh, the Dragon continued, "I might be a beast, but I am far from being a monster. I steal in order to survive and only kill those who deserve it. And not even Hell freezing over would ever make me think that leaving someone without a roof over their head just because they're anything but cis-het is okay. Now, get comfy, you're gonna be here for a while. I some calls I need to make, one being to your father's employer. And fret not, I might know a few ways that can help you live as your most authentic self."