Dragon Little stood in front of the crying soldier with the mesh of circuitry all over his body and face as he was huddled in the corner of the roof. 

“Waaaah!” she mimicked his crying insultingly. “Waaaaah!” 

The soldier, Colonel Doug Widget, looked up, shocked. 

“Waaaah!” she repeated. She had been given the task of lifting his spirits so he can save the world, all as part of Dragon Father’s lesson to teach her that heroes do cry. 

So far it was not working. 

“Waaaah!” she repeated, louder and in a more insulting tone. 

The soldier laughed. 

“Waaaaah! Waaaah! That’s what you sound like!” she accused him. 

The more she fake-cried, the more he laughed. Then, he stopped suddenly, “Enough, little girl,” the soldier said. “I am going to die! You can’t make that funny! “

Dragon Little took a step back. “You’re going to die?” 

“Yes. That’s the price of the technology I carry on me. I will insert a virus, but it will take so much of my body that there will be nothing left. I will die.” 

“General Hawk’s kids are dead,” she told him. “They died a glorious death. Are you going to die a glorious death?” 

He nodded. “But I don’t want to. It frightens me so much.” 

“Are you going to save the world?” 

He nodded. 

“Will you beat the bad guys?” 

He nodded. 

“Is it going to be glorious and everyone will remember you?” 

He nodded. 

“And you still don’t want to do it?” it was as if she could not comprehend his state of mind.

“It is frightening to go to your death!” he shouted at her. 

She shrugged. “Give it me. I’ll do it.” 

My entire skin felt raw suddenly, sensing danger. I stood up in my hiding place, needing to protect my sweet Dragon Little who knew nothing of real death and real danger and fear and sacrifice. 

“You don’t mean that,” the soldier said. 

“Give it to me!” she demanded. “I’m not scared!” 

And suddenly the soldier was not crying anymore. “You mean it? I can transfer it to you?” 

She nodded. 

“Okay,” he said, and extended his hand, which was covered with metal and circuitry. “Give me your hand.” 

I must stop here, for it ist too painful. I will rest and tell you the tomorrow what happened next. 

—Told by The Red Dragon