Dragon Talk

The dragon froze in shock after that punch, and Leila couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The ancient beings had tough bodies built with Tis shields, making their structures incredibly strong and hard to destroy. Some of these ancient beings were also great fighters with impressive abilities, matching the dragons in strength. 

However, dragons were still considered the most perfect species. Their physical abilities were simply stronger from the start. The ancients' Tis-shielded bodies were large, but their real talent was transforming into different weapons, attacking mainly with tentacles. In terms of pure power, they couldn't quite measure up to dragons.

But here was a dragon, a creature known for its strength, being beaten down by what looked like a human?

Or was it even human? This giant, mythical figure—after that earth-shaking punch—it wasn't clear at all what it was.

Ant-Man, as an original member of the Avengers, had skills of his own. When the Avengers first came together, major heroes like Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor each had their own powerful talents. Ant-Man's only power then was shrinking to the size of an ant, which seemed a bit underwhelming next to his teammates.

Determined to do more, Ant-Man studied the Pym particles carefully and found a way to grow large and increase his strength. Later, the second Ant-Man in the movies could also grow, but his giant form wasn't as powerful as Hank Pym's original one. According to official ratings, Ant-Man's giant form had a strength level of 5, which ranges between 25 to 75 tons. But Hank Pym's strength in giant form was rated a full level 7. 

For comparison, a level 7 strength is what the Hulk has, starting at over 1,000 tons and reaching unimaginable limits. 

Yet this kind of power has a downside. Ant-Man's giant state gives him strength, but not much extra durability. So, even though he's as strong as Hulk, he doesn't last as long in a fight. He becomes a giant target for attacks. This was clear during the superhero battle in Captain America: Civil War, where he was able to go all-out because the heroes didn't aim to kill. Still, his giant form made him a big target, and he struggled to keep up. 

Despite his level 7 strength, Ant-Man often stayed behind the scenes, working on logistics instead of fighting in the main battles. But he was no weakling—when he had to fight, he could throw a punch that hit hard. After delivering one successful punch to the dragon, Charlie Cooper maneuvered Ant-Man's giant form forward, grabbing the dragon's shoulder with his enormous hand.

The dragon let out an angry, strange-sounding hiss, but Ant-Man kept it pinned to the ground. Then, he climbed on top of the dragon, pressing its claws and wings down and starting to pound it into the ground with fierce punches. Each punch shook the earth, filling the air with booming echoes.

Hovering above, Leila watched the dragon take blow after blow. She could hardly believe her eyes; it was as if the whole space around them shuddered with each punch. 

A dragon—a real, terrifying dragon—was being held down, beaten with sheer brute force!

For a moment, Leila felt sad that she was the only ancient being who had survived to see this moment. She almost wished she could bring back her long-lost comrades so they could witness this unbelievable sight.

Although Charlie's giant Ant-Man was surprising the dragon with this sudden attack, his actual fighting skills weren't quite up to the dragon's level. Caught off guard by a punch and put in a tough spot, the dragon found itself trapped. 

If this were a real fight without surprise attacks, this position would only give a slight advantage. But Ant-Man's current position was like a wrestler pinning his opponent—he had the upper hand. If Captain America had been in Ant-Man's place, the dragon would probably already be done for. 

Hank Pym, however, was mostly a scientist and not as skilled in combat. He had learned some moves from his Avenger teammates, but he wasn't an expert. Though it looked like he was in control, it wasn't absolute.

As Ant-Man aimed another punch, the dragon managed to dodge, finally regaining enough strength to lash out with its tail. It whipped around like a huge whip, smacking Ant-Man hard in the back.

Ant-Man let out a pained grunt as he fell off the dragon. He hit the ground with a loud crash, breaking rocks and snapping trees nearby.

Charlie quickly got Ant-Man back on his feet, only to see the dragon opening its mouth. From Ant-Man's perspective, he could clearly see sharp teeth, the muscles in the mouth, and flames churning like lava at the back of its throat.

"Move!" Leila shouted. "It's Dragonfire!"

Dragons weren't just feared for their physical power. What really terrified the ancient beings about dragons was the Dragonfire, a flame so hot that even Tis shields couldn't stand up to it.

In the past, the ancients used to say that nothing could harm a Tis shield—though they quietly ignored dragons in that claim. They had thought dragons were long extinct, so they didn't consider them in the equation.

The giant Ant-Man wasn't fast enough to dodge. He was still rolling and didn't have time to get up. Charlie knew the giant form gave him strength but not much endurance, and if Dragonfire hit him directly, Ant-Man would be out. He could respawn in this virtual battle, but losing here would mean starting over.

Then, all of a sudden…

Dragonfire shot out of the dragon's mouth, scorching the air and cutting across the ground like a flaming sword aimed right at Ant-Man's chest.

But in an instant, Ant-Man disappeared.

The Dragonfire burst forward, slicing through a fading afterimage and soaring into the empty sky.

Dragon: ???

Wait, where did he go?

A massive figure like that shouldn't just vanish!

The dragon's survival instincts kicked in. Its eyes darted around as it lashed its thick tail back and forth, claws sweeping defensively, trying to guard its vital areas. The Dragonfire was still flickering at the corners of its mouth, ready to attack the moment it saw Ant-Man again.

But no matter how it guarded, it couldn't defend against an ant.

Charlie controlled the miniaturized Ant-Man, flying close to the dragon's head, sneaking past its flailing claws and thick tail. He was so close to the dragon's face that he could feel the heat radiating from its scales, and then he tapped the Giant Transformation button once more.

In a flash, Ant-Man expanded, becoming a giant again!

With his fist raised high, aimed straight for the dragon's jaw, Ant-Man poured all his power into this single, thunderous punch. With the force of an explosion, his fist collided with the dragon's jaw, snapping its mouth shut and forcing the Dragonfire down its own throat. The dragon's eyes rolled back as it staggered and toppled over, dazed.

"Monster!" the dragon cried out as it hit the ground, nearly whimpering, "It's a monster!"

Charlie paused, feeling a little stunned.

"Friday?" he said, slightly confused, "Did we just hear that dragon talk???"

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