Spyro's POV

I watched Amber type and click away on her computer. I heard her talk on the phone with Jack a few minutes ago. She told me that Jack walked into some building, and someone who he's never met left him a note. Amber and I are worried that Jack might've walked into a trap.

"Have you found any information on that man yet?" I asked.

"I'm looking into something right now. Can you go downstairs and tell Dakota?" she asked. We haven't told Dakota about what happened to Jack.

"Sure."

I walked over to the staircase, and climbed down to the first floor. I paced into the kitchen and saw Dakota scrutinizing a small device on the counter. "What are you working on?" I asked.

"A tracking device that Jack wanted me to make," she stated as she continued to look down at the device. A bunch of materials are scattered all around it. She had it plugged in to her computer, and it appeared to be doing something to the tracker.

"How is it coming?"

"Fine, I'm just trying to rearrange the settings so it doesn't drain the battery so quickly."

"I'm not exactly an expert on this kind of stuff."

"Well I'm trying to make sure this is at least better than the kinds of trackers you can buy online, anyway what do you want?" she asked.

"Amber wanted me to tell you that Jack ran into something."

"What?"

"I'm not really sure. She told me that someone left something for him; like they knew where he was going to be."

"Shit, what did they leave him?"

"Some kind of envelope or package; I don't know what's inside."

"Wow, I hope he's okay."

"Me too."

Dakota put down what she was doing and started to go upstairs. I started to think about her role in all of this. The two of us never really talk to each other in private, so I don't know where she stands in everything. She's the first person Jack meant to tell about the existence of the Skylanders. Originally, she was supposed to just help us rescue Whirlwind, but for some reason she decided to stay with us. I know she hasn't had a whole lot of direct contact with me or any of the other Skylanders, even when Cynder and Terrafin were here. Although, I can tell she does feel conflicted with me. I probably didn't help things with her when it came to my dark form.

"Oh no," said Amber as we arrived on the third floor.

"What's wrong?" asked Dakota as we entered into the living room.

"Get Jack on the phone, now," she stated with urgency.

"Why?" I asked.

"I looked at the files Jack had on the Dultras, and that office that Jack was going to search was owned by a suspected Dultra shell company."

"What's a shell company?" I asked.

"Basically, it's a company that does business for another company. It's technically legal, but the Dultras are probably using it to help move around some of their illegal money," answered Dakota.

"Yeah, and the Dultras might be using that shell company's office to ambush him. Get him on the phone," demanded Amber.

Dakota pulled out her phone and called Jack's phone number. Dakota turned on her speakerphone. I could see Amber getting tenser and tenser after each ring on the phone. I started to get nervous myself.

"Hello," said Jack after he finally answered his phone. Amber let out a small sigh of relief, but she still seemed tense.

"Jack, where are you right now?" asked Amber with nervousness.

"I'm almost halfway back to my car. What's wrong?"

"Jack, get back to your car as fast as you can. That office you found was owned by a Dultra shell company."

"Are you serious?" asked Jack.

"I wouldn't lie about this."

"I guess that would make things more sense. When I searched the office, I found nothing in there except a desk, and it had nothing in there either. And it would make even more sense of the letter that guy gave me."

"What did it say?"

"That whoever this guy is has the meteorite we're looking for, and he wants me to retrieve it tonight at an abandoned building. I don't think I have to tell you how much of a trap this seems."

"Did this letter say anything else?"

"I have to go there alone and unarmed, otherwise he'll kill me."

"Is Domino okay?" asked Dakota.

"I talked to him before I searched the office. He should be on his way back to my car. Listen, we'll talk more when Domino and I get back to the mansion."

"Alright, stay safe," said Amber.

"Will do," said Jack. He ended the phone call.

The room remained dead silent as we tried to absorb the newfound information. Someone has Voodood, and they're just offering it to Jack? I agree with Amber and Jack; this has to be a trap. Every time the Dultras tried to attack them, the Dultras usually kept it quiet right up till the actual ambush, but now someone has sent them an invitation. Who would be brazen enough to do this?

After almost an hour of waiting, Jack and Domino finally arrived back from their search. The looks on each of their faces told me that they're just as worried as I am. Jack showed us the contents of the envelope he received: a photo, a letter, and a key. Dakota and Amber each thoroughly read and inspected the letter. I looked at the photo of Voodood. The idea that the Dultras had one of the Skylanders made me enraged; I remembered when the Dultras had Cynder captured when she was still in her frozen form. The idea that they are finding and bartering with my friends makes me sick.

"What does this key unlock?" I asked.

"The building this guy wants me to enter. I wanted to scope it out before I left, but I didn't want to take the risk," said Jack.

"Do you want me to fly out there and take a look at it?"

"No, it'll be a waste of time. Besides, I don't know where the actual building is. Amber, go online and see if you can find it," said Jack. She nodded her head and went to her computer. It took her a couple of minutes to locate the abandoned building. After finding the address, she dug deeper into the building's history.

"Jack, this is getting worse by the minute," said Amber.

"Why?" asked Jack.

"Another one of those suspected shell companies owns this building," stated Amber. Even more anxiety filled my body.

"You have to be kidding me. What the hell are the Dultras up to?" asked Jack.

"The only way the Dultras could make this trap more obvious is if they left a flashing neon sign," stated Domino.

"The question now is how do we proceed? The letter sounds more like a demand rather than an invitation. We might not have a choice in going or not," I stated.

"Unfortunately, we can't go in with him. The letter explicitly stated that if Jack didn't go in alone, he'll die," said Dakota.

"It also stated that if Jack went in armed, they'll kill him," said Domino.

"Either way, Jack, it's you're call," said Amber. Jack sat in silence for a few moments as he tried to think of a plan.

"So many of these fucking questions are popping up everywhere we turn. Firstly, the Dultras somehow knew we were going to be robbing the jewelry store in Hidden Hills, then the Dultras somehow knew about Cynder and kidnapped her, then somehow King gained the documents to a convoy which gave us a perfect opportunity to rescue her, then there's a crystal which couldn't have been made by anyone on this planet, then we find three Skylanders locked away in a cabin that's owned by some fucking Alhberg, Bloody Ranger, Dultra guy. Why? They seemed to be giving us everything we're working for. They seem to know where we're at all times, but never take advantage of the opportunity. And now we have the Dultras just literally handing Voodood to us. Either the Dultras want us to gain them, or they're planning something big. If it's the latter, then it wouldn't be too hard to assume that whatever they're planning would be happening there tonight," stated Jack.

"What are you suggesting, Jack?" I asked.

"If they're planning something, then let's plan something of our own. I feel like since they've been giving us so many questions to deal with, we're entitled to some answers. It always seems like the Dultras ambush us, but it's probably time for us to ambush them. I suggest that I do exactly as the letter says: I'll walk into the building unarmed and fall for their trap. While the Dultras have their attention focused on me, everyone else, Stealth Elf and Spyro included, will swoop in and attack them. In the midst of all the chaos, I'll attempt to subdue the leader or one of the Dultras fighting and capture them. Once everything is done, we'll finally get the answers we've deserved. I know this sounds insane, and I'd agree with you. Since some people think that I'm a bit rash in my judgement," said Jack as he looked over to Domino and Amber, "and since I'm asking you to do all the work, I'll let you guys decide if this is something you want to do. I'll abstain myself from any part of the discussion."

It took me a few moments to grasp the magnitude of Jack's bold plan. He's really planning to use himself as bait so we can get an opportunity to attack them. He'll be putting himself in the direct line of fire just to ask some questions. I'm not even sure if rescuing Voodood is even a priority of his. Although, I can't say it wouldn't be nice to finally learn how the Dultras knew where Cynder was going to be during the day when everyone rescued Whirlwind.

"It would be a refreshing change to finally be a few steps ahead of the Dultras instead of the other way around," stated Domino.

"Yeah, but it won't be worth one of our lives," said Amber.

"But it might cost us a life if we don't do something soon. We've known that the Dultras have been doing questionable things for a long while now. I think now's the perfect time to learn what the hell they're up to. I agree that this whole idea is crazy, but if they're only paying attention to Jack, then there is an opportunity to launch an ambush and capture one of the Dultras."

"And what are we going to do when we capture one. We're not bringing them anywhere near here or the hanger."

"We could do an interrogation there, and dump the Dultra somewhere."

"But where: the desert, a hospital, a police station?"

"I guess we'd have to wait and see what the situation would warrant," said Domino.

"In theory, I guess a well-thought out plan could work. The biggest problem, though, is that there are just too many variables we can't control. If we do plan something, it's almost certain that something will go wrong," said Dakota.

"I'm pretty sure the Dultras would know that we'll be up to something."

"They might, we'd need to take that into account," said Amber.

"Does that mean you want to take the risk?"

"I guess it does; as Jack said, the Dultras have been acting very strange recently. Even so, walking into the line of fire without any sort of protection will be dangerous, even with all of us watching over him."

"So is everyone in agreement? We go for it?" asked Domino.

"Almost, we still haven't heard from Spyro or Stealth Elf," stated Dakota as she looked over toward me; putting me on the spot. Amber, Domino, and Jack looked over to me to get my perspective.

"I'm willing to do anything to get my friends back, but will it really be worth putting that much risk on Jack?" I asked.

"I don't know; I've stated before that I don't think it's worth dying to gain these meteorites, but I think it's pretty clear over our actions over these past few weeks we don't care about a risk of dying. I think we could actually make a plan that can keep Jack safe, but, as Dakota said, there are too many variables," said Amber.

"If you guys are so worried about protection, then send some protection in with him," stated Stealth Elf.

"We can't risk sending in a weapon with him. For all we know they'll search him before they hand him the Skylander. And that's assuming they do give him the meteorite," said Domino.

"I'm not suggesting we give him a weapon; I'm saying I should go in with him. I know the note stated that he had to go in alone, but they won't know someone went in with him if they can't see that someone," stated Stealth.

"Are you really that good?" asked Dakota.

"Stealth is in my name," she said.

"I can vouch for her," I said.

Stealth Elf is good at what she does. Her stealth and martial arts skills can rival that of Jack's gun skills. Even when you're watching your own back, you can never see her coming. I know she's good, but I have no idea if she can protect Jack from any sort of major attack. If the Dultras are going to cover all of their bases, then they might just execute Jack before Stealth could have any chance to save him. Though, having her watch over Jack would be better than nothing.

"I guess that means we're all in agreement. Jack, we'll watch over you and the building while you go in. We'll make sure that we hit the Dultras first if we have to," said Amber.

"Alright then, let's make a plan. We only have a few hours until we have to be there. Amber, see if you can pull up a satellite image of the building," said Jack. Amber nodded her head and went over to her computer.

After a few minutes of Amber playing with her computer, she finally turned and showed us the picture of what seemed to be the top of buildings.

"Which one is the building we have to worry about?" asked Jack.

"This one here," said Amber as she pointed to a building in the middle of a bunch of other structures. It appeared to be a bit smaller than the rest of the buildings surrounding it. "It's an apartment complex. Apparently, when the Dultras took control of it, they bought out all the residents. So it's going to be completely empty."

"As they've stated," said Jack.

Domino and Dakota took a closer look at the image of the street. "Jack, do you think I could use my sniper rifle to cover the street from the building across from the one you're going in?" asked Domino.

"I could go with him," I offered.

"Yeah, although the roof might have a bit of sharp angle on the street; it won't exactly leave you with the best cover if your body has to be leaning out just to get a good shot," said Jack.

"But I might also be able to get a good look through the building you'll be in."

"Domino, if the Dultras are going to have all of their bases covered, then they might have that building secured, along with others surrounding the building," said Amber.

"Well then maybe before Jack goes in, we should secure that building ourselves."

"I don't know; I want to make sure I make first contact before you try anything," said Jack.

"I'm pretty sure they'd kill you before we'd get a chance to retaliate anyway."

"I'm also pretty sure they'd be at a serious disadvantage if they did. Assuming they know we're going to plan something; nothing would stop you from attacking except me. It wouldn't matter if they'd only kill me because you'd still be alive. The only way this whole thing would be a success to them is if they ended up killing all of us. Keeping me alive would be their only guarantee that they could end up getting a shot on you."

"It sounds like all we're doing is planning our deaths," said Dakota.

"I know, but understanding how they might kill us will help us prevent it," said Jack.

"Well let's try to assume a worst case scenario. Let's say the Dultras will only go after Jack, then that means we're going to have to secure the building he's in," said Amber.

"Not necessarily, they could just blow up the building when he tries to enter," said Dakota.

"They could, but I highly doubt they do that. If they are only focused on killing me, then they could've just rigged the office that I searched through back in Pasadena. I think whoever sent me this note wants to see me die in person. Even if they do try something immediately, I'll have Stealth Elf watching my back. If I'm lucky, I might be able to get ahold of one of their weapons and start to fight back. Spyro can fly in through one of the windows and back me up. The three of you can then start working on clearing out the street, or go in to help," said Jack.

"We're still only six people, Jack. The Dultras usually send in nearly 20+ soldiers every time they try to kill us. We'll be relying way too much on luck if we go that route," said Amber.

"Mind if I throw in an idea?" asked Stealth Elf.

"Any plan anyone can come up with is greatly wanted," said Jack.

"I feel like you're forgetting that the front door isn't the only entrance. The roof is always one option for you to go."

"The building doesn't have roof access, nor does it have any type of fire escape up to the roof," said Amber.

"No, but, as Jack had said, it does have windows. Instead of Spyro entering that way, we can have all of you enter through that route. The buildings next to it are higher than the one your friend is entering into. Go onto one of those buildings and use a rope to scale over to the top of the building you need to enter. Then rappel down the side of the building to go in through a window. Spyro or I can break a few windows so each of you can enter quickly. Then we can use your friend, Domino, to watch over the street with his weapon."

"That's assuming if the building that Domino would go into would be empty. And plus I don't like the idea of leaving him alone," said Jack.

"Okay then, let's have Spyro guard him. He can easily move across between the two buildings in case a problem starts to arise," said Stealth Elf. I looked over to Jack and saw him contemplate the idea.

"Amber, would any of the buildings have a roof access or fire escape?"

"Yeah, I can see a roof access on the building to the left of yours," she said.

"It sounds like a plan then," said Jack.

"Are we finished?" said Amber.

"Yeah, everyone, make sure your weapons are clean and ready. Also make sure you wear bulletproof vests, and also make sure that you stock up on ammo. Expect a heavy and long gunfight. Domino, I want you to take a SMG or an assault rifle with you as well. You won't last long in a close-quarters gunfight with just your sniper."

"Duly noted," said Domino.

Everyone started to disband and go toward their individual routes. Amber went to her room with Stealth, and Dakota and Domino started their way downstairs. It just left me with Jack. I still remember the animosity that resided in him about me lying about my dark form, but he didn't show it during the conversation. His eyes turned over to me once everyone had left the room. I felt nervous to say almost any word.

"Spyro, I still meant what I said to you. If you ever come close to harming my friends again, I will kill you," stated Jack breaking the silence between us.

"And you should know that I would never intentionally do that. I know you'd never forgive me for what I did, and I was completely wrong when I lied to you about my dark form, but please try to remember that I lied out of fear," I said.

"You're right, Spyro, you were wrong, and I will never forgive you. But, at the same time I'm realizing what's done is done. The more I look at your past mistakes, the more I forget to look at the mistakes and problems to come."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that I get I need to move past this. Being irate toward you isn't worth me damaging the relationship I have with my friends. Plus with everything that I'm going through, it's not worth spending my energy staying mad at you," said Jack. I breathed a small sigh of relief. Domino must've talked to him while they were out. Although, I still feel the need to tread lightly around him. He might say that he's trying to move on, but I can tell he's not doing it for the sake of me. There's still anger and resentment that resides with him.

"Thanks Jack," I said still choosing my words very carefully.

"Yeah, have you felt any part of that dark form whatsoever?"

"No, I don't feel any part of it. The days leading up to it I could feel it crawling over me, but now it feels like it has never been there."

"Good," stated Jack as he started to walk over to his room. He opened the door to his room, but thankfully didn't slam it in my face as he did last time, but instead left it open for me to follow if I chose to.

He's still mad, and I can't blame him for that. Even so, I don't know how his relationship with Amber is. When Jack's life seemed to be at stake, there seemed to be worriedness within her. Everyone seemed to be that way. They forgot about their past problems to focus on the bigger picture. I'm not sure if things are resolved between the two of them. If I choose to bring up the feud Amber had with Jack, I don't know what she'll say. I can't risk talking to Jack about it. It still might be a sensitive subject to him. Even so, I don't think I'll get an opportunity to talk to either of them about it if we don't survive the dangerous mission we have ahead of us tonight.