1Yep. They're still at it, and they still don't know Jake's identity. Though they're getting close...

Divide

Chapter 1: Arrogance

Jake muttered to himself in the silence of the shop, as he was trying to clean it up after the mess caused by the attack on it. His grandfather was also helping, but Fu Dog had been out to go to a unicorn race. The more Jake thought about it, the more the magical side of the world seemed to be so very different, yet exactly the same from the life he's known before finding out he was a dragon.

"So, ah, Gramps, any idea how the Huntsclan knew to bust in here?" He asked, while mopping up a spilled potion mess.

"I am not entirely sure Jake. Perhaps they have been following the energies given off by the Orb of Malorphis. It has been reacting oddly as of late...hmmm..."

Jake then watched as Grampa went to check on a scroll. Probably to find out why the orb was giving off more and more dark magic all of a sudden. Jake grumbled, and returned to mopping.

'Wonder how Haley is doing...'

About a year ago, the Dragon Council had agreed that, although Jake's training was going smoothly and well, they didn't want to over-do it with dragons training relatives. Jake only managed to be allowed this by some persistence on his grandfather's part. Haley, though, was to be trained by a different dragon. She had been sent to a preparatory school for young women as a reason for her being there.

"Hey, guess who won-whoaly cripes! What happened?"

Fu Dog had returned through the back door, and met with a disaster area.

"Yo, the Huntsclan came in and decided to have a party, know what I'm saying?"

"Ewwww...I think I stepped in frog juice!"

Divide

Outside the front of the shop, someone had a hand-held device with a screen aimed to the shop, with a green line on the screen spiking wildly. We can see that it is Victor again, currently looking curious.

"It was in there all right. But it's not now. This might explain the repair signs..."

The device then rang once, before Victor pushed a button on it. Boris' face came onto the screen.

"Yes Boris?"

"Sir, the faculty of the University are curious as to where you are."

"Tell them I'm taking in the sights. Apparently I'll have to. The trail went cold."

"Yes sir."

The screen then went black, and Victor put the device in his pocket, before heading to the door of the shop, and knocking. Inside, Jake was confused.

'What's a customer doing here with all the repair signs?'

Jake went over to the door and answered it.

"Yo, G, I hope you noticed that we've got a couple of things to fix up right now."

Victor narrowed his eyes slightly. He positively detested people that talk in such a manner.

"I'm aware. I want to inquire when the store will be accessible again." Victor answered, with a tone of superiority in his voice.

"Not sure yet. Check back tomorrow, k?"

Victor turned and left without a word, leaving Jake there.

"Man, what a cocky jerk." He muttered as he shut the door.

"Jake, aren't you supposed to be attending your college classes now?" Grampa asked.

"Ahhh! You're right! Crud! Be back to help!" Jake yelped, rushing around to get his bag and supplies, before running off to get to his classes, running past Victor on the way.

"Hmmm...what has him in a hurry?" Victor asked himself.

Victor was interrupted in thought by his phone device ringing again. He answered it again, Boris calling back.

"I'm sorry Victor, but they insist on your presence."

"I should have reasoned as much. They would want their poster boy to attend the discussion on M Theory, wouldn't they? The cons of a formal invitation...I'll be right there."

Victor then hung up, and also hurried.

Divide

Jake was panting in his seat. Even flying over to the university was a long trip. He barely made it in time, but he was exhausted. And somewhat damp. It had started to rain on the way, and he didn't have time to completely dry off with his fire.

"Phew...long...long...way..."

He also had NO idea why he was even at the M Theory discussion. That is, until he saw her. Rose was still as beautiful as ever, and also something of an over-achiever.

'Ahh yeah, now I remember.'

Despite knowing Rose was the Huntsgirl, he never could get over his crush. He never knew why.

"Now then, if everyone is present, let's get started with-"

The lecturer was interrupted by the door, as Victor walked in, wearing a long, dark green raincoat with a hood, that was dripping wet.

"You're late Victor..."

Victor grumbled, removing the raincoat, and hanging it on a coat rack.

"Pardon my tardiness, the rain delayed my return." Victor replied, as he headed to an available seat.

'Awww man, not that guy again...' Jake thought to himself.

"Now then, is anyone here familiar with M Theory?" the lecturer asked.

Only a couple of people present had their hands raised. Rose was among them, but neither Jake or Victor did. Victor looked bored with the whole affair.

"Let's see...since Victor came in late, let's see if he knows about M Theory."

"Bah, this is beneath me..." he muttered.

Victor then stood to speak.

"M Theory is...?" the lecturer asked.

"M Theory is the current theory of explaining the universe, which describes the plane of existing as a membrane, which creates a new universe upon each time the membrane makes contact with another portion of itself. M Theory allows for the possibility of an infinite number of parallel universes to exist, each capable of vastly different rules of physics, and is also used to explain why Gravity is the weakest fundamental force that science is aware of, stating that Gravity itself in our world is in truth an overflow of the actual force. M Theory's origin can be credited to the String Theory of the universe, after it's addition of factoring 11 dimensions into the theory rather than 10."

Jake blinked. The lecturer was surprised.

"Er...well...that is...correct.."

"Uh...that makes no sense whatsoever. You eat Brain Bits for breakfast or something?" he asked.

Victor looked to Jake, and narrowed his eyes again.

"To put it in terms easier for you to understand, the main universe could be considered to have the form of a cell. With each new universe it spawns, it splits, until the main universe's form is that of a complete living being such as a man, while universes like what we occupy would be little more than cells in comparison. But even this comparison is flawed, as it does not allow for the explanation of the infinitum number of worlds." Victor told him, again with a sense of superiority.

Jake's head was spinning from this. It made sense, but it was confusing too. And he looked like he was the same age as Jake. His head cleared though, when he noticed Rose looking at him.

'No way! He is NOT getting Rose!'

Victor then sat down. The lecturer seemed a little anxious.

"Er...well...since Victor summed up M Theory so well, I seem to be having difficulty determining what to discuss about it." the professor stated.

"Then allow me to provide such a topic. Does it not seem rather hypocritical for science to accept M Theory?" Victor asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that with M Theory, it allows for an infinite number of universes to exist within one space, each capable of radically different laws of physics. With this basis to start in for thought, one could easily assume that this means there are an infinite number of universes that break our laws of physics in the process, as well as harboring life forms that we, as logical thinking beings, have denied the existence of. To accept M Theory is also to deny everything that we have learned in the grand scale."

"..Well...that is true on the grand scale, but everything we have learned applies to our universe, which is where it should remain applied."

"I still find M Theory to be a paradox of science, and little more than absurd, on the grounds that M Theory's infinity of universes means there is an infinitely good and equally bad chance of everything. It also would destroy one's sense of self, as with it, no one is unique." Victor stated, taking his seat.

'Boy, he's even worse than I thought...' Jake reasoned, 'Trixie would've chewed him out for being so big-headed if she were here.'

Divide

Jake was still thinking over his classes as he left the campus. The rain had stopped luckily, but he still was a bit annoyed.

"Jake!"

Jake looked up to see Rose heading over.

"Hey Rose, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you had plans this Friday."

"Me? Aside from hangin' with Spud and Trixie, no."

"Then I was wondering if, maybe, we could go out?"

"Really? Wow. I'd like that, b-" Jake started, intending to politely turn her down.

"Great! I'll see you at 5 Friday at your place! Gotta run!" She said, heading off.

"Er, yeah, see ya.." He said, waving to her.

He watched her leave, then groaned. There was a good reason he was usually beating around dates. Aside from the fact they kept getting interrupted by "family business", Jake wasn't sure he could keep it up. He didn't want to end up like Mr. and Mrs. Smith did in the movie, against each other due to duties. True, he could do like his mother has. She's STILL never gotten to telling his father about the dragon stuff. But he didn't want to deceive Rose if he was going to be steady with her.

"Wonder if Spud's still on duty at the Dairy King..." he asked himself, taking out his skateboard, which was damaged a little with time, and headed off.

Divide

Victor seems to have an agenda of his own...and is Spud still on duty? Find out next update.