1Nah, I can't finish it just yet. It wouldn't be right.

Divide

Chapter 4: Doomsday

A couple days had passed since the warehouse fire. A police investigation had been held, but the fires had been too intense. Nothing had survived the fires. No evidence of the gate, no spell books, nothing. Nothing that had remained in the warehouse anyway, though Jake was still pretty badly hurt. He told his father he had a skating accident and some bad scrapes. His mother knew better, but then, she was in on his secret too. He'd been laying on the couch mostly today, still too sore to really do much. When the doorbell rang and he went to answer, the last thing he had on his mind was...

"Hi Jake."

"Rose! Ah, hi! Ow!"

Jake had jumped a bit in surprise seeing her, and this caused his shoulder to twinge in very sharp pain.

"Jake! Are you okay?" Rose asked, trying to help steady him.

"Who, me? Yeah, fine...ow...okay, I lied..."

"What happened?"

"Skating accident. No biggie."

"Are you sure, because I don't think we should go out if you aren't."

"Out?"

"Our date?"

Jake had completely forgotten about that. What with the crazy genius/king/smart alec thing.

"Oh, yeah, nearly forgot with this and all. Uh, yeah, I can handle it."

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Jake and Rose had gone to a movie, followed by eating together at a diner. They were still at the diner to talk at the moment, facing each other.

"That was a good movie, don't you think?" Jake asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. So, Jake, what happened?"

"When?"

"The accident."

"Accid-oh, right, I guess I just got distracted."

"I see...wha?"

Jake had sat up, looking at something intently. Rose looked to see what it was, and started to ask what it was, but she saw it too. It was someone in a green raincoat, heading away from the diner. This wouldn't bother them, except that's also what Victor was partial to wearing...

"It couldn't be..." Jake muttered.

"Be who?" Rose asked.

"Er, some guy I saw earlier. I think he was in the theater with us."

"..You know, I think you're right."

They both went silent, and thinking, thoughts the same...

'Is Victor alive...does he know I'm...'

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Normally, Jake would see Rose home after a date, and he did insist to, but Rose insisted more she see him home since he was still hurt. He decided not to argue further when his chest decided to join Rose's side of the argument. So there he was, walking home, with Rose with him.

"So...do you think that guy was following us?" Rose asked.

"What? Nah, no way, he's probably just bumming around."

"Yeah, you're probably right..."

Rose went silent, and was thinking as they walked.

'I hope so...I don't want that lunatic after me...'

Jake was also hoping it wasn't Victor. He remembered what he did to his grandfather. He also didn't think cattle prods came in designer form or could actually SHOOT electricity...

"Um...Jake?"

"Hmm?"

Rose pointed to the side. Jake looked. It was his home.

"Eh-heh-heh, my bad. So, see you later?"

"That sounds good. I'll let you plan when this time. I was kind of in a hurry the other day."

"Um, all right. I'll get back to you."

"All right. Good night Jake."

"G'night Rose."

Jake then went inside, as Rose walked off. He was heading back to the couch, when his mother stopped him.

"Oh, hi mom."

"Jake, I think your grandfather might want a hand around the shop. You seem well enough now."

THAT didn't sound good. That was his mother's way of passing on the message that there was an emergency to tend to.

"Oh, right, see you later then." He told her, heading upstairs.

His father walked into the hall, watching Jake head upstairs.

"Isn't the door the other way?"

"He probably went to his room to get something first."

"Oh, all right then."

He then went into the kitchen, while upstairs, Jake turned into dragon form, and yelped. His wings weren't feeling to well either, but he went out the window to fly to the shop.

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When Jake got to the shop, he landed on the roof, and morphed back to human form to head downstairs. Once down there, he found it very unsettling that the shop was dark. There weren't any lights on.

"Eye of the Dragon." he said quietly, his eyes changing form.

He looked around, now able to see better in the dark, to look for the light switch. He stopped though, when he saw someone sitting in a chair.

"I've been expecting you."

Jake growled. Victor...

"What do you want?"

"You're the red one, aren't you?"

Jake stepped back, surprised.

'So he does know...'

"What do you mean?" He asked, trying to feign ignorance.

"It makes sense really. This shop held the Orb of Malorphis before. It shouldn't have surprised me at all to find that the proprietor of this shop would have connections to magical beings. In fact, he's the Oriental dragon, isn't he?"

"..What do you want?"

Victor stood up, and laughed. His laugh had a machine-like quality to it. Jake saw why. He was in a metal mask.

"Come now, I know you aren't that naive. I want the orb back. Your human friend took it."

Jake had no idea how to respond. If he told him the Huntsclan had it, it might put Rose in danger. He didn't like the Huntsclan, but he didn't want to drag Rose into this.

"Forget it, you aren't going to try and toast the city again! Dragon up!"

Jake hadn't had to actually say that to transform in years, but he wanted to try to surprise Victor to get the drop on him. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work, as Victor ignored it, and dusted Jake with some sort of powder, making him cough and gag.

"Ugh, yo, that's NASTY!"

"Sleeping powder isn't meant to smell like roses.."

"Say wha?"

Jake then lost balance, and collapsed, blacking out. His form remained of a dragon, because while heavy injury may cause him to change back, things like this wouldn't. Victor stood over him, and laughed...

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Jake groaned, opening his eyes. He yelped, when he saw Huntsgirl, not immediately remembering what happened.

"The heck? Yo, what the he-"

He stopped, when he saw that she was currently chained to a wall. He growled to himself, then realized he was too. They were facing each other, in some sort of...dungeon-like room. It reminded him of the place he first had to get the Orb of Malorphis from. The Huntsgirl struggled a bit.

"You're finally awake?" She asked.

"Hey, whatever that creep used was powerful stuff. I still feel too weak to move."

"That might be because he took blood from you..." She grumbled.

"He WHAT! AAUGH! GETITOUTGETITOUT!" Jake shrieked, legs flailing, panicked.

Huntsgirl blinked, and gave Jake an odd look.

"Are you some sort of needle phobe?" She asked.

"Yeah! Who isn't? And it's not in me still, is it?"

"Yes."

"GYAAAAHHH! OWWWOWWWOWWWWW! ...wait, no it isn't..."

Huntsgirl laughed a bit.

"Have to find something to get my mind off of whatever he's up to...can you get free?"

"Maybe, oh, and thanks for the wake-up call." He told her, in a tone he knew would normally annoy her.

"Just try already."

Jake grumbled, and tried, also a bit aggravated that Victor drug Rose into this, and the fact that he had to keep playing like he didn't know her...

...or did he?

"Ergh! Man, whatever these are, they ain't breaking. And the wall ain't either."

"That's because that's titanium reinforced with magical seals."

The two looked to a door, which Victor used to enter to check on them. They found it odd that he was followed in by an elderly man in a tuxedo. Yes, even more odd to them than the fact he was wearing what appeared to be full body armor made of metals, and a mask, as well as wearing his green raincoat again. He must either like that thing, or uses it to offset all the metal.

"That armor because of how bad we kicked your butt?" Jake asked to provoke, "Or is that your idea of a body cast, ya creep?"

"All the better to break you with physically..and you may call me Doom."

"How egomaniacal.." Huntsgirl muttered, rolling her eyes.

"For your information, it's what my family name translates to in the English language. Though I do also intend it for it's face value." Doom replied, walking over to Huntsgirl, and using his left hand to make her look into his eyes.

"Let her GO!" Jake yelled, trying to break loose.

Doom ignored Jake for the most part, but he let go of Huntsgirl and turned quickly when a very audible crack was heard.

"Victor, he-"

"I'm aware Boris. How he managed to work up that strength is yet unclear. Those seals should have kept his strength in human levels..."

Doom then walked over to Jake, and looked him over. The chains had cracked a bit, as had the wall, but nothing had given yet.

"However, my armor detects he's lost this boost, and no human strength will finish the job..."

Doom then looked at Jake, who was still angry, and laughed.

"I believe I understand now..."

"Understand what? Your spells have a flaw in them!" Huntsgirl yelled at Doom.

"No, there is no flaw...I just underestimated how much he cares for you..."

Huntsgirl's eyes were wide.

"What did you say?"

Doom laughed to himself, looking at Jake's very angry glare.

"I've been watching both of you since that night...the robot that stole the orb for me wasn't a simple weapon..."

Huntsgirl was watching Doom, wondering what he was up to.

"It was scanning the clan, to learn your identities, for later use if I needed it. Yours became quite useful..."

Doom then went to Huntsgirl, and pulled her mask off. Rose scowled, as Doom held the mask away. Part of the mask was a blonde hair tail in the back. So that explained the extra hair length...part of the disguise, to hide herself.

"See someone you know, dragon?" Doom then laughed after saying this, "Oh that's right, you knew all along, didn't you? That was why you didn't like my touching her..."

Doom then heading back to Jake.

"What other reason would you have, for defending a sworn enemy..." Doom spoke, lowering his voice so only he and Jake would hear it, "..Jake?"

Jake only got even more furious.

"You're really pushing it you tin-can-wearing-son-of-a-"

For Jake, cursing was practically a taboo. His mother was strict about him behaving properly, even when a dragon. But Doom...Victor, was just getting under his scales in ways that made Jake want to tear him apart. Messing with Rose, toying with his identity in front of her, being so arrogant. The only reason he stopped was because Doom had used a finger to push his jaw shut. It wasn't Doom doing that which caused the stop, but the fact he COULD...

"How're you-"

"The question should be, how long can you hold your form."

The reason for that statement became painfully clear when Doom slammed his fist into Jake's stomach. It hurt so badly his mind went blank. Except for his will to avoid turning human. He didn't want to give Doom that pleasure, especially in front of Rose. It was Rose mostly that he wanted to remain dragon for. Didn't stop him from yelling in pain.

"Aaaauggh!"

"Have you ANY idea how much that experiment meant to me?"

Doom threw his other fist at Jake's chest. Jake winced in pain, flailing. Rose couldn't look. Even a dragon, this was just horrific.

"That may have been my only chance. My one hope, to even know anything about my mother!"

Doom then blasted Jake with an electrical blast. This was plain out torture...

"For that, I'll make you suffer, and what better way, then to let life's irony do so for me..."

Doom then punched Jake in the side of the face. Jake groaned, knowing he couldn't take much more of this. Fate intervened for him.

"Sir.."

Doom's fist was still on Jake's face, and Doom sighed, both in anger and frustration.

"Yes Boris...what is it?" One could tell he was trying to be calm with Boris.

"I need to remind you that you're needed at the embassy within an hour."

Doom took his fist off of Jake, and slammed it into the wall next to him, leaving a fist-shaped impression in the wall, with dozens of fissures coming from it.

"I remember. To open discussion of trade with Latveria and the rest of the world...fine..."

Doom then strode out of the room, still seething, and Boris left with him, the door closing. That was when Jake lost his control of his form, and returned to human, and bearing the wounds inflicted by Doom. Rose's eyes went wide.

"Jake?"

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You knew it'd happen. How many fics are there with Jake being revealed to Rose in some way or another? How many? And yes, counting the ones not at this sight.