Despite squishing the tubby ghost's face, he still insisted on speaking,"PHHHHEAAAAAR MEH!"

"I'll admit you got me, you had me- that's on me." He poked the ghost's nose with his thumb claw, "But bro, you messed up, and you messed up bad."

The creature began to try and wiggle out of Jake's fist before raising his own hand, swiping it. Jake mocked, "Now that's adorable, you still think you can-"

The plant boxes squeaked as they were ripped from the ground. Floating menacingly behind the ghost-

"Okay, it's slightly less adorable now."

He dropped the ghost and ducked as the flower boxes broke the glass of the vending machine. Jake set down the ice bucket. Still wanting to avoid a full transformation if he could help it. He felt heat spill from his ears and down his spine, forming his tail from fire. It's still a fight he could feasibly win with twenty/twenty-five percent maximum power.

His grandpa would be disappointed that he was lowballing the enemy. Though with Jake's already bruised ego, he had little doubt that he would lose. It wasn't that he was sore about it-

Well, technically, he was physically sore about losing to Invisobill. At least with the first fight, Jake had him on the ropes. Unfortunately, when Long tried to find a mirror to secure the ghost in, Bill seemed to have gotten up and wandered away. Fu didn't bless the mirror anyway, so it would've been an uphill struggle regardless. Same antics, different time zone.

Which prompted Jake to take a less methodical approach in the rematch. By less methodical, the American dragon decided to become fully unhinged and go Godzilla on the town. He let his frustration get the better of him. Arrogance clouded his mind. His Grandfather had trusted him with this mission by himself. Perhaps it was out of the need to get Jake moving again. After Rose, Jake was nothing short of obliterated. He found human school to be a chore without her.

Jake was idle, aimless, and in mourning for a relationship that was never real. Trixie and Spud were sympathetic as always. Almost enabling. If Trixie texted something about going to the skatepark, all he had to say was, 'I can't.'

'Considered it dropped, Jakey, you want to watch another Bruce Lee film? Me and Spud could come over… lip-sync to Aisha music videos? Make brownies?'

He found it difficult for his friends to see him wallowing. It was hard for his family to see him suffering. The task was to get him back into the world, or at the very least to give the retired goo-goo doll's track a break.

Ghosts in New York were considerably weaker, in addition to being older than dirt. Amity Park did have that over the big apple.

Jake was crouched and lowered his chest to the ground, growling.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST," the ghoul wailed, "I REIGN DOMINION OVER ALL THAT IS SQUARE."

"Boxes? Really? That's what does it for you?" Jake using his tail as a whip, began to lash at the Box ghost. Box managed to block the first few swipes, so Jake began to speed up and randomize his pattern. Grabbing his Tail, the Box ghost threw the dragon against the laundry room door. The door fell through as if the hinges didn't even exist.

The laundry room was only one in the loosest stretch of the word. A single washer and dryer in a glorified broom closet. Jake felt his skull rattle against the metal of the machines. He shook out the pain, "Okay- aight-okay- box ghost- okay-"

The ghost loomed over the dragon; with a wave of his hand, the ghost took control of the dryer and washer. Those were cubes, Jake thought, as his back lost support. He promptly rolled into the shadow of the room. The lights were flickering, becoming brighter than they had ever intended to be. It was nearly blinding. Box Ghost began to pound the machines on the cheaply tiled floor. When the specter raised both arms above his head, the machines followed suit. Jake seized the opportunity, blowing fire and smoke directly in the ghost's line of sight. He then jumped through the flame, tackling the ghost to the ground and pinning him in place through the floor with his claws.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?! WHY CAN'T I PHASE THROUGH YOU-?"

Figures the ghosts out in the sticks didn't know a thing about other mythical creatures. Jake rolled his eyes, not bothering to explain. Instead, he wanted some answers, "Bro- if you don't stop thrashin', I'll give you something to haunt, okay?"

Jake slapped the ghost delivery guy across the face, "Focus up!"

The dragon attuned his ears to the motel courtyard as there was the sound of claws scraping the pavement. Jake felt the heat of his back scales spreading to his shoulder blade and his wings spawning in a defensive position.

"Jake? Jacob Luke Long?" Fu called, hitting the last step on the stairs, "What is the hold up with my-?"

"Fu!" the dragon screamed, "Will you forget 'bout your beer, forget your funyuns?! An' bring a dragon his blessed mirror?!"

Fu startled and quickly found the mess waiting on the ground floor of the motel. Now the nine dollar charge on non-assorted nuts felt silly. Fu produced a small compact mirror from his fat folds and ran into the laundry room. The shar-pei bounced from paw to paw as the tile was ice to the touch on account of the ghost lying on top of it.

"YOU CANNOT CONTAIN ME IN THE CONFINES OF A ROUND er- uh-! CONTAINER!" The spirit bellowed.

Fu stared at the pocket mirror, furrowing his brow, and stammering out phrases. However, none seemed to be sticking. Alarmed, he admitted, "I forgot how to say it!"

"Nǐ báicài shǎzi-!" Jake swore under his breath, trying to keep a tight grasp on the Box Ghost, "What do you mean you forgot?!"

"I forgot the incantation!" Fu whined, "I haven't been keeping up with my reading now that you stopped training and I forgot! What do I look like- a ghostbuster?!"

"Don't pin this on me, Dog!" Long spat, "You're like six-hundred years old; I thought you'd know the spell!"

"It's not a spell; it's an incantation!" Fu corrected. The dog hit his head with his hand and began snapping his claws, trying to remember.

"FU! DO I LOOK LIKE I'M IN THE MOOD TO PLAY SEMANTICS?!"

The box ghost groans, still trying to get his arms free, "CEASE YOUR ENDLESS BICKERING, FOR I, THE BOX GHOST, AM GROWING QUITE ANNOYED!"

"Will you shut it?!" "STAY OUT OF THIS!" The pair yelled in the spirit's face.

The dragon wracked his brain, closing his eyes trying to think, "What would gramps say- what would gramps-?"

Then it hit him, "It doesn't matter the exact words, right? As long as we feel it?! As long as we put power into what we say?!"

"Yes- Yes!" Fu clamored to agree, "that's the ticket, Jakey!"

"So, say how you feel!" Jake urged.

Brandishing the mirror, Fu yelped angrily and waded back into mandarin, "I Banish-h-hu-húndàn-! No, I- With this mirror, I- screw it! Bǎ zhège lán sè de sǐ húndàn fàng zài jìngzi lǐ!"

With a scream and a burst of blue and white light- the fluorescents above broke and sent sparks scattering to the ground, plunging the ground floor into darkness. Jake felt his knees hit the ground as the body he tackled had vanished. Wiping his forehead, the boy leaned back on his thighs, "That's five, you owe me, dog."

Exhausted, he held up his hand, "Five."

"I'll carry the ice back upstairs," Fu panted; he plucked the mirror from the ground. Now with the ghost trapped inside.

After a few minutes of catching their breath, Jake and Fu wandered back towards their motel room with a few guests poking their heads out of their doors to see what the noise was. Long speculated that they didn't have all night.

"Oh, we are going to be feelin' that tomorrow," Fu groaned.

Jake felt his fangs slowly retreating into his jaw and his scales shrinking, "What exactly are you feelin'? I was the one holding him down- I still have tile caulk under my nails."

"Sympathy pain," Fu quipped. The dog put his Miju and Xifengjiu into the bucket. Batting the ice around with his paw. He chuckled, "We both could use a drink."

"I'm good with just the ice- thanks," Jake said. The teen took a rag from the collection in the bathroom and wandered back to the main room to take a handful from the bucket. He held the ice to his shoulder, flopping onto the bed. He spoke through his pillow, "How long do you think we have before the cops show up?"

"Considering this is the cheapest motel I could find on short notice, and it's about thirty minutes out of town?" The shar-pei concluded, "Hours more than likely."

"Perfect," Jake grumbled. What he wanted now was to catch at least a few minutes of sleep. All the better because he always slept better when Fu watched tv. He wanted poker commentaries to narrate his dreamless sleep.

Fu hummed.

"What now?" Long protested.

The dog stretched out, letting his gut stick out as he cushioned his back on a pillow, "We should call Lao Shi."

"Gramps? And tell him what?" Jake propped himself on his un-injured elbow, "That we are ridic unprepared, and I got my butt spanked by a thing calling itself king of the cubes?"

"BOX GHOST!" The mirror on the nightstand argued.

"Shuddap!" Fu shut the compact. He turned to his ward, "Your grandfather knows we aren't miracle workers. I don't think he's expecting us to have results right away."

"Gee, thanks."

The shar-pei rolled his eyes, "What I'm trying to say, Amity Park is a tough town. A literal ghost town. It belongs to them." He emphasized, "It's our duty to keep the humans from poking their nose into somethin' that don't concern them."

"These ghosts aren't exactly going to play nice." Fu scratched his ears anxiously, "Most mythicals that walk in here don't walk out. Now that- that Invisobill making national headlines and attracting government attention the likes of Guys in White. We need to clean it up," Fu squinted, "Starting with that kid."

Jake got to the sitting up position, "I'm failing to see how this makes me feel better."

"Don't get discouraged, kiddo." Fu smiled wearily.

The compact mirror began to vibrate on the nightstand.

Fu rubbed his temples, "can you see what this clown wants? I don't think he's going to let us sleep otherwise."

Jake snatched up the mirror, "Aight- jack in the box, what is the issue?"

"INVISOBILL." The spirit announced, "HE VEXES ME AND MY-"

"Boxes?" The dragon cut him off.

"NO!" The Box Ghost said with irritation, "THAT HALFA HAS BEEN MAKING FOOLS OF US."

Edging forward, Jake began to listen intently, "Us?" He repeated, "Us? You're crystal on that?"

Fu chimed in, "Halfa?"

"THE HALFA IS TRAPPED BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT. THE GHOST ZONE. HE'S OUT TO UPSET THE BALANCE OF HOW THINGS ARE."

"Yeah, we know all that," Getting frustrated, Jake demanded, "do you have any useful information?"

"THERE IS A PORTAL," The Spirit elaborated, "A GATEWAY. THERE IN THE LIVING WORLD. I KNOW HE USES IT TO TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH."

"Just as much meddling from the human side," Fu snorted, "as per usual."

"Brother, if you don't get to the point tout suite, I'm dropping you in the crusty pool!" The dragon threatened as he stood up from his bed, invigorated with the hope for a new lead.

"THAT HALFA'S PORTAL IS ONE OF THE MAIN GATEWAYS TO THIS PLANE." He continued to beat his side of the glass, "WE CAN TRAVEL THROUGH BLACK MIRRORS, REFLECTIONS, AND SPLINTERS IN THE VEIL, BUT THAT PORTAL EXPEDITES THE PROCESS."

Another voice interjected into the one-sided interrogation, "If I could throw my hat into the ring for a moment?"

Jake spun on his heel to see the crystal ball sticking out of his backpack was emitting a white glow. He shut the compact mirror, then slid on his knees, grasping the orb. The orb he imagined would upset the 'box ghost.' The young dragon immediately perked up to see his mentor, "Gramps!"

"Hello, my pupil." He greeted cheerfully, "Tell me, how are you acclimating?"

Jake didn't want to lie, "Great."

He didn't want to, but that didn't affect his ability. When dealing with his Grandpa, Long's personal policy was what his teacher didn't know wouldn't kill him. Hopefully. Jake explained, "we've managed to detain a spirit, and we've brokered some- bare-bones information out of him."

"As I overheard," Lao Shi nodded, "I've spoken with a representative of Amity Park ghost community, at the elder Dragon's council. There were whisperings of you demolishing a burger joint downtown."

Jake knew somehow he would come around again karamatically.

In good humor, Grandpa asked, "All a part of the investigative process, I presume?"

"See… that was…" He fumbled for an excuse. Though Long knew his Grandfather would have heard it all before. Jake confessed, "I'm rusty, grandpa."

There was laughter. It sounded like the elder council had a recess.

"Yéyé, did you put me on speaker?" Jake narrowed his eyes at the crystal ball, mumbled.

He smiled sarcastically, "My mistake won't happen again. Please continue about how you caused several thousand dollars in property damage that will be investigated by government officials, or at the very least insurance agents."

Grandpa did have a sense of humor deep down. Jake had to believe that.

"It's nothing these bumpkins haven't seen before," the boy elaborated, "if their newspapers are to be believed. Seriously, they read like the national inquirer took speed and then asked mad libs for a dance."

"Ayah!" He tsked, "Amity Park is perhaps in more danger than we had initially thought."

"You're telling me," The younger dragon expressed, "Apparently, some nut jobs around here have a working ghost portal."

"Our informant has made us aware of multiple in the United States." Lao Shi said with apprehension, "Blips coming from Amity Park, and several locations in the midwest we're still trying to eliminate."

"Though what's interesting to note is there have been several patents filed for 'ghost hunting' technology originating from Amity Park."

Fu piped in, "Does any of it work?"

"From what we could gather," The blue dragon sighed, "The use of plasma energy is something we predicted to surpass the one-way mirror blessing and exorcism technique. As much as I love tradition, this tech theoretically produces faster results."

"I know how you love a good exorcism," Fu wagged his tail excitedly.

"Yes, quite." Lao shi combed his fingers through his beard, "The patents were registered to a company called 'Fentonworks.'"

"So, it sounds like is that we're gonna go Fentonworks take a gander at the artillery?" Jake smiled sheepishly.

His grandfather sounded hesitant, "Are you sure you can handle this? You will lose no respect here if you choose to be pulled out."

"No, Gramps, I need to do this. I haven't… I haven't felt this alive since…"

Rose.

"Since taking down the Huntsclan." The young dragon reiterated, "You can count on me."

_

For some clarification, I'm leaning into the idea that Rose, despite remembering who she was in the Hunts Clan, still broke it off with him for his safety. So he's a semi-retired semi-washed-up teenage hero. Imagine having that knowledge at 14? Wild. Anyway, I want to thank you all for sticking with me all this time. I first fell in love with this idea in middle school, being a rambunctious RC9GN fan but never capitalized on it until my junior year of high school. I was going through something, aren't we all? I still want to thank you all for your criticisms and feedback. As of right now, I've edited the first three chapters with the critique and suggested edits and some more insight and characterization. I'm not totally confident in my American Dragon Portrayal, but that's what reviews are for. You guys keep me humble, haha. So, this is the end of act one. I hope that the second act will be around the same length as another interlude where the characters just talk.