"Dinner was a nice easy atmosphere. Jake ate more than he probably should have at a first family dinner but he got a few laughs,

"i can foresee my grocery bill going up trying to feed a growing Dragon" Madison giggled as she watched Jake wolf back his food. Until he started choking on a piece of pizza, Rose thumped him hard on the back.

"next time chew your food Dragon boy" she sternly told him

Jake looked at Rose ready to say something sarcastic but quickly thought better of it. Violet came down stairs glaring daggers at Rose, who in turn just smiled and winked at her.

"you better not have done it" she hissed under breath at Rose before taking a drink,

"your sheets are so much cooler on the skin then mine" Rose sinfully replied.

"for the love of god Rose you better be joking"

"i could be but then again i could be serious"

Thanks to his dragon hearing Jake was getting is own amusement from the sisters at least until his phone rang.

"hey Fu whats up?"

Madison looked at Rose with a quizzical expression waiting for some context,

"she was spotted where?, you're yanking me right?"

Jake began to go pale and his voice suddenly went high as if he was getting worried.

"does the council have a plan at least?, yeah i'm sitting with her and her family now"

All eyes turned to Rose once again with raised eyebrows.

"I know Fu, but that doesn't seem fair Gramps and i can handle Chang...he was with her?"

Now the conversation made sense and it wasn't a good one as Rose was picking up. "if that's what it sounds like there is big trouble on the way" she said to Violet.

"alright Fu I'll be over in a bit, I'll bring Rose along when the councils here I'm not exposing her if we can avoid it, alright bye"

Jake went to stand when Rose stood up with him "The Dark Dragon?" she asked.

"we think so, but if its only hearsay i'd rather not drag you into it, not until we have an actual plan because bring the slayer girl isn't exactly my idea of foolproof" he replied.

"Jake, i'm not helpless" Rose stated.

"i know you're not Rose, but if he's watching me...you're our secret weapon aside from me and Gramps the other Dargons don't have experience fighting other dragons you do. So for now he can't find about you or we are all in trouble"

"Jake!"

"you're not weak Rose but Chang plays dirty if she found you before we find them... I lose you and you lose everything so please for now lay low and i'll bring you into it when the time is right"

Despite her extreme desire to argue Rose eased back and instead just hugged Jake tightly and closely "just becareful okay and come back to me "

"it's only a meeting Rose not a full on fight"

"thank you for dinner Mrs. Price"

With that Jake transformed and flew off leaving Rose with her family debating chasing after him.

"Rose, what was all that?"

Jake flew clear over central park racing to the shop with a 100 bad thoughts running through his brain. The Dark Dragon returning and hurting those he loved the most being the basis. It couldn't be true, he couldn't have come back.

Lost in his thoughts Jake failed to notice the fireball raining down on him before crashing into his back and dropping him from the sky. He was rolling downward, uncontrollably and still dazed "get it together Jake" he grunted as he got himself turned into a dive and took off back into the sky.

Jake quickly scanned as far as his eyes cold see but there was nobody around. Now Jake was worried, he frantically searched everywhere, behind the tress, in the bushes but no sign of anyone. "i didn't imagine it someone shot me down" he said out-loud.

"Lao Shi's grandson! If your master could see you now jumping at shadows" came a familiar cold and shrill voice.

Jake wheeled around to face former counciler Chang holding her staff and Bannas B on her shoulder. "Chang, still ugly as ever" he taunted.

"always so insolent" Changed hissed "if it were up to me i would destroy you here and now boy"

"if it was up to you?" Jake asked.

Without warning a large powerful claw snared Jake by the throat and pulled upwards and around to meet the searing dark eyes the Dark Dragon himself. "hello American Dragon, surprised to see me?"

"really wish i wasn't seeing you" Jake choked trying to pry himself free of the Dark Dragons death grip "Gramps and the Dragon council are on their way you won't make it very far."

The Dark Dragon grinned revealing his wicked smile as if it was a triumphant moment For him. "stupid boy Lao Shi isn't coming. I called you out here do you think i'd be stupid enough to come after you while inside a Slayers home? No i needed you alone for our chat" he finished.

He roughly tossed Jake against a tree letting Chang cast a restraining spell binding him with magical chains. "listen well boy because this is the last time i will make you this offer, join me and bring our Dragon brethren to their knees so that magical creatures can take our rightful place as rulers. Become my apprentice American Dragon, or die right here"

Jake took a slow controlled breath before bringing his eyes to the Dark Dragons gaze. He looked at him square in the eyes and without any further thought, blew a torrent of fire in the Dark Dragons eyes. Changs spell broke allowing Jake to land an upper cut that sent the Dark Dragon staggering backwards. Jake felt hopeful like maybe he could win. He unleashed a powerful fireball at his unbalanced enemy but Chang quickly intervened and used her staff to deflect the fireball away from her master.

"did you really think it would be that easy American Dragon?!" she hissed.

Having regained his balance the Dark Dragon turned on Jake roaring a blast of black lightning, which Jake narrowly evaded. "jeez! That is some aggressive breath you got there" Jake joked,

"did you honestly believe fire is our only weapon? Boy i could show you your true powers"

Jake whipped around to slap the Dark Dragon with his tail "thanks but i already have a master"

But he was batted away, like a fly. Jake hit the ground seconds before the Dark Dragons foot came crashing down his chest "GAHHA!" Jake screamed in pain. it felt as if he was crushed by a car.

Over and over and again the Dark Dragon stomped on Jake crushing his body with every stomp. Jake screamed and squealed with every stomp his bones would break shortly enough if he couldn't get out from under this foot.

Rose sat on the couch clutching her cell phone, Jake had left an hour ago but she couldn't get an answer and it was starting to get to her. She knew who he went looking for and how dangerous he could be to the magical world, the world Jake wold die to protect.

"mom, dad i'm going out for some coffee" she shouted as she grabbed her bag from the floor and sprinted to the door.

"Rose!" Violet snapped "he said he'd come and get you when it was time, don't go running around New York this late"

"Violet somethings not right i have to go"

"at least let me get my coat then we can go, that or tell dad you're sneaking off to see Jake"

Rose didn't want to argue, she was already antsy and growing more restless by the second. Taking Violet was a horrible idea but she wasn't thinking as she should be, in fact Rose was acting like an inexperienced slayer. Thinking with emotions.

The twins raced out the door failing to notice the chubby shar pei on his hind legs. The collision caused the 3 to topple down the stairs onto the sidewalk.

"OWww, Rose your door girl is just aweful and someones elbow is digging into my spine"

Violet froze. She was staring at a talking dog "AAAAHHH! Rose" she screamed as she scrambled backwards away from Fu, "what the hell is that?"

"uhm, i'm a dog sister what are you Rose's double-ganger?" Fu shot back.

"Fu this is my sister, Violet this Fu dog he's Jakes animal guardian" Rose quickly interjected "Fu what are you doing here? You're supposed to be with Jake!"

"sweetheart i came here to get Jake because we have an issue with more Biker trolls in manhattan so where is he...wait you have twin?" Fu replied.

"Jake's not with you?! FU you called him an hour ago..." Rose trailed off as a familiar lesson came back to her "a distracted dragon is a dead dragon. We have to find Jake now!" she asserted.

"Rose look..." Fu started,

"Jake is in trouble Fu i think the Dark Dragon lured him into a trap!"

"the Dark Dragon...Rose hes..."

Black and Orange flames ignited the sky over Central park. The faint silloutes of battling dragons flashed with flare ups. The smaller dragon was struck to the head and sent free falling to the ground.

"Jake!" Rose screamed, fear gripped her heart and froze her feet she knew even if only by a shadow her heart knew, Jake was in danger.

Jake crashed into the ground creating a fair sized crater, he spit out a mouthful of blood and slowly climbed out. His body ached and screamed for him to stop moving but he couldn't he had to keep fighting. Step by step Jake regained his footing, if on wobbly legs, and readied himself for another attack.

The Dark Dragon drew closer with fire dripping from his mouth. He unleashed raging blast from only a few feet above the tree tops forcing Jake to shelter himself with his own wings. The devastation blistered the earth, scarred the trees and left Jake in a smoking heap along the waters edge. He had fallen back to his human form, his face cut, bruised and bloody with his jacket shredded and torn sizzling and smoking from the fire attack. What little strength he could summon allowed him to pull himself from the water onto the grass.

Jake laid on the cool wet grass his body bloody, battered and broken and his lungs to sore to breathe and muscles torn and ripped to the point that movement was made impossible. The American Dragon Jake Long was at the mercy of the Dark Dragon.

"so American Dragon we have reached our inevitable end, you should have taken my offer boy. Perhaps your sister will be smarter"

Once more the Dark Dragon showed cruelty by stepping on Jakes broken body causing the young Dragon to wail in agony which only prompted more pressure from the Dark Dragon onto Jake. Before snaking his tail in a constricting grip around Jakes throat and delivering a powerful punch to Jake's abdomen.

Jakes cries filled the air catching the ears of Fu who was now leading the twins to the edge of central park pond. But he wasn't the only one hearing the pained screams, Rose came to sliding hault at the sight of the 3 figures on the far side of the pond. She recognized Chang as she tossed a glowing blue light into the water which started to form a growing mass of ice. It was then in a state of horror she watched Jakes limp body flung through the air and crash into the water. Jake sank below the surface and the ice cemented over top.

"Jake!"