Oooo another chappie! This is the signal of my updating all of my stories more. Woot!

Enjoy

[Three Years Later

"Goo-oo-oo-d morning New York City!" The over exuberant radio DJ said, sending a shock wave through the speakers and into Jake's sleeping form. He jolted awake, nearly falling out of his bed in the process.

His eyes were wide and his hair tousled mess. He looked at the glowing green numbers on the clock-radio and sighed, "7:00. On a Saturday." He groaned.

For the last year, technically the last twenty months, almost two years, he's been waking up early on weekends and twice as early on school days, to go train with his grandfather. Why? The guilt that enshrouded him ever since Trixie's accident left him wanting, needing, more power. He felt helpless, weak—and he didn't like it.

With another groan he swung his long tan legs over the side of the bed. He had grown in great intervals since he started training, going from five-five to nearly six-two and he liked it. Another benefit of all the training, the muscles. Every bit of his body was a rippling mass of strength and endurance. Rock hard abs, toned arms, legs that could crush steel, titanium, and various other metal alloys—he looked good.

Jake sauntered over his dresser and slammed two fists into the wood, not in anger but in horrid sadness. He looked up, scowling at his own reflection. Now and days he found it hard to look at himself, no matter how good he looked to other people. "It's to much," he said into the dim light of his room filtering in from outside, "Why Trixie?" he asked.

He asked himself that question almost every morning, almost every day and almost every night. Why Trixie? He flashed back to the exact moment he fleeted out of the window of the hospital.

He landed a few feet from the hospital and sixteen floors down from Trixie's room, in the cover of various vegetation. With out another moment his phone went off again. Jake pulled out in agitation, "Spud?" he tried not to yell after seeing the Caller ID, "Now isn't…"

"The Dragon Council wants you here… now!" Spud sounded frantic, cutting Jake off. He was shrieking in his unusually usual scared high pitch.

Jake's eyes went wide, "Damnit!" he cringed, "I'll be right there." And then he hung up.

He bit down, hard, on his bottom lip, still managing to curse whatever way possible. Without anymore thinking he raised his hands high over head and took a deep breath. His hands began to glow bright blue and swirls of energy surrounded them, "Dragon up!" he shouted. In a flash he transformed into his muscular dragon form, stretched his wings wide and propelled himself into the air.

He would have a lot to answer to the second he got to his uncles shop, a lot he knew would not be easy to answer, explain or justify.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jake arrived at the shop just in time to catch his grandfather, Fu and Spud being shackled to the walls. He stormed in, forgetting to revert back to his human form before knocking the door in. Glass flew everywhere, the Council was not amused.

He stumbled in, powering down as soon as his clawed feet hit the hard wood of the electronics shop. He looked around almost feverishly at his be shackled Grandpa and friends.

Standing before him in the most menacing way possible were the four members of the Dragon Council; Councilor Andam the Dragon of Africa, Councilor Kulde the Dragon of Europe, Councilor Kukhan the Dragon of Central America and Councilor Omina the Dragon of Atlantis. They were all scowling in their ceremonial robes, sending a shiver down Jake's spine. Despite the fear he found himself quickly enraged.

"What is the meaning of this," he managed to say in a hoarse voice, "Untie them immediately!"

Councilor Andam stepped forward, he always seemed to be the head of all Council affairs. He had a calm, composed face despite the chaos that seemed to manifest itself in the air around him. He gave a Jake a smile, "Young dragon," he began, still stepping towards Jake slowly, "You are in no place to make demands."

Jake was hot with anger. He clenched his fists together in an effort to keep himself from attacking Andam, of whom he had respected at one time, "Why have you tied them up? They had nothing to do with…"

"Calm yourself, Jake." Andam said once he was directly in front of the angry teenager. He reached out with an elegantly long fingered, smooth cheastnut colored hand and placed it on Jake's shoulder, "No harm will come of your uncle, Fu, or this strange," he emphasized the word strange, "human Spud. No. We just need to make sure you'll sit and listen because this is a very delicate matter…"

Councilor Andam had to pause for a moment as Councilor Kulde came forward and whispered something in his ear. Even after secretly activating his dragon hearing Jake couldn't make out a single word that was exchanged. Councilor Andam suddenly looked petrified where he stood, moving only enough to look back at the other to councilors who nodded in obviously compliance.

Regaining his fluid composure after another moment of frozen stature and continued his interrupted sentence, "The delicate situation has become even more fragile as it seems." He said in a shaking voice.

Jake didn't understand what was going on. He did understand that Trixie was in the hospital, fighting for her life because of his stupidity. He looked at the councilors in front of him, "Councilor Andam, Kulde, I'm willing to accept whatever punishment you have prepared for me." He said, inclining his head in defeat.

Councilor Omina sighed from behind him, "It means nothing now, young dragon." She said. It didn't sounds like forgiveness in her voice, Jake noted, it sounded more like acid.

Before he had a chance to ask what was going on Kulde raised his hand, "The situation has escalated and we must take immediate action." He said authoritatively.

The two men and the woman began heading for the door of the shop. Omina was already out before Jake found it in himself to ask what was going on. "Councilor Andam, sir." He spoke up.

Andam turned only a third of his face to Jake, "American Dragon?"

"What's going on?"

The Councilor chuckled, but not in a happy way. It was a melancholy sort of snicker that a person would give when a situation got to bad for words. "Trixie, that is her name, right?" he asked Jake.

"Uh. Yeah, that's her name. She's the reason this was called right?" Jake asked in response.

"Correct." Councilor Andam said. He sighed and looked outside at his fellow council members opening up a portal outside and going through. He waved them off, signaling that he'd be there soon. When he turned back to Jake he looked almost sad. "Young dragon. We planned on suspending your powers for an allotted amount of time for what happened tonight. A mortal was dragged into magical affairs. Do you know the amount of damage control that has to be done because of your irresponsible decision?" he asked sternly.

Jake was taken aback. His head sagged but he nodded, suddenly feeling even worse about what had happened.

Andam recoiled, seeing his angry face in the monitors behind him. He liked Jake to much to scowl at him. Shaking his head, "In any case what you've done suddenly seems insignificant." He paused to smile at Jake's confused face.

"Approximately the same time yo burst into those doors"—he motioned towards the shop doors—"Trixie's visiting parents left as well, apparently her mother could no longer handle the sight of Trixie's inanimate body and went to hysterics. She had to be escorted back home.

"So they made it to the bottom floor of the hospital before the nurses came running. We had a special team of nurses brought in to look after he wounds. While they were tending to now both of her histerical parents they contacted the cousil at once." He had to stop. It seemed like he was weighing each word in his mind carefully, sorting through them deliberately before saying them to Jake. He sighed, the moment of silence becoming to much even for him, "Huntsclan members broke in and took her."

"WHAT?!" Jake hissed.

Huntsclan. Of all the things he could have said it had to be Huntsclan.

Jake suddenly growled, something he never did before, but it was nothing compared to the fire brewing in his belly, "Where is she? Where have they taken her?!" his eyes turned red.

Andam placed his hand beck on Jake's shoulder, "We're doing all we can, American Dragon. Please do not do anything rash." He shook his head. "Until further notice you are not to go looking for the Huntsclan, do you understand? You are to leave this to the higher-up's."
"Councilor Andam! I can't do that!" He yelled, "She's my friend!"

Andam sighed, "That's precisely why you can't be involved. You're to emotionally attached to the victim. Let's say you actually found her and the Huntsclan fortress, hm, what would you do then?" he questioned, although an answer had already been formulated.

Jake growled, "I'd get Trixie out of there."

"Correction," Andam quickly interjected, "You'd go after the Huntsman."

"Trixie's well being would come first."

"No. You would want to even the score and then some. Even as we talk yor thoughts are fleeting towards the death of the huntsman and every Huntsclan member who was involved or not. Right now you want his blood on your hands." Andam said in an all to calm voice. "Jake. Our way is not to kill; it is to preserve what we know is right."

And then, in a graceful motion, Councilor Andam slid passed Jake, his cape making the subtle sound of cutting through the air. He was out the door and forming a portal before Jake could object again.

The Huntsclan, Jake repeated in his head a thousand times in a split second. With tears in his eyes and a fury never felt before in his heart, he fell to his knees, fists clenched.

"Uh, Kid, "Fu dog suddenly chimed, "We're still tied up.

A sudden knocking at his door shook him out of his deep dark memory. He looked towards his bedroom door and angrily shouted, "What?"

"Can I come in?" a soft voice permeated through the door.

It was Haley, Jake's little sister.

"Who's with you?" Jake questioned.

"No one. Mom and Dad already left for work." She said.

He sighed and nodded to himself before replying to his sister, "Yeah, whatever."

As Haley stepped through the door, Jake dug through his drawers for something that didn't smell like week old cheese in the sun. Haley scrunched her nose up and reached for the light switch, "Don't. I like it dark." He said as though he eyes in the back of his head.

Haley slowly brought her hand back down to her side and stood in the doorway. She wasn't oblivious to her brother's emotional transformation and like the others around him she indulged in his bleak behavior without many questions. Also like the others, she was very worried about him.

He rarely came out of his room and often had to be forced to eat something. School, he rarely attended now and days yet was making passing grades, though that wasn't saying much. All he did was wake up, go train for hours upon hours with or without his grandfather and then sneak back into the house at all hours only to sleep for a few hours and start again. Not much of a social calendar.

He did, however, keep in contact with Spud, the one person he felt could understand how he was feeling—they had both known and missed Trixie very much and both felt guilty for whatever was happening to her at that very moment. He and Spud still went on missions together but not without Jake heavily outfitting his friend beforehand. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

Spud's clumsy nature was soon lost after he started Kung Fu training under Lao-Shi himself. He now processed a black belt in the deadly martial art and was skilled in using magic to an even greater degree. He usually thanks his great grandfather for that. More often than not he accompanied Fu Dog to market when needing supplies.

"Jake," Haley dared speak after the silence (and the smell) in the room began to suffocate her, "I made breakfast. Scrambled eggs and toast." She said sheepishly.

Jake pulled a white shirt out of his drawer and a pair of dark blue jeans out of the one below it. Since he was only wearing boxers to begin with he slipped both articles of clothing on without even looking at his sister.

Haley took a small step into the room, "It's Saturday, are you sure you want to train today?"

Still he said nothing.

"That's to expected." She sighed, "What should I tell mom and dad?"

Jake finally looked at her, his face unreadable, "Tell them what you always tell them."

"Lies?"

"Yeah those." He smirked, eyes still emotionless.

Haley frowned but decided it best, as she always did, not to try and argue with her older brother. She merely took a step back into the doorway and sighed. She chewed on the inside of her cheek and began tapping her foot rhythmically on the floor, "You know, Jake," she began trying not to notice her own voice quivering, "This whole bad boy act of yours got old about two years ago!" she yelled.

"Shut up Haley." He said softly, shifting through a pile of clothes on his floor for his red leather jacket with the yellow J on the front.

"No! I'm so sick of this, sick of you!"

"Shut up Haley."

"I don't see why you're so sulky. If you weren't paying more attention to Rose than Trixie then none of this would have happened."

"Haley!"

She continued, "Trixie wouldn't have gotten hurt, she wouldn't have ended up in the hospital!"

"Haley shut up!" Jake yelled.

"Why don't you shut up!? Why don't you stop wallowing in your own self pity and go look for Trixie—that is, if she isn't dead yet!" Haley paused to turn her tear strewn face from her brother, "If she's dead, Jake. Her blood is on your hands!"

"Get the fuck out!" he yelled with such ferociousness that Halley winced. No matter how many times she heard his growl she could never get used to it.

She cringed, still in the doorway, "Yeah, whatever." She said before walking away and slamming door shut.

Jake finally found his red leather jacket with the yellow J on the front and smiled, "Gotchya."

With that he opened his room window, dragooned up and flew out, heading for the spot in Central Park where he a Spud often trained together.

Uh huh! Read and Review please.

oh, and thankyou,