A big thank you to Anna for helping me with this chapter and proof reading it! :)

Hope you guys like it!

Fireheart

Chapter 12:

Payment

Later, at the warehouse district.....

Merry glanced around, staring into the deep shadows cast by the warehouses. The rest of his gang waited nervously behind him as he cautiously strode forward.

"Goblin, you return empty handed... It seems you have failed in your appointed task."

The goblin crime boss turned toward the voice, and saw a pair of glowing eyes staring out at him from the shadows.

"Come out here where I can see you." snapped the crime lord.

Chang emerged in her dragon form. "My master will not be pleased with your failure," she chided.

"Hey!" snapped Merry, "You said the girl would put up a fight. You didn't say anything about her beatin' the tar out of my boys!"

"I thought that would have been obvious," the dragoness said coolly,"She was a former member of the Huntsclan after all." She glared hard at Merry and continued, "Did you at least give her the information?"

"Yes," grumbled Merry, "I gave it to her."

"Hmm... Then I suppose you're not completely useless," mused Chang.

Merry bristled. "Watch it Chang," he growled, "If you want to keep that old hide of yours."

Chang stared back at him, unconcerned by the threat. "It is you who should 'watch it'," she said in a warning tone. "Do not forget who you're dealing with, goblin."

Merry glared at her, about to make a smart reply, but seemed to change his mind and said instead, "Well, we were promised good pay whether we got the dragon-huntsgirl or not. We held up our end of the deal. I expect you to do the same." Behind him, the other goblins shifted, tense and alert for any sign of trouble.

"Calm yourself." said Chang, "You will have what you deserve soon enough."

"So where is it then?" asked Merry, growing impatient.

Just then, he noticed movement behind Chang. Another pair of eyes, deep red this time, stared out at him.

Chang followed his gaze, and turned back to him and said, "Ah, yes, I'd almost forgotten. You haven't met my master's new apprentice, have you?"

Chang stood to one side, as the figure stepped forward into the light. It was another dragon, male this time, tall and thin with bright red scales and gold scales down his chest and belly.

Merry stared at him in shock; surely this couldn't be the same dragon? But, apart from the star-shaped burn on this dragon's chest, there was no mistaking him.

"The- the American Dragon?! That's his new apprentice?!"

"Indeed," said Chang, not bothering to hide the smugness in her voice. She seemed pleased at the slight tremble in the goblin's voice, and the look of shock and fear in his eyes.

Then her eyes narrowed, her tone dropping to a sinister growl. "Now, about your payment..."

Jake gave them an evil sneer, then snapped his claws. Suddenly, a ring of shades appeared all around the goblins, cutting off every escape!

"What's going on here, Chang?!" snapped Merry.

It was Jake who answered. "Kill them."

Chang smiled wickedly, watching the goblins tighten their group, bracing themselves for the shades' attack-- but the shades didn't move.

Her smile faded, as seconds, then a whole minute passed, and still the shades did nothing. Then she glanced at Jake, and saw the younger dragon looking at her expectantly.

"I'm sorry, were you directing that at me?", she stared, puzzled. There was a slight edge to her voice, as though she knew perfectly well to whom Jake had spoken.

"I'm looking at you, aren't I?" growled Jake. He jerked his head at the cowering goblins. "Kill them."

Chang glared hard at the boy, but he stood his ground, matching her glower with one of his own. Her voice dropped with fury. "And just who do you think you are to order me about, boy?", she seethed venomously.

"Our Master ordered it," said Jake, his tone flat and final. "You are to kill them."

The silence that followed was like the calm before the storm. Both dragons staring each other down.

Meanwhile, inside the circle, one of Merry's bodyguards whispered to him, "Uh, Boss? Shouldn't we be makin' a run for it right about now?"

"For once, I think you're right," said Merry. The crime boss turned to his gang. "OK boys. On the count of three, we make a break for it. Ready?... One... Two... THREE!"

The goblins suddenly charged the ring, lashing out at shades in all directions!

Chang and Jake both jerked their heads around. Chang snarled furiously as she saw the mayhem.

"Now see what you've done?!" she roared.

"What I've done?!" snarled Jake, "If you'd have followed orders this wouldn't be happening!"

A deafening roar shook from the nearby warehouse, causing the shades and the two dragons to freeze instantly. The goblins took the opportunity to run down the nearest ally as fast as their legs could take them.

The Dark Dragon stalked out of the warehouse, livid with rage. His claws curled into fists and his eyes blazed. Jake and Chang both seemed to wither under his murderous gaze as he towered over them.

"I give you one simple task and leave you alone for five minutes and THIS is what I come back to find?!" he snarled.

"But- but Master it wasn't my fault! It was-" stuttered Chang.

"Silence!" roared the Dark Dragon. "I'll have none of your excuses!"

Then, calming down slightly, he turned to look at Jake and asked, "Were you successful in your mission?"

"Yes, Master," said Jake, kneeling before the black dragon. "Lao Shi has been slain."

"Excellent," sneered the evil dragon. "With her master out of the way, Huntsgirl will be easy prey for us."

"What?!" cried Chang, outraged, "Lao Shi is dead?! By the claw of this whelp?! But I wanted to kill him!"

She stopped abruptly, as the the Dark Dragon snarled furiously, rounding on her. She cowered as his eyes bore into hers, overwhelmed by his fury.

Chang lowered her gaze, unable to face her dark master.

The moment passed; the black dragon turned away from the cowering dragoness, facing Jake.

"You have your next mission," he said. "I will remain here. Do not disturb me until you have completed your task."

Then he turned to enter the warehouse, but stopped and glared back at Chang. "I will deal with you later," he growled menacingly, "but until then, find those goblins. The shades will accompany you to see that they are properly disposed of."

He turned, whirling once more upon the dragoness. "Do not fail me yet again, my servant," he said coolly, and disappeared back into the shadows of the building's interior.

Haughtily, Jake shot Chang a nasty sneer, then slunk past her into the alley.

Still fuming, the old dragoness spread her wings and took flight, following the tracks of the frightened, escaped goblins. The shades melted back into the shadows, slithering along below her.

............................................................................................................................................................

Merry quickly glanced around the next corner, the darted to the cover of the closest warehouse. During the escape, he'd been separated from the rest of his gang. Soon lost in the maze of buildings and back alleys, he could hear the started cries of his fellow goblins, suddenly cut off as the shades and Chang silently carried out their ruthless task.

A shadow sped past in the corner of his vision. The goblin whirled around, but could see nothing there. His heart pounding, Merry slowly backed away, keeping his eyes on the place where the shadow had been.

It was then that he noticed another shadow fall across him from behind. As an icy chill crept down his spine, he slowly turned around with dread. Chang reared up before him, a huge turret of fire blasting from her muzzle! The goblin's scream of terror echoed through the back allies, then, silence.