Chapter 13: The Heist

Jake, Trixie and Spud were at Canal Street Electronics when Lao Shi and Fu Dog called them for a magical emergency. "Young ones, a local group of leprechauns had their pot of gold stolen." Lao Shi said.

"Huntsclan again?" Jake asked.

"Not this time, young dragon." Lao Shi stated. "The gold was stolen by troll henchmen working for Eli Excelsior Pandarus, the Wizard of Wall Street."

"Did he make his fortune at the stock market?" Trixie asked out of curiosity.

"No, kid." Fu explained. "He's a wizard who lives at Wall Street."

"Aaaaahhhhhhh!" Trixie screamed. "Sorry, I'm still getting used to it. I see the dog's lips moving, I hear the words coming out from his mouth, but I still can't accept the idea of a talking dog."

"But you are okay with one of your friends being a multi-millionaire dragon?" Fu replied.

"Let's focus on the case, shall we?" Jake asked so the arguing would stop.

Fu Dog then explained how Pandarus posed as a philanthropist friend of all living things and how Fu took advantage of it by having Pandarus pet him so he'd have a sample of Pandarus' hand print.

"Can those leprechauns lend us some four-leaf-clovers to give us luck?" Trixie suggested. "Not that they did much to prevent the theft in the first place, but…"

"Trixie, those clovers aren't the source of leprechaun luck." Jake solemnly stated. "Their gold is."

"Well said, kid." Fu added. "Without it, just look at these slides." He then showed images of misfortune befalling leprechauns. Jake and his friends were disgusted.

"So, what do we do, Jake?" Spud asked. "It's not like you can use your Dad's credentials to get the gold back. Can you?"

"Not at all, Spud." Jake explained. "As a member of the magical community, Eli Excelsior Pandarus knows about both sides of my heritage. He wouldn't mind socializing with the son of Jonathan Long but he would keep an eye on me to prevent me from recovering the gold."

"It could still be a useful distraction." Trixie suggested.

"No, young one." Lao Shi replied. "I don't mind the occasional help Jonathan offers but we mustn't let him get too close."

"So, what do we do?" Spud asked.

"Spud, you and Trixie have no need to help." Lao Shi replied. "It's not your fight."

"No way we're abandoning our friend." Trixie declared.

"Alright but the plan takes stealth." Fu said. "The walls have eyes."

"Don't you mean 'the walls have ears'?" Trixie asked.

"Not this time." Fu replied. "Pandarus' walls do have eyes."

"The wonders of magic." Jake muttered.

LINE BREAK – PANDARUS TOWERS

Posing as a pair of musicians for Pandarus' party, Trixie and Spud tried to enter Pandarus Towers but the doormen weren't so easily fooled. Fortunately, while the guards were distracted with Jake's human friends, Jake and Fu got out of their cello case and snuck past the eyed walls until they reached the safe. Jake and Fu were careful enough to avoid touching the laser beams and Pandarus' previously-collected palm print allowed them to open the vault.

Eventually, they managed to take the pot of gold out of Pandarus Towers and the four heroes took it to Lao Shi's van. "Congratulations, young ones." He said.

"Old man, I bet you're glad Jake didn't erase their memories like you asked him to?" Fu asked.

"What?" Trixie and Spud asked in shock.

"I'm sorry you both had to learn this way." Lao Shi sadly stated and then glared at Fu. "Or at all. But the magical world is wary of letting non-magical humans know about it. The Dragon Council is likely to hold it against Jake at some point."

"The Dragon what?" Trixie asked.

"They're the dragons' ruling body, kid." Fu explained. "Jake depends on their approval to keep his title as the American Dragon."

"One trouble at each time, Fu." Jake replied. "Now we have a victory to celebrate."

End chapter.