Chapter 22: Ring Around the Dragon

Once again, Jake Long was talking to his parents via magic mirror. "So, Jakers, what did Rose's "Uncle" tell the school to explain her no longer showing up to attend classes?" Jonathan Long asked.

"Well, he told them his boss had him transferred and she had to change schools because of that, Dad." Jake answered. "How's Haley?"

"She's sleeping right now, son." Susan explained. "And it wasn't easy to convince her not to overwork herself with extra study to make up for how the Dragon Council scolded her."

Suddenly they heard someone knocking on Canal Street Electronics' back door and Trixie and Spud excused themselves to answer from it. To their shock, the visitors were a pair of giants. "Uh, Jake? It's for you." Trixie hesitantly said.

One cut later, Jake, Trixie, Spud, Lao Shi and Fu were at the home of a giant's family. "So, your son Hobie ran away from home?" Jake asked for clarification.

"Yes, American Dragon." Hobie's mother said while crying. "We're so desperate."

"Kewl!" Spud exclaimed.

"Spud, how can this be cool?" Trixie asked.

"No, Trixie." Spud said while pointing at a poster. "Kewl! King Extreme Wrestling League. I've been a fan ever since I was a wee lad!"

"We never understood what our son likes about wrestling." Hobie's father commented. "Despite our size, we giants are peaceful."

"Sounds like a good place to start looking for him." Jake suggested. "Giant kids can easily be mistaken for adult humans by those who don't know magical creatures are real."

"Excellent suggestion, young dragon." Lao Shi replied.

After they said their goodbyes to the giant couple, the heroes left. "So, how come there's a giant colony in New York and the Human World doesn't know it?" Trixie asked.

"Oh, some road blocks here, some enchantments there…" Fu explained.

Upon arriving at K.E.W.L. to look for Hobie while Lao Shi returned to his electronics shop, Jake, Trixie, Spud and Fu found out that Hobie was fighting the defending champion. "Oh, sure." Spud commented upon realizing it. "I thought it was a coincidence Kewl's new rising star was named Hobie."

After Hobie's victory, Jake and his friends tried to talk him into leaving but King Hammer quickly intervened. "My champion is contract-bound to me and I'll never let my champion go for as long as I can help it." He declared.

That commented inspired Trixie. They later returned with Jake as Dragonfire (Jake's dragon form dressed like a wrestler), Trixie as Dragonfire's manager and Spud as Dragonfire's trainer. Using her sassiness, Trixie convinced King Hammer to let Jake enter the league and, should he defeat Hobie, Hobie would be out.

"I can't believe you got me into this." Jake commented.

"And I can't believe Mr. Long agreed to manufacture all that Dragonfire merchandise." Spud added. "Isn't he afraid you won't make enough money to pay for it all?"

"It was a consignment sale, Spud." Trixie explained. "I pay Papa Dog a percentage of what the buyers pay for the items and return what I don't sell."

"Oh." Spud replied and then asked. "Is that legal?"

"Well, I couldn't have signed the paperwork myself because I'm a minor, but my Grandma did it for me." Trixie explained.

"Wait a minute." Jake asked. "Didn't she find it suspicious."

"I told her it was for a project with school friends." She meekly explained. "What? It's not like I lied. I just didn't tell her it wasn't a school project. What really worries me is the advice your Dad gave me when we talked through that magic mirror of yours."

Flashback begins.

"Just remember, Ms. Carter." Jonathan told her. "If one of those giants tries to buy the Dragonfire clothes for something like giant-sized dolls, make it clear that you want American Dollars as payment. I don't like having to explain to my accountants why I accepted fish."

Flashback ends.

"Giants use fish as their currency, Trixie." Jake explained.

"Do you mean fish fish and not just some fish-themed currency like the one Plutarkians use in the Biker Mice from Mars cartoon?" Trixie asked in confusion.

"At least Dad's advice for you makes sense." Jake commented. "His advice to me will only make sense if I have to wrestle a real bear instead of a wrestler with a bear costume."

"If Dragonfire is a real dragon, who can say the bear-themed wrestler isn't a real bear?" Spud asked. Jake wasn't sure of how to answer.

As a newcomer, Jake a.k.a. Dragonfire wouldn't be allowed to fight the champion until he defeated several other wrestlers in the league. One by one, he kept an unbroken winning streak and Trixie was making a nice profit. Eventually, it was time for the finals. Before the fight, Jake made a final attempt to convince Hobie to return to the giants but the young giant still refused. Unfortunately, King Hammer overheard them and, after Jake left, showed up to ask Hobie about the giants.

As the final fight started, nobody at the arena even suspected that King Hammer and his thugs left to capture Hobie's fellow giants. Jake eventually won the championship.

"Hooray!" Trixie celebrated. "As soon as King Hammer gives him the championship belt, Dragonfire's merchandise will sell by double the price."

"Speaking of King Hammer, where's he?" Spud asked and he wasn't the only one wondering that.

"Where's King Hammer?" Jake asked. "He should be here right now."

"I don't know." Hobie told Jake. "The last time I saw him was when he asked me about the giants."

"You told him?" Jake asked in horror. "He must be probably trying to recruit them into joining kewl."

"But the other giants won't agree." Hobie replied.

"He won't mind, Hobie." Jake explained. "We have to stop him!"

Upon arriving at the giant colony, Jake, Hobie, Trixie, Spud and Fu Dog saw the giants being forced into trucks. "Stop right now, King Hammer!" Jake threatened. "Or else…"

"Or else what, Dragonfire?" King Hammer maliciously asked.

"Or it'll likely be just a matter of time until the giants decide they can stomp on you." Jake answered. "And, by you, I mean you and the thugs as well. Give up while they're still peaceful."

King Hammer actually took some time to think it over. "A valid concern, I admit. However, it's nothing some electric cattle prods cannot solve. Attack!"

Jake and his friends fought bravely and he actually found out his father's advice turned out to be useful in spite of the lack of any real bears. The giants eventually learned to stand up for themselves. King Hammer and his thugs were eventually driven away.

"It's so unfair!" Trixie lamented. "Dragonfire won the fight but I cannot sell his stuff." At that point, a giant with a business card of a toy company wanted to buy the Dragonfire shirts for a new line of dolls. "Sir, I only take American Dollars as payment." Trixie stated upon remembering Mr. Long's advice.

"No deal." The giant replied to her dismay.

At the next school day, Trixie still had a sad face. "Don't be like that, Trixie." Spud told her. "Don't you still have your share of the profits?"

"My Mom put everything into my college fund." Trixie told her friends. "Nothing could be worse!"

Brad then showed up wearing a shirt with 'I watched Dragonfire at the K.E.W.L. finals and I all got was this lousy shirt' written on it. "Where did you get that?" Trixie asked.

"I've bought it on L-Bay, losers." Brad bragged. "You'd better buy yours soon before they run out of them." He said and then left.

"I was robbed." Trixie muttered and then noticed Spud working on his Long Enterprises laptop.

"What?" Spud asked while Trixie glared at him. "What? You heard what he said."

"Didn't you already buy one from me?" Trixie asked.

"Your point?" Spud asked and Trixie face palmed.

End chapter.