Chapter 25: Hong Kong Knights

There was a building being erected near Millard Fillmore Middle School and worker Hans Rotwood was taking advantage of his new job to spy on Jake Long so he could find any evidence on the latter being a dragon. "You're not paid to spy on kids, you freak!" The foreman informed Rotwood. "Don't let me catch you again or it's night shift for you. It's no wonder Mr. Long was worried about you being here."

"Did he know I'd get a job here?" Rotwood asked in curiosity.

"He was so concerned about you using our work here for your crazy theory about a student of this school being a dragon he sent me a memo about it." The foreman replied and showed the memo.

If a Hans Rotwood is hired to work at this construction site, keep an eye on him to make sure he won't let his obsession with magical creatures and his theory that one of the students at Millard Fillmore Middle School is a dragon get the better of him. It already made him lose his teaching position there and a job he briefly had at the ski resort that school visited.

Signed

Jonathan Long

C.E.O. of Long Enterprises

"Please, Sir." Rotwood begged. "I need a job and can't afford to be picky."

Meanwhile, Jake Long and his friends already finished their last lessons of the day. "Wanna hit the half pipe with us, Jakey?" Trixie asked.

"Sorry, Trixie." Jake replied. "I need to be at Gramps' shop because Councillor Chang is visiting today. It seems she has a clue on the Dark Dragon."

"Cool!" Spud exclaimed. "Can we go?"

"I'm sorry but she's not fond of humans." Jake explained. "Not erasing your memories is the one thing other than my feelings for Rose she holds against me."

"Do you think she'd try to erase our memories if we went there?" Spud asked in worry.

"Honestly, Jakey, she should've more respect for your judgement after how you handled the day of that Great Equinox Hunt thing I've heard about and not only the hunt itself but also you having to decide who got that magical apple." Trixie commented.

"Yeah, it was a case with no precedents so I could decide which argument was the strongest one." Jake proudly replied. "You're right. I can take the risk. The Dragon Council is trusting those people working with the Government anyway."

The three of them then went to Canal Street Electronics. "Hi, kids." Fu greeted them.

"Hi, Fu." Jake replied. "Is Councillor Chang already here?"

"Not yet but you'd better hurry, kid." Fu answered. "She'll be here any minute."

"At least I've cleaned this table last night." Jake commented and tried to slide a finger through it to show his point but it got stuck.

"Uh, about that, kid, I've had a little snack." Fu sheepishly explained.

"Why am I not surprised?" Jake asked as he pulled a cleaning product from his pockets and sprayed it on the table.

"I can't get it, Jakey." Trixie commented. "I get it that you're a fire-breathing dragon and I'm even starting to accept a talking dog but a rich kid doing chores?"

"I know, right?" Fu agreed. "Yesterday the kid could've paid me fifty bucks to take a flea powder but he insisted on paying me only twenty to let him do it to me. I think he's stingy."

"I'm rich, not lazy." Jake argued.

"And my grandson obviously couldn't trust you to keep your end of the agreement." Lao Shi commented as he and Councillor Chang appeared.

"Come on, old man." Fu pleaded. "When have I ever let you down?"

"The list is so big we have no time to review it now." Chang snarked.

"Councillor Chang is right." Camille added as she revealed herself.

"Jake, who's that?" Spud asked while looking at Camille with lovey-dovey eyes.

"Spud, allow me to introduce the Elemental Dragon Girl Ca…" Jake said until he was interrupted.

"Don't reveal her name to humans, American Dragon." Chang told him. "They shouldn't even be here in the first place."

"Aren't you dragons working with the Government or something like that?" Trixie asked.

"Against my better judgement." Chang replied in disdain. "If I had my way, we'd keep them out of that magical emergency as soon as we got aware of it."

"Excuse me, Councillor, but shouldn't we focus on the Dark Dragon?" Jake asked.

"You're right, American Dragon." Chang replied. "We must go immediately."

"Actually, I believe my grandson must stay here to guard the shop and his human friends." Lao Shi suggested. "The Dark Dragon is too much of a threat to them."

"Yes, Grandfather." Jake agreed and the adult dragons left.

"Yo, Jakey! Are you really accepting that?" Trixie asked.

"Not at all, Trixie." Jake answered. "Gramps just wanted us out of the way just in case his other concern turns out to be right."

"Which concern?" Spud asked.

"Ever since my first run-in with the Dark Dragon, my Grandfather became worried the Dark Dragon has a spy in the order." Jake explained. "Thanks to recent developments, he believes the spy is in the Dragon Council and Councillor Chang is the likely suspect. The rest of the Council sent Camille Cooper with Councillor Chang to investigate."

"Who's Camille Cooper?" Spud asked.

"The Elemental Dragon Girl." Jake answered.

"What if Chang really spies for the Dark Dragon, Jake?" Trixie asked.

"I don't think so, Trixie." Jake answered. "She and my Grandfather know each other from ever since the events that led to his first run-in with the Dark Dragon."

Fu Dog then took the cue to tell the story with Jake and his friends frowning at the parts where he described himself as way more awesome than anyone who knew him could believe. Meanwhile, Lao Shi, Chang and Camille arrived at where the Dark Dragon was spotted. "We meet again, Lao Shi." The Dark Dragon said and then looked at Camille. "Oh, the Elemental Dragon Girl. It mustn't be easy to have so much power to hide from humans. Believe me, I know."

"What do you want?" Camille asked.

"I want to rule over the human race so magical creatures will no longer have to live in hiding." The Dark Dragon explained. "We can become invincible together. We can even have those Demon Sorcerers work as our subordinates. They have experience treating humans like slaves."

"That's insane!" Camille exclaimed.

"True that." The Dark Dragon pondered it over. "I've heard it's being so easy to rebanish them it's hard to believe they once ruled the world."

"You'll never enslave the human race while I'm able to stop you, Dark Dragon." Camille proudly declared.

"You asked for it, Elemental Dragon." The Dark Dragon replied as Chang hit Camille on the back with a pipe, knocking the Elemental Dragon Girl down. "Just like you did with the shar pei decades ago."

"So you are the traitor as the rest of the Dragon Council suspected." Lao Shi stated. He was disappointed but not very surprised.

"No, Lao Shi." Chang replied. "The rest of the Dragon Council became traitors when they not only agreed to work with humans but humans working for a human government."

"They show there's still hope for a peaceful coexistence, Chang." Lao Shi argued.

"You're still the same foolish dragon you used to be back in the seventies, Lao Shi." The Dark Dragon commented. "Chang, get rid of him while I destroy the Elemental Dragon."

"Councillor Chang, think of the good times we spent together." Lao Shi pleaded. "Don't they mean anything to you?"

"They mean less than the safety of magical creatures, Lao Shi." She answered. "You could've chosen the side that's ready to do what it takes to keep us safe from humans."

The Dark Dragon was about to deliver a fatal blow to Camille when he was interrupted by somebody's fire-breathing. "Who dares?"

"I dare, Dark One!" Jake bravely declared.

"You and which army, American Dragon?" The Dark Dragon asked.

"This army!" Trixie exclaimed as she, Spud, Fu, the Oracle Twins and the Tooth Fairy revealed themselves. The Dark Dragon went back to the surface and was followed by all good guys except for Lao Shi, who was busy with Chang; and Fu Dog, who was trying to wake Camille up.

"Come on, Camille." Fu said as he tried to shake her awake. "I know what's like but you mustn't miss the battle."

Lao Shi tried to hit Chang with his tail but she dodged and pulled her staff from which she shot a dart at Camille but Fu Dog blocked it with a plank. "Stupid dog." She muttered and then Lao Shi clawed her face. She clawed his in return. After a few minutes, Chang got the upper hand. "Are you ready to give up, Lao Shi?" Chang maliciously asked.

"I believe you should be the one to answer this question, Councillor." Camille replied while expressing disgust at calling Chang 'councillor'. Realizing she'd be no match for Camille in a fair fight, Chang surrendered.

"Hurry!" Lao Shi declared as Camille tied Chang up. "I don't know how long my grandson and his friends can stand the Dark Dragon!"

The two dragons and their captive rushed to aid only to learn it wasn't necessary. Jake and his friends had just defeated the Dark Dragon. "Jake, I'm impressed!" Camille commented. "You must tell how you and your friends did it."

"You sure must, kid." Fu added after catching up with Lao Shi and Camille.

"No problem, Fu." Jake commented. "At least I'm not the night watchman in charge of explaining it to Dad's executives."

In the next morning, Jake, Trixie and Spud were going to Millard Fillmore Middle School when they noticed Hans Rotwood by the construction site. "I'm telling you!" Rotwood pleaded to the foreman. "There were dragons! And kids and some creatures that looked like they were made of teeth! Look at my pictures!"

"I know what digital cameras can do, Rotwood!" The foreman replied. "YOU! ARE! FIRED!"

"No, please!" Rotwood begged. "I cannot miss rent again!" He then noticed Jake and his friends. "There are three of ze kids! Please help me!"

"Sir, you're violating a restraining order by being near me." Jake replied. "Please step away or I'll call the cops."

"Please, Mr. Long!" Rotwood begged.

"Long?" The foreman asked.

"Coincidence." Rotwood and Jake said at the same time and both felt freaked out by that.

"Okay but you're still fired, Rotwood." The foreman said as Jake and his friends entered the school's grounds.

Meanwhile, Lao Shi and Fu were talking to Susan via magic mirror. "And once again, that despicable Mr. Rotwood lost a job." Susan commented.

"Why does your husband keep hiring him, Susan?" Lao Shi asked his daughter.

"Jonathan says there's only so much he can micromanage the workings of Long Enterprises without attracting unwanted attention." Susan answered. "Fortunately he can use this latest blunder to finally blacklist Rotwood without this problem because, as he says, anyone trying to look into it will likely assume he's just afraid Long Enterprises and its subsidiaries will be held responsible for Rotwood's antics."

"I'm glad to hear it." Lao Shi commented.

End chapter.

Author's note: This chapter takes place after The Elemental Dragon Girl chapter Demon in Di-Skies.

Author's note 2: Camille and the fanfic The Elemental Dragon Girl still belong to D.J. Scales.

Author's note 3: I probably won't post more chapters after the Demon Portal arc ends in The Elemental Dragon Girl.