A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
A/n This chapter is rather long just bare with it.
Ch 68 Act 4 Scene 15
Down in the docks of New York City a fight between two dragons and two huntsclan members was going on. All the fighting was over a little scarab beetle, a magical beetle but a beetle none the less.
The Hmaster was shooting away at the dragons actually hitting more crates in the process. Thorn made a dive for the bug but missed allowing Jake to make his own grab for the beetle only to have it slip from his claws.
One of the Hmaster's many shots caused the beetle to fly through the air off the ship and land unharmed in a dead flower bed.
Thorn and her master went to the ship's side to see where the beetle landed. They didn't get time to spy their prey being Jake came swing on a crane's chain knocking both hunters into the water.
"How you like that gramps" Jake said before he made hard contact with a wall. The hard hit forced Jake back to human as he slid down the wall to slump next to the flower bed.
"Gotcha" Fu said planting a glass jar over the beetle and slipping the lid under trapping the bug in the container.
"Come we must get the scarab out of here" LS said helping Jake up.
"I don't see what's so important about this bug" Jake said as the three ran off.
Unseen to the three the once dead flowers suddenly came to life in full bloom.
~Next morning at school~
"So you're saying the little bug can bring junk to life" Al asked in a wispier while they were in the computer lab.
Trixie, Spud, Al and Jake where in the computer lab currently. Al was on Jake's right trying to keep their conversation quiet from Spud who was reading a book upside down on Jake's left and further left Trixie on a computer.
"That's what my gramps says" Jake responded.
"Maybe you should wave it over Spud's head and wake up some brain cells" Al suggested a little loader.
"Good luck those guys are pretty heavy sleepers" Spud said knocking his head at hearing Al.
Just then Rose walked in and Jake's eyes where filled with hearts. In Jake's eyes Rose was moving in slow motion and glowing.
"Yo ga-ga lover boy" Trixie said elbowing Jake breaking Jake from his trance. "If you still hot for that Rose girl just ask her out already and make the suffering end."
"Ask her out" Jake chuckled "Yo mac daddy Jake's got to play it cool. Watch and learn" Jake said getting up.
Rose was typing on the computer when Jake came over to her.
"Uh, Rose" Jake said as Rose looked away from her screen to look at Jake.
"I haven't danced with you since the talk, I mean I haven't talked to you since the chance, I mean…" Jake was so nervous around Rose that he couldn't get out the right words.
"All I'm learning is the Mac daddy Jake's English is whack" Trixie said.
"It's cool Jake, I know what you mean" Rose said ending Jake's embarrassment. "It's cool to see you too."
"Cleopatra" the drama teacher called walking into the computer lab. "Rehearsal in five."
"Did Miss. Jakens just call you Cleopatra" Jake asked Rose.
"Yeah, the drama club is doing Anthony and Cleopatra this year" Rose answered.
"And Rose is my queen of the Nile" the black teacher now known as Miss. Jakens said. "Now sugar, the curtain calls."
"Sorry Jake I'll see you soon" Rose said as Miss. Jakens whisked her away.
"Soon, o no for the next week you got to breath, eat, drink and study Cleopatra" Miss. Jakens dramatically said. "Come we must work on finding you an Anthony."
"Anthony huh, as in Cleopatra's main squeeze" Jake said.
"O no Jake tell me you're not going to try out for some play just to get all up in Rose's grill" Trixie said.
"I agree with the lady on this" Al added.
Rose stood in a large arcade dressed in an Egyptian dress dropping a quarter into the jute box. A fan blew her hair and her brow was sweating as she ran a glass of ice and water over it. Then she turned to face the door as Jake came in dress in roman armor.
Jake said some lines as he walked over to Rose.
"Then let us rehearse" Rose said as they sat down at the table both reciting lines from the play and were about to kiss when Jake was broken from his daydream by Fu.
"Kid, stop, you don't where that thing has been" Fu yelled seeing that Jake was about to kiss the mop head.
"Huh? Aah! Aah! Heh heh" Jake said coming back to reality dropping the mop pushing it off to the side.
"JAKE! Did you hear anything I just said?" LS asked his spaced out grandson.
"Sure. You were... just... saying... some ancient Chinese proverb that holds the key to me learning a valuable lesson" Jake said nervously.
LS set the jar containing the beetle down.
"Gramps was saying you need to protect the scarab beetle until we figure out how to get it back home to Egypt" Fu said.
"What no problem I'm all over that" Jake said. "So anyone know what aperture means."
~At the huntsman's lair~
"Blast the American dragon" the Hmaster yelled. "We'll pick up the search tomorrow. We will find him and the beetle."
"For all we know the dragon could of already sent it back to Egypt" Thorn said removing her mask. "Maybe we should just give up and…" Thorn was cut off.
"Give up" the Hmaster yelled. "Those dragons need to be slayed. It is your calling as it is mine" the Hmaster said as he removed his glove to show the dragon birth mark on his hand. "As it is theirs" the Hmaster said mentioning to a row of statues of former huntsclan members.
"I understand Huntsmaster" Thorn said looking down at her own birth mark. "But what's so important about one Egyptian bug?"
"For generations the huntsclan has hunted magical creatures" the Hmaster said leading Thorn throw some underground tunnels. "And for generations dragons have stood in their way."
The two came to stop in front of a door with two hunts staffs crossing and a stylish H under them. The door then slide open leading to a tomb.
"But no more" Hmaster said walking in.
The tomb had a large ceiling maybe two or three stories high and lining the walls where shelves holding coffins of passed huntsmembers.
"But once we have the scrub beetle we can use it's life giving power to revive passed members of the huntsclan. Hundreds will be reborn as my army and will wipe out all dragons once and for all" the Hmaster said giving an evil laugh.
~At the Anthony auditions~
Brad, some Spanish kid, and one lost hockey player thinking it was hockey try outs went on before Spud auditioned for understudy since he said he memorized the entire works and he rocked.
Finally it was Jake's turn. Jake did some 80's slang before reciting one of the most important lines of the play. Once he was done the teacher and drama club president nodded to each other.
"Yo, my plan worked I got the part" Jake said rushing out to Trixie and Al.
"And I get to be his understudy" Spud added.
"Just come off the Mac daddy playing Jake and just ask out Rose straight up already" Trixie said.
"So why did you try out" Al asked Spud not needing to enter the clash of Jake and Trixie.
"Hey Cleo p" Jake said seeing Rose and going over to talk to her.
Trixie gave a sigh.
"I try, I try" Trixie said.
"I know you do, honey I know you do" Spud said putting his arm over Trixie's shoulder. Trixie getting disgusted by it knocked his arm off.
"I think with Jake you need to do more than try" Al said sighing him self.
"Jake this is so great, I can't wait to start rehearsing" Rose said.
"My thoughts exactly how about some one on one time rehearsing at your place" Jake suggested.
"Actually my place isn't such a great place how about your place" Rose asked.
"Uh sure I guess" Jake said but a little less then thrilled about the idea.
It was a good day LS was out and if Fu kept glued to the TV all Jake had to do was turn the sign to close.
Rose arrived just as Jake was flipping the sign.
"Welcome to my humble abode" Jake said opening the door for her.
"So where should we rehearse" Rose asked.
Hearing the TV on high volume captivating Fu's attention.
"Uh my room is quiet and empty of distraction" Jake said then gripping Rose's arm and leading her upstairs.
Rose looked around Jake's room. It looked like some one took china and the average teenager then throws it into the room. There was a normal bed with red sheets. Next to it was the nightstand with a lamp, alarm clock, framed photo, and on either side of the photo was the figure of a dragon and one of a tiger. Next to the door against the wall was a long dresser with an oval mirror. Running along the top of the dresser was a line of dragon, tiger and samurai figures and two Chinese lions started and finished the line. Opposite wall from the bed was tall dresser with a TV on top with DVD player and video game set up with two wireless controllers lying with it. On the same wall just a few feet from the dresser was the closet door. And pinned on the door was a Chinese calendar poster that had a picture of all 12 animals and their description. The farthest wall from the door had two windows and between them was a small desk with a laptop and printer. Most of the walls were covered with skateboard and rock band posters along with a few china based paintings. Through what little space you could see between the decorations the wall was painted off white. On the ceiling hung a dragon kite and the floor was hard wood and guessing from a few corners of things visibly poking out from under the bed and sleeves and pant legs hanging out of the draws Jake had tried to do a quick clean up job.
"So your parents are out" Rose asked.
"Actually I live here with my gramps" Jake answered.
"What happened to your parents" Rose decided to ask.
"They passed away a few years ago" Jake said.
"O I'm sorry" Rose apologized for bring up the subject. Rose quickly filled through the play dialogue to make a quick change of subject.
"So Anthony and Cleopatra are natural enemies made to choose between love and responsibility to their cause" Rose explained.
"Love and responsibility I think I got it" Jake was trying make a move to place is arm over her shoulder.
"I think we should skip to act 4 scene 15" Rose decided.
"You mean the scene with the kiss, here, now" Jake said a little unsure about the whole thing.
"Yeah it's the emotional center piece of the play" Rose explained. "Is that okay?"
"Yea I kissed girls before totally, kissed girls before" Jake said remembering that the only girls he kissed were family members and a dog named princess.
"It's not just a kiss Jake it what the kiss represents, it show the intense connection between them, it doesn't just happen it happens because they're ready to fully surrender their self to one another." Rose explained. "So are you ready?"
Jake took a gulp nervous about the whole thing.
"Yea totally ready for act 4 scene 15" Jake said. "But my mouth is a little dry I need a glass of water" Jake said looking for moment of delay.
Jake went into the kitchen to get a glass a water unknowingly followed by Rose.
"You know I could use some water too" Rose said from the doorway to the kitchen.
"Sure" Jake said coming over to her with two glasses but still nervous causing him to be clumsy and tripped that sent off a chain of events. First some water spilt making him slip then sent off a mouse trap that sent a piece of cheese flying through the air into LS open bedroom door making a poorly shelved book fall off knocking over the beetle's jar breaking the jar and freeing it.
At the sound of the crash Jake put both glasses on the table say to Rose he'll be right back.
He entered the room to see the beetle trying to make a break for it. It scurried under the bed; Jake made a dive under the bed for it but couldn't get far enough under as the beetle kept going. Jake leapt over the bed to cut it off on the other side only to have the beetle making to the other side before him and into the hall. Jake rushed out into the hall only to have the beetle disappear into a crack in the floor.
"Aw man, I'm dead" Jake said looking at the crack in the floor.
A/N IMPORTANT! next chapter in shapshifter but if Jake trasformed in Rotwood his grandfater might know it's him at the conference.