Author's Note: Happy Chinese New Year. The Year of the Dragon. To mark this occasion, I have decided that this day would be the perfect day to upload the first chapter of my latest addition to my Defenders series, Shang-Chi and the American Dragon.
Now, before we start, I should let you know that I'm not too familiar with Shang-Chi lore other than what I've seen in the MCU movie. I have friends who were kind enough to give me insight into the comics version, but all the same, I think I'll be using some elements from the MCU into my fanfic, including the Mandarin being Shang-Chi's father and the inclusion of Katy. There are some parts of the comics that I've already decided on using, such as the Makluan Rings. Instead of armbands like in the movies, they're still going to be finger-sized rings like in the comics.
Enjoy the chapter. Happy Chinese New Year. Any and all comments are welcome.
New York City. The City That Never Sleeps. The Big Apple. However you want to call it, it's quite a sight to see at night, especially from where Shang-Chi was. He left his homeland of China by stowing away on a ship enroute to the docks of New York. Since he left, he hid himself in the cargo hold behind a stack of crates close to the window so the crewmen wouldn't catch him.
Once he heard the foghorn, Shang-Chi stepped out of his hiding place and looked on out the window. He gawked at the sight of the Statue of Liberty, which, from his point of view, looked like it was towering over the rest of the city. After a long sail, he finally made it.
As soon as the ship stopped, Shang-Chi made his move. He leaped up from one crate to the next on top until he reached the rafters near the ceiling. He then ran across the beams and stopped over the door. He waited until it opened and crewmen walked in to take in their merchandise. While they were going for their crates, Shang-Chi dropped and landed silently behind them before sneaking out the door.
Shang-Chi quickly headed to the side of the ship and jumped off its edge. He landed on the roof of a small warehouse where he heard the nearby conversation of a couple of dockworkers. One of them was a skinny, elderly man with gray hair, a big mustache, and a pair of sunglasses which was weird to wear considering it was nighttime.
"You know when you stare at a TV screen for too long, and afterwards, you have to rub your eyes out of instinct? I hate that." The dockworker said earning a stare from his coworker. "I'm just saying."
The other dockworker looked around trying to stop the conversation. That's when he spotted a glance of Shang-Chi before he jumped off the warehouse roof and disappeared into the darkness.
"Whoa! Stan, did you see that?"
"See what?" Stan asked looking around.
"I think I just saw a kid jumping from the rooftop!"
Stan looked up for a minute before looking back at his coworker. "Are you trying to punk me? I hate that."
Shang-Chi sneaked through until he made it out of the docks. Once he was out on the sidewalk and officially entered New York, he finally took this chance to take a breath. He took in one last breath before taking in the sights.
"Well, here I am." he said to himself. "New York City. A brand new life. Now for the hard part… finding somewhere to sleep."
Shang-Chi's journey across New York eventually lead him to Central Park. Thanks to the full moon, his surroundings were clear.
"Perhaps I can sleep under a bridge for the night and figure something out in the morning." Shang-Chi said to himself. "Man, I wish I thought this through." He sighed sadly. "But what could I have done? I did what I had to do. I just…"
Suddenly, Shang-Chi was caught off-guard by the sudden red-and-orange glow in the distance. Curious, he ran over toward the light to investigate.
By the time he got there, Shang-Chi came across a bizarre scene. There was a small pond with what appeared to be a teenage boy with a red jacket sitting in it. The strange thing about this boy was that his head didn't look human. It was red, long, and scaly like a reptile. He also had black hair with green tips.
Standing beside the pond was a large, masked man made of a helmet shaped like a dragon skull. He pointed a blue spear toward the dragon-headed boy and ran towards him. He was close to skewering him until he rolled backwards to avoid the attack. Once he made it out of the lake, the rest of his body changed until he took the form of a full, red dragon with green scales on his back and a yellow underbelly.
Shang-Chi widened his eyes at the battle he was witnessing. "Well, I'll be. It's a dragon. And that man that almost killed him, that must be the Huntsman. I've heard of him."
He moved in closer hiding behind bush after bush toward the fight. He stopped once he heard the dragon's voice very clearly.
"Is that all you got, Huntsman?" the dragon taunted. "'Cause I'm about to come over there and…"
The dragon's smack talk was interrupted by a kick from behind. The one who struck him was a masked ninja girl with blue eyes and long, blonde hair tied from the back of her head. She turned to the Huntsman and bowed to him.
"How was that, Huntsmaster?"
"Very nice, Huntsgirl." Huntsman said. "Your training has served you well."
The dragon groaned while getting back up on his own two feet. He came face to face with the Huntsgirl and began trading blows with her.
"Come on now." the dragon bantered while blocking and countering the attacks. "What's a nice girl like you doing hunting unicorns?"
The Huntsgirl got the upper hand when she elbowed the dragon in the stomach and grabbed his arm before twisting it behind his back. "What's a nice guy like you doing outside in his undies?"
The dragon looked down and saw that the lower half of his body was human again, but instead of pants, his legs exposed nothing but shoes, socks, and a pair of pink boxers with hearts. His embarrassment left him open to be pushed down by the Huntsgirl.
From the bushes, Shang-Chi gave a judgmental look. "I'm guessing he's new. Oh, man. What do I do? I could go there to help, but if the Huntsman sees my face, I might not get a peaceful night's rest in this city. I gotta…"
At that moment, Shang-Chi looked down and noticed a long, red rag which was caught within the bush's branches. He pulled it out and held it up to his face. With a grin, he wrapped it around his face concealing all but the eyes.
"Thank you, New York litterers."
"You have a golden opportunity to slay your first dragon." the Huntsman told his apprentice before throwing her his spear. "Finish him!"
"With pleasure." Huntsgirl said. She aimed the weapon at the red dragon and it began to glow green indicating she was about to fire.
Before the dragon's fate was sealed, Shang-Chi made his move. He leaped out of the bushes and kicked the spear away from the dragon. A green blast was shot, but it hit a far-off bush instead of the dragon in boxers. Shang-Chi stood on his hands and shot his legs out to kick the Huntsgirl right into her master's arms. He then threw himself back to his feet right next to the dragon.
"Huh? Where did you come from? Who are you?"
"Just someone who isn't a fan of the Huntsclan." Shang-Chi answered.
"Mind your own business, boy!" the Huntsman hissed. "This has nothing to do with you."
"I think you should run now, Huntsman!" an old man's voice cried out. A short, elderly Chinese man walked up with a gray bulldog following him. The old man had white hair, a long mustache dangling from the sides of his mouth with his beard in between.
"This is not over!" the Huntsman declared. After taking his spear back, he tapped the ground while making sure the Huntsgirl was close to him. A green light circled them both like an orb, and they vanished as soon as it died down.
"Well, that was rough." the dragon said looking at his boxers before looking over at Shang-Chi. "But yo, thanks for the hand there."
"Who are you?" the old man asked looking curiously at Shang-Chi.
Shang-Chi looked around and took a breath. He removed the rags from his face and revealed himself to them. "My name is Shang-Chi. I came all the way from China for a new start. I've only been in New York for an hour before I came across this dragon tangling with the Huntsclan."
"So you already know about the Huntsclan?" the bulldog asked.
"Yeah. You could say I have experience with the magical world." Shang-Chi said before his eyes widened like dinner plates. "Wait. Did that dog just talk?"
"Uh, yeah. The name's Fu. The old man's Lao Shi, and the dragon is his grandson, Jake, the American Dragon."
"Nice to meet you." Shang-Chi said trying to turn his head away from Jake's lower body. "Uh, Jake, your underwear's still out."
"Whoops." Jake said with a nervous chuckle. "Sorry. Still getting used to my powers." He then transformed his entire body. Not only did his blue pants return, but he looked like an ordinary teenage boy of Asian descent, with the exception of green tips of his black hair.
"I'll say." Fu said. "You really got creamed just now. Almost as bad when you tangled with those mountain trolls last week." He gave a weak chuckle. "Or the week before that, when you took on the giants?" He fell on his back with an even stronger laughter. "Or the week before that, when those field pixies tossed you a beatin'!"
"You were beaten by field pixies?" Shang-Chi asked.
"Hey, they were sneaky." Jake said.
"Shang-Chi," Lao Shi said, "You were willing to step in and rescue my grandson in a time of need. As a show of gratitude, I will offer you a place to stay."
"Really?" Shang-Chi asked with a smile. "Thank you. I'd be honored."
"I wouldn't expect comfort, though." Jake warned. "Gramps ain't exactly the poster boy for chillaxing."
"Jake, you must learn that 'smack daddy' does not come in a can." Lao Shi said. "Tomorrow, we step up your training. Be on rooftop right after school."
"Okay." Jake sighed. "I'll be there, Grandpa."
After Jake was sent home, Lao Shi and Fu brought Shang-Chi to their home. They stopped in front of a store with a sign that Shang-Chi read.
"Canal Street Electronics. You run an electronics store?"
"Sort of." Fu said. "The truth is, this place is a bit low on business, which is how Gramps likes it."
"The less humans that come in here, the more we can work in secret." Lao Shi said. "Now, the guest bedroom should be upstairs and to the right. I trust you won't be needing anything?"
"Not much, really." Shang-Chi said. "But I could use some spare clothes in the morning if it's not too much trouble."
"No trouble at all." Lao Shi said. "You can stay here for as long as you need to."
"Thanks." Shang-Chi said before heading up a flight of stairs.
As he left, Fu made sure he was out of earshot before turning to the old man. "Hey, Gramps, good work with the new guy. He definitely earned it with helping the kid."
"It's more than that, Fu Dog." Lao Shi said. "I sense something about that boy. Something… special."
"How special?" Fu asked. "Like, good special or bad special?"
"Hard to tell." Lao Shi said. "We'll have to find out in due time."
Following the old man's directions, Shang-Chi finally made it to his room where a bedroom awaited him. There wasn't much other than a dresser on the wall, a bed in the corner, and a nightstand right next to the bed. There was also another door which lead to a small bathroom on the opposite end from the bed.
Shang-Chi headed over to his new bed and laid his back down flat on it. He finally took a deep breath as if it was the first one he had breathed in a very long time. He clutched his chest to feel something hidden in his shirt.
"Well, my first day in New York, and already, I'm in good company." Shang-Chi said to himself. "I just hope the rest of my future is full of as much good fortune."
The following day, Shang-Chi woke up early as he was used to it. When he opened the door to his room, he found a red T-shirt and a pair of jeans waiting for him. He pulled them in and got changed.
Before heading downstairs, Shang-Chi decided to head to the restroom to freshen up. He turned on the faucet and carried a handful of water in his hands that he then threw onto his face. After using a towel to dry his face, he couldn't help but notice the inside of a nearby toilet. It was slightly filthy.
After heading back downstairs, Shang-Chi headed to the back of the store where Lao Shi was stacking stuff on his desk.
"Good morning." Lao Shi greeted.
"Morning." Shang-Chi said. "So… This is probably none of my business, but the toilet upstairs is kinda filthy."
"Don't worry. We'll have it taken care of later today." Lao Shi said. "Listen, I know you're an honored guest, but I was hoping if you wouldn't mind doing a favor."
"I don't." Shang-Chi answered. "What would you like me to do?"
"Well, Jake is expected to come to the rooftop for dragon training right after school." Lao Shi said. "The problem is, I don't 100% trust him as he is easily distracted by trivial matters. So perhaps you could make sure he gets here on time."
Shang-Chi looked puzzled. "I suppose so. But I have no idea where to find his school."
"Fu Dog?" Lao Shi called.
"Here you go, kid." Fu said appearing from out of nowhere next to Shang-Chi. He handed him a map of New York, and when he unfolded it, he found a red marker trail down the roads. "I've marked the quickest route on the map."
"Thanks, I guess." Shang-Chi said.
Once it was close to 3 pm, Shang-Chi left the electronics store. With the map Fu Dog gave him, he made his way through the streets of New York.
On the way, Shang-Chi passed by a giant television which showed a news broadcast. He stopped to see the screen taken over by a middle-aged man with brown hair and a large mustache.
"This is J Jonah Jameson, and this is the Daily Bugle News! I've said it once, and I'll say it again… THIS WORLD HAS GONE NUTS! First, our beautiful city has been infested with a Spider-Man menace, who later on took one a protégé with the same powers as him! Has everyone come down with spider fever?! Then, there was the a female version of the Hulk attending a high school in Middleton! Like the world needs a teenage Hulk going to school! And now, we got rumors of aliens all over Hawaii! I tell you, this world is going topsy turvy will all this nonsense! That is why the Daily Bugle News is proud to give their support to the brilliant anti-superhuman man who is running for congress, Henry Peter Gyrich! Here's to a more stable future!"
Shang-Chi turned away from the TV and continued on his trek to the school.
He finally made it just in time for the final bell to ring. He watched the front door and saw Jake leaving with his skateboard in his backpack. He was then cut short by his friends, two kids his age who approached on skateboards.
"Hey, yo, Jake. What's crack-alatin', baby?"
"Yo, what's up, Trixie?" Jake responded giving a fist bump to the girl. He then gave another to the boy. "Spud?"
"We cruisin' over to Washington Park right about now." Trixie said. "We gonna shred some serious asphalt. Last time we hit that place, Spud got a concussion."
Spud giggled. "No way! That was totally a case of subcutaneous occipital trauma. No worries, bro."
"Yeah, whatever." Trixie said. "You in or are you in?"
"Oh, I wish, Trixie." Jake answered before frowning. "But I gotta work at my Grandpa's shop today."
"Again?" Spud asked. "Aw, man. That's like the…" He stopped to count with his fingers. "Eleventeenth time this week, dude. What's up? It's stressing me out."
"Yeah, man. For real." Trixie said. "Don't we have some kind of child labor laws in this city or something?" She then stopped when she noticed something. "Yo, Jakey, don't look now, but I think there's some creep eyeing us."
Jake curiously turned and saw Shang-Chi, who waved over at him.
"Shang-Chi?" Jake asked.
"What?" Spud asked. "Did you say Shaun or something? Do you know him?"
"Uh, yeah. He's someone me and Gramps met last night." Jake said.
Shang-Chi decided to finally step in. "Hey. You must be Jake's friends."
"Sup." Trixie said.
"Nice to meet you, Shaun." Spud said.
"Actually, his name's…" Jake started to say.
"No, no! Shaun's fine." Shang-Chi interrupted. "Yeah. Just call me Shaun." He giggled nervously. After an awkward moment, he finally broke the silence. "Anyway, let's go, Jake. Your grandpa really needs you back."
"Uh, okay." Jake said. "Maybe next time, guys. Holla!"
After bidding his friends farewell, Jake walked alongside Shang-Chi. "Yo, man. What's with that 'Shaun' biz?"
"It's complicated." Shang-Chi said. "Right now, let's head back to the shop."
Jake sighed. "Sure. I can… WHOA!"
Jake didn't see the blonde girl until after he accidentally bumped into her and made her knock her books down. Apologetically, he helped her pick her stuff up. That's when he noticed how beautiful she was and stopped with a soft smile.
"Hi."
"Hi yourself." the blonde girl returned. "I'm Rose."
"Jake." Jake said before looking at the girl's arm, which had an image of a red dragon on it. "Hey. That's a really cool dragon tattoo."
"Actually, it's a birthmark." Rose corrected standing back up with her books. "I'll, uh, see you around, okay?"
"Yes. Yes. Most definitely." Jake answered. "I mean, you know, if I have time and you have time. We can kill some time."
"Jake, you said 'time' too much." Shang-Chi said.
"…and 3, 2, 1." Fu counted waiting on the rooftop with Lao Shi beside him. "He's late! Goo goo goo goo!"
"I'M HERE! I'M HERE!" Jake yelled as he flew on in. He had a less than graceful landing as he slid on the rooftop surface.
"You are late, young dragon." Lao Shi said.
"Say what?" Jake asked. "By, like, three seconds."
"Three seconds or three hours, late is late!" Lao Shi shouted right before Shang-Chi arrived from the roof entrance. "Shang-Chi. I thought you were supposed to make sure Jake would be here on time."
"What are you mad at me for?" Shang-Chi asked.
Lao Shi sighed. "It's fine. It's fine. Just take a rest."
Shang-Chi glared before heading back downstairs. Right after he did, a certain pair of villains appeared on a rooftop nearby. The Huntsman and Huntsgirl watched the rooftop from afar. They looked through their spyglasses just narrowly missing Shang-Chi.
"Ah, yes." Huntsman said. "Do you know what would look magnificent stuffed and mounted on the wall of the Huntslair?"
"Let me guess." Huntsgirl said with a sinister chuckle. "A pair of dragon skins?"
The following day, Shang-Chi couldn't help but notice Jake doing a series of gross and ridiculous chores such as leaning the toilet while holding the brush with his dragon tongue, sweeping the store with his tail, washing laundry, balancing himself on top of the TV for good reception, using his dragon claws to massage Lao Shi's feet, and chomping on banzai trees with his teeth. Shang-Chi couldn't help but feel bad for Jake.
As the afternoon passed, Lao Shi finally ended it. "You are done with training for today."
"Training?" Jake asked. "You call this training? I call it being your house boy. What's cleaning your toilet and sweeping your floor have to do with being the American Dragon?"
"The seed does not question where the wind takes it." Lao Shi replied.
"In other words, listen to the old man." Fu paraphrased. "Come back tomorrow and get ready. Fu Dog's gonna need a deep wrinkle massage."
Jake gritted his teeth and marched out the door. He slammed the door behind him making the bell break off. Shang-Chi walked over to the door and picked up the broken bell.
"I'm actually with Jake on this one." Shang-Chi said reattaching the bell to the door. "This kind of training seems degrading. The least you could do is tell him what the training is for."
"Tell me, Shang-Chi," Lao Shi said, "You seem to be expertly trained in kung fu. Did you have a teacher?"
"Yes." Shang-Chi answered a little thrown off by the memory of his training.
"I'm sure your teacher had an unorthodox training regimen, did he not?" Lao Shi asked.
"Not exactly." Shang-Chi said. "Let's just say my training was more… hardcore than unorthodox."
"Well, in any case, don't worry about it." Fu said. "Look, I've known the old man for a long time, and trust me when I say, if he has a plan, he has a plan."
Shang-Chi didn't answer. He just looked outside where Jak was and kept thinking.
The next day, Shang-Chi was sent again to pick up Jake from school. He walked past all the streets and crowds and Daily Bugle broadcasts again until he made it back to the school. He found Jake standing on the steps of the school's front again and ran up to him.
"Hey, Jake." Shang-Chi said.
Jake groaned. "Let me guess. Gramps wants me to shred his cheese into slices."
Shang-Chi frowned. "He actually said something about 'cleaning the rain gutter'. Sorry."
Jake sighed. "I tell you, I feel like Gramps is just using me as his chore boy. My mom told me to trust him, but how can I do that if he's wasting my training on the grossest things?"
"Look, I understand." Shang-Chi said. "But what can you do?"
"Oh, I'll tell you what we can do." Jake said. "There's a new karaoke place opening just nearby. Trixie and Spud wanted to check it out with me. And you know what? Maybe I should."
"And ditch your grandfather?" Shang-Chi asked. "I know he's hard on you, but…"
"What? I should trust him?" Jake asked. "Dude, did you ever have to clean toilets?"
Shang-Chi thought for a moment. "Only when I was getting punished."
"See? Exactly." Jake said. "And I didn't do anything wrong! How about it, buddy? Why not spend your first days in New York doing something exciting with new friends?"
Shang-Chi hesitated to answer. "I… I don't know. Maybe we should just go along with your grandfather's plan. It'd be the more responsible thing."
Jake took a breath. "Yeah. Maybe. That would be more responsible." He paused for a moment. "Or…"
"Over, sideways, and under on a magic carpet ride!"
"I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road!"
"I don't wanna close my eyes! I don't wanna…"
The karaoke party was so intense with Jake, Trixie, and Spud, Shang-Chi was accidentally knocked backwards until he hit the door hard. The door was shot open wide allowing Shang-Chi to fall on his back and land on the hallway floor, right at the feet of a couple of other teens who were about to pass on by.
"Oh, my! Are you okay?" a girl asked helping Shang-Chi up.
"Yeah." Shang-Chi said after returning to his feet. He turned to the boy and girl who were about his age. "Thanks."
"No problem." the boy said. "Sounds like the party got rough, huh? Katy, maybe we should…"
"Don't even think about it, Jimmy!" Katy interrupted. "Sorry about Jimmy here. He's a bit of a nervous Nellie."
"Who says that anymore?" Jimmy asked before extending his hand. "Anyway, hi. I'm Jimmy Woo. You already met Katy."
"Hi." Shang-Chi greeted.
"Yo, Shaun!" Jake cried out as he, Trixie, and Spud ran out of the karaoke room. "You okay?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine." Shang-Chi said.
"Sorry about bumping into you like that." Trixie said.
"I guess we both have subcutaneous occipital trauma now." Spud said.
"Somehow, I doubt that." Shang-Chi said.
"Hey. Can we join in with you guys?" Katy asked. "I'm trying to get my buddy, Jimmy, into trying new things."
Jimmy chuckled nervously. "You really don't have to…"
"Sure. We got room." Trixie said leading them in.
Jimmy sighed. "Oh, boy."
Shang-Chi and Jake shared a laugh while they were alone away from the other kids. It was late afternoon and the sun was nearly about to start setting.
"I gotta say," Shang-Chi said, "That was more fun than I thought."
"No kidding." Jake said. "Have you ever played games like that before?"
"Well, not exactly like that." Shang-Chi answered. He began to walk slower. "I used to play dancing games with my family every weekend."
"Wow. That's a lot." Jake said. "Say, I just realized, why aren't you with them right now? Why come all the way to America? Did something happen?"
Shang-Chi dropped his smile completely and hung his head. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Gotcha. Totally your biz." Jake said.
"KID!"
All of a sudden, a nearby manhole cover opened up and Fu Dog climbed up from it.
"Fu Dog?" Shang-Chi asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I was on my way to Jake's house, but then I heard the two of yous from underground." Fu replied. "Where were you nincompoops?"
"Fu, I don't even want to hear it." Jake said. "Grandpa must be buggin' if he thinks he's gonna make me clean his whole house with…"
"You don't understand!" Fu interrupted. "You left me and Gramps waiting for you on the rood. We were sitting ducks out there. When the Huntsman showed up…"
"The Huntsman?" Jake gasped. "Where's Grandpa now?"
"Look, long story short, it ain't looking good for the old man." Fu said.
"Oh, no." Shang-Chi said in horror. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have encouraged… I shouldn't have gone along with…"
"No, Shang-Chi. It's my fault." Jake groaned. "I was the one who left training in the first place."
"We can play the self-loathing game later." Fu said. "We gotta go get help."
"No!" Jake proclaimed. "I've gotta do this."
"Uh, look, no offense, kid, but we don't got time for no dress rehearsal." Fu said. "It's showtime, and you haven't even mastered going full dragon yet."
"Watch me. DRAGON UP!"
Jake closed his eyes and mentally strained himself. Shang-Chi and Fu stepped back as a roar of fire covered Jake's body. When it died down, he was completely changed from his human form to his dragon form.
"Hey, I did it." Jake said admiring his dragon body. "Check me out! I'm the American Dragon!"
"Then we've got an old man to save." Shang-Chi said. "But first things first…" He reached into his pocket and held up a red mask which he wrapped over his head. Only his eyes were shown.
Up on the rooftop where Jake was supposed to be earlier, Lao Shi was at the mercy of the Huntsman and Huntsgirl. He was trapped in a net made of sphinx hair, which nullified his powers. He was laying on the ground being interrogated by the villains.
"I'll ask you one last time, old man." Huntsman threatened. "Where is the American Dragon?"
"Right under your nose, dude!" Jake yelled as he landed on the rooftop ready for a fight. Shang-Chi and Fu stood beside him. "I'm like a booger that way. …Wait. That didn't come out right."
The Huntsman was about to confront Jake, but the Huntsgirl stopped him and took his spear. "Allow me. I have unfinished business with this dragon."
The Huntsgirl leaped toward Jake and attempted to strike him with her staff. He flew dodged her attacks and countered, but she kept on gaining the upper hand. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi jumped toward the Huntsman and landed a dropkick on him.
"Guess this leaves you with me." Shang-Chi said.
The Huntsman growled and held his fists up. He threw his fists at him trying to overpower him with his own size and strength, but Shang-Chi countered by using his size against him and sweeping at his legs knocking him over.
"Why do you continue to aide these dragons?" the Huntsman asked. "We're both human, aren't we? We should be ridding the world of them and every trace of magical power in this world!"
"That's where you're wrong, Huntsman." Shang-Chi said. "If there's ever someone in danger, I'm always going to be there to lend a hand."
Jake's battle with the Huntsgirl caused her to accidentally throw the spear out of her hands. The Huntsman saw it and ran from Shang-Chi to catch it.
"Try my fastball!" Jake yelled blowing a fireball into his claw. He threw it at the Huntsgirl who dodged out of the way. The fireball instead hit the legs of a watertower that was falling at Jake.
"Look out!" Shang-Chi yelled. He ran over to Jake to try and push him out of the way. But it was too late. Instead, the both of them were washed out by the massive body of water that landed on them.
"Enough!" the Huntsman yelled. "American Dragon, prepare to become a pair of boots. As for your ally, I'm sure we'll find something for someone who chooses magical creatures over humankind."
He pointed the lower end of his spear at the two of them and fired a net from it. It spread out in midair as it flew towards both Jake and Shang-Chi.
"Young one," Lao Shi yelled, "Clean toilet bowl!"
Acting on instinct, Jake shot his tongue out toward the net. He spun it clockwise as he caught it before spinning it the other direction throwing the net right back at the Huntsman.
"What?! How did he… AAAHH!" The Huntsman was caught off-guard when the net covered him.
"Hey! It worked!" Jake expressed proudly. "Who the man now, Huntsman? Huh, Hunts-punk? Yeah, you want some? There's some more where that came from."
"Save the trash-talking for later!" Shang-Chi said. "Here comes your girlfriend!" He pointed at the Huntsgirl who was running toward him.
"Young one," Lao Shi yelled again, "Sweep floor!"
Jake spun himself around extending his tail knocking Huntsgirl away. She got back up and got close to Jake trading punches and strikes with him. This time, the fight was now more even. During the fight, Jake wrapped his tail around her hand. She pulled it off accidentally removing the glove that she wore.
"Check you out. You're good, Huntsgirl." Jake complimented. "Really good."
"You're not so bad yourself, dragon boy." Huntsgirl countered.
"Hate to cut in on your dance, friend." Shang-Chi said as he landed behind Huntsgirl. She turned to face him, but he swept at her legs and knocked her to her side, but right before she hit the ground, he threw his fist at her knocking her away. He hit her master just as he escaped from his own net trap.
The Huntsman was knocked backwards until he stopped at the edge of the roof. He fought to keep his balance until Shang-Chi ran back at him. He hit him with another dropkick, one that was so hard, it sent the Huntsman flying across the street and to a billboard.
When the Huntsgirl got back up, she grabbed her glove and jumped to the edge. At the same time, Fu Dog removed the net that held Lao Shi allowing him to return to his dragon form and rejoin his nephew.
"We'll be back!" Huntsgirl promised.
"And we'll be ready." Jake returned. "Me and my new buddy… Uh… Shoot. We should give you a name?"
"Hmm…" Shang-Chi said pondering to himself. He looked at his hand and stared at it. "How about… Brother Hand?"
"Really?" Jake asked. "Eh. Might as well. The American Dragon and Brother Hand!"
"Uh, kid," Fu said tapping Jake on the shoulder, "You got a little problem downstairs."
Jake looked down and saw that his pink, heart-decorated underwear had returned. "Aw, man!"
The Huntsgirl turned away and put her glove back on covering the dragon-shaped birthmark wrapped around it. She left the rooftop.
"I knew you could do it, kid." Fu said to Jake as he and his grandpa changed back to human form. "I didn't doubt you for a second."
"Yeah, right." Shang-Chi said. "I heard you betting against Jake until the fight started to turn in his favor."
Fu gave a nervous chuckle. "Okay, that's true, but that's why you love me, right? Come on."
"Well done, young dragon." Lao Shi commemorated. "But word to the wise, it is not a good idea to flirt with mortal enemies. Trust Grandpa. He's been there."
"Even a mortal enemy that fine?" Jake asked. "Come on, Gramps."
"Many battles lie ahead." Lao Shi said. "We pick training up tomorrow, right after school."
"I'll be there, Grandpa." Jake promised. "Right on time. I'm sorry that I doubted you."
"Lao Shi, I want to apologize too." Shang-Chi said removing his mask. "You asked me to make sure Jake got here, and I let you down. If you want me gone, I understand."
"I never said I wanted you gone." Lao Shi said. "Like I said, you are always welcome."
"Really?" Shang-Chi asked with a hopeful smile. "Thank you, sir."
"After today, I suppose I can trust Jake enough to not need an escort." Lao Shi said.
"And who knows?" Jake asked. "Maybe you could come enroll in school with me."
"I'd like that." Shang-Chi said.
After leaving the battle, the Huntsgirl quickly headed over to her master, who was just recovering from the crash to the billboard.
"Are you all right, Huntsmaster?" she asked.
"I'll be fine, Huntsgirl." Huntsman replied. "But it appears that we've greatly underestimated the dragon's resourcefulness."
"It's bad enough that we have to mess with two dragons and their talking dog," Huntsgirl said, "And now, we have to deal with this new guy. Who is this guy, this Brother Hand?"
"We can figure that out later." Huntsman said. "Right now, our focus should be on how we level the playing field."
"Right. It was easier when it would be just two dragons we'd have to face." Huntsgirl said. "But them along with a kung fu master like that…"
"It appears we only have one option." The Huntsman reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone. He dialed in a number and let it ring until it answered. "Get me Taskmaster."
Once Lao Shi and Fu left to take Jake home, Shang-Chi returned to his room above the shop. Once he laid in his bed again, he clutched his shirt and felt something inside of it. He reached in and pulled out what he's been hiding.
What Shang-Chi took out to look at was a golden ring. The top of it was decorated with a red, glowing gemstone imbedded in it. It was tied in a black chord that was wrapped around Shang-Chi's neck like a necklace.
He took a sigh and clutched the ring in his hand. "I made it this far. And the dragons I met are more exciting than I thought. Never thought I'd run into the Huntsclan, but it's nothing me and Jake couldn't handle. Still, I have no make sure no one gets their hands on this ring. Least of all…" He stopped talking to himself before falling to sleep.