Author's Note: Hey, everyone. I'm really sorry this took almost a year to upload.
As you know, a couple of weeks ago was the ten-year anniversary of the American Dragon show first premiering. I wanted to make this chapter that very weekend to celebrate it, but I got held up. I kept getting held up by different things until just now. So happy late tenth anniversary, Jake Long!
Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Any and all comments are welcome.
Shang-Chi walked through the dark streets of New York at night until he reached a bus station where Jake, Lao Shi, and Fu Dog were waiting. Lao Shi was dressed in a trench coat and a fedora while Jake was acting like a shoeshiner for the old man.
"Sorry I'm late." Shang-Chi said. "I'm still getting used to the street names. Did I miss anything?"
"Only that Gramps has told me to polish his nasty shoes while we wait." Jake answered in disgust. "Seriously, G, how much longer I gotta keep this up?"
"Patience, young one." Lao Shi said. "The foolish night bird chases the moon, but the wise one waits for it."
"Uh, say what?" Jake asked.
"He's basically saying it's best to wait." Shang-Chi said.
"Yeah. So less whiny, and more shiny. And don't be afraid to use a little spit." Fu said. "You know, Shang-Chi, I'm glad Jake's got another translator for the old man's old proverb talk. Certainly makes it easier on this old dog's vocal chords."
"So when exactly are we going to see our troublemaking goblin?" Shang-Chi asked.
"Right about now." Lao Shi answered seeing a bus pull up at the stop. The door opened, and a short creature in a red beanie, a dirty coat, and light-blue skin stepped out.
"How did the other passengers not know that thing's a goblin?" Shang-Chi asked.
"Eh. I've seen human New Yorkers who look worse than him." Fu laughed.
"I'm going in." Jake said running after the goblin.
"Jake, wait!" Lao Shi warned loudly. "Goblins have a highly sensitive sense of smell. Element of surprise is very…"
It was too late. Jake got close enough for the goblin to pick up his scent. "Dragon?" He quickly ran as fast as he could down the street.
"Important."
"I'll help Jake." Shang-Chi said before running out of the bus stop. He joined Jake as they both chased after the goblin.
"Dragon up!" Jake said changing from his boy form into his dragon form.
Jake was proud of his transformation, but he immediately slipped and crashed right onto the goblin. The two of them crashed to the wall where Jake ended up with his head in a trash can while the goblin recovered and continued to run.
The goblin climbed up a ladder to try and reach the roof. However, Shang-Chi did some expert parkour moves to sprint on up the side of the building and catch up with the goblin. He grabbed him by his arms and pressed him over the railing like a cop pushing an arrested criminal on the hood of a car.
"We got him." Shang-Chi said.
"Dang it." the goblin exclaimed.
The next day, Shang-Chi spent most of it in his room by himself. With only a dimly-lit candle as his light, he focused on his breathing as he performed kung fu moves into the empty air. Still, his mind returned to the ring he had hidden in his shirt.
He looked down at his body sadly and pulled his necklace out to look at the ring. He gave a quiet sigh. "So far, so good. Still, I probably shouldn't let my guard down."
"Yo, I'm back!" Jake's voice called from downstairs.
Shang-Chi tucked his ring back into his shirt and headed downstairs. He met up with Jake, who was with his grandpa and dog in the back room. "Jake. How was school today?"
Jake groaned. "Terrible. My friends are upset because I wasn't able to help them outshred some rich punks, I got into an embarrassing misunderstanding with the girl I like, and on top of everything else, Rotwood's going to talk to my mom and dad about my grades."
"Rotwood?" Shang-Chi asked.
"My teacher at school, and he doesn't like me at all." Jake said. "I'm telling you, all this dragon stuff, it's ruining my life. I'm starting to wish I could pass the dragon baton to the next kid and be done with it. You know, like you. I mean, you don't even go to my school. You don't have to worry about social stuff."
"Well, that's flattering, but I… I've got too much going on to be any kind of dragon."
"What does that mean?"
"Look, young one." Lao Shi spoke up. "I'm sorry to say, but the duties of the American Dragon belong to you and only you."
"Well, lately, being me isn't all it's cracked up to be." Jake said sadly.
"Speaking of dragon duties," Lao Shi said, "Fu Dog performed a truth spell on our goblin friend last night and retrieved some very useful information."
Everyone turned their attention to the goblin, who was watching TV from his magical cage, and Fu Dog, who opened up a book which projected an image of a purple orb.
"The Orb of Malorphus." Fu presented. "Is it A, a funky paperweight, or B, a great big ball of evil? If you chose B, kid, congrats. You get the prize. Seems Ralph here is gonna be paid a hefty sum to pick up the Orb from the Huntsman and deliver it to a goblin crime ring in Ohio."
"Goblins gotta eat too." said the goblin named Ralph.
"The Orb contains highly concentrated dark magic." Lao Shi said. "In the wrong hands, it could be very dangerous. That is why you must intercept it."
"Hey, don't even sweat it, G." Jake said confidently. "I just go full dragon and let 'em know…"
"Jake, wait." Shang-Chi said. "If this Orb is as dangerous as they say, what's stopping them from using it on us if we go and attack them head on?"
"Indeed. Discretion is our best bet here." Lao Shi said. "It is best you do this mission undercover as the goblin."
"Uh-huh." Jake said with uncertainty. "And how is something this handsome gonna turn into something that…" Ralph gave a threatening growl. "…Handsome?"
"Dragons have natural shapeshifting ability." Lao Shi said.
"Oh, yeah. I think I've heard of that." Shang-Chi said. "But isn't Jake a little young to develop powers like that?"
"That's why Fu Dog is going to create a potion to tap into that power."
Everyone turned back to Fu Dog, who was throwing a bunch of ingredients into a blender. "Unicorn hoof clippings. Ogre nose hairs. Bottled troll belches." He pressed a button on the blender to mix them up for a quick second. Once it was done, he poured everything into a small cup which he then offered to Jake. "Bingo. One shapeshifting smoothie with wheat grass booster."
Jake took a sniff of the drink before getting disgusted.
"If Jake doesn't want to do it, I can give it a try." Shang-Chi offered.
"Sorry, new guy, but no dice." Fu said. "That potion's meant to tap into the shapeshifting powers that are already in the kid. You don't have that power in you. To you, it's just going to be like you're drinking the Hudson River."
"That does not help me at all." Jake groaned. He then quickly poured the whole glass into his mouth. He then returned Fu's glass and held onto his stomach feeling unwell. "Oh, Fu! Ugh, that junk is nasty! I'm gonna totally ralph!"
All of a sudden, Jake's body changed in a flash of blue light. In an instant, he looked exactly like Ralph the goblin. He took a look at himself before smiling.
"Dudes, check me out! I'm Ralph the Goblin!"
"Ralph is not that big through the hips." the real Ralph criticized.
"This rocks!" Jake cheered. "Hey Fu, how long does this shapeshifting mojo last?"
"A single serving gives you 24 hours of transforming fun." Fu answered.
"That's what I'm saying!"
"So with this, you can pretend to be Ralph, meet with the Huntsclan, grab the orb, and bring it back here without any trouble." Shang-Chi said.
"The meeting is in one hour though." Lao Shi said. "You should spend this time practicing goblin voice."
"Yeah, and I wouldn't recommend going to crazy with all the shapeshifting." Fu advised. "The more you use it, the harder it is to control."
"Wait. Are you saying I can shapeshift into other people?" Jake asked with a mischievous smile. He then changed his form to look like Lao Shi. "The sparrow with the most patience is more patient than the one that's impatient."
Fu Dog dropped to the floor and laughed out loud. "You sound just like the old man!"
Shang-Chi couldn't help but chuckle at that while Lao Shi gave a glare to him. Meanwhile, Jake shapeshifted into Fu.
"Hey, yo, forget about it! I gotta go get me some dog biscuits and give myself a flea bath! Goo, goo, goo!"
Fu's laughter suddenly stopped. "Eh? I don't talk like that."
"Kinda do." Shang-Chi commented.
"Oh, yeah?" Fu Dog asked. "Hey, kid, do Shang-Chi next."
"You got it." Jake said before changing into his friend. "Look at me, I'm Shang-Chi. I've got a broody, mysterious backstory, and I know kung fu." He then mimicked some sloppy kung fu moves while yelling like Bruce Lee earning a glare from Shang-Chi.
"Ha, ha. Very funny."
"Jake, until this potion wears off, you will not be able to use any of your dragon powers." Lao Shi said. "That is why you must treat your mission very seriously."
"It's cool, G. Serious is my middle name." Jake said.
"Funny, I always thought it was Luke." Fu laughed.
"You know what I mean." Jake said right before shapeshifting into the Huntsman. "Now, brothers and sisters… bust a move and bring on the Huntsclan!" He danced around in the Huntsman's form.
"This could be harder than I thought." Lao Shi commented.
An hour later, the gang headed to Central Park and lowered themselves in the bushes when they spotted the Huntsman, Huntsgirl, and a bunch of other Huntsclan agents waiting at the center of a bridge. They hadn't seen them.
"It is time, Jake." Lao Shi whispered. "You must not keep the Huntsclan waiting."
"No worries, G." Jake said.
"Did you practice your goblin talk, Jake?" Shang-Chi asked.
"Yeah, I can totally pull off Ralph so much, I can even fool his own mother." Jake said. He then shapeshifted into Ralph and headed to the bridge. Everyone watched as he headed over.
"Yo, what's up, Huntsy?" Jake asked sounding like Ralph as he approached the Huntsclan leader. He then looked over at his sidekick. "Huntsgirl, you are looking fizzine."
"Goblin, we meet again." Huntsman said.
"Uh, yeah, that's right." Jake said, "We, uh, met before… that one time at the place near the thing with the people."
From the bushes, Shang-Chi smacked himself on the forehead before whispering to the others. "No one thought to ask the goblin if he dealt with the Huntsman before?"
"Hey, give me a break. There's always room for error." Fu said.
Back at the bridge, the Huntsclan leaned in closer to Jake. "Hmm. Something about you seems different."
"Ralph is, uh, trying something new with his hair." Jake said nervously. "Highlights. Really brings out Ralph's eyes, don't you think? Now, about that Orb of Malorphus…"
"Yes, about that…" The Huntsman lowered his spear and allowed it to glow while pointing at Jake. "There's been a change of plans!"
Jake, who hadn't expected this outcome, shielded himself. "Have mercy!"
What came out of the Huntsman's spear, though, wasn't a lethal blast, but a projection of a screen.
"I received this message from my supplier, the Taskmaster." Huntsman said. "It seems the Orb of Malorphus has been temporarily held up."
"Really? That's all?" Jake asked before reverting back to his Ralph tone. "I mean, this is unacceptable! Ralph spit on your Taskmaster!" He proceeded to spit at the message, which went through it and landed on the Huntsman's cloak.
"You'd better not tell him that when he gets here." Huntsman said. "The Taskmaster will be hanging around the city at my pay for the foreseeable future. He'll bring over the Orb tomorrow night at sundown. So meet us then back here."
The Huntsman tapped his staff on the ground and formed a green sphere around himself and his fellow Huntsclan. They disappeared in that green light right before the others left the bushes to join Jake.
"Guys, they totally bought that! Did you see that?" Jake asked proud of himself. "This shapeshifting spell's outta control!"
"Just don't get to crazy with it." Shang-Chi said. "Otherwise, it really will be out of control."
"We will need to rely on it again tomorrow night when we meet the Huntsclan again." Lao Shi said. "So until then, keep the shapeshifting to a minimum."
"Oh, yeah. Sure. Whatever." Jake said.
"There's still one more thing that caught my attention." Shang-Chi said. "The Huntsman said the Orb was being delivered by someone called the Taskmaster. Anyone know who that is?"
"I'm afraid I do not know." Lao Shi said curiously.
"Beats me too." Fu said. "But you know, we can always go over the scrolls which keep record of every enemy to magical beings and see if the name comes up."
"Great. You guys do that, and I'll just…" Jake said before letting out a sigh. "Live on my dreadful life another day."
Some time the next day, Shang-Chi was still in his room. Although, instead of practicing his kung fu, he was sitting at the center of the floor in a meditative trance. He tried hard to focus on his breathing and being at peace, but his mind always remained unease.
That's when he heard a dark, sinister voice.
"You think you can hide from me? You know nothing about how this works, boy. You cannot run. You cannot hide. I will find both you and your sister, and when I do, I will take back what you both stole from me and punish you for your disloyalty!"
Shang-Chi gasped when he broke from his trance. Hearing that voice made him sweat a bit and breathe heavily. That's when he heard the knock at his door.
When he opened the door, Lao Shi stood on the other side. "Oh. Lao Shi. Good morning."
"It's almost 3 in the afternoon." Lao Shi said before noticing the sweat. "Is something the matter?"
"Huh?" Shang-Chi asked before wiping his head. "Uh, it's nothing. So… any luck with the Taskmaster mystery?"
"I'm afraid not. We've combed every scroll which describes the greatest threats to the magical world from A to Z, and yet, there's never been any mention of anyone called Taskmaster." Lao Shi said. "But that's not what I'm here to talk about."
Shang-Chi looked curiously. "Oh? What's this about then?"
"It's about Jake." Lao Shi said helping himself with entering Shang-Chi's room. "I worry for him."
"Is it because he's going to see the Huntsclan twice in two nights?" Shang-Chi asked. "I understand. Anyone would be worried for their family trying to pull one over on them."
"That is not the point." Lao Shi said. "Jake has responsibilities as the American Dragon. But I fear he is not disciplined enough to take that seriously."
"I mean, he's a teenager." Shang-Chi said. "I feel like it's natural for him to not take things seriously."
"But you do." Lao Shi said. "You understand my proverbs. You tried to advise Jake about his shapeshifting. You even tried to take his place in his undercover mission. Clearly, you know what's best for him almost as well as I do. As such, Jake is going to need someone like you watching his back."
"Doesn't he already?" Shang-Chi asked. "I mean, if the Huntsclan attacks him, I'll just don my Brother Hand persona and jump in to help him fight them off. I've been working on my mask ever since the last time the Huntsman attacked."
"Having his back on the field of battle is important," Lao Shi said, "But what I'm talking about is his activities at school. You've seen him try to skip out on training, and it nearly got me killed. With his powers growing, I fear he might abuse them without thought of consequence. That is where you come in. If you'd be so kind, I would like to enroll you into Jake's school so you can make sure he doesn't abuse his dragon powers."
"Me? In middle school?" Shang-Chi asked in surprise. "Uh, I don't know, sir. I might not be in the best state to, you know, be out in public."
"At least consider it." Lao Shi said. "The fate of the world may very well depend on Jake. Speaking of whom, it's nearly sundown. We must return to Central Park and meet up with Jake for the Huntsclan deal."
"All right."
Shang-Chi, Lao Shi, and Fu watched from a distance at the Huntsclan, who stood at the same bridge they met with "Ralph" the night before. The three of them waited until Jake rode by to meet them on his skateboard.
"Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late." Jake apologized.
"Hush it. Excuses later." Lao Shi said impatiently. "Hurry and turn into the goblin. The Huntsclan is waiting."
"Hey, G, don't even sweat it." Jake said. He then changed into Ralph. "This ain't no…" He stopped when he noticed his left leg still looked the same. He shook it into transforming with him. "Uh, thing." He proceeded to stroll over to the bridge.
"I have a bad feeling Jake has misused his shapeshifting powers." Lao Shi commented.
"Hmm? You think?" Fu asked.
"I'm going to get in closer just in case." Shang-Chi said breaking off from the group. He jumped to the tree above him and headed over to the next tree and the next until he stopped at a tree that was hung over the bridge where the meeting was.
"So, uh," Jake said in his goblin voice, "I'm here to see a clan about an orb."
"Yes. Taskmaster…" The Huntsman stood aside and allowed someone else to walk right up.
Jake looked a little intimidated at the new figure, who was dressed in dark-blue and gold body armor, and a white, sharp hood and cape that matched his gloves and boots. His face was covered by a white, skull-like mask. He carried a red box in his hand.
"Are you the goblin?" he asked.
Jake gulped. "Uh, yeah. Ralph is Ralph. And you must be the Taskmaster. So, uh… What brings you to New York?"
"All you need to know is that the Huntsclan has hired me for a special job." Taskmaster offered. "They needed this deal to be done, and I was in the area to pick it up, so I thought I'd save the Huntsman a trip and deliver the Orb of Malorphus as soon as I arrived." He then glanced at the Huntsman. "I'd say this sweetens the pot, right?"
"Just get through with the deal, Masters." Huntsman said. "I didn't hire you for your business skills."
"Right. Of course." Taskmaster said. He opened the box revealing the purple, misty orb inside. "As requested, the Orb of Malorphus. It wasn't easy to obtain this, you know. Had to fight off a bunch of zealots to do so. So don't let all my hard work be in vain."
"Hmm. Let's see." Jake said getting closer to examine the orb. "Round. Dark. Creepy glow. Looks good. Now, if you don't mind, Ralph has some… Huh?"
Without warning, Jake felt an abnormal sensation is his body causing the Huntsclan to step back a bit. He tried to hold it in, but right before everyone's eyes, he started changing involuntarily into a mismatch of different body parts merged into one. His constant changing finally stopped when he looked like a teenage boy with blonde hair.
"Huntsman, what is the meaning of this?" Taskmaster asked.
"He's a fake, that's what!" Huntsgirl called out.
"Seize him!" Huntsman ordered his minions.
The Huntsgirl began by thrusting her spear at Jake, who dodged her attack. He threw her over, but she then used the staff to strike him in the butt, which made him wince in irritation.
"Had enough?" she taunted.
"I'll show you enough!" Shang-Chi shouted. He dropped down to the bridge after putting on his red mask. He showed off his kung fu to the Huntsclan minions that attacked him. He then flipped over to the Huntsgirl, who tried to fight him off. He stood between her and Jake defending her from him.
"Taskmaster, that's him." Huntsman said. "That's the one I hired you for?"
"That runt? You lost to him?" Taskmaster laughed before staring intensely at Shang-Chi while he fought Huntsgirl. "Though, now that I look at him, I admit, he's got some level of skills. Okay. I'll take care of him."
The Taskmaster ran over to Shang-Chi and launched at kick at him. The masked boy dodged and found himself face to face with Taskmaster, who offered up his own kung fu pose.
"So you're a martial artist too?" Shang-Chi asked.
"Something like that." Taskmaster said. He leaped ahead at Shang-Chi and delivered his own strikes to him, which he then countered by leaping into the air and spinning around with kicks at him. Taskmaster blocked the attacks, but he was still blown back by them.
"I underestimated you, kid." Taskmaster admitted. "That's some technique. Here. Let me give it a try."
Shang-Chi suddenly became surprised when Taskmaster leaped into the air and shot spinning kicks like he himself did a second earlier. His surprise ended up costing him and he ended up getting knocked all the way across the bridge.
"Who taught you that move?" Shang-Chi asked with a groan.
"You did." Taskmaster replied.
"Ahead! Dragon!" Huntsman yelled seeing Lao Shi fly over in his dragon form. He formed an energy shield around him, the Huntsclan, Taskmaster, and Jake.
Lao Shi tried to ram the shield, but he ended up getting faceplanted by the field. Shang-Chi headed over to Lao Shi and looked back at the Huntsclan, who were on the inside of the shield while he was outside.
"So we're ending the party this soon?" Taskmaster asked. "Come on, Hunty. I thought you wanted me to take care of the kung fu kid."
"Brother Hand's time will come." Huntsman said turning to Jake. "In the meantime, we've got something better on hand. If the elder dragon is outside of the field, then perhaps this could be the American Dragon."
"This is the dragon boy?" Taskmaster asked looking at Jake, who smiled nervously. "Why hasn't he gone full dragon on us yet?"
"He must not be able too. At least, while he has the powers of shapeshifting." Huntsman guessed. "This is beneficial to us. If he has been able to shapeshift since last night, than any time now, his powers will wear off, and he'll revert to his human form before he can ever change into a dragon. This is our chance to see who he really is. Huntsclan, move out!"
In a flash of light, the Huntsclan disappeared from the bridge along with Jake much to the worry of his friends. Jake was out of their sight and in deeper trouble than any he's been in so far.
After losing Jake at the bridge, everyone raced back to the shop to look over maps and scrolls.
"We got exactly one hour before the spell wears off." Fu said. "Until then, the kid's completely defenseless."
"The Huntsclan could have transported him anywhere." Lao Shi said.
"What about that new guy? The one with the skull mask?" Shang-Chi asked. "He perfectly copied my technique. I've never seen anything like it. What is this Taskmaster guy's deal?"
"Wait, what?!" Ralph's voice cried out from across the room. "Did you say Taskmaster? He's here?"
"You know him?" Lao Shi asked.
"Not personally, but Ralph has heard of him during undercover jobs in human companies." Ralph answered. "Taskmaster is scary mercenary who offers his talents to whoever pays. Word is, he has unique ability to perfectly mimic someone's fighting style just by watching them."
"So that explains how he copied my flying spin kick." Shang-Chi said.
"And that must also be why we couldn't find him in any of our scrolls." Lao Shi said. "If he's well known in the human world, then he wouldn't be listed as an enemy of the magical realm."
"Someone call the Dragon Council and tell them up update their most wanted list." Fu said.
"Later." Lao Shi said. "But first, time is of the essence. We need to find the Huntsclan before Jake's identity is revealed to them."
"There's gotta be some way to sniff him out." Fu pondered.
"Sniff…" Shang-Chi said before an idea popped in his mind. He then turned his attention to Ralph.
"Why's everyone looking at Ralph?"
Lao Shi, who understood what Shang-Chi was thinking, stepped forward to approach the cage. "Goblin, we'd like to offer you a deal. In exchange for your freedom, we'd like you to use your goblin sense of smell to locate my grandson."
Ralph pondered for a bit. "So you will set Ralph free if he helps you sniff out your boy?"
"That's pretty much what he said." Shang-Chi said. "The only thing, though, is that Jake didn't look like Jake when the Huntsclan took him. He was…"
"Pop sensation, Jaren MacArthur." Fu said holding up a teen magazine with the face of the blonde boy Jake was currently looking like. "FYI, his favorite food is fajitas and he buys all this clothes at Haberdashy and Flinch." Everyone stared at him. "What, a 600-year-old dog can't be hip to the new trends?"
"Does Jake's shapeshifting affect your sense of smell? Shang-Chi asked the goblin.
"Afraid so." Ralph answered. "If your boy looks like pop sensation, then he'll smell like him, even to a goblin. Ralph is going to need the scent from this pop sensation before he can track him."
"I, uh, I think I can help you." Fu said.
Right after the talk with the goblin, Fu headed to where Jared MacArthur was staying and stole a tub of his hair gel and a pair of extra, extra baggy jeans leaving the pop sensation despairing in his underwear. Still, they had everything they needed, and they followed Ralph to where Jake was going to be.
The Huntsclan were holed up in an underground lair with broken cages and a set of chains to a wall where Jake was bound to while in his pop star form. Meanwhile, the Huntsclan and Taskmaster gathered around a table where the Orb of Malorphus sat.
"Hey, Huntsman," Taskmaster said, "Why aren't you killing the dragon boy now? Doesn't that little girl of yours get a promotion if she kills a dragon?"
"The dragon will be hers in due time." Huntsman answered. "I want to see the look in the American Dragon's eyes as I gaze upon his true face. Soon, his shapeshifting spell will be lifted."
Taskmaster gazed across the room to look at Jake. "Sooner than you think, it seems."
Everyone turned and saw Jake slowly start to transform before everyone's eyes. They watched as his legs changed to normal first.
"At last," Huntsman said eagerly, "The identity of the American Dragon shall be revealed."
Jake's body then changed into his red hoodie. Finally, his head was ready to change. But right before his face could be revealed, everything went dark.
The entire lair was filled with pitch-black background keeping everyone from seeing even their own noses in front of their faces. Everyone was confused until they heard Fu Dog's voice in the crowd.
"Okay, which one of you cheapos forgot to pay the electric bill?" The lights then came back on, and everyone turned to see the talking bulldog standing by the light switch alongside Shang-Chi, who was wearing his Brother Hand mask. "Oops. My bad. Must've brushed against the light switch. I hate it when that happens. Goo, goo, goo!"
The Huntsclan minions charged at them to attack, but Shang-Chi stepped between them and kicked them all. That was when Lao Shi came bursting into the lair in his dragon form.
"The old dragon is mine!" Huntsman said. "Taskmaster, you deal with Brother Hand. Huntsgirl, you handle the dragon boy."
"No problem." Taskmaster said heading toward Shang-Chi.
The Huntsgirl turned to face Jake, but by the time she set her eyes back on him, he was already able to transform into a dragon. He smiled at her with his red, reptilian face.
"Hey, hot stuff. Miss me?"
With little effort, he broke his chains from the walls and swung them at his rival, who flipped out of the way.
"I liked you better tied up!"
"I bet you say that to all the dragons."
While Jake and Huntsgirl fought, Shang-Chi came face to face with Taskmaster again.
"You ready to give me even more moves, kid?" Taskmaster asked. He reached behind his back and pulled out a shield for one hand and a sword in another.
Taskmaster charged ahead and swung his sword at the kid, but he dodged every attempt before finally striking back. He kicked the sword out of his hand and launched a dropkick at him, but Taskmaster blocked it with his shield. Shang-Chi kicked the shield multiple times before jumping at a distance.
Taskmaster then threw his shield like a frisbee aiming its sharp edges right to Shang-Chi. He managed to dodge them, but Taskmaster threw himself at him with multiple kicks knocking him to the wall. Once he landed, he fired a strong punch to him, but Shang-Chi rolled out of the way and countered with a punch that connected to Taskmaster's skull mask.
While everyone else fought, the Huntsman aimed his staff and fired energy blasts up into the air hoping to blast Lao Shi, who flew along the ceiling to avoid getting shot.
"You'll make a find trophy, dragon."
Lao Shi stopped and landed on a support beam overhead, which he tricked the Huntsman into blasting before dodging. Without it, the entire lair began to collapse. Debris began to fall and even land on the table knocking the Orb of Malorphus off where it rested. It was rolling to the edge of the table threatening to fall over and break.
Seeing the orb about to fall, Fu Dog thought quickly and took out the tub of hair gel he stole from Jaren MacArthur. He tossed it creating a trail of hair gel that led underneath the table.
"Kid! Belly slide!" Fu advised loudly.
"Right on!" Jake shouted breaking off from his fight with Huntsgirl. He landed on his belly and slid across the hair gel trail. "He slides…" He made it to the end just in time to catch the Orb before it could hit the ground. "Whoo! The catch is made and the crowd goes…" He was cut off by a pile of debris that fell on him nearly burying him.
At the same time, more debris fell on top of Lao Shi as he tried to escape. He ended up pinned underneath defenseless for the Huntsman who approached with his spear glowing. While that was happening, the Taskmaster connected a punch that sent Shang-Chi down onto his knees.
"You're good, kid. In a decade, you'd actually give me a run for my money." Taskmaster said picking up his sword. "Still, I got a job to do. Gotta get paid to make sure you're not a problem for the Huntsclan."
Shang-Chi could already tell the sword was aimed right at him. He knew that he needed to think quickly, even with Jake pinned by rubble and Lao Shi about to be blasted by the Huntsman. With no choice, he had to use something he thought he'd never have to use.
Shang-Chi reached into his shirt and pulled out the red ring he wore. He slipped it on and took a breath before quickly flipping over. With a clenched fist, he aimed his ring and fired a powerful burst of fire from it. The Taskmaster got the full impact of it and was blasted all the way across the room, right where the Huntsman was. The two of them collided and crashed right through the outer wall while the Huntsgirl fled the scene.
Shang-Chi made sure no one saw him with the ring before hiding it again. As he did, Jake emerged from his rubble pile and helped his grandpa escape.
"All right! Everyone's okay!" Fu shouted. "Now, let's get the heck out of here?"
Everyone raced out of the lair as fast as they could until they found themselves out in Central Park. The lair crumbled to dust, and all the dragons changed into their human form. Jake stood back up and held the Orb of Malorphus in his hand.
"Excellent work, young one." Lao Shi said.
"Now, THAT was glamorous." Fu complimented. "And hey, good thinking using your fire breath to shoot Taskmaster onto the Huntsman to save the old man."
Jake's proud smile suddenly faded. "Huh? That wasn't me."
"It wasn't?" Lao Shi asked. "Hmm. Shang-Chi, you were facing Taskmaster. Did you see what blasted him?"
"Uh, no." Shang-Chi lied keeping his ring safely hidden. "I thought it was Jake too."
"Huh. That's weird." Fu said. "Well, question for another day. Let's just go and make sure the Orb is safe and secure."
Meanwhile, far from where the heroes were recovering, the Huntsman, Huntsgirl, and Taskmaster groaned as they stood back up. The Huntsman looked at the skull-masked mercenary and confronted him.
"What happened? I was about to kill the old man!"
"Hey, don't blame me." Taskmaster said. "You didn't tell me that masked kid could cast fire spells."
"What are you blabbering about?"
"The kid shot me with some kind of magic fire. I didn't see how though. It all happened in an instant."
"That's weird." Huntsgirl said. "He never did anything like that when we last fought him."
"If that's the case, then this boy is as much of a nuisance as the American Dragon, just as I thought." Huntsman said. "Taskmaster, I'm sorry to say that until both the dragon boy and Brother Hand are dealt with, you won't be paid a single cent for the job."
Taskmaster stared at his client for a moment before sighing. "Fine. I guess I'll be sticking around for a while helping you with your magic-extermination plans."
"Then we are agreed." Huntsman said. "Enjoy your victory, dragons. It won't last forever."
After returning to the shop, Shang-Chi didn't say anything. He just ran as fast as he could to his room and slammed the door shut behind him. He took heavy breaths as he felt a painful pulse in his brain and held onto his head. He then heard the same sinister voice he heard before.
"I felt the ring's power. You used it, didn't you? Well, Shang-Chi, you were lucky that I can't locate you right now. But be warned. If you had to use it today, then you'll have to use it again in the future. And next time, I will find you, and I'll raze your entire hiding place before claiming back what is rightfully mine!"
Once the voice ended, Shang-Chi found himself breathing heavily in a cold sweat again. He then pulled out his ring and stared in fear of it.
"I can't use this again." he said to himself. "I can't let him find it." He headed to the nightstand and opened a drawer, where he proceeded to drop the ring. "The next time I face Taskmaster, I won't need the Makluan Ring."
The following morning, Shang-Chi and Lao Shi accompanied Jake on his way to school. They went on to talk about the results of their mission.
"So what about the Orb?" Jake asked.
"I passed the Orb of Malorphus to a trusted ally, a certain… sorcerer." Lao Shi said. "Rest assured, it is safe and sound. Now, you will have time to focus on your grades."
Jake scoffed. "You sound like Mom and Dad."
"That's because they want what's best for you." Shang-Chi said. "Trust me, I know family. You may have many responsibilities, but the best you can do is try your best and be honest. It's the least you can do for those you care about you."
"Thanks, Shang-Chi." Jake said before stopping. "Well, this is my exit."
"So…" Lao Shi said suspiciously, "You are certain you did not misuse your shapeshifting power? Not even once?"
"No way, G. Come on. Like I would ever disobey you."
All of a sudden, two people raced out of the middle school entrance. One of them was Jake's mom, and the other was Jake's teacher. They were racing out angrily.
"I'm reporting you to the school board!"
"Not if I report you first!"
Across the street, a news reporter was doing a story next to Rose, the girl Jake was crushing on. "Pop sensation, Jaren MacArthur, was right here on campus."
"Hey, Jake!" Trixie called out approaching him with Spud beside her. "Why you didn't tell us you was down with skater Tommy King?"
Jake looked nervously at his grandfather, who gave him a disappointed scowl. "I'm pretty busted, huh?"
"You do not even know the MEANING OF THE WORD! You know what? That's it!" Lao Shi turned to Shang-Chi. "Shang-Chi! This is the last straw! Starting tomorrow, you are to be enrolled into Millard Fillmore Middle School to make sure Jake doesn't pull anything like this again!"
"What?" Jake shouted.
"Excuse me?" Shang-Chi asked. "Lao Shi, I haven't even considered…"
Lao Shi interrupted by ranting in Chinese. "I've had enough! If you want to live under my roof, you must do this with Jake! Is that understood?"
"I… Uh…" Shang-Chi stammered before letting out a sigh. "Fine."
"Good." Lao Shi said walking away continuing to rant quietly in Chinese.
"Aw, man!" both Jake and Shang-Chi said at once.