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Shadow Conned
Episode written by Martha Moran

     The episode opens at night in Metro City.  A wild dog is seen running around an alley when he gets caught by Animal Control.  The Double Dragons are nearby in their Dragon Cruiser, watching the dog catchers.  Billy then remarks that it's sad these dogs have no home, but Jimmy says they have to be caught because kids aren't safe with wild packs of dogs roaming the streets.  The brothers then spot the Shadow Plane flying overhead and quickly give chase.
     Sickle is heard talking to the Shadow Master on the radio.  He says that he has the EMF Plant in sight.  The Shadow Master then gives the word and Sickle begins an assault on the EMF Plant using both the Shadow Plane and ground troops/ground vehicles.  However, the Dragons arrive and begin taking out the ground vehicles with their Dragon Cruiser.  A hand-to-hand fight ensues with the Dragons taking on Countdown and nameless Shadow Warriors.  A police car arrives on the scene as well, but Countdown quickly knocks the officers out of the way.
     Sickle jumps back into the Shadow Plane using one of its detachable, flying motorcycle-type vehicles, and he tells Countdown to hurry up and get in as well.  However, Countdown is busy fighting with the Dragons, and Billy uses this to his advantage.  Billy jumps on top of a light post and tells Countdown to catch him if he can.  Countdown then launches a set of rockets at Billy, but Billy jumps out of the way and the rockets hit the Shadow Plane, causing Sickle to eject.  Countdown then looks worried and says "uh oh."
     Back at the Shadow Dojo, the Shadow Master watches as the wrecked Shadow Plane arrives smoldering on a flatbed.  Countdown tries to claim that it's just a few dents, but the Shadow Master is furious.  He blasts Countdown toward the base of the Shadow Mural as Sickle and the Shadow Khan look on.  The Shadow Master and Sickle then disappear into the Black Flame.
     The Shadow Khan then begins cajoling Countdown by telling him the Shadow Master is unable to recognize a first-rate Shadow Warrior such as him.  Countdown agrees.  Khan then says that if he were Countdown, he'd quit.  But Countdown doesn't know what he would do if he quit, so Khan says he'd hire him in a minute.  Why, if Khan was free, he'd make Countdown his second in command.  This sounds great, but Countdown says Khan is simply a voice in a terror disc launcher.  Khan says he intends to correct this problem shortly.
     Outside the Dragon Dojo, we see Michael and Daj sparring as Legs (the dog from the episode "Shadow Claw") watches.  Daj manages to best Michael, and Michael asks Daj where he learned to fight like that.  Daj says that in the Underworld there are many dangers.  Either he has to be fast or dead.  Michael then offers to go get some sodas and he asks Daj to teach him the move he used when he gets back.
     As Michael runs off, we see Countdown hiding in the nearby alley with the Shadow Khan's shield on his arm.  Daj continues practicing by himself, but Countdown approaches him and Daj unwittingly bumps into the Shadow Warrior.  Legs attempts to defend Daj, but Countdown fires at the dog, causing it to run away.  Khan then blasts Daj directly in the eyes, hypnotizing him.  Khan tells Daj to retrieve the Dragon Claws without anyone seeing him.
     Michael returns to find Legs barking and Daj missing.  As Michael asks Legs where Daj is, the dog takes him to a manhole cover in a nearby alley.  Jimmy then pulls up on a Dragon Cycle and asks if the soda is for him.  Michael says he got the soda for Daj, but Daj took off.  Legs then runs off barking, and Jimmy says maybe Legs knows something.
     Back inside the Dragon Dojo, Jimmy and Michael notice that Daj has taken the Dragon Claws.  Michael says that Daj wouldn't work for the Shadows, but Jimmy says that he might have been hypnotized.  Billy arrives and overhears their conversation.  The brothers then transform and head to the Shadow Dojo.
     Inside the Shadow Dojo, Daj is seen holding the Dragon Claws while Khan tells him to throw them into the Black Flame.  However, as Daj approaches the Black Flame, the Shadow Master appears and blasts the Dragon Claws out of Daj's hands.  Shadow Master says he will not let Khan get away with this, and he tells the Shadow Warriors to destroy Khan, Countdown and Daj.  However, Khan launches terror discs at the Shadow Warriors, incapacitating them with fear. (It is here we learn that Sickle is afraid of sharp blades such as the ones he's carrying.)
     Countdown then begins blasting everything in sight per Khan's orders.  Daj, still hypnotized, picks up the Dragon Claws and again attempts to throw them into the Black Flame.  However, the Double Dragons arrive in the Dragon Copter, flying inside the Shadow Dojo and blasting Countdown, knocking him down.  They then spot Daj walking toward the Black Flame while holding the Dragon Claws.
     Jimmy jumps out of the Dragon Copter and takes the Dragon Claws from Daj.  However, Countdown quickly blasts Jimmy from behind, causing him to drop the Dragon Claws.  Billy then hovers over Countdown in the Dragon Copter and tells him to drop the terror disc launcher, but Countdown doesn't comply, and Billy blasts him. 
     Daj is then seen holding the Dragon Claws once again while standing near the Black Flame.  As Jimmy yells no, the Shadow Master jumps out of the Black Flame and grabs Daj's arms, surprisingly saying, "Don't worry Jimmy Lee, I've got him." 
     Meanwhile, Countdown is seen running from the Dragon Copter when Khan tells him to stop the Shadow Master.  However, Countdown accidentally hits himself with a terror disc, which causes him to believe that he's going to explode from his own weapon launcher malfunctioning.  As Khan calls him an imbecile and tells him it's only an illusion, Countdown freaks out, tosses Khan aside and runs away screaming.
     The Shadow Master is then seen holding Daj (who is still holding the Dragon Claws) and saying that he will pay for being a traitor.  However, the Dragons blast the Shadow Master, causing him to drop Daj.  A fight then ensues between the Shadow Master and the Double Dragons.  During the commotion, Daj picks up the Dragon Claws and tosses them into the Black Flame.  Jimmy attempts to tackle Daj to stop him, but he's too late.  A small explosion occurs inside the Black Flame, and a blast of bright light erupts from the Shadow Khan's shield.
     Smoke begins to rise from the shield, and the Shadow Khan appears, saying "free at last."  The Dragons try to face Khan, but he sends smoke clouds from his finger tips which tie up the Dragons.  He then holds them in midair and prepares to drop them into the Black Flame.  However, the Dragon Copter blasts the base of Khan's feet, causing the floor directly underneath him to collapse.  Khan then falls through the floor as Daj wakes up from his hypnosis. 
     The Dragons then begin falling toward the Black Flame, but the Dragon Copter flies above them and drops ropes for them to grab onto.  The Dragons grab the ropes, and Daj as well, and the Dragon Copter flies them out of the Shadow Dojo.  Khan reappears and fires discs (from his mouth) at the Dragon Copter, but it escapes with the Dragons.  Khan then turns his attention to the "Shadow Fraud."
     Shadow Master says he's not scared of Khan's cheap parlor tricks, but Khan ties him up as well.  Shadow Master then attempts to blast Khan with his weapon, but Khan simply blocks the blast with his hand and disarms him.  Khan then tells the Shadow Master to serve him, otherwise he'll imprison him in his own Shadow Mural.  Shadow Master reluctantly says he will do so as his Shadow Warriors look on with a sense of delight.  Khan then says that they are going to launch an assault on the Dragon Dojo.
     Back at the Dragon Dojo, Jimmy is addressing all of the Dragon Warriors, Michael and Daj.  He is saying that they stand no chance against Khan and they might as well give him the Dojo because Khan is going to take it anyway.  Billy, however, says it might be the only thing that can save them.  Billy then says that the Shadow Master isn't going to like sharing his power with Khan. 
     The Shadow Plane then emerges from the night sky and detaches two speeder bikes with Shadow Master and Sickle.  Shadow Master blows open the Dojo doors and Shadow Warriors flood in.  The Dragon Warriors manage to mount a successful defense at first, but Billy tells Jimmy they're supposed to be losing (as in, faking defeat).  Jimmy then begins hamming it up and orders the Dragons to fall back.  The Shadow Warriors cheer as the Dragons disappear in a smoke bomb.
     Sickle then says that it was too easy, but Shadow Master goes power crazy and says Sickle has fallen under Khan's spell and he foolishly doubts Shadow Master's power.  Shadow Master then blasts Sickle when he hears Daj yelling for help from inside a footlocker.  Shadow Master tells the Shadow Warriors to fortify the door and that they'll pay if they let Khan in.  The Dojo is his.
     Shadow Master opens the footlocker and tells the mutant to explain himself.  Daj says that the Dragons were upset about him throwing the Dragon Claws in the Black Flame and that they were going to ship him back to Undertown.  He asks to serve Shadow Master, but Shadow Master asks what he can do.  However, before he can get an answer, Khan appears and ties up Sickle and Shadow Master with his smoke clouds.  Shadow Master tells Daj to "prove it" while being dragged away by Khan.
     Daj then calls a swarm of bats to attack Khan, and they knock him clear out of the Dojo.  Daj then seals the Dojo door shut.  Shadow Master is impressed.  However, Khan quickly reappears and hits Shadow Master with a terror disc, causing him to see twin dragons wrapping around him.  Daj then runs outside to the nearby alley where he meets up with the Dragons.
     As Shadow Master flees from the dragon illusion, Khan walks outside laughing and cheering.  Billy and Jimmy then stand in front of Khan and tell him to flee or else.  However, Khan laughs and launches an attack with the Shadow Warriors, but the Dragons manage to fight back.  Jimmy activates the Dojo's defenses via remote control and a hidden blaster appears from the roof.  It then fires at the Shadow Warriors, corralling them into a small area.  A trap door then activates below the Shadow Warriors, dropping them below the street.  As Khan charges at the Dragons, a spring-loaded launch pad activates and sends him flying. 
     Khan quickly reappears and heads into the alleyway looking for the Dragons.  However, Daj calls upon a pack of wild dogs, which quickly attack Khan.  Khan becomes overwhelmed by the attack and disappears in a puff of smoke, saying the Dragons will pay.  Jimmy then asks where Khan went, and Daj says the sewers.  Daj then tells the dogs he's thankful for their service, but he wishes he could take them all home.  Billy says maybe they can do the dogs a service.
     The next day, Billy and Jimmy are seen handing out animals to Metro City citizens who are looking for pets.  Daj says that it's time for him to go, and Jimmy says he'd like him to join the Dojo.  Daj says he'd be honored, but with Khan down below, his people need him more.
     Back at the Shadow Dojo, Countdown is begging the Shadow Master to take him back.  Shadow Master then says he'll make him his right hand man.  Countdown idiotically says that would be great, but Shadow Master blasts him straight into Khan's old prison.  Shadow Master laughs and says Countdown wanted to be his right hand man, and now he will be - forever.
     Epilogue Message: Billy and Daj are seen with Legs (the six-legged dog) talking about how pets can be the best of friends.  Animal shelters are a good place to find them, but make sure you're ready for the responsibility.  Daj says animals end up on the street because someone was irresponsible.  Billy says pets need special love and care.  It's a lot of work, but there are a lot of rewards too.

     Dojo Master's review: You're kidding me... right?  After all that, you free the Shadow Khan just to have him chased away by... a pack of dogs?  What.  The.  Hell.  And really, what's the point of creating all this lore about the Double Dragons and how they're destined to stop the Shadow Master when the friggin Shadow Khan steps in and manhandles them even while they're transformed.  Couldn't they at least put up somewhat of a fight?  It just destroys the very rules that the writers have been crafting all along.  The Shadow Khan doesn't even fight anyone either.  He just uses magic to tie people up.  Boring!
     Here, I'll write a better conclusion to season two right now.  Daj still frees the Shadow Khan the way it happened in this episode.  The Dragons then retreat back to the Dragon Dojo.  However, unlike in this episode, the Eye of Dragon is still protecting the Dojo because it hasn't been uselessly discarded like a bunch of other ideas and characters in this show.  When the Shadow Khan then attempts to attack the Dragon Dojo, he is driven back by the Eye of the Dragon because despite his powers, he's still not strong enough to overcome a Dragon artifact such as this one.  The Dragons are safe for now, but they are not yet ready to go out and fight the Shadow Khan, meaning he has control over the city.  Yet he can't harm them as long as they stay in the Dojo.
     This buys the Dragons time to figure out how to fight the Shadow Khan in the next episode, which will be resolved with either another Dragon artifact or by reuniting the brothers with John Lee, who helps them defeat the Shadow Khan.
     There, I just wrote a better conclusion to season two than what we actually got and it still fits in with the show's style thus far.  Somebody give me a medal.

Rating: D-