Captain Black came into Uncle's Antique Shop and headed into the back. He smiled as he saw everyone who was waiting for him. "I'm glad you could meet me here, team," he said, sitting down at the table.
"Hey, you called, we answered," Viper said from her seat near Jackie. The small room meant that everyone had to sit a little closer together...or so she had told Jackie.
"I am somewhat confused, though," El Toro said from where he was sitting. "Why have us meet here? Could we not have met at Section 13?"
Captain Black shook his head. "Unfortunately, this particular matter has been deemed untouchable by Section 13, officially. However, I feel you four have the best chance of handling this properly." Captain Black glanced around at those gathered. Here was Jackie, Tohru, El Toro, and Viper, the so called J Team. As that thought crossed his mind, he glanced around. "Okay, I know Jade's eavesdropping somewhere. Where is she?"
Jackie shook his head. "She's not here. It's Saturday."
Captain Black glanced at Jackie. "I know. No school, so where-"
"Same place she's been every Saturday for the past two months," Jackie said, grinning. "With Cielo."
Captain Black sighed. "Didn't think of that. I guess it makes sense, though, all things considered." A thought struck him, and he turned to Uncle, who had come in after closing the shop. "Any ideas how he came back to life? I mean, we saw him dead, and then Jade comes back from her long walk with him alive and well-"
"Uncle does not look gift horse in mouth!" Uncle interrupted. "CIelo is alive, and there has been no alterations to his chi or spiritual nature. That is enough for Jade, and certainly enough for Uncle!"
Captain Black nodded. "Okay. I guess I can accept that. There's certainly a lot here I don't understand. Have there been any side effects?"
Uncle shrugged. "Cielo has only complained of minor neck pain, but he is averse to chiropractic treatment!"
Captain Black chuckled. "GIven the circumstance, I can't say I blame him!"
Jackie chuckled. "He is seeking alternative treatment, from what I have seen. Don't tell the kids this, but last Saturday, I caught Jade giving Cielo a neck rub."
Captain Black smiled. "Kids." He shook his head as the others gave knowing chuckles. "Now, as for why I called you here..." He pulled out a folder and set it on the table, opening it up. "I'm sure you all remember this person from previous encounters."
The folder contained a psych report, as well as a picture of the patient. "Bartholomew Chang," Jackie said quietly. No one else said anything.
Captain Black nodded. "As you'll recall, with Gratch's assistance we were able to get him locked up in a facility for the criminally insane. While not our initial intention, it was effective, and prevented him from contacting any resources on the outside we didn't know about." Captain Black sighed. "However, it may have backfired on us. You see, Bartholomew Chang - with help from his fellow inmates - escaped from the facility recently. And, according to their records, while there he suffered a full on psychotic break. It is the professional opinion of the Doctors there that it is his intention to pursue his newfound obsession with Jade."
"But Captain Black," Jackie said, confused. "Chang has always been obsessed with jade."
Captain Black looked at Jackie intently. "Not the stone, Jackie. The person. Bartholomew Chang, in his new madness, has reached the conclusion that everything that has happened to destroy his ambitions and successes is because of your neice. He has become obsessed with her destruction, and it is the professional opinion of the doctors that he intends to pursue that goal. I called you all here - not to organize an attempt to capture Chang - but to find a way to ensure Jade's safety until he is taken down." Captain Black sighed. "But for today at least she should be safe enough. Cielo's house is practically a fortress, and after seeing Sebastian fight, I know none of Chang's new crew will get through-"
"AIYAH!" Uncle cried out. "This is terrible!"
"I know, Uncle," Captain Black said. "That's why we're planning-"
"No! Jade and Cielo are not at his house today! Today they are going on their first date!"
00000000000000000000000000
Jade groaned, shaking her head. She winced at the pain in her head, wrists, and ankles. She opened her eyes and glanced around at her surroundings. She seemed to be hanging in the center of a badly lit room, most of the light shining on her. She did, however, notice something against the wall. In her heart, she could sense who it was. "Ci!" she hissed. "You okay?"
Cielo groaned. "Was it an elephant this time, or another truck?" Cielo opened his eyes. He was chained to the wall, unable to move. Manacles bound him at both wrists and ankles, and there seemed to be something etched into the manacles.
"Ci! Glad you're awake. Can you get us out of here?"
Cielo started to focus. The manacles' etchings began to glow. Cielo quickly opened his eyes as the glow faded. "I recognize that sensation too well. Anti-magic chains, the same kind Drago used against me. Heck, the same chains he used. I'm stuck."
Jade cursed. "So I'm tied up and completely at someone's mercy, huh?" She sighed.
Cielo grinned. "Not exactly the best ending for a first date, huh?"
"I don't know," Jade said, smirking. "It wouldn't be so bad if it were your place."
Cielo stared at her. "Jade, you are too young to be joking like that."
"Who says I'm joking? Kidding, kidding," she said at Cielo's shocked expression. "You know," she mused, "if I were the suspicious sort, I'd take this as a bad omen for our relationship."
Cielo smirked. "If?"
Jade smirked at him. "If I were the suspicious sort, would I be dating you?" Her warm smile took the sting out of the barb.
"Touche."
"Hey, I can't really see all that much. Can you tell me what the situation is?"
"Well, we're royally screwed, but beyond that-"
"I meant what's actually happening." Jade rolled her eyes. "Gimme a sit rep."
Cielo chuckled. Then he got serious. "Well, you're tied up, hanging from the rope attatched to the ceiling by your wrists and ankles, pulled behind your back."
"That explains the pain. Also the draft. I don't care how cute you say I look in them, Cielo, I'm never wearing a skirt again."
"Dully noted." CIelo focused a bit more. "The rope also binds your entire body, crisscrossing..." His voice trailed off.
"Ci?" she asked, a little scared.
"I know those knots..." Ci suddenly started muttering, and the chains flared with light. He screamed in pain.
"Ci! What are you doing?" Jade asked, shocked.
A voice came from nearby. "It seems he knows what's coming, little girl."
Jade flinched at that voice. "Chang!" She managed to smirk. "How was your stay in the psych ward?"
Chang chuckled. "Quite enlightening. You see, Jade, I had a long time to think." Chang stepped into the light. He looked terrible. His eyes were sunken, he wore the clothes from his imprisonment - white scrubs and a straightjacket untied - badly torn, and no shoes. The only thing that did look the same was his right hand, the artificial one with the blades he'd somehow managed to recover. "You see, I realized...everything that's gone wrong for me, everything that brought my once mighty empire low, that brought me down and locked me up...it's all your fault, Jade. All...your...fault." He leaned in, staring into Jade's eyes. "And for that, I seek revenge. I am going to destroy you."
Jade turned her head away. "If you're going to kill me, just do it and get it over with. At least then I won't have to smell your breath or hear your voice."
"Kill you?" Chang leaned back, laughing insanely. "Who said anything about killing you?" He seized part of the rope and gave it a yank.
Jade gasped as the ropes across her body tightened cruelly, cutting off circulation in some parts. "But...you said..."
Chang grinned. "I said I was going to destroy you." He pulled back his artificial hand, and the blades extened. "And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it." He swung forward.
Jade flinched back, expecting pain. No pain came, but she suddenly felt a draft where she knew she shouldn't. Suddenly, everything that was happening - from Chang's words, to the bindings, to Cielo's continued struggles to break free despite the agony of the chains - clicked together in her head, and she screamed in fear as she realized what Chang intended.
Chang laughed insanely. "Seems you see it too, now. Good. That just makes this more fun." He pulled back his hand to strike again. Then there was a strange pinging sound, and he paused. "What the-"
Suddenly, a sink nearby suddenly flew off the pipes, knocking Chang back as a torrent of water erupted from the pipes. Jade stared as the torrent of water arced forward, touching the ground. As the torrent continued, the water seemed to take shape, forming a person from feet upward. When the torrent subsided, Jade saw a very strange figure before her.
He had a pale blue skin, and wore white armor of some sort over chest, legs, and head, the head part forming what looked from the back like what might be an open faced helmet. From the outside of the arms and along the shoulder blades, green-yellow spikes extended. The man appeared somewhat well musceled, and there was something familiar about him.
Chang shifted the sink and stood. "How dare you!" he snapped, lunging for the man.
The man struck forward, catching Chang's arm. There was a series of sickening snaps, and Chang fell to the ground, whimpering in pain from having breaks in all his limbs. The door burst open, and other former psychiactric inmates charged in, shouting.
The strange man danced backwards, making a beckoning motion with his arm. Water shot out of the pipes and walls, dancing around him. Jade stared as he guided the water to strike at the thugs, in waves or whips, striking with crushing force and deadly accuracy. Before long the water subsided, and all the foes had been felled. Jade began to shiver as the strange man turned. But then she realized his face - despite being blue - seemed familiar. And those shades...
The man glanced at his hand, and at the carnage he had wrought. "Sweet!" he said, and his voice confirmed his identity.
"Ch-Chow?" Jade gasped quietly, shocked. She tried to say more, but her circulation was cut off by the ropes still binding her. She was starting to lose conciousness.
Chow thrust forward with his hand. His arm extended, as it turned partially into water, and his hand split. There was the sound of something being shredded, and Jade dropped to the ground, letting out a brief "Oomph!" from impact. She remained where she was, letting her circulation fix itself and letting the ground cover her.
Chow turned to where Cielo still struggled with his chains, the white light showing how much he was still trying to break free. Leaning in, he exhaled on one of the manacles, his breath coming out icy cold. The manacle he was breathing on slowly froze, then cracked. The glow from it faded.
Reacting quickly, Cielo focused his magic into that hand and struck three times. The other manacles shattered at the blows. Falling to the floor, Cielo crawled forward and pulled Jade into his arms. "Jade! Are you alright?" he asked, somewhat frentic.
"...I don't think I like it rough..." Jade mumbled before losing conciousness.
Cielo held her close, rocking her gently. Chow stepped back. "I'm sure you can take it from here." As Cielo looked up, Chow's body returned to water, slipping down a drain, his glasses dissappearing last of all.
As Cielo heard the sound of approaching authorities, he wondered what on earth was going on.
000000000000000000000
Chow's body reformed in a different place, far from the site of the battle. "Never get tired of that," he mumbled to himself. He looked up at two figures who stepped out of the shadows. "Yo! Fin, Ratso!"
Fin and Ratso stepped forward, their appearance similarly altered like Chow's. "Yo, Chow!" Ratso said. "Good to see ya!"
"The boss wants to talk to you," Fin said. "I think you might be in trouble."
Chow nodded, and walked deeper into the temple like structure. Reaching what closely resembled a throne room, he went to one knee and waited.
A voice issued from the shadows of the throne. "Why did you disobey orders?"
Chow kept his head down and replied, "I know my orders were only to observe, but there are some things a man can't allow, whatever the situation. The girl's been through enough, and I consider her a friend. I won't let her be put through something like that."
There was silence from the throne. Then the voice spoke again, softer. "Why did you wait so long before acting?"
"For the same reason you had me watching," he said, explaining no further.
There was silence for a time. "Rise, my pet," the voice said again, silky smooth. "I am pleased. You did quite well."
Chow stood and looked upon the one on the throne. Although much of the body resembled Bai Tsa, the young woman on the throne was slimmer, and her face - save for color - was entirely human. She had dark blue hair and sea green eyes, and she was smiling at Chow. "Thank you, Liquidelle," he said at last.