3 years after Time After Time…
Droplets of rain kiss my cheeks
I can't help to look at that little silhouette
You know, the one who won't stop pummeling me
With its massive limbs
Danger Danger
His look gets stranger and stranger
Until it goes black, and I'm seeing fluorescent stars
They're bullets
"You think he's… okay?"
"Stop poking him, Rai! This is your fault! How are we going to explain to Omi why he won't show up to Showdowns?"
"Well gee, Kimiko, maybe if he wasn't bein' such a little bitch, I only gave him a bruised eye. So what? This coward, trying to shoot me with, that, that thing! Behind my back!" He pointed to himself and then to the miniature weapon that resembled a pistol that was laying on the ground next to Jack's limp body.
"Hey ya'll, I think we overdid it a lil' with Jack, we should all leave 'fore something else happens." Clay suggested and then jutted a thumb to himself. "And I ain't tryna get jumped by no Jack-doo hickie."
Voices overlap the spray of stars, I hear them
Chase? Where is he? Why is he letting me die..?
Is he back? I have to warn them...
A giant creature in armor, he's hovering my stiff body
Those eyes, I… Hanni…
"Maybe we shou-"
"Guh!" Jack shot his back straight off the ground, whipping his head around to find the three monks jump at his awakening. He then noticed the throbbing of his left eye and winced, his hand reaching for it.
Jack recollected what had happened.
Bean. The lights. His armor.
Was it just a dream? Imagination? But of all things or people or scenarios, why Hannibal Bean?
The monks noticed Jack staring at the ground in an ominous way and felt awkward, especially Raimundo, who kept shifting his weight around.
"Shut your mouth, toothpick head-ass!"
"Ladies first, considering you and your lesbian haircut, Pedrosa."
"Hey, if I'm a lesbian, at least I get some pussy unlike your pathetic ass."
"Well I guess I should say you are what you eat considering the fact that you sucker punched my EYEBALL!" Jack pointed at his left eye that was bruising down to his cheek bone.
"Guys! Will you knock it off?!" Kimiko shrieked. Everyone whipped their hands up to their ears for cover. The long bickering between Raimundo and Jack finally ceased after Kimiko's outburst. The shriek echoed throughout Jack's warehouse they were standing at the center of.
"Geez, and ya'd think they'd run outta comebacks coming from them irrational brains." Clay stated. The two glared at Clay and then at each other. They both made a 'hmph' and turned opposite of eachother.
"Well I would've knocked it off if you fucking monks had not broken into my damn property!" Jack hasn't raised his voice in these weeks. And right now was the perfect time.
They were silent from his outburst. And just stared at him. He took it as a sign to continue.
"Eh erm, Bean might be sorta kind of probably is maybe, back?"
The monks scrutinized him and Kimiko gave an eye roll. "Don't be so ridiculous, Jack. That dirty jelly bean is long gone."
Clay nodded. "Yeh, Kimiko's right, he's gone, no need to worry about him for now." Jack looked at the trio with a frustrated expression and pleaded.
"No, I'm being serious, he-he's coming back, I swear on my loser life that he-"
"Jack, I'm sorry but we're not buying your bullshit anymore."
"No please, guys, y-you gotta believe me here." Jack started to laugh nervously.
"Yeah, or maybe we never knew Jack was such a fucking coward." Raimundo added. Jack has had enough of him finally, and spat at his face. At the sudden contact, Raimundo lunged for him in instant rage before Kimiko and Clay held him back. Raimundo was at the point at growling. Jack backed away before replying.
"I believe the three of you are the scared ones, trying to break in for the 5th time for my Wu. Well you know what? Might as well call it yours for now. Seems that I lose Wu at Showdowns anyways." This pushed a nerve in the trio, and they started feeling shameful of their misdeed as 'heroes'.
His shoulders slumped slightly. Jack twisted his heel and paced away to his heli-pack and weapon that was dropped during their earlier 'physical disagreement'. He snatched it and swung the pack over his shoulders, switching it on.
Jack shut the doors before Kimiko could actually make it out the doorway, pushing her outside. He slid down the walls, covering his face with his gloved hands.
In the three years, not only has Jack ditched the fingerless gloves for ...fingered ones, but also the red hair for white, as he had not had time for dying hair. He dropped the eyeliner and trenchcoat, swapping it with a battle suit that he would wear underneath clothes sometimes. After a moment of silence, Jack then got up and limped his way, given his sore legs, but not before looking around for any spying monks, to a separated area inside the warehouse; seemingly the warehouse was the only place to relax and construct his work, aside from his lab at his house of course.
Jack entered through the secluded, walled out area by a sliding door, going into a room that looked awfully similar to his lab. He slugged to a random desk chair when the giant monitor blared and shone blinding bright light compared to the darkness of the warehouse.
"Ahh! Who's there!?" Jack flailed his arms and patted the battle suit he developed for a Jack-Bot remote. He shut his eyes hard and aimed at the opposite at a Jack-'Berserker' with his remote.
"You insolent fool, you can stop spazzing. Try opening your eyes instead of that...nonsense."
...
Jack abruptly stopped his silly freak-out and adjusted his eyes to the brightness of the gigantic monitor.
"Oh hey, erm uh, Chase..?" Jack said sheepishly, lowering his remote and slipping on his signature goggles that had x's drawn over the swirls on the tinted glass. He finally took in the sight of the warlord, and the fact that he hacked his monitor once again, anxiety yet excitement taking his features.
"Oh my god, Chase Young!" Jack's face lit up and Chase squinted his eyes in disgust. "It's so great to have you hack into my monitor with ease!" The warlord rolled his eyes.
"Pipe down your excitement, worm. It's terrible enough I have to talk to a foolish maggot like you." Chase paused, looking down for a moment, as if he was choosing his words carefully. " I am here to ask you a simple question." Jack raised his eyebrows and snatched off his goggles to take a better look at Chase.
"A question?" Jack took a seat on the table. "O-Ok, shoot."
"You haven't been seeing anything out of the ordinary standards of your puny meaningless life, yes or no?"
Jack paused, trying to process the question and coming up with an answer. No, he hasn't seen anything misplaced in his lab, no third arm growing out of his body, nothing. He's been in the Xiaolin/Heylin world enough to notice anything odd. And
"Spill it now, Spicer, I don't have time for you playing dumb. And I won't hesitate to have my Shadow spill it for you." The warlord threatened. Shadow appeared in another monitor behind Jack, making him yelp and back away. More than that, 'My Shadow' stung Jack with jealousy. But he pushed it aside.
"Hello, maggot." Shadow said in her smooth accent.
Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. "Great, now we have 'maggot' to add to our list of names for good ol' Spicer."
"Save the attitude for later, Spicer. Now I will reiterate: Have you or have you not witnessed Hannibal Bean in the past year."
"Say no, Jackie."
Jack recognized the voice, the voice he hasn't heard in years, that now just spoke in his own head.
Jack's eyes moved around to look for the source, if he was here. In his lab.
"Well? Yes or no? Do not test my patience, worm." Jack's eyes centered to Chase's face on the monitor, fighting back the force that resided in his mind.
"Reply 'no', Jackie. It's so simple, my boy. One lie can't hurt."
"Y-yes, I uh have."
Jack could've sworn he heard a facepalm in his head.
"Is that so?" A familiar voice said right behind Jack.
Jack shrieked his 'girly scream' and quickly backed away from Chase Young, who had his arms folded, and Shadow right beside him.
Jack glared at the warlord and his sidekick with his eyebrows furrowed. There was an almost dead silence between them and their staring contest before Jack gathered up what was left of his courage in the presence of Chase and finally spoke.
"Yes, I've seen Hannibal Bean, and it seems like he's up to no good."
"Elaborate, mortal." Shadow hissed.
"I don't know exactly but I felt several different energies, as if they were being combined of some sort, but the scenario was so gray, probably because it was pouring rain…" The two looked at him in a strange way and Jack tried his hardest to explain. "Look, I have no fucking clue what this 'puny maggot' saw," Jack jutted a thumb to himself and imitated Shadow's accent, "but what I did notice were these stars that seemed to spray across." Shadow started to growl and hiss.
"What are we waiting for? Let's rid of this lying filth."
Shadow began marching to Jack until Chase blocked her.
"Spicer speaks the truth, Shadow. We'll leave him be," The warlord glanced at Jack "for now."
"H-how do you know? I mean, it's not like I'm lying, I just don't understand how um, you understand." Jack shifted his weight in an uncomfortable manner.
"Because I have been receiving visions similar to yours." Chase stated blatantly.
Jack looked genuinely surprised, his eyes widening. "Really? So you've seen the same things I've seen, the fluorescent stars, the rain, Bean and his armor?"
"Look who's not believing who now." Shadow snarked at Jack.
"Har har, my wise and non-sidekick superior."
Chase's eye twitched and unfolded his arms. "Enough!" He barked.
Everyone went silent, until the warlord composed himself.
"We will speak more of this at the lair."