Spoilers for Samurai Jack Season 5
"Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape shifting master of darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil. But a foolish samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time, and flung him into the future where my evil is law. Yet, he returned with help from a daughter of my very existence, and destroyed the future that was Aku. Now, a Syndicate of another dimension, each with their own mortal enemies, have come to warn me of my demise, and undo the story of the great Samurai Jack!"
TOON WARS Chapter 17: Back to the Past, Samurai Jack
By Frozarburst
Samurai Jack in TOON WARS
Original Series by Genndy Tartakovsky
In the Neutron Lab, home of the heroic Toon Force, Danny Phantom the Ghost Boy, Tucker the technogeek, and alien invader Zim arrive at the scene with bags under their eyes and slow movement, seemingly unenthusiastic about waking up at this hour.
Danny: What's the problem Jimmy? It's early in the morning.
Jimmy at the monitor: Sorry gentlemen, but there's another world in danger that needs our help. And this time, the Syndicate's responsible for it!
Danny: Them again? I thought we already destroyed their army!
Tucker: We took out the whole planet Volcano Island was on just to get rid of them and the Mawgu!
Jimmy: Yes. But thankfully, that would mean that the Syndicate's been weakened. The Dimensional Monitor had detected but 100 enemies around our target location; some already being mowed down by a legendary samurai warrior named Jack. But the rest of his information is still unfinished because, he did something to his timeline to stop an ancient powerful enemy.
Tucker: That doesn't sound like fun.
Jimmy: Since it's not really that much of a problem anymore, I figured each of us would be enough to handle it and we could just get it over with now that it's detected.
Danny: Just us four?
Tucker: Shouldn't we call for help?
Jimmy: Well, normally I would, but the odds of us getting into serious trouble after destroying the rest of those Morphoids and Toybots are very slim. Of course, if something really bad happens to us, I have Vox on the line to open a warp tunnel back here.
Tucker: Alright. But I swear, if they still got any morphoids or any other sort of gooey thingy around, I'm outta there!
Danny: Ah, don't worry Tuck. Like Jim said, I'm sure the last of them were back on the island.
The Portal in Jimmy's Lab opens.
Danny: Besides, what could they possibly be worse than what they've already done?
Zim: He's right, humans. With MY brains and gadgets, and your "skills," we can do anything (strokes hands and grins evilly).
The four Nicktoons jump through the portal and into the world of Samurai Jack, where they find their hero fighting with his father, The Emperor, against a small army of old Syndicate robots.
Jack: I've fought many machines like you before, but never have they looked like this!
Danny: There's our samurai!
Jimmy: We'd better go help them. Good thing these robots are that of the older Syndicate models before the Toybots were built. Tucker, you've got the drone, right?
Tucker: Ready for launch!
Jimmy: Great! Send it over to them and lay down fire on those droids!
Tucker deploys his four fanned Fenton Drone out towards Jack and the Emperor. It hovers over them and scans the robots and begins shooting them with machine guns, shutting them off before returning to Tucker.
Tucker: YEAH! (Fist Pump)
Zim: HA! I've seen more superior technology on Foodcourtia! Check this out! (Opens PAK limbs and shoots electric waves at incoming droids)
Tucker: Huh. Not bad!
Danny: Heads up! Vlad's back!
Vlad flies over to Danny and Jimmy with ecto-blasts and a clone ready for combat.
Vlad: So, Daniel, you've brought lesser resistance than usual. Equally as strong, but not strong enough to defeat us! (Shoots beam at Danny and Jimmy)
Danny and Jimmy dodge the attack and Jimmy gets knocked down by Vlad's clone!
Jimmy: Gagh! Quick! Protect those guys and keep the robots at bay! (Points to the Emperor and Jack)
More robots rush to the Nicktoons, and Jack dashes through them, decapitating all the bots and causing them to explode!
Jimmy: Or, maybe they can help themselves.
Vlad punches Danny and freezes his leg, and Danny uses a small wale at Vlad, sending him into the ground! Danny makes a huge fall to Vlad's chest and stomps on it!
Vlad: GAH! (Disappears)
Danny: What the?
Vlad in the distance behind Danny: That was very brutal the way you destroyed my clone, Daniel. But let us see what you're made of when you take on all of me!
Danny: Bring it on, Dr. Wisconsin!
Jack and his father look up at the sky and witness Danny and Vlad duking it out while the other Nicktoons are battling the robots.
Emperor: These are not people nor creatures I have seen during Aku's reign!
Jack: Me neither…Although their skills, and the grey one's powers fondly remind me of…well… (Looks slightly upset and glares at his sword) I pray this is the last time I use this weapon of righteousness. (Prepares for more action)
Jimmy shoots more of the robots with his freeze Ray and equips his mind band on. The remaining robots circle around him and he closes his eyes and lifts his hands slowly. The robots levitate in the air in confusion before they are slammed onto the ground by Jimmy when his hands fall back down.
Jimmy: Could anyone from Foodcourtia do that Zim?
Zim: No, but being an irken like myself, I CAAAAN (Puts on singing voice)!
Zim pulls out a glove gadget and lifts some of the robots in the air with gravity. Tucker fires a ghost beam at them using his Fenton Watch. Danny gets blasted out of the sky by Vlad's clones and they fuse back to the real Vlad to finish him off.
Vlad: Say your prayers ghost boy! (Prepares a shot)
Out of nowhere, Vlad is cut in the back by Jack! His sharp sword leaves a massive wound on Vlad that sliced his cape in half and tore through his skin!
Vlad: You!
Danny takes the opportunity and shoots Vlad away. Vlad crashes into a tree damaged by Danny's blast! He floats over to Vlad with two shots ready in case and Jimmy and Jack behind him. But Vlad seems perfectly fine, still wearing a disturbingly confident grin.
Danny: Alright Vlad. Leave now, or suffer our wrath!
Vlad: Sure! I'm just a distraction after all! (Opens portal and runs through it)
The portal Vlad went through stays open and appears to be much different than the usual Ghost Portals he spawns. Instead of a multi shaded green swirl, this portal has a black and white swirl in similar fashion to Jimmy Neutron's hypnobeam.
Jimmy: The portal's still open…but it looks different from the ones we're used to seeing.
Jack: You. I owe you all my life for saving us. (Bows) This is not the first time someone has tried to destroy our-(Looks at portal) ...Oh no.
Danny: I-is there something wrong?
Jack: We need to follow him. Quickly! Come with me! (Runs through portal)
Jimmy: ?
Danny: Tuck, Zim, this way!
Tucker and Zim run over to the portal and get in with everyone else. They all fall through the long spiral tunnel making their way to a scorched desert with a large and tall tower at the very center of it and thick layers of fog everywhere. The skies are red and there is fire among the land. Spikes pierce the ground and black ooze circles the area with visions of demons soaring through the midsts. The Toon Force follows Jack and the Emperor towards the tower in a hurry, passing through the ruined ground, hopping over large pits, which the Nicktoons easily avoid thanks to their gadgets and powers, and through large skeletons of ancient monsters.
Tucker using his drone for flight and landing to run so not to waste any fuel: Dang! You're runnin faster than a motorcycle! Actually, I should be impressed with myself! I'm catchin up to you!
Jimmy flying with his jetpack: You two know this place?!
Emperor: Yes. Here is where a dangerous foe resides. The cause of an unspeakable evil!
Jack: This man is a demonic shapeshifter named, Aku. He is a powerful being of magic, and his weakness is this sword, forged from the power of righteousness.
Danny: Aku? Huh. Sounds like some sort of exotic food.
Jimmy: And that's the guy that the database doesn't have info on! Is this all that he's done?!
Jack: Yes! This is our past before I had returned from the future to slay him! (Pauses) How did you know who I was?
Danny: It's a long story, but to keep it short, we've heard of you and we're here to save you!
Emperor: Then you are welcomed to fight. (Stops at tower) If we do not stop this threat, he will undo all we have fought so hard to save!
Tucker: Then how else do we get up there fast enough to get to him? We have jetpacks an all, but our fuel's not enough to make the journey!
Danny: And I can't carry everyone.
Zim: Like this! (Slams gravity glove onto the ground)
The ground rises below the heroes and lifts to the top of the tower at a rapid pace making everyone fall flat on their backs!
Everyone holding on: WOOAAAAAAAA!
In the tower, in the demonic Aku's dark fiery lair, Professor Calamitus discusses something face to face with the monster that caused the destruction of the land.
Calamitus: And that's what will happen if you don't act now, Aku. Even as we speak, another version of Jack is on his way to eliminate you!
Aku sounding much more confident and relieved: Sounds like quite the problem. I mean. I already got rid of the samurai from this point in time. (Zooms closer to Calamitus) But you say he'll come back in a moment with someone I created?!
Calamitus: Precisely. (Puts hand on forehead) It's a terrible way to go down with such dramatic irony! Believe me. I know. (Points to Aku) And she will have the power to send Jack back here, should you send him to the future again.
Aku: The future?
Calamitus: Yes. The future.
Aku looking smug: ...Yes…
Both Aku and Calamitus: Yeeessss….
Suddenly, the heroes arrive and some land face first on the platform to Aku's throne room.
Jimmy getting his head straight: Zim, when you give us a warning, please give us a moment to prepare ourselves too.
Tucker snapping his head back and talking with scrambled sentences: Yeah, (snaps neck) but a ride fun was that.
Jack: AKU!
Jack takes his sword out with his father and charge to Aku, prompting Calamitus to jump out of the way!
Calamitus leaping to the side: Woah!
Aku: Hold it Jack! (Transforms into bat and flies backwards)
Jack and his father fall off the edge of the platform and land on another floor against the wall!
Jimmy and Danny: !
Aku transforming back to default form: I already know what's gonna happen. You come here with your girlfriend and cut my life into pieces. And then this tower will explode like a castle after defeating the final boss of a video game.
Zim shoots a beam at Aku with a cannon from his pak, but Aku already knew he would and shields himself while shooting black webs at the Nicktoons and taping them down. Danny tries turning intangible, but Aku's magic prevents him. A time portal opens next to the Nicktoons and the past shirtless Jack and Aku-empowered Ashi land out of it.
Aku laughing: Hehehee, it's hilarious how things turned out for me. (Faces Past Jack and Ashi) But nothing compares to you losing your, say, would-be wife.
Ashi in surprise: !
Past Jack lowering his guard looking at Ashi: Ashi?
Aku: All those adventures with people like the Scotsman, the monks, spartans, and myself had all been for nothing once you defeated me. Didn't think that over before you struck first, did you?
Jack quickly realizes his mistake and gets upset but continues to wear a very stunned expression as though he doesn't know what to think. He's debating right now on whether he chooses to kill Aku and lose his allies from the future, including Ashi, or keep him alive and risk everything he's been fighting for to be for nothing.
Tucker and Danny: Uh oh...
Past Jack still stunned: Ashi, I…I didn't...I didn't know that-
Ashi: No, Jack. Please. You MUST kill him! It's the only way you can save the future!
Aku takes his finger and swipes it toward Ashi. Suddenly, the webs on the Nicktoons electrocutes them and breaks much of Jimmy's gadgets within his hypercube, and the blood from Aku in Ashi's body ejects from her body and transfers back onto him, exposing her ruined clothes before her brief corruption from Aku!
Ashi and the Nicktoons: AAAGH!
Jack and Past Jack: Ashi!
Ashi faints and falls in Past Jack's arms. He checks her pulse for a moment and notices she's still breathing despite all of Aku's blood having been taken away!
Aku enlarging: So, you've made friends in the future. (Shrugs) So what? It doesn't matter knowing they'll disappear eventually. Or at least the human side of the equation! (Points finger at ceiling and quickly rises from the tower and forms a large circle around the planet's atmosphere, darkening the skies and blocking all sunlight)
The slaves around the world look up and notice multiple images of Aku's smiling face covering the skies like clouds.
Aku: Hello everyone! May I have your attention please?
Jack's father from the past looks up from his work platform. And Jack's mother from the past in a forest in a much different location does the same with fear in her eyes.
Past Emperor with a serious expression: Hmm…?
Aku: After a bit of thinking and a little bit of help from some guests, I have decided to let you all go home.
The slaves cheer heavily and stop working on the Aku structures.
Past Emperor: …
Past Empress: …(Bows head)
Aku: Yes. You are finally going where you belong...TO HEAVEN! (Eyes Glow while smiling)
Aku's faces shoot lasers at the surface and start nuking all the people and continents! Oceans get covered in red, cities explode from the ground, and another beam shoots near the tower and makes it fall apart.
Tucker struggling to move: Damn!
Calamitus: Well then, that was dramatic, but it takes care of everything. (pulls up communicator on watch) Crocker, now! (Warps away)
Jimmy: You fool! Vox, open a portal!
A warp gate opens near the Nicktoons. Past Jack takes his sword and releases the Nicktoons from the webs and future Jack and the Emperor try to follow them, but a blast from Aku takes them down!
Past Jack: No!
Tucker: Let's get outta here!
Zim: Don't just stand there you pathetic humans! Go! Go! (Jumps into warp gate)
Everyone jumps into the warp gate, and as they fall into the tunnel, the normal green of the portal distorts into a multitude of colors before forming back into black and white like a time portal. The group make their way back to Jimmy's lab, which seems to have dimmer lighting than usual.
Jimmy breathing heavily: Is...Is, everyone ok?
Tucker: Yeah. And we've still got the Jack and Ashi from the past with us. (Checks drone for damages)
Past Jack: Thank goodness, she's still alright.
Jimmy: Whatever Aku took out of her must've been real potent for him to do what he did. (Unlocks hypercube) He even destroyed some of my gadgets in my hypercube!
Past Jack: Yes. You are not of my world, are you?
Danny: No. We're the Toon Force, sent from our dimension to save you from the Syndicate. They're a trio of evil who just contacted Aku to prevent his death somehow. Just don't understand how they could've got there if you already took him down.
Tucker: Wait, if this Jack was supposed to have fought him and he came from the future Aku sent him to, does that mean he and Ashi should be gone by now?
Jimmy: Not necessarily. Even though the future of Jack's timeline is literally "jacked," the fact that you guys are still here is because we took you out of it. You're now a part of our timeline safe from whatever happens to your dimension.
Past Jack: You mean Ashi won't disappear?
Jimmy giving a thumbs up: She won't. And neither will you. But if we want to keep your world the way it should be, we need to know what you guys did originally to get back to the past.
Zim: Are there any more of you mortal humans in the future, for example?
Past Jack: Not many. (Shuts eyes) My world was mostly populated by strange, mythical creatures and machines who had helped me return to my time, even when there were no more time portals. But without my people, I may no longer be able to. I-I mean, my past self. I mean, the future...Agh! I apologize, my friends. This is new for me. I never thought about the consequences of time travel to this extent.
Danny: How could you get back if you had no portals?
Past Jack: Ashi was a daughter of Aku who had his powers. This was how I was sent to and from the future. But since he took his blood away from her, she cannot move through time again.
Jimmy: Well, you're in luck! The Syndicate must've used some sort of time machine to reach your dimension and interfere with the course of history. Like some sort of modified ghost portal like Clockwork's. I've got a Time Machine in here already that's blocked off, but the thing is, if we mess up at any point in history, we could also break the timeline of the many worlds in both our dimensions!
Past Jack nodding: Very well.
Danny: In the meantime, Ashi can rest back at the repair bay. (Pushes door button)
The door to the repair bay opens revealing a storage closet with a mop and broom.
Danny: …Uh, Jimmy, where is it?
Jimmy: The repair bay? It's right there.
Danny: ..I-it's not.
Jimmy looking into the closet: …? That's odd. I was just in there before we left!
Tucker: You think that's strange? Take a look at this thing! (Opens blast door window with Rainbow Button logo on it, similar to Nicole Watterson's)
On the other side of the glass are rows of conveyor belts carrying jewels and other valuables. Jimmy turns on some of the lights and turns to the round table where he keeps some of his tools and the Girl Eating Plant, but there's only jackhammers, tool boxes, and water pouches.
Jimmy getting hesitant and confused: There…there must be some kind of mistake. M-maybe we're just stuck in the past of Retroville. After all, this place used to be an empty cave before I came in. Maybe it used to be a jewel mine as well!
Zim upstairs: Then explain this!
The scene cuts to everyone going upstairs where they find the clubhouse is completely gone, as well as the neighborhood. Instead of coming out of the lab, they exit a dank cave where they gaze outside to a large dystopian city not too far in the distance with architecture similar to that of Aku's mixed in with Retroville's.
Jack: Jimmy…I do not think we left my world yet…
End of Chapter 17
