Egypty!Chack-Scrib!
Warning: Contains mild CHACK and… Egypt… Scary, yeah?
Please note that this is a scrib; it's not supposed to be anything special!!
Inspired by: Silv (Ch4cksl4sher)!!
"Jack! Don't you dare walk away from me-!"
The albino youth huffed angrily as he burst from one the canvas tents, his pale robes catching in the stale air and billowing behind him. The heat and sand seemed to engulf him entirely for a moment, making him waver, before he shook it off and continued to press on through the heat.
A moment later, a man appeared at the tent flap, narrowed blue eyes glaring after the youth for a moment, before retreating into the cool shade of his tent.
If Jack had felt the man's heavy gaze, he didn't bother to glace back.
Covered in layers of linen, trying to combat the compressing heat, the youth battled over a sand dune and further from the infuriating man. Unlike the others that were working in the valley, Jack was covered almost entirely, several layers hooding his head, only allowing a pair of red eyes to rake over the valley.
Storming across a flat expanse of sand, Jack snarled to himself. Sometimes Jack questioned his father's sanity. Lawrence was the head archaeologist of a small segment of the valley, and had, for some inane reason, decided it would be fitting to drag his son into the heart of Egypt, as if it could heal the years he'd spent away from his wife and son.
Across the plane were old tombs; empty shells, already stripped clean by hungry grave robbers and archaeologists. The pyramids and structures scattered about the valley were humongous, and it was impossible to imagine that they had been created by an ancient civilization. The larger pyramids had been the first to be explored, hollowed out. But Jack set his eyes on a smaller ruin, one almost hidden beneath the sand.
As he stepped into shade of the wounded tomb, Jack sighed with relief, shivering off the heat that had burnt into his back. He tore away his mask, revealing his pale face and stark red hair, dyed to ward off its usual silver sheen.
"If only I had the lunar locket…" Jack mussed to himself, pouting when he imagined how spooked he could get the workers if he blocked out the sun. It would definitely cool the place down by a hundred degrees.
The youth leant back against a dusty stone wall, almost wishing he'd commanded Yes-Bot to follow him to Egypt. He could really do with a cold drink. Pulling out a small leather bag, Jack yanked open the lip and took a long suck of the warm water. Anger returned as he jammed the stopper back into the bag.
His father had been living in Egypt for the past five years, oblivious to his son's academic (and evil) achievements and his wife's silent disappearance to France when Jack was thirteen. So on his return home for a week, and was startled by the changes he had missed. Before Jack had a chance to talk his father out of it, he was dragged, kicking and screaming, to the Valley of the Kings, where Lawrence expected his son to appreciate what had torn his family apart; Egypt.
Jack held down a growl as he stormed further into the ruin, his eyes narrowed furiously. Any beauty the valley had once possessed had been shredded by Jack's biased eyes. He hated this place! The teenager could already feel his sensitive skin burning from the heat of a mere stroll across the sand; he would be burnt by sunset.
An angry step was halted as the sound of crunching stone met his ears. Red eyes dove for the ground, widening at the sight of sand slipping through rapidly thickening cracks. Before he could scramble back onto stronger stone, the earth beneath him jolted harshly, before his whole body disappeared beneath the stone path.
Groaning, Jack forced himself into a sitting position, coughing and waving away most of the dust while waiting a second longer for his eyes to focus on the dark room before him. The walls were high; the large hole that the albino had fallen through was too high to reach.
Shifting in the dust, Jack shrieked when he tumbled off of a raised dais. Rubbing his rear, the youth groaned softly, before blinking curiously at the empty room before him. Not surprisingly, the room was stripped, anything of any value probably long ago removed, but there seemed to be no obvious entry, other than the one he had just caused.
Glancing over his shoulder, Jack paused to take in the site of the stone block from which he had tumbled off. From the outside, it seemed like it was nothing but a solid block of stone, stained a shaded grey, but as Jack struggled to his feet to admire it, he saw the tell tale signs of a tomb; a shell that housed a sarcophagus.
And yet, something was not right. Jack narrowed his red eyes on the smooth stone, not only had it not been disturbed, but no ancient words were scrawled across it. It was almost sacrilegious to not offer a form of prayer or enchantment to the dead, in preparation for the trails they would face in the Underworld.
Swallowing thickly, Jack forced his eyes away, before focusing on the hole he'd fallen through, which suddenly seemed miles away. Glancing over the room again, the youth felt a skirl of nervousness, when he found no obvious exit, only half buried bones scattered about.
It must have been the nerves, or his spiked imagination, because as Jack searched about, he heard a noise, a muffled movement, from within the tomb.
Jack's heart leapt into his throat, which then refused to return to his chest, as if it was clinging tightly to his throat.
Shaken, the albino shifted closer, leaning down and pressing his ear to its cool surface. A long moment passed, and Jack sighed in relief, unprepared for second tap that filtered through the stone.
Muffling his shriek, Jack fell back into the dust that clouded about him then settled, as he stared at the tomb in numb terror. While his mind screamed denial, he found himself moving closer, and touching one side of the tomb with an open palm. He fisted his fingers slowly, before tapping the thick stone.
The dull sound seemed loud to Jack's ears, but not as loud as the returned knock from within.
Before logic could surface the albino was on his feet, his red eyes wide as he stared at the heavy lid, trying desperately to think of ways he could remove it. The knock came again, almost frantic, as if frightened Jack had left.
"D-Don't worry! I'll get you out!" Jack chocked out as he tried to push away the stone. He groaned when the stone moved over an inch. But it opened the tomb just enough for a slither of light to penetrate the darkness within. An ancient smell floated up from the sarcophagus, as if it hadn't been opened in centuries. But that made no sense, Jack's mind buzzed, whoever this poor soul was, had been stuffed into the tomb, maybe for days, by thieves or murderers.
Scanning the room for something to use as a lever, red eyes focused on a long, strong femur. Jack leapt for it, not hesitating to jam one end into the space and pulling on it. The stone shifted the heavy slab just over a foot before the bone snapped under the pressure. The youth didn't hesitate climbing up and settling into the small space he'd made, pressing his back against the lid and pushing with all his might.
The sound of the lid slipping from the tomb and crashing to ground was deafening, shaking dust from the ceiling. Cringing from the blast of sound, Jack took a moment before diving down to the tightly sealed sarcophagus.
Whoever was within the shell; shifted.
"It's okay. I've almost got you out!" Jack quickly attended to several rusted locks that lined the casing, each crumbling under his touch.
It didn't occur to Jack once, what the locks were supposed to keep bound.
With a final flourish, the albino threw the second lid up and off its case.
The moment it took for him to focus on the man seemed to pause just so he could take in sight before him. The lean figure was wrapped in fraying linen, stained brown with age and rot. Thick decomposing leather was tied about his head, with a gag jarred into his mouth. But what had startled the youth so deeply were the man's wide, pinpoint eyes, staring up at him in a silent panic.
Before the figure could try and shift, Jack was upon him, unlatching the leather gag, before tearing at layer upon layer of decaying linen that covered the man's face.
When freed, the man could only blink weakly, gazing up at Jack who was still trying to remove leather binding about his arms; that kept them crossed across his chest. Tearing away the cuffs inscribed with binding charms, Jack paused, panting lightly from the rush. He glanced back at the man's face, and found himself frozen in place; admiring the man's obviously oriental features, long dark hair and sharp golden gaze.
The moment between them seemed to drag out for hours. But in truth it only took Jack a minute to snap into action.
Yanking the bottle of water forth, Jack scooped forward, catching the man under his neck and lifting him up just enough, before tearing out the stopper with his teeth and offering the silent man a drink.
The man didn't react consciously, while his mouth opened and sipped at the offering, his eyes remained trained on Jack, as if assessing every aspect of the boy. Jack would've been unnerved by this, but found himself more worried about the man.
This man was dangerously thin, unhealthily so, his dark, dirty hair was splayed about his head like a halo of dark light, starkly forcing Jack to note how pale and sickly the man looked. Pulling the water away from the silent figure, Jack gently lowered him, before discarding the bottle when he found it empty.
Jack's heart had finally began to settle, and he sighed loudly, crawling to the side and crouching between the tomb and sarcophagus, peering at the man who had not yet looked away from him. The youth swallowed down his nerves,
"Are you okay?"
The man blinked at him, slowly, as if trying to process words he couldn't quite grasp. It took a further moment before Jack realised the man didn't speak English. He tried again, this time in Arabic. This time, recognition flashed in the man's eyes, but he still didn't seem able to grasp the question. Slowly, the man opened his dry, cracking lips, speaking with a voice that crackled, as if he hadn't spoken in years.
The man's words startled Jack, he didn't recognise them instantly, but was soon able to pinpoint the language, but wanted to deny that it was being spoken. Ancient Egyptian flowed from the pale man's lips; like he knew nothing else.
Jack shuttered in sudden fear, although he couldn't understand why. He slowly pried the man's words apart.
"What is your name, boy?" was the nearest translation.
Swallowing thickly, Jack spoke brokenly, never before training himself in any ancient language fluently; as it had never before occurred to him as a priority.
"My… name is-" Jack thought a moment, as if trying to translate his name, before giving up "Jack… Are you well?" Hearing his language from the boy made the older man smile, although it was small, it made Jack feel at ease.
"I am fine, young one."
Jack slipped into English without blinking, nervous again,
"Are you sure? How long have you been in there?! Who did this? I'll help you find whoever did this-!" Jack saw the older man's confusion and forced himself to stop, take a few steadying breaths before trying again, "What is your name?"
"Chase Young."
Recognising the Chinese name, Jack blinked,
"The Souless Xiaolin…" he found himself muttering before he was startled by Chase, who had shifted into a sitting position and was staring hard at the boy. For a moment, Jack almost thought he had heard Chase growl, but he didn't think much of it, "Are you sure you are okay?" Jack whispered shakily "How long have you been… trapped?"
"As I said before, young one; I am fine" Chase offered, his tone sharpening, still unsettled, "… I'm not sure how long I was imprisoned… What year is it now?"
Jack groaned; translating a year, let alone, millennia, the ancient language had never encountered would be nearly impossible. The youth shifted, disappointed that he couldn't answer Chase, but as he stared at the patient man before him, he was reminded of Chase's decent; he gasped out some Chinese in hopes to sate the older man,
"2008."
Hearing the new language on Jack's tongue, Chase almost started, but instead regarded Jack carefully,
"You know many languages…"
Jack smiled weakly,
"Sadly ancient tongues… have always been my downfall…"
"Ancient…" Chase repeated, his gold eyes flashing with a sudden understanding.
He frowned, gazing past Jack, before focusing on the blank lid of the sarcophagus. He narrowed his eyes, "They didn't even offer me sanctuary…" A dark silence rose up between the pair as Chase let his anger wash over him.
A memory rose up like a threatening wave, reminding him of what he had spent years trying to forget. But Chase wasn't unsettled; if he had to, he would be more than willing to drag his traitorous high priestess' spirit from the darkest corners of the underworld. But knowing Wuya, she would've remained unsettled in death, or sought some false form of immortality, especially after she had removed Chase from his position of power. Chase wondered for a moment, how his people fared in his absence.
When Jack began to shift, unnerved by the silence, Chase finally chose to look back at the boy who had saved him, "You have… the eyes of a demon."
Startled by the words, Jack translated them, before a blush lightly lit his pale features,
"Uh-…" he wasn't sure if he was to take it as a complement or an insult.
"Yet, you are mortal… Fate will see you far."
Jack wide eyes stared at Chase silently, before he snapped from a daze and blushed brightly, forcing himself to nod jerkily,
"Thank you… I think-" Jack's words faded when Chase reached out, his fingers brushing the boy's reddened face.
The older man didn't make a sound, instead stared at youth intently, smirking as Jack's face flushed darker.
"I like your colouring, Jack."
Shock laced the youth's eyes as he reeled, pressing his back again the tomb's shell, suddenly feeling trapped.
"Really? Uh-I mean-"
Suddenly, reality decided to crash into Jack in the form of a stone falling from the ceiling. Rubbing his head, Jack's wincing eyes peered up at the hole. He glanced back at Chase with widening eyes, "You've got to get out of here." Before the dark-haired man could blink, the albino tore off one set of his robes before offering it to Chase, who only had strips of linen.
The Chinese man offered a nod of thanks before pulling the large robe over his head only to hear the boy scrambling out of the tomb. Peering about, Chase caught sight of the redheaded youth, who was staring up at the hole above, as if asking it to let them out.
"What happened?"
Jack blinked out of his thoughts,
"Huh…?Oh that?" the youth pointed out the ceiling, "I fell through… there's no second exit… we'd have to climb out if I hadn't brought my… uh-helipack…" Chase watched, intrigued as Jack pulled a small metallic box from a hidden pocket, after pressing a button, a growing hum of something approaching could be heard. "I knew I'd be needing it…"
Above the hole, appeared a black, red and yellow oval creation. Chase stared at it, amazed when the thing went straight to Jack and fell into his awaiting hands. The albino grinned, pulling straps onto his shoulders, before turning back to Chase and smiling down at him. Holding out a hand, the youth took Chase's hand and helped him to his feet, ready to steady him when the older man's weakened legs did not wish to carry his weight. Chase placed to hands on Jack's shoulder and could only gaze down at the youth for a moment, before he returned the smile.
He may have missed millennia or two, but he couldn't help but feel that fate had provided him with the perfect companion to reintroduce him to the world he had been kept away from for so long.
Chase tried not to start when two metallic spines protruded from the 'helipack', before a pair of blades began to whip about overhead. Glancing back down at the youth, Chase settled when he saw Jack's easy smile.
"Hold on; you're in for a bit of a ride."
And Chase couldn't but to agree.
A/N: I have this vision of romance forming from this encounter… Jack teaching Chase of the changes that the world has seen, the English language so I can stop worrying about Jack translating… Plus I can just see Wuya's ghost meeting up with Chase and the chaos that ensures… etc…
It's all in my head… But I can't continue it… I lack enthusiasm… DX
Anyway! This was inspired by Silv (Ch4ckSl4sher)!! She's planning on writing an Egypt fic (this spawning this clone plot bunny).
Hers will be much more interesting. If you like chack, and you've never heard of her - You haven't lived!... cough I mean; I highly recommend her fics. All very yummy.
Note me for a link to her dArt page.