Requisite Disclaimer: As you know, I don't own Jackie Chan or his cartoon. If you weren't aware of this... you might need help. Especially if you thought I own Jackie. Anyway, with that said, I'm sure that Mr. Chan(who owns himself and prolly a good share of the show)won't sue me, since he's such a very nice man. I hope so, anyway.

Prologue

The phone jangled, and Jackie yelped and fell out of the chair he'd been dozing in. He also instinctively grabbed for something to stop his fall, caught the phone cord, and pulled the phone and a few items that'd been near it off the desk and onto his head.

"Ow." Uncle's notebook.

"Ow!" Jade's math book.

"OW!" The phone itself. When it hit him the receiver came loose from the base and landed in his lap. He sat rubbing his new lumps and staring resentfully at the device, and after a moment he could hear an indistinct voice from it.

"Jackie? Jackie, are you there? It's Captain Black."

He scooped up receiver and base, opting to not get back into the chair. "Hello...."

"Are you all right? You sound kinda beat."

"I'm fine." There were two lumps, but he didn't seem to be bleeding; he decided the statement was truthful enough. "I was falling asleep. Actually it's a good thing you called before Uncle found me." He was supposed to be watching the shop. "I'm already a 'terrible salesman'. What's going on?"

"Can you come to Section 13?"

Jackie glanced around. There was no sign of Uncle or Tohru, and Jade would be at school for another two hours(without her math book... he'd have to remember to remind her about such details in the mornings). Still, the shop was clear of customers, and Captain Black's tone implied that whatever was happening was important. He stood, setting the phone's base back on the desk.

"I'm sure Uncle will understand. I'll be there soon."

* * *

Valmont carefully resisted the urge to rap his fingers on the desk as he glared sternly at his enforcers--Finn, Ratso, Chow, and Hak Foo. The four certainly didn't have a perfect track record, but before Chan had come into the picture Finn, Ratso, and Chow had been his best, and they certainly wouldn't suffer for having Hak Foo along. With any luck--and with a mission that didn't involve Chan and his friends--the effort to bring the group back together wouldn't be wasted.

"I trust you can deal with a handful of children?"

Finn shuffled the photographs Valmont had given him. "They don't look so tough! So... how do we find these kids?"

"We know where four of them are." Valmont pushed a list of addresses toward them, and Chow scooped it up. "The other two you'll have to find the old fashioned way."

"Paris? Brussels? Hong Kong?" Chow frowned and glanced up, squinting through his glasses in the slightly dim light. "Geez... any chance one of 'em'll know where the mystery kids are?"

"I don't know. You're just going to have to find out, aren't you?" The four henchmen glanced uncertainly at each other as Valmont stood and headed for his private room. "Just get them--all of them--and bring them here." He stepped through the door, and all four enforcers groaned.

"Four all over the place, and the other two could be any place?" Ratso sighed heavily and headed out, and Finn, Chow, and Hak Foo slumped along after him. "At least this job is Chan-free...."

* * *

When Jackie arrived at Section 13 he found Captain Black waiting outside for him.

"I appreciate this, Jackie."

"Don't mention it. What's going on?"

"Look at these." Captain Black gave him a handful of photos, and Jackie peered at them.

"Kids? Who are they?"

"Sons and daughters of old Dark Hand agents, people who were there when Valmont's father was still in charge."

"So?" Jackie wrinkled his nose, hoping he wasn't expected to look after the six; Jade was trouble enough.

"So, the Dark Hand is after them. These six in particular. We don't know why... but we need help to get them back here, so we can protect them."

"Six kids...."

"Ranging in age from twelve to seventeen. Lily Royster, Gerard DuMontagnes, Michiru Fuyuno, Rin Hui Zheng, Jannes Stuyvesant, and Lisa Renwald." He pointed at each child as he recited his or her name.

"But two of these pictures are of six-year-olds!" He held up the photos of Lily Royster and Lisa Renwald with an indignant frown.

Captain Black smiled sheepishly. "That's because their parents' whereabouts are unknown, and have been for several years. Can you help? I was put back on Dark Hand just for this, but I don't have enough people."

Jackie sighed. He couldn't very well walk away from it, now that he knew what was involved and who was at risk. "All right." He handed Captain Black two of the photos. "You get these two. I'll get the other two."

"Then we'll figure out what to do about the missing two. With any luck Dark Hand doesn't know any more about them than we do. Thanks, Jackie."

"Don't mention it." He sighed again. "At least Jade will be happy to visit Hong Kong. And to drag me to Hong Kong AND Tokyo Moose Worlds."

* * *

It was slightly after midnight when the thief disabled the antique shop's alarm, picked the lock, and slipped inside. She shut the door silently and glanced around. There had to be something worth taking aside from the obvious(and easily missed)cash register contents. Something valuable, but hidden away and less obvious so that the owners wouldn't be so quick to notice. The thief slowly stepped deeper into the shop with a small shiver; something about the place was making her skin prickle. She pushed it aside with a mental shrug--it was probably only her imagination.

A faint glimmer from behind and to the left of a large case of books and vases caught her eye, so she moved cautiously toward it to investigate. As she reached the bookshelf the lights suddenly came on and someone behind her gasped; she spun and found herself face to waist with the largest human being she had ever seen. One of the inhabitants had shuffled out of his room for a midnight snack.

Tohru blinked down at the intruder who'd been unexpectedly revealed by the light. She looked very young, perhaps five years older than Jade, and seemed to be around Uncle's height, with long, very dark hair in a tight braid. She looked rather alarmed, but didn't seem to be particularly afraid of him.

"How did you get in here?" The girl certainly didn't look like someone who could get through an alarm system as well as Uncle's unique brand of security... but it had been awhile since the spells had been updated, and there was the chance that no one had remembered to set the alarm. He knew he hadn't done it, at least. The girl started moving toward the door, preferring empty-handed retreat to being squished, and Tohru started moving to intercept her.

"Aiyaaaaaa...!"

They both froze and glanced up at Uncle, who was standing at the railing peering down at them. Tohru, who had expected the old man to appear once his spells were penetrated, recovered first and lunged for the girl, who leaped nimbly aside. He crashed noisily to the floor, but his long reach allowed him to seize her by the ankle. She fell with a small squeak and kicked him in the face; he reflexively released her and she bolted for the door. She only made it a few feet before slamming full force into Jackie when he jumped from the second level to land in front of her. Jade hopped down after him and landed less than a foot from the thief's midsection, and Uncle quickly followed via the stairs. The thief got slowly to her feet, glancing warily at the four and racking her brain for a plan of escape. Uncle stepped closer, pointing accusingly.

"Demon girl! How did you get by my spells?! Show me your burns!"

"Er... what? What spells?"

Jade plucked a long reddish hair from the older girl's sleeve. "Dragon hair... isn't this part of one of them?"

The thief blinked at it, scratching her head. "Is that what th' tinglin' was...?"

This statement seemed to make Uncle even angrier. "Tingle? You walk through anti-thief spells and you tingle?! What kind of demon are you anyway?!"

She gave him a bewildered look. "I'm not--"

"Tohru! Fetch my books! I will hold the demon girl still until we find her proper spell!" Tohru looked at the girl a moment, then shrugged and went to do as he was told. What could it hurt?

"Will ye listen? I tell ye I'm not a...." She trailed off as Uncle began chanting. The spell had no real effect on her, of course, but she was tingling all over again and could feel her hair trying to stand up. She shifted uncomfortably, scratching at her arms.

Jackie frowned a little as he studied the girl; she looked terribly familiar. Her hair was black like his, Jade's, and Tohru's, but very glossy, with an unusual greenish sheen that under some light would give the impression that it actually was green. Her eyes were large and dark violet, and she had a snub nose and several freckles.

"Excuse me... would you be...."

"Not a demon." She looked at him crossly. "Can ye shut Grampa over there up?"

"In a minute. Are you Lily Royster?" The look on her face was so shocked he knew he had to be right. "You are!"

"What d'ye want from me, then?"

"You! You... it's... you're... YOU!"

She stared him as if she'd decided the shop was run entirely by loonies(which she had). "Ah, well, I've never been anyone else...."

"She's one of the kids Captain Black is trying to get to?" Jade squeaked excitedly. "Wow! A missing Dark Hand kid fell right in our laps! Talk about lucky coincidences...."

Lily bristled. "Dark Hand, nothin'! Ye'd do well ta...." She glanced at Uncle as he realized his spell wasn't working and stopped chanting.

"Hm." He put his chin in his hand and stared at her appraisingly, the way he might study a newfound antique. "Must be a veeeery powerful demon...." He squawked as Lily, who had decided she'd had quite enough, seized his shoulders and shook him.

"I'm NOT a demon, ye crazy old fart!!"

"She really isn't," Jackie added in his most calming tones. "She...."

Uncle thumped his 'demon' smartly in the forehead. "Do not yell at Uncle, Demon Girl! I know a demon when I see one! Look at her walk through my spells, look at those fangs!" He was halfway right; Lily did have unusually long eyeteeth, although they hardly qualified as demonic fangs. "When I--"

She interrupted him by hitting back. "Ye stubborn rooster-man!"

Jackie blinked; he'd never seen anyone dare to return Uncle's thumps. The situation was beginning to get out of hand. "Listen! We're going to have to--"

"You impudent devil!" Thump.

"Senile old turkey!" Thump.

Jade decided Jackie could use some assistance. "Um, guys? Uncle? Listen, Lily kinda needs our help for a while, I think you two should--"

"Demon brat!" Thump.

"Second-rate hedge-wizard!" Thump.

"They aren't listening to us," Jackie mumbled, looking dejected. Tohru reappeared beside him and stood watching the scene in amazement.

"Crazy wench!" Thump.

"Screechin' monkey man!" Thump.

"I, uh, brought the spell books," Tohru rumbled uncertainly. No one was listening.

Nikki's Notes

And that's the prologue, folks. Not many notes or comments here... and I realize that Lily's appearance at the shop is really contrived, but there's a better explanation than blind luck. ^_^* I just can't tell you yet! Now you're just dying to find out, right? Right? ....no? Well... stay tuned anyway... please...?