XD It's both longer and shorter than I expected. Longer because I was sure I'd end up with another 1-2 pager of an intro. Shorter because once I got going I didn't really know how to stop!
It sorta just cuts off, but that's fine! It tells what it needs to.
I'm so shipping Monty/Chase after all this but sadly that doesn't happen because Chase is a shoob who's now stalking Jack
Enter the Dragonlord
Year 6 Month 10 of Merged Dimension-CDB
"Oh hey there! You must be Chase Young! Heylin prince of darkness, right?" a glowing blue man garbed in a toga and winged sandals, and holding a clipboard spoke exuberantly as he grabbed the dazed dragon lord's hand with his free one, giving it a hard shake. "First of all, welcome to your new home! I'm Hermes, messenger god of Mount Olympus and head of the Dimension-CDB welcoming committee."
Chase jerked his hand from the flying stranger and didn't hesitate to give a menacing growl which seemed to go unnoticed. Needless to say, the immortal man was more than a little confused. He had just been in his citadel when a massive earthquake (he bet his money on the dragon of earth) struck and caused him to lose his footing. When the ground settled and he got back to his feet, he found himself on a dirt path, leading to what looked like the Xiaolin temple in the distance. "What is this? Some kind of illusion spell?" He called forth his Heylin powers to try and dispel it, but nothing happened. Everything remained as it had when he got back up after his stumble. Even the blue man, Hermes, remained as is.
Hermes gave a groan and slumped dramatically before flying back to attention. "Look, I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, but I'm kind of in a rush here. We've had so many new arrivals today and I'm on a tight schedule." The messenger pantomimed tapping a watch before pulling up his clipboard to take a long look at the papers, occasionally adjusting his small sunglasses. "Looks like you're being placed in the Xiaolin temple, apparently from your own universe. Well, lucky you! Seems there are a couple others from your old world who've been living there a while actually, so they can explain the rest of the details for you."
Chase had absolutely NO intention of going to the Xiaolin temple, even if this was all just some crazy dream as he was beginning to believe it to be. But when he opened his mouth to protest, Hermes slapped a hand on his back in a pseudo-reassuring manner, causing him to loose his words.
"Just head down this path to the temple, I'm sure your friends would love to get reacquainted with you. Good luck!" the messenger god saluted, flying away before Chase could decide to attack him. All this strangeness was really putting some strain on maintaining his human form...
An hour later, the dragon lord finally arrived at the Xiaolin temple. Chase had dragged his feet and considered going in the completely opposite direction of his old home, but eventually, being he had absolutely no idea what was going on, he deemed it to be best to just go towards familiar ground and see just what 'friends' he apparently had in the temple.
While approaching, Chase knew things were definitely off here. Despite the temple looking exactly like the Xiaolin temple, all the landmarks around it were completely wrong. Upon entering the training grounds, the Heylin lord was given yet more proof of the strangeness. None of the familiar old monks who frequented the temple grounds meditating could be found. What WAS there would have been hard for a mundane human to accept. Luckily, Chase was anything but.
Animals of multiple colors and species practiced various kung-fu styles, a multitude of humans scattered throughout giving a very wonderland-esque feel to the temple. The thought that perhaps he should not have indulged in such silly, light novels during his 1500 years of living crossed Chase's mind.
A clatter sounded to his right, followed by an oddly familiar voice. "Chase Young?"
Head snapping to the side to see just who had addressed him, Chase froze once more thrown off guard this day. 'O-Omi?' Surely it couldn't be, this teenager was far too old and much taller than Omi, but yet he looked far too similar. Even the outfit was the same standard Xiaolin robes.
"Chase Young! It is you!" The Omi looking teenager rushed forward and glomped the evil Heylin lord. "Oh it is so good to see you again! To see ANYONE from our old home!"
Chase didn't hesitate to shove the boy off of him and away from his person. "Do I know you?"
"Oh? Oh!" Omi look-alike laughed and rubbed the back of his bald head. "I do apologize, I suppose you have just arrived, while I have been living here for the past six years. It is me! Omi!"
Chase sneered at the teen. "Funny, tell me another one. I saw Omi just yesterday, you are not him."
Omi blinked confused for a moment before his face morphed into an angry pout. "Hermes is being a sleeping skull."
"...I'll assume lazy bones? But yes, he was rather lacking for explanations." Chase commented offhand, crossing his arms behind his back to look down on the can't-be-Omi. Taller than the dragon of water the look-alike may be, but he was still very short.
"It is... rather complicated for me to explain." Omi responded, weaving his hands into his sleeves. "As I am to understand, we were all removed from our old worlds at the same time. But for some reason we all appear at different points in this time stream. I have been here for six years, therefore I have aged six years since you last saw me, which, to you, was only yesterday."
The dragon lord found this explanation rather lacking, but decided he'd get farther in figuring out what was going on if he played along. "Assuming I believe you about this...Omi... Why were we even brought here?"
Omi gave a grin as Chase finally referred to him with his name feeling it was the first step towards adjusting to the new situation. "There are many things I do not understand myself. I'm sorry, but you must wait for Jack to return. He is far better at understanding this world than I am."
Chase's mind floored right there. "Jack? As in Jack Spicer? Actually knowing something? That is a good one." he chortled and shook his head. Perhaps he really WAS having some delirious dream after all.
"It's true!" Omi berated his once enemy. "Jack has gone through many changes since you last saw him. He and I were the only ones to arrive with the temple."
"The other dragon apprentices are not with you?"
Omi shook his head, "No. Dojo appeared a few years ago, but you are the only other from our world since then." the young monk grew saddened by his own words.
The sound of someone awwing interrupted the conversation. "Why the long face chee-CHASE?!" The two warriors turned their heads at the new voice, Omi gaining a smile upon seeing Jack and Chase gaining a look of pure unmasked shock. Jack stood over six feet tall easily, still as slim and lean, and his skin as deathly white as ever. A fitting black tank top with netted sleeves and black cargo pants hanging almost way to low on his slim hips adorned his body. His clunky oversized boots were replaced with a stylish pair of combat boots, and his goggles now hug around his neck instead of holding his hair back, letting a few strands fall forward instead. His fingerless gloves and eyeliner the only part of his old outfit that remained the same.
"SPICER?!"
Much disbelief and arguing had followed Jack's arrival, as well as an assortment of explanations occasionally interjected upon by the excitable Omi, who seemed to have gotten far closer to Spicer than Chase was comfortable with. By the time the sun started setting, the three men's stomachs began to growl and Jack offered to make dinner.
"So you're probably going to be helping Omi run the temple now." Spicer commented as he stirred a pot of what he claimed was gumbo, "Found it in the Trans-Dimensional cookbook" he'd said when questioned, and Omi set the table for just the three of them. As Chase had learned, the majority of the beings he had seen on the training grounds did not actually live at the temple, and those who did had supper at five PM sharp before returning to their own rooms. Having spent the afternoon arguing, the three of them had yet to have their dinner.
"I suppose I can accept that." Chase's scowl had yet to leave his face. "What of you, Spicer? I know you won't be doing any martial arts."
"Actually, Jack Spicer has become most acceptable at fighting with Tai Shing Pek Kwar." Omi boasted.
"Monkey Kung Fu..." Chase couldn't stifle the laugh that escaped him. "Sounds fitting. How on earth did you manage to teach him?"
"Omi didn't teach me." Jack interrupted. "We got a new guy a few years back, Monty Fiske, he taught me."
"Hard to believe anyone could tolerate you long enough to bother." Chase mumbled picking up a piece of cutlery from the table to observe it.
Jack gave a heavy sigh and set down the ladle he'd been stirring with. "Ya know, Chase. I've been gone for six years. I'm NOT the same kid I was before. Can't you just accept that already?! Fuck, I'm working for the god-damned GOD of this world I don't deserve to deal with your condescending bull-shit!"
Without giving Chase a chance to respond, Jack stormed out of the kitchen leaving the Heylin prince and former monk alone together.
"Still over emotional as always." Chase scoffed crossing his arms and refusing to think he'd gone to far with the insults. It was JACK SPICER after all. "Doesn't seem so different to me."
"Chase Young." Omi spoke very formally to the Heylin lord. "I know Jack may not seem so different to you, but he has changed much for the better. I pity you for not being able to see that." The small monk bowed before leaving the affronted immortal to go after his friend.
A few months passed as Chase readjusted to temple life. He had considered Omi's words that first night and had taken to spying on Jack the few occasions the teen was at the temple. Which was not often, surprisingly. The more he watched though, the more curious he became of the former failure. Jack was actually... competent! Though the boy had gained little in muscle mass over the pat six years, he'd gained much in skill.
While spying on the tech genius practicing with his teacher, Chase finally met the man who he'd been giving the credit to taming Spicer. What shocked the dragon lord more than Jack's growth in maturity was the fact he actually got along with the master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar.
Lord Monty Fiske, who preferred to be called Lord Monkey Fist which Chase found rather groan inducing, was surprisingly skilled as a warrior and not slacking in brilliance either. Apparently in his own world he'd been a nobleman and skilled archaeologist, being very well versed in mystical artifacts. Chase could imagine Lord Fiske fitting in swimmingly with the other oddballs and mystic item chasing lunatics of his own world.
As Chase finished his morning Tai Chi workout, Monkey Fist waved him down. "Ah, Lord Fiske. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Monkey Fist sighed and shook his head. "Can't you once call me by my chosen name?"
"I could." Chase answered finishing his last stance before hopping off the narrow pedestal he'd been balancing on and joining his fellow martial artist at the door.
"But you won't." Monkey Fist rolled his eyes before turning away from Chase and walking down the hall and out to the training grounds, Chase followed with a smirk on his face.
"So where are you taking me today then?" The dragon lord questioned the monkey lord. After making Monkey Fist's acquaintance, the monkey themed villain had been taking Chase out of the temple regularly while Jack was at work, to different places in the adjacent town of Amity Park. From what he'd gathered, the god of this world lived somewhere in Amity, though Monkey Fist claimed he'd not be taking him there. "If you want to see Giovanni so badly you can go on your own," Fiske had claimed. Chase considered ordering Jack to introduce him to this so called 'god', the boy claimed to work for him after all, but he was still trying to avoid actually interacting with the 'new' Spicer. For some reason, the Heylin prince of evil found actually speaking to Jack rather awkward after his long, and still on-going, spying sessions.
Monkey Fist gave a smirk and raised a hand with his pinky out miming taking a sip from a cup of tea. "There's a tea shop on the edge of town. The style is rather odd, but the tea is simply superb. I'd recommend the jasmine, it's the owner's specialty."
"Hmm I suppose I'll consider it. Though I would like a good cup of oolong. Perhaps a bowl of Lao Mang Lone on the side." Chase continued in obvious jest. One thing he had instantly liked about this new world was that despite having no access to his soup, he had yet to lose access to his human form. It was as if he didn't even need the foul concoction anymore which, from what he'd gathered on this world, was more likely than not, true. "Your treat, of course."
"No cubits still?" Monkey Fist raised a brow as he continued leading Chase down the dirt path that served as the road to the temple, and towards the town. "You know you'll have to start doing something with your time, Young. Considering where you were placed, and you skill, I'm rather shocked you've not started assisting with training yet."
Chase gave a scoff. If he was going to train anyone it would be his own apprentice. His mind floated towards Omi and from there to Jack before he managed to clamp it down. "I do not see the point in obtaining this currency. What purpose would I need it for if I can simply take what I want?"
"Ahh, yes, I often forget. You were, as they say, the 'Big Bad' of your world. I hate to burst your bubble, but so were more than half of the current population of this planet." Monkey Fist gave a shrug. "Stealing isn't very simple when there is no one truly weak to steal from."
Chase gave a growl, having been aware of the fact, and not really intending to begin stealing from the random overpowered beings who ironically ran some of the most mundane businesses. "I do not help with training because I do not wish to train anyone."
Monkey Fist thankfully did not point out how obvious the lie was. "Well, perhaps you should look elsewhere for employment, then."
As if that were an option. From what Chase had learned, new arrivals always ended up working at or living in the location they were dropped off at. Something about Giovanni knowing just where to put everyone. Ridiculous if you asked him. "What would you suggest, Lord Fiske?"
The path they walked soon merged into a better kept, paved road, gaining a sidewalk alongside it which the two warriors didn't hesitate to move to. The ever growing city of Amity Park stood before them, a welcoming sight in the distance.
"Perhaps you should ask Jack to introduce you to Giovanni. You certainly obsess over him enough, might as well work there too." Monkey Fist suggested.
"That would require confronting Spicer in the first place." Chase responded coolly, brushing off the "obsessed" comment.
"Sometimes you can be truly unreasonable." The rest of the walk was spent with idle chitchat about various things going on at the temple and new arrivals they'd read about in the paper. Surprisingly, to Monkey Fist, the typical rant from Chase about the television selection (or lack there of) went unheard. But, as he recalled the events of the previous day, wherein Jack accidentally walked in while Chase was ranting about the lack of good television and falling over in hysterics about Chase Young being a "TV buff", the monkey lord could understand why.
When the gates to Cafe Mew Mew came into their sights, the casual conversation stopped. Chase gave an unreadable expression before looking to Monkey Fist. "You're joking..."
"I told you they had an odd style." Monkey Fist shot a sideways grin at Chase before continuing on into the frilly, bright pink building. Chase cringed and gave a sigh before following. Hopefully the book was better than the cover.
The small cafe was a bustling center of activity. A group of random, yet similar, looking men took up multiple tables near the center of the room; a shy looking dark haired girl sat at a small table on her own in the corner; at least five Siamese cats were running around underfoot; a young man with a scarred up face, presumably the owner, was boiling water for the tea with his bare hands, while a woman clearly ice themed, formed a perfect snow cone out of the air and handed to a bald-headed boy with sunglasses on; all the while, a long line of miscellaneous beings stood waiting to place their orders to go.
All the sights and sounds of the cafe fled Chase's mind the instant he caught sight of a very familiar person standing in line, wearing the increasingly familiar and far to revealing clothing. "Spicer."
Monkey Fist sighed and mumbled to himself, "So much for tea."
Jack snapped his attention to them at the sound of his name. "Oh, hey Chase, Monty. Didn't expect to see you guys here."
"We could say the same about you Spicer." Chase responded in forced calm. "Shouldn't you be at work?"
Jack gave a chuckle, nervously rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, yeah, I'm actually on a drink run for the guys. This place is sort of out of the way, but I always like to come here when it's my turn."
"Don't they have drinks there?" Monkey Fist questioned, not really caring but feeling he might as well add to the conversation.
"Sure, I guess, but nothing fancy like here." Jack snorted and shook his head. "Nothing wrong with the cafe once in a while. It was Anko's idea actually, "Gotta keep the talent happy" she says. Pfft, as if she's the talent." The younger man laughed again at his own words, the two martial artists finding themselves lost in the conversation.
"Quite." Monkey Fist commented with a bland look while Chase barely hid his spike in curiosity. He knew literally nothing about what Jack actually did at work, just the timeframe that he was absent from the temple while working.
"Yeah... Well-"
"Here you go, Jack." The scar faced man interrupted presenting Jack with a beverage carrier holding four cups, and a bag of pastries.
"Awesome! Thanks Zuko," Jack gave a warm smile at the man as he took the carrier and bag daintily.
"Any time, say hi for me. Oh, and remind Danny he promised to baby sit Saturday. I do NOT want Jack and Korra staying alone with Zim again." Zuko spoke grimacing slightly from recollection as he moved on to work on the next order.
"Can do!" Jack gave a mock salute before turning to leave. "Guess I'll see you guys tonight." He smiled at Chase and Monkey Fist before leaving the cafe with a jingle of the door.
Monkey Fist glanced at the door as Jack left, then turned to Chase only to find the dragon lord was no longer standing beside him. Another jingle rang from the door and the ex-archeologist rolled his eyes. Chase could find out the hard way. An evil grin crossed the monkey man's face as he moved forward to place his order.