A/N: So, I've been working on this story for years. And I feel it's finally ready to be posted. I've posted it once on DA, but I feel like it would be... mean, to not post it here too. This is the first part of the first chapter, and there are several other chapters after this, along with several PARTS of those chapters. Hey, it's a long ass story. I'm gonna try to finish this one before my next milestone birthday. That sounds about right. So far, I own nothing.
Chapter One: The Visits: Omi
I glared at them from my place on the ground, holding up a few wires and some metal plates from my biggest, best and greatest death machine.
A machine of undeniable power.
A machine of unmeasurable strength.
A machine they were able to cut through like butter. Which wasn't fair! It was my only advantage, and my only strength and they--
They were gloating about it right now. Those losers. I hate them, so, SO much...
"Alright, so you won. Do you mind leaving so I can clean this up and be on my merry way!?" I tried to shove as much sarcasm in there as I could. But they just stood there, like they didn't understand the plain English that was coming out of my mouth.
Should they understand me? I mean, Omi's Chinese, Kimiko's Japanese, Raimundo's Brazilian, and Clay's American. So maybe Clay should be able to understand me, but not the others, right? Whatever. They still didn't move.
"What's the matter, Spicer? All done for the day?" Kimiko cooed, putting on her best mock baby voice. Omi decided that was the best time to jump into the fray and rub salt into my wounds. Along with some lemon juice and pure rubbing alcohol.
Sure, why not, cue ball? Why not...
"Jack Spicer will obviously never defeat us! Not compared to the might of the Xiaolin Dragons!"
Alright, that does it! Why do I take this? I normally just fly away, and never say anything again until next time. But right now, I just can't take it. I would rather throw my last two cents in their faces before disappearing forever.
That's right, you heard me. I'm done with this! I can't take it anymore. I'm quitting this whole Shen Gong Wu game. It's brought me nothing but humiliation and more anti socialism than I had originally designated for myself.
"Yeah. MIGHTY Xiaolin Dragon Rangers, go! You know what, I really DON'T need this right now. Enjoy it, Xiaolin Dragons. I QUIT!" They all gasped. I couldn't believe it. I was actually sounding intelligent. And they were actually shocked.
They were actually... Shocked! "Have fun with your DRAGON MIGHT!" They watched me with wide eyes. But it was great! I can't believe I actually had them eating out of the palm of my hands! What I wasn't aware of, though, was what was going on behind me. "I'll just take my METAL," I waved a piece above my head. "Then and be OUT OF YOUR WAY!" I said, turning around, both hands waving about in the air now.
But I wasn't expecting to see a large mimic of my hands, made of the scraps from my robots, behind me, waving in almost the same manner that I was.
I didn't realize I looked that ridiculous.
And it didn't take me long to drop my hands and look up at the waving towers of scraps with large eyes. And even as I tell this story with practiced calm, I was probably screaming my lungs out.
They stopped, and dropped in front of me, as if they, too, had just given up. I watched the sight, feeling heavy pounding all around me, creating a perfect circle of robot parts and machinery, and trapping me in the middle. And, a few feet in front of me was a tiny symbol, glowing in the dirt. I was very well learned in ancient Chinese, as well as modern Chinese, and many other languages.
And I know more than enough to understand what those scratches in the ground meant.
I did my best to cover it up.
If they found out... that would completely be the end of my evil career.
I cleared my throat and stood up, dusting off my pants in the best casual manner I could muster.
"Ahem! Well, it's been nice, Losers. But, like I said," I was starting to raise my voice more, they were asking too many questions, and I didn't want to answer any of them.
Especially not Omi's.
"Jack Spicer... Are you alright?"
He HAD to be the one to ask, didn't he?
I mean, sure I hated the little cue ball, but he was... I dunno, the only thing I had that was anything close to a friend. So, this said, you might be able to guess why it was hard not to cry. One, because I was definitely NOT okay. And two... I knew I could talk to Omi about it, and he'd at least be semi-understanding. As for his fellow dragons... Not so sure about them.
"Like I said, I'm gone. FOREVER!"
When I arrived home, no one was there, thank goodness, but I was still frustrated, needed to scream, and was going to wait till I got downstairs to scream.
Metal Dragon...
The symbol flashed in my mind, and I shook my head, trying to clear it. Why NOW!? Why, when I was finally done with Xiaolin, done with Heylin, done with showdowns and Shen-Gong-Wu, did this have to happen?
I reached for the doorknob, but before my fingers were even six inches away from it, it sprung back, causing the door to jump back and slam against the wall behind it, I winced and sighed. They really wanted me to accept this, didn't they?
"It's a shame I'm done with this, or else I think it'd be REAL cool to have these powers!!" I yelled, hoping that whatever forces gave me the CURSE would hear me and take them away.
Unfortunately, when I raised my hands up, my screwdriver flew into my face, giving me a brilliant blue bruise.
As I rubbed my eye, now probably turning black and blue, I could hear a small voice from the shadows behind me, and I knew I couldn't ignore it this time.
"J-Jack?" I knew he was alone. He wouldn't bring the others, not this time. I peaked at him through long fingers and black fingerless gloves. He was standing, looking up at me with sympathetic eyes.
"Great. Just what I need." I could hear the accidental harshness in my voice and tried again. "What do you want, Omi?" Yeah, that sounded a little better.
I could tell it did, since he smiled a little. "I wanted to ask you..." Oh yeah, here it comes. Why did you give up? Jack Spicer? "What is your birthday?"
...What!?
"What!?" I'm sure I heard him wrong, but when he asked again, there it was. He wanted to know my birthday. I was so shocked I momentarily didn't remember. But then, I had every right to. What was the last birthday I had actually celebrated? Like, with friends? Or anything? That would probably have been.... never. Oh, right. The question. "Uhhh.... July 15th." He thought about that, then nodded, as if that pleased him. I was about to ask him why it mattered, why he needed to know, when he spoke again.
"Mine is January 9. Did you know that is why I have the nine dots on my head?" I raised an eyebrow, but shook my head anyway. He closed his eyes and nodded in that... Too-old-for-his-age way. "Oooh yes. It is a mark for being the first born on the ninth, during the last month of the year!"
"Faaascinating. How old are you, anyway?" I asked, not even sure why I wanted to know. I mean... I was done with them.
Wasn't I?
"I'm told I have lived nine years, but as you know, I am an orphan." That's the one thing I admired about the kid. He's never sad about that. I smiled at him, a sad sort of smile that I know would make him happy. And it did. He smiled up at me once again, his black eyes glowing with appreciation.
I looked away. I couldn't get friendly with him now, it was too late.
All of a sudden, before I could ask him to leave--yes I was going to ask--I heard a gurgling sound, coming from somewhere behind and below me. I turned back to Omi, who was blushing and holding his stomach.
He giggled nervously and I smiled, patting his big, round, bald head, and lead the way to the kitchen.
"What is this strange concoction, Jack Spicer?" I looked at the place I set in front of him, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, some cookies, and a glass of chocolate milk.
"Mac 'n' cheese, chocolate milk, and chocolate chip cookies." I said, pointing to each thing. I was dining French style today. (What? I LIKE the fancy stuff just as much as I like pudding!) A roll of black bread, several fancy types of cheese, tea, caviar, and other things that caused Omi to stare.
After a few minutes of quiet, Omi picked up his fork and stabbed a noodle, looking at it apprehensively, before popping it into his mouth and chewing.
"Mmmmmm! This is MOST excellent, Jack!" He cheered. I grinned nervously.
"I just put it in the microwave..." But I'm sure I looked pleased anyway. After cleaning up everything and doing the dishes (Omi did most of it, I helped), we went to the living room, so I could show him some of my favorite cartoons that I video taped. I used to watch them with my.... erm... stuffed animals. Like I had friends to watch them with. Just like with everyone else I know, everyone back then... when I was a kid, thought I was a freak. So...
Yeah. No friends.
As we glided through the first half hour of cartoons, Omi began to laugh more. Probably because, after I explained them to him more, he understood them easier. It was nice, though. Having someone to watch these with. Like a kid brother, someone younger than me, and more innocent, for whom the shows were originally intended.
Even though I liked them, I loved watching them, always, it was just so much fun... so much more fun to watch it with him than by myself. I'm sure it would have been fun with anyone, but Omi made it REALLY amusing.
"Ooooh! I understand! It is funny because the RABBIT has tricked the DUCK AND the hunter!" And then he would laugh. And I had to laugh too, because just voicing the thought process out loud was... I stopped laughing and smiled softly, just so that he wouldn't ask questions. That was something I used to do. And... I guess it was still stupid sounding. Still, it didn't make those losers laugh, and I... I stopped again.
There was something wrong... And it just hit me, like a HUGE ton of bricks. "Hey Omi... Where are the other Monks?" He sort of stiffened on the couch, like he knew he was caught, but didn't REALLY want to admit it.
Omi scratched his head and giggled nervously. "Eheheh. Wh-what do you mean?" I glared at him shortly, before he gulped. "I-I mean... uh... Weeeell... I didn't just leave... I left them a note, and..."
"...What did you tell them?" I asked, slow enough for him to know I meant business, but not too slow. He winced, and ground his teeth at me, trying to speak, but not wanting or willing to. "Omi, what did you TELL THEM!?!" I stood up swiftly and glared at him before pushing a few buttons on my watch, not wanting to wait for a response. "Jack to all Jack bots, on full alert, monks MAY be in the perimeter, secure and... uhm... secure. Just be sure NO ONE gets into the mansion!"
Omi smiled at me nervously while I placed the bots all around the place. "She's not gonna be happy... if those monks break into the basement again, mom's gonna KILL me!"
I heard Omi gasp. "But why would a mother kill her own son?" Silence. I spared him a small glance, and returned to my watch, which controlled all of my bots. When they had been dispatched, and I didn't hear another word on the monks being here, I went back to the basement, Omi fast at my heels.
"Jack Spicer, what are you doing? I would like to help!" I sighed, but I couldn't find the harm in it, and nodded.
"I have to check the surveillance cameras. You do the whole monk thing, and check the house, just don't open any doors you don't know. And stay QUIET! Mom's here, and she's sleeping, if she wakes up, I'm in a LOT of trouble." He just watched me.
"But why would you be in trouble?" I wasn't that into swiveling multiple cameras in different directions to avoid the question.
"Because mom hates to be woken up, especially for no good reason, and even more so when you guys break the house!" I could hear a soft mumbling, but I was too infuriated to stop talking. "I mean, is it too much to ask to have you use the door? The snowman, the sapphire jellyfish, Mala Mala, everything happens here, and this place is always getting torn up. And WHO pays for it? Me! Do I even break YOUR house? Noooo! And yet, you do mine. And I, oh, I pick up my toys, and leave, and did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe, I just wanted a frie--..."
It happened again. I said too much. Me and my big mouth. I looked at Omi, who, I could tell, even though his big, bowling ball head was bowed, was crying. I sighed, feeling bad for what I had just said, and reached out to comfort him, but he turned away before I could, and mumbled that he was going to check the house.
Five minutes later or so, I heard him come back in, and, when I turned around, I saw his face trailed with tear tracks, going straight down.
I had to hand it to the little guy. He knew how to make me feel bad. "Jack Spicer...I... I am sorry. I didn't--"
"Don't bother." He looked up at me as I handed him a wet towel. "It's fine. I guess, when you have super powered friends, you should expect some kind of property damage."
Omi smiled, and I know he heard me say friends (What else would we be?) but... he left it alone.
We went back upstairs, preparing to watch more cartoons, when we were greeted by a tall, thin figure at the top of the stairs.
"Wuya!" Omi yelled, preparing to jump her.
"Woah! Hang on, Baldy." She KINDA looked like Wuya. If you REALLY needed glasses, her hips weren't as big, and her hair was way shorter. "THAT'S my momma."
Blinding light gave way to her human form and features, and he could see now that there was nothing witchy about her face, just plain blue eyes, and short, bright, honey colored hair.
And, I bet if you could measure magic, mom wouldn't quite have... well, any.
"Jack. Sweetheart. Hither and yon." She said it so slowly it sounded like she couldn't be sweeter. In reality, slow was BAD with mom. Omi looked up at me, confused at the wording she choose to use.
"It means 'come here'. Yeah, mom? What's up?" She just watched me as if I asked what two plus two was. That almost always meant trouble.
For me, anyways.
"What's up? Jonathan Matthew Spicer, you send robots to guard the perimeter, and YOU ask ME what's up? Turn it around and answer the question." Mom never was one to mince words.
"Please, honorable Lady Spicer, it was only for your protection--" My mom just noticed the cue ball, and stared for a while before breaking out in a wide grin.
Crap. Here it comes...
"Ooooooooh..... Aren't you THE CUTEST LITTLE THING! Ooooooooh, Jack, you never told me you had a friend!" She blushed, and stuttered as I myself turned bright red. "I-I-I mean, a friend this cute. A friend... this cute. That's what I meant to say." Omi smiled up at mom, who was hugging him tightly, and holding him to her like a teddy bear. Sure, yes, I felt a little jealous. I mean, it's MY mom. Er... SHE'S my mom.
Omi, the little CHEESER was just standing there, grinning.
I bet it's his first hug. From a real woman. I mean, Kimiko is okay, but... flat much?
"Thank you fair Lady Spicer, and I hope that--" But mom cut him off again.
"Oh, isn't he just DARLING? I should show him off to all my friends." Shyeah. He'd probably actually LIKE that. A whole bunch of ladies pinching his cheeks and giving him sweets and cookies.
...Makes me wish I were cute again. Anyways.
"Call me Mrs. Spicer, dear. Jack, did you feed your little friend?"
"Yeah mom." I said, chugging an energy drink. Little did I realize, someone... or rather, several someones, sneaking around my front yard.
"Oh, yes! Jack Spicer handled the microwave MOST excellently! And made me Mike and Cheese!" Ma blinked before giggling, and I slapped him on the head.
He looked affronted at first, but when he saw I was smiling, and knew I was joking... he began to laugh, too.
Here's something that no one knows, though; I actually felt like... a part of someones life. Like I was wanted.
And cared about.
And... I actually liked that feeling.
"It's 'Mac and Cheese', Shorty." I said between laughs. He caught on to why we were laughing and laughed along, louder, even though he was blushing.
You know, when everything's going awesome, something's gotta go wrong.
Damn you, Karma.
The door smashed open, and (Surprise), in popped the other three monks. The dragon (I can only presume) was shrunk down and hidden in the cowboy's hat.
"Alright, Spicer, give Omi BA-OWW!" Raimundo started, but never finished, because my mom hit him upside the head with her special made, metal link fan she always kept on her.
And that thing HURTS!
Trust me, I know.
"Hey! So THAT'S what's been happening to the walls! I've been punishing JACKIE for that!" She gasped, stepping back from the monks. Mom clutched the fan tighter and took another step back. And I knew full well what that meant. "And that means... YOU all broke... my..." This wouldn't be good. I grabbed Omi and pulled him back. He jumped, and tried to wiggle free, but didn't make any noise.
Which was... well... actually, it didn't really matter.
"...VAAASSSE!!!" She shrieked, swinging furiously with twin fans now. The three warriors jumped out of the way, as I was laughing my ass off, and Omi was stunned.
"How can such a sweet woman be so--" I laughed again, seeing how confused Omi was.
"Mom's trained in hand to hand combat, as well as a master of weaponry. Well, most types, anyways." I smiled softly towards her, and I could feel Omi's eyes on my face. "She's teaching me on the staff, and 'the art of kick-boxing'." Omi smiled at me, still impressed that I was so calm. Or maybe he just felt a strong bond with my mother.
"AY! Jack! You wanna call off your ma--AAH!" Raimundo was yelling out, and trying to block more of mom's punches, swings, and blows from the fan.
I smiled. "Well, I dunno... mom does look like she's having fun. MOM!" She looked up at me, taking a defensive stance. "They're my friends. It's okay."
She glared at them, and I could tell they wanted to relax, but were worried if mom would start swinging again or not.
Finally, mom lowered her fans, and turned her back on them. "Keep an eye on them, Jack." She told me, patting me on the head. Mom looked down at Omi and hugged him again. "Take care, little one." He closed his eyes, and reached out to her, to hold her.
And in the span of a few seconds, I saw something that changed my opinion of the little guy forever.
He was crying.
This kid had no family, no real parents... stuff that I had taken for granted. And I guess he realized that. That he saw that. And I know my mom did, too, or else she probably would have just patted him on the head or something.
I smiled. He was crying because he knew he got his very first mom hug.
When she pulled away, she wiped her eyes, and said to me, "Hey, kiddo, dinner in half an hour. Say goodbye to your friends."
I nodded and watched her go. The others looked slightly insulted, but left anyway, or... were about to before they realized Omi's eyes were still glued to the door leading upstairs.
"Omi?" Kimiko called out to him, but he didn't look back.
"May I say goodbye first?" His voice sounded strangled, and it even cracked a few times. The monks were confused, and threw me MORE than enough dirty looks, but nodded, and left.
I went to my chair and stared at the little cheese ball, and it was quiet for a REAL long time. Then--
"Jack? Is a mom hug always like that?"
I bit my lip. "Uhmm--" I looked away from him, thinking of what to say.
What came out of my mouth could only be defined in one despicable, horrid, mess of a word. Well, actually a sentence, really.
I spewed out pure poetry, to comfort my enemy.
"A mom hug is different all the time. Each time, it changes. When you're sad, a mom hug will cheer you up. When you're happy, a mom hug will make you even happier, even though that doesn't seem possible. And when you're mad, a mom hug will make you confused, cuz then she's trying to cheer you up, and you don't want to be happy, but you are anyway, even when you're REALLY mad at her. When you're mad at her, and she hugs you, it's like two different types of war inside your mind. And when it doesn't seem possible, a mom hug can make you sad. Because she's disappointed in you, since you let her down, and she wants to hold you close, since you're her one and only, and you think holding her will make you feel better, but then... it doesn't. And you want to do anything for a happy mom hug. For... a happy mom."
I looked over at him, not sure of what I said, or why I even said it.
Omi was smiling again. Not really happy, but not sad anymore either. Content! That's the word. Like, satisfied. "Thank you, Jack." He said, patting my knee before going to catch up with the others.
I watched him go, but shook the growing smile from my face. Who knew what I was now, but I wasn't going to go all good. And I wasn't going back to the Heylin side, either.
Why didn't they understand!? That life is over for me!
Right?