Drowning

by HawkMoth

A long stand still in the war between the Xiaolin monks and the Heylin empire. A new Wu to complicate things. And Jack is reduced to being an object from everyone to fight over. A Jack/Chase fic because I was bored, and love them still. Cannon fighting and some butchered Portuguese translations (sorry about that).

Jack couldn't stand boredom. Not only that, but the on going complete and utter boredom he felt could possibly drive him mad. Months of silence was nagging at his every waking moment. He took to sleeping well into the day, and when he was up and about in his empty house the time was spent in his lab. He built half a dozen new robots, invented the weirdest and possibly the most useless gadgets. There were countless half started projects littered throughout the mansion, having filled the storage room already. At odd times Jack took up yoga to calm his growing anxiety brought on by this boredom.

He was fidgety and impatient and couldn't stay still for too long. At any time he expected to go insane, scream and blow something up just for the hell of it. Maybe, at the very least, it would kick-start the war that was currently at a stand still between the Xiaolin monks and the Heylin empire. With the sudden silence of any new Wu, each side seemed to be equally matched and the whole battle calmed down to scattered fights if anything at all.

Jack was itching to get back in the game. True, he was normally useless and was kicked out before anything really bad happened to him, either literally knocked out cold or Chase Young would forcibly throw him through a portal back home. It was odd behaviour, but the growing frequency of it was starting to become almost typical for the Heylin Prince. Jack felt these rough and violent ways of being tossed aside were just silent proof of how useless he was. No one needed or wanted him around a fight or his company during these long stretches of silent, uncertain peace.

Jack slumped over the metal frame of the robot he was tinkering on. He sat on the floor with the large casing in his lap, cradling it between his legs. Arms stretching out, he rested a cheek down on the cool metal. God, he was bored. Bored and feeling useless, and ultimately depressed. There was no one to talk to besides the recorded, false sympathies of his own robots and they weren't the best at conversation, but then neither was he. Jack sighed heavily.

The house around him fell silent when he stopped working. Way off in the distance he could hear a Jack-Bot cleaning or doing something, far off in the mansion. How long had he been alone anyway? He hadn't heard from Wuya or Chase in months – not that they sought him out often. His mother seemed to be on permanent vacation. The last time he got any word from her was a few weeks ago, coming in the form of a short letter and a packaged gift of french macaroons. Apparently, she had been in France for a while if the present was any clue. Sounded like a good time.

His father on the other hand was off doing his usual 'business deals' and meetings, over seeing all his legal and illegal handling. Currently, Jack was positive, that his father was on vacation too despite his claim of being in Fiji "on business". It was definitely secret code for, in Fiji with one of the mistresses, so don't call or email. Jack hummed to himself. It must be nice to have not only a family but other people who craved ones attention enough to have to sneak away with them on weekends. Of course this was coming from someone who felt completely alone on the best of days.

After a few minutes he sat up tall and cracked his neck. He set the wrench he'd been holding down on the floor in order to remove his thick framed, black glasses to rub at his tired eyes. The long stretch of isolation made his forgo caring about his appearance. It felt like a waste of his endless free time to put thought and effort into keeping up with his hair colour or make up, contacts or even finding clean clothes. He would wake up, put the same jeans and t-shirt on, and go to his lab to work.

So currently, the twenty-one year old, sat in this way, dressed in ripped black, oil stained skinny jeans and a dark gray t-shirt that hugged his skinny frame. The work gloves he wore rubbed a bit of dirt off onto his clean, pale cheek. The makeup he used to once wear under his eyes were absent so it wasn't like he'd mess up the eyeliner. Maybe eventually he'd find the energy to put some on, but not right away. He didn't even care to put in contacts anymore, opting for glasses. There was no fighting going on so, why need contacts?

The biggest difference about his appearance was his hair. The flaming red it was during his whole teen years, had faded and washed out. The majority of his shaggy, short unstyled hair was almost pure white with only random strands of red and faded pink through out his head. He didn't care much anyway. No one cared about how he looked, so why should he. Right?

Just as Jack was considering taking a snack break from his work a light flickered on the dash board of his computer set up. An alarm chirped at him in the quiet lab space, begging for attention. Jack rolled the robot form out of his lap and stood, making his way over to the computer. It felt like forever since his Wu activation alarm had gone off to the point where he wasn't sure of how to react to it. Jack took up the seat in front of the control panel and typed in a few passwords and codes. The Wu catalogue popped up on the screen, as well as the signal being sent out by this new Wu. The signal wasn't too far away. It was, however, unfortunately close to the Xiaolin temple which left zero time for Jack - should he choose to pursue it. Which, of course, he did.

Grabbing the closest jacket available to him, a well used but newer trench-coat, from its hanging place off a dismantled robot shell, he all but flew out the lab door, only stopping to grab his helipack.

.

.

The strange stretch of silence in the war between the two sides was getting to everyone, even the Xiaolin monks. They had enjoyed it at first, happy that they had some time to relax. For the first few days it was like a mini vacation. If you could call getting yelled at by Master Fung and occasionally Dojo for not training a vacation. Over the years they grew well into their abilities and were, for the most part, a well organized team of Xiaolin Dragons. Each Dragon had changed from their childish counterparts in the best ways. But at their core they were still a group of teenagers/young adults, with the interests and habits of anyone else their age: sleeping in, television, video games and the like.

Clay was consistent in his mannerisms and habits, only filling out in his strength more over time. He was very calm, complementing Omi's boisterous and boastful personality. They were a good fighting pair when teaming up. More so now than ever. Omi had gone through a bit of a growth spurt, almost matching Clay in height, but not in width. Tall, slim and toned, Omi was proud of his appearance very much. Proud to the point that he frequently made fun of Raimundo for being shorter. It was pay back for the many years of the same actions directed at himself. They bickered and teased and pranked each other like typical eight-teen to early twenty-some year olds.

Kimiko still beat everyone's asses at video games and was just as much 'one of the boys' as anyone, but she did have her own interests that the others did not understand, mostly makeup, fashion, quote-unquote "girl things". They left her to it when she went about them. Occasionally, Omi was dragged into partaking because he was too polite to say no.

Rai seemed to never change, despite his responsibilities as team lead. He just stayed consistently himself, stubborn, flirtatious, and a tad self-centred. He was a good leader when he had to be and met his role with full capability and dedication.

And even after thousands of years, Dojo never changed.

Eventually even they fell bored, taking up their training again, ever on the alert for any sign of danger. Even now, in the early snow of winter, they pranced around their training area, flipping and diving in the snow – throwing snowballs at each other in the ultimate snowball fight. It was like training, except more fun. Their little session was interrupted by Dojo hurrying out into the cold. Wrapped in a scarf and a knitted sweater that looked more like a long tube sock, he hit the snow and yelped. With a pathetic whimper he called out to them.

"Hold your fire, innocent dragon on the field!" He dramatically shivered and hurried himself over to climb onto Clay's shoulder. "Brrrr~ It's cold. I'mma need some hot cocoa after this."

"What's up there, partner?" Clay asked, looking at the pouting dragon on his shoulder.

"We gotta hit the road. Another Shen Gong Wu's popped up and I'd like to be back home in time for dinner. So, let's go." Dojo hopped down and wasted no time in taking on his full dragon form. "Cold dragon no fly-ey, so get on, get on, get on."

"Damn, I thought Kimi was high maintenance," was Rai's only comment as he climbed onto the dragon's back. He was promptly punched in the arm for it. The faked pained expression on his face was met by an insulted frown. It quickly turned into an innocent guy smile to avoid Kimiko's wrath.

They all piled on and let Dojo take off shakily. A dragon, just like any other lizard, didn't last long out in the cold. So, the faster they got this Wu the sooner they could return safely.

With concern, Omi gave the dragon a gentle pat on the side. "Hold together, my friend. We will get this Wu and be back for your dinner." He promised gently.

It wasn't long until their flight took them through a snow capped mountain range not too far from the temple. Everything looked so undisturbed and crisp, sans foot prints or any indication of life, not even animals. The sky over head was a clear blue, allowing the afternoon sun to brightly shine down, bouncing off the snow below. One had to squint to see and still it was difficult. The chance of snow blindness was a high risk. Raimundo made a face before asking the obvious question,

"So, what are we looking for?"

Dojo started to sink in the air slowly toward the ground. "Do you guys remember going over the volume of all the Shen Gong Wu,? Well, the ones I remembered anyway... and actually wrote down?"

"Uh... vaguely?" Rai drawled hesitantly along the same time Omi pipped up with a positive, self assured,

"Yes. Absolutely."

"Well, gold star to you." Dojo said sarcastically. It was enough of a praise however for Omi to give a beaming smile in Rai's direction. "I've brought this Wu up before. You're all looking for the Genie Moo."

Again Raimundo spoke up at the same time as Omi, only this time simultaneously asking, "Genie Moo?" Dojo rumbled with a shiver and hummed in acknowledgement.

"Yup, you got it," he said. "Weird little thing, doesn't even do anything half the time. I'm still not sure what Dashi was trying to do with the Genie Moo. Anyway, it's this Wu that can bring out the ying/yang personality of the person it's being used on. So, in theory, it can make someone completely flip personalities, or potentially make a good person evil, or visa versa. Or, and here's the kicker, nothing could happen at all. You don't know what is going to come out of it."

Clay whistled and rubbed his forehead. "Boy, that's some Russian Roulette bull if I've ever heard it. What's this Genie Moo look like?"

"Trust me, you'll know it to see it. Landing, kids, hold on." Dojo landed down into the snow as gently as he could. They were at the base of a steep mountain and adjacent to a half frozen lake. It would have been very pretty if it were not for the task at hand. Dojo shrunk down and squealed like the whiner he truly was. "So, cold! Ugh!"

"Come'ere, little buddy." Clay picked up the lizard and bundled him up in one arm. "You stay close and chill."

"More like freeze..."

The group walked forward, eyes pealed for the new Wu, all the while listening to Dojo's game of hot or cold instead of real directions.

.

.

Maybe twenty minutes into their walk, the monks were all starting to feel lost in the never ending uphill climb in the snow. The sun bounced off the snow making farsightedness almost impossible, which was wonderful when trying to search through the environment for an unknown item. As Clay would frequently say, it was like trying to find a 'needle in a haystack' or 'trying to find a black cat in a coal cellar', or some other relevant likewise idiom.

"Maybe, left. No, more to the right?" Dojo shivered and twitched from both the cold and sensing the Shen Gong Wu. It was quite the combination, and either way, his sense of direction was getting thrown off to the point that they were almost walking in circles.

Luckily, after all the groaning and some unnecessary yelling, coupled with some 'distasteful' swearing – as Omi put it so nicely – the sun caught the gold statuette, sparkling like a star. Kimiko was the first to see it, high up on a precarious rock on the side of the mountain. It was like a seeing a signal flare go off it was so obvious. The statuette was solid gold, glinting in the sun. It was a welcoming looking Wu, like a decoration, with a solid base and the figure of a happy meditating cow on top.

"Holy cow," Rai commented with a wide smile. It couldn't be helped, the joke was just there and it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. While Omi and Kimiko didn't laugh, because of either finding it too literal or just not funny, Clay did chuckle. He found Rai's humour off at times but it was perfect for this one particular joke.

"Indeed," Omi replied casually, seeing only the fact that it was in fact a holy cow. Rai rolled his eyes but appreciated that Clay at least found it funny. They climbed the mountain without too much problem, even with the snow and ice, and came close to reaching the ledge where the Wu sat. But the quiet mountain side was disturbed by the sound of helicopter blades cutting through the still air.

It didn't take a second guess at who was to join them from the noise, or from the black figure clumsily landing on an especially slippery snowy patch. Almost falling on his ass, Jack Spicer landed just above the Wu. They all stood equal distances away from the little statuette, looking between the Wu and each other. Though the monk's attention seemed to be more drawn towards Jack than the Wu. The young man stared back, confused as to why they were staring wide eyed and open mouthed. It hadn't occurred to him that this was probably the first time the monks had ever seen his natural hair colour, or him without his signature eyeliner, but Jack had forgotten all about that.

"What?" He asked, blinking and looking between the confused faces directed at him. There were a few wordless replies, random sounds and grunts of a questioning manner. Jack just raised a pale eye brow and brushed it off. "Right then, okay. Anyway~"

"Jack? Is this really you, or perhaps a ghost?" Omi blinked rapidly, not truly recognizing his long time enemy/wish to be friend. The passed few months would not have been enough for him to forget the goth's face at all, but it was dramatically different, like Jack was a completely different person. Jack was still as pale as the snow around them and was dressed in familiar black, but his hair was as white as his skin and is face was clean. It was astonishing. If anything, he looked pretty, radiating a soft glow in the sun like no one else could. The others were surprised but quickly recovered from their little moment of speechlessness, leaving Omi to gaze at Jack with bright eyes and a pleased smile.

"Could you look any weirder?" Kimiko muttered starting to climb again towards the Wu. She lead the charge scrambling over the rocks, never slipping on ice or snow. The others followed suit, bounding up the mountain for the perch.

"Rude," Jack snapped back. He tried to jump down the steep decline, hoping not to fall off the side of the mountain or slide down it face first. As hard as he tried not to fall, perhaps it was for the best that his boots slipped on the ice. Jack tumbled forward with a less than manly squeal of panic, arms flailing as if it would help him fly. He came quickly crashing down over the snow covered rocks, landing unceremoniously on top of the small perch where the Wu sat. It was lucky, even if he banged a knee or elbow. He would be fine. Jack grabbed at the Wu with greedy fingers. The gold statuette was heavier than it looked but not burdensome or anything. Jack sighed with relief.

That was until another set of hands grabbed it too, and then another and another. Jack pouted, unimpressed. He looked up at the monks who loomed over him. It didn't help he was still chest down in the snow. None of them looked happy to see him, except Omi but he was always happy. Although the younger monk looked extremely pleased over something or another looking at Jack. He shrugged that off quickly.

"Shit, it is you," Rai snorted, trying not to laugh at something only he found amusing. "Wouldn't have recognized ya really... if it weren't for the getup."

"Most certainly not, but it is quite the welcoming change. And speaking of 'welcoming', it is good to see you. It's been a while." Omi said, leaning down to smile at Jack.

"Omi, this isn't the time..." Rai was irritated obviously, but kept a level head for once. His attention left his fellow monk to call out Jack. "So, Jack. How's about you let go of the Wu and we all go home, huh? We won't have to beat you up or challenge you to a showdown or anything. Sound good?"

Jack scowled and clicked his tongue, "Tsk! Yeah right! Bring it on, losers." He had been itching to get back into all this and wasn't about to pass up a prime opportunity. That and Rai had a talent for pushing all of his buttons in the worse possible way.

"Four-on-one, or do you wanna take me on yourself?"

"You know what Pedrosa, Coma Merda! You and me, let's go!" Jack frowned, glaring at the smug-ass monk. He clutched the Wu tighter, not wanting them to yank it out of his hands like little cheats. Pushing himself to his knees, he leant forward to face Raimundo fully, not intimidated in the least. Yeah the guy was taller and buffer and a better fighter, but he wasn't scared of him. After all, once you get your ass handed to you by Chase Young and Hannibal Bean, respectively, it was hard to be intimated by anyone.

"You got it then, piroca." Despite the objection of his teammates, Rai was dead set on taking Jack on alone, claiming it would be easy and over with in minutes, then they could all get back to the temple. When they finally agreed, he turned back to Jack who was still quietly glaring at him, waiting for him to get on with the showdown. "So, wanna play old school? First one to the top of the mountain? No Wu, because I assume you don't have any, right?"

Jack's eye twitched. He didn't have any Wu with him. It was a slight oversight as he hurried out of his lab earlier, that and he only had a few to speak of and none that were amazingly helpful. But he agreed, letting his pride and eagerness get the better of him as always. "You're on." It was all going to come down to physical strength, and whether or not he could cheat his way too the top. Well, not cheat, more like gain a tactical advantage.

Suddenly, the air crackled with Heylin magic. It fizzled and popped like electricity and made Jack's spine stiffen immediately. Not too far off, on a wide ledge jutting out of the mountain side, opened a dark portal. Magic snapped from it like little whips. Out of the centre, looking all too pleased with the scene in front of him, was Chase Young. He looked as flawless as ever, tall and regal, with his arms crossed over his armoured chest. Following him came a bored, uninterested Wuya. She didn't seem to be there for the show, and probably wouldn't enjoy it unless someone died or spontaneously caught fire. But as a bystander, she was not allowed to tamper with a showdown once it had begun.

Jack stared over at Chase, glasses slightly starting to slide down his nose and become steamed from his breath hitting the lenses. Boy did he feel embarrassed now, not only was he unprepared for the showdown he had just talked his way into, he looked like an unbelievable slob. He was going to lose and look like an idiot doing so, again! Every time he messed up, Chase was always there to see it. Why was he never around to see the times he succeeded in doing something amazing? Honestly, he built robots, he was a genius, his father's companies ran off the inventions he came up with. Nothing impressed this guy, but damn did he want to so badly.

"Chase Young, what has brought you here?" Omi asked. It wasn't for the Wu or else they would have attacked by now, or if it was for a fight, why wait until after a showdown when a new Wu could possibly be used against them? But Chase merely raised a hand and waved off the question dismissively.

"We are simply here to observe. Do carry on." Chase insisted politely. His sharp gold eyes snapped over to meet Jack's blown out red ones. If Jack could get paler, he would have been.

"Come on Jack, stop staring at your boyfriend and let's do this," Raimundo teased. "What nothing clever to say now? No witty come back?"

Can one die from embarrassment? Jack twitched again, wondering if it was a possibility, because if anyone could be the first person in history to do so, it was about to be him. With a slight whimper Jack gritted his teeth and turned his attention back to Rai. He did his best to square off his shoulders and look like he was in control of himself. Whether or not it actually looked this way, he had no idea.

"Okay, Pedrosa. First one to the top of the mountain." Jack tossed his helipack aside on the snow.

"Gong Yi Tan Pai!"

.

.

The ground rumbled. Overhead the mountain stretched up, doubling, if not tripling in size. The peek was lost among the clouds, but as they swirled through the air, the sun caught the gold of the Wu now perched at the top. It shone like a beacon ti guide the way up the jagged, snow coated side of the mountain. Jack and Raimundo, heads tilted up to the sky took a long deep breath of the cold air.

Jack shivered feeling it frost over his lungs.

"Ready for this, Spicer? Ready to lose again?" Rai coxed. It earned him a quick side glare, pared with a childish pout of Jack's lower lip.

"Yeah-yeah. Shove it, seu cuzao."

"Chupa meu à pau!" Rai yelled.

"Vai pro inferno!" Jack yelled back.

"Puta!"

"Boys!" Kimiko shouted at them from the sidelines, getting their attention and putting an end to their back and forth of swearing in Portuguese. "Today, please?"

"Sorry!" Rai waved over to his friends apologetically. When he turned back around he gestured toward the mountain and smiled at Jack. "After you Jack." He said with fake chivalry. Jack did not look impressed with him but moved forward.

"Oh yeah, thanks."

Jack felt a little stupid to think that the teasing, bordering on verbal harassment, would stop as soon as they got underway with the showdown. Instead, Rai didn't bother hurrying off to the top. Despite the other monks screaming at him to do so, he stayed only a few feet a head of Jack at all times.

Jack climbed quickly, trying to do the best his physical limitations would allow. However, Rai was taller, much stronger and had training. He knew full well Rai was just playing with him, relaxing and taking his time, all the while yelling down at Jack in a mix of languages, swearing at him, teasing, straight up mocking him. Jack rolled his eyes before squinting at how the sun bounced off the snow. Here he believed good guys were polite and all that shit. He was pretty sure he had gotten kinder words out of Wuya believe it or not.

Jack hauled his already tired body up onto a ledge, shimmying over to his next hand hold. He kept telling himself to not look down the whole time. It wasn't the actual height that was scary at all. He wasn't afraid of the height. It was the falling, the bouncing off rocks before his inevitable splatter death at the base of the mountain. There wasn't a lot of space for him to move quickly, only inch himself over to the next rock. Just how the mountain shifted, adding ledges and stones, Jack was fighting gravity holding himself upright on the small shelf of rock. Temptation nagged at him too greatly and Jack peeked down over one shoulder. It was a long way down. Far down below was the frozen lack, mostly covered in ice and snow to the point where it blended into the ground almost seamlessly. He watched videos of cliff divers before. For some reason, he couldn't see the appeal.

Jack was sure if he fell, he would fucking die. A whimper left him, not liking that idea.

"What's wrong, Jack, scared?" Raimundo tossed down a snowball at him from above. The softly packed ball puffed apart against Jack's hair, leaving a little mound of snow. The dragon laughed as Jack shook his head clean. "Didn't take you for being scared of heights. I mean, you fly everywhere."

"It's not the height...idiot..." he mumbled angrily. Jack tiptoed a step to his right, ignoring how little pebbles were pushed off the ledge by his boot. Another snowball broke apart against his head, a little harder this time. He growled. "Will you stop doing that?!"

"Nah. This is a competition, Jack. You're not exactly trying very hard to beat me or anything, no cheating, not trying to pull be down with you. Are you actually playing fair for once?" Rai smirked and threw another snowball. It hit Jack in the face and knocked off his glasses, sending them to fall somewhere below.

"You prick!" Jack blinked snow from his eyes and made a irrational leap up to try and grab the monk by the foot. It was impulsive and without any sort of plan on how to balance himself or how to hang on. His finger tips grazed the underside of Raimundo's heel briefly before it was pulled back out of reach. Jack no longer stood on any kind of solid ground, barely holding onto the mountain's cliff like side with one poorly place hand. That too quickly slipped away as he was sent over the edge. Jack's hands grabbed at the air, eyes wide.

The scream caught in his throat, too over come by shock to force its way out. Jack watched, senses dulling by the rapid whip of wind by his eyes and ears, as the Rai and the mountain top became farther away. Jack gave a pitiful wave of his limbs out of sheer panic causing his trench-coat to wrap around his leg.

An abnormal gust of wind hit Jack in the back. It was so sudden and unnatural that he could only assume it was Raimundo trying to catch him or slow down his fall, but it struck him square between the shoulders, knocking all breath from his lungs. So, Jack was left gasping for a breath that wouldn't come. Jack squeezed his watering eyes shut tightly.

Pass the buzzing in his ears, he could hear the muffled shouts of concern. It was the last thing he heard before dropping into the cold lake, narrowly missing the sheet of ice which spread out over the top.

The first thing he could register was the intense cold. The water hurt his skin like a slow burn the spread over his body, soaking him to the bone and freezing him to the core. It such a sharp pain that he gasped, inhaling the water through his nose and mouth. Instantly, his body tried to reject it, twitching and spasming through the water but unable to find the surface.

Weighed down by his coat, Jack started to sink. His legs and arms were too tired, and now shocked with cold. Despite the desperate desire to hold his breath, Jack's body was on autopilot and tried to cough up the water which filled his windpipe. But there was no oxygen for him, so Jack involuntarily gulped down more ice water.

Three to four minutes for drowning to occur, varies from person to person. One minute for cold water shock to kick in. Chances of living to see hypothermia - slim to none. Hypothermia at 0 degrees Celsius or lower - half an hour at best. How cold was this water anyway?

Even in his state of panic Jack's brain rattled off all the facts he knew about falling into ice water and drowning. Not that it was of help to him now. He could feel his muscles seizing up, stiffening and refusing to move. Jack tried to open his eyes. The lids fluttered and he couldn't focus.

Before they slipped closed again and his world went black, he just glimpsed a blurry figure cross over the surface of the water. He couldn't even feel the arm wrapping around his torso.

.

.

The lake side was filled with screaming, calling for both Jack and his rescuer. It was the only sound in the air before a burst of water shot up from the lake like a geyser. The stream of water arched, dropping Omi down onto the snowy beach. He rolled over, and practically threw the Orb of Tornami across the snow in order to lay Jack down safely.

Omi knelt over Jack, dwarfing the unconscious man. The eternal optimism was threatening to slip from his face as he looked down at the pale, still face of his some-what-enemy-sometimes-friend. Jack looked as white as the snow beneath them. His expression was so relaxed and peaceful that he almost looked asleep. Omi poked at Jack's cheek lightly, hoping that the man would snap out of his slumber and try to smack his hand away. He lightly spoke Jack's name in an urgency, asking him to open his eyes. Both the Xiaolin and Heylin came to stand around them.

"Omi, he needs c.p.r!" Kimiko shrieked from panic. She didn't like Jack but wasn't exactly going to let him die. Omi looked at her, confused and unsure of exactly how to help, because he truly only partially understood. His shoulder was grabbed and pushed roughly off Jack.

Raimundo yanked him to his feet and shoved him back a step. "Move!"

Omi could only obey and back up from Rai. He stared, feeling useless and afraid. He hated this feeling of helplessness, watching on the side lines as Jack lay cold on the ground. Clay placed a hand on his shoulder to silently comforted him, but it went barely noticed. Omi dared a glance over to Chase and Wuya, curious as to why they would bother to stay and watch, yet not lifting a finger to help someone who pledged allies to the Heylin side. The two only stared on with emotionless expressions.

Omi felt his face twitch, a rare occurrence where he felt legitimate anger towards someone. His hands balled into fists but he did not act on his desire to tack out his feelings on Chase. Instead Omi looking back to Jack. It was all he could do.

.

.

It did not escape Chase's peripheral, the way Omi tensed and dared a frown in his direction. He crossed his arms and ignored the young monk in stoic silence. The stone faced expression he had drawn hid hid own internal tempest, the urge to lash out of control, demanding action over the scene that was before him. The beast inside lusted for blood against anyone who would dare harm or even lay a finger on the now unconscious albino. The human side too felt enraged but also concern, to go alongside other emotions what could cloud ones judgment under such pressure.

Chase had spent so long trying to keep Jack away from danger, to keep him safe and to make sure he did not die. Yet the foolish man-child continuously disobeyed.

Chase was not surprised that Jack had gotten hurt in the showdown. He always expected that to happen given Jack's limited abilities. However, it was the level of severity and the manner in which it all occurred. A stupidly reckless accident could have potentially ended the life of his hand-selected prospective consort. If the boy would only learn to listen and obey orders.

The only reason Jack did not obtain further injuries than what he had now – being at worst severe bruising, a mild concussion, and possibly a cold – was all because of his own magic.

Gone unseen by the monks while they were too caught up in their own panic, Chase had slowed Jack's speed significantly. He did not stop it all together, partly because he did not want to be seen giving the clumsy man-child obvious favouritism and because he felt Jack required a small punishment for not doing as told. Unfortunately, Chase did not consider this would be the outcome of Jack's little swim.

He held back his inner conflict, choosing to feign indifference. This perfect facade quickly started to crack as he watched Pedrosa lean down over Jack's unconscious form, tilting his head back. Those tanned fingers grazed over Jack's pale lips and jaw. They touched the white skin of his neck, looking for a pulse. In frustration, Rai abruptly tore open Jack's trench-coat. The fabric was pushed aside in heavy piles. Chase could feel his dragon surfacing, ready to lash out at the lot of them. Back stiff he took a sharp breath in through his nose.

Jack's body underneath the oversized, soggy coat was thin and bony. The wet fabric of the t-shirt he wore clung to his chest in just the right way to show how small he was under all the layers, the mechanics, and the bravado. Chase's eyes flickered over the protruding collarbone, the slim chest and fragile rib frame. He would not allow Pedrosa to mar such a body. The delicate bones would bend and snap and bruise. More than anything he would not allow the unworthy lips of a Xiaolin monk to touch his to-be consort. As Rai leant down the act fell away completely. Chase frowned, bearing his fangs. With a flick of his wrist he used his magic to revive Jack.

With very little warning Jack's whole body convulsed and he spat up water, choking and gasping. Terrified, his limbs flailed and shook as he coughed hard. Rai was off him instantly, stunned but doing what he could to ease Jack's delirium. He rolled him onto his side and rubbed his back trying to stay calm himself.

They all watched Jack draw his legs under himself. He bent over his knees and continued to cough and choke up water until he was only dry heaving. Stomach acid was brought up into his throat and stung, tasting horrible on his tongue. Jack managed a pained sound and rubbed at his face.

Passed them Chase marched, attention taken up by something off in the distance. No one payed him any mind until he made a comment to Wuya and opened a portal for their departure.

"Wuya, collect Jack. We're leaving," Chase said turning to face her. It went unseen how he had stooped down to retrieve Jack's glasses from the snow, or that he cradled them in his fingers, wrists crossed behind his back.

"You will not touch him!" Snapped Omi, ever being the protective friend. The younger monk made a move to stand between the witch and Jack, clearly ready to fight if necessary.

"If you prefer he die of hypothermia, by all means allow him to keep laying in the snow," Chase said calmly, but not without an edge of irritation. It was not known as of yet that Jack was his alone, but he could always take him by force. He considered this as the monks continued to stand in the way and call threats over what would happen if Wuya, or he, got too close.

"There ya go, partner. Take it easy now." Clay said soothingly, helping Jack out off his wet coat and into his own dry, much warmer one. Chase snarled through clenched teeth. It would only lead to an unnecessary waste of time they did not have to spare if they were to fight now. He would come back for Jack when he was well again. Chase turned towards the portal and called for the witch to join him.

"Another time, monks," he said without a second look back. Wuya followed, her own annoyance getting to her because she was perfectly happy to fight. The two disappeared in the crackle of magic and the portal closed after them.

.

.

Dojo held it together long enough to fly the lot of them back to the temple. He held his tongue about being cold because it was an unnecessary add on to the real danger present. Clay too, now lacking a coat, said nothing about how it was freezing outside. Their discomfort was meaningless seeing Jack turn shades of blue and purple.

Omi held Jack up on the dragon, quietly urging him not to fall back asleep as they flew. The oversized coat wrapped around the thin man was patted and rubbed, hoping it would help add some extra heat which was needed. He asked questions and spoke to him but Jack refuse to answer or look his way. Whether or not he had the energy to or if it was out of spite, Omi would have never known the difference. Rai too tried a small apology that went ignored or unheard. This continued until they returned to the temple's courtyard. Before they even landed properly, Omi was jumping down with Jack's light body in his arms.

Omi rushed inside, almost running head first into his master. He bowed his head and hugged Jack closer to his chest. "Master Fung...I..." He started to say, but there was little need for explanation. The elder monk nodded and hurried him into a private room so that he could have a look at Jack.

"This way, hurry now." Master Fung lead the way and gestured to a mat. He fetched a blanket.

It was just an unused spare room but it was warm and well lit. The temple had a few of them. Omi was reluctant to set Jack down but he held absolute trust for his life long teacher and master. So, being as gentle as possible he laid Jack on the mat. A sound of protect left the barely conscious man as he shivered and tried to curl up for warmth. The rest of the monks stood in the doorway, watching in silence. They pitied and cared to varying degrees but they did want Jack to be alright.

They weren't only allowed to watch for long, Master Fung excused them from the door, either sending them for supplied or just to give him room to work. Even Omi was sent away, despite how he objected, wishing and begging to help.

"Too many cooks spoil the broth," was all Master Fung offered to Omi as he directed him out the door, closing it after the young monk had left.

Omi closed his eyes, trying to gain control over his rising emotional confusion. He rested his forehead against the paper wall and heavily sighed out a breath he did not know he was holding. Through the thin divider he could hear Master Fung softly speaking to Jack as he tended to him. It was soothing and kind, reassuring in a fatherly way.

Omi turned from the wall and headed to the kitchen to find his friends. They were silently gathered around their dinner, awkwardly sitting together to eat. Though they were no longer as hungry as they once were. Omi joined them, head turned down. Clay patted his shoulder sympathetically.

"It'll be alright, little buddy," he said just as much to himself as he said to his friend. Omi nodded to acknowledge the statement. A bowl of stew was place in front of him too, and they ate together.

Dinner was long done when Master Fung came to find them. Dojo was with him, curled around his shoulders snugly like a scarf. He walked over to where they sat, gathered quietly together, occupying their time in their own ways. Clearing his throat he grabbed their attention instantly. It didn't go unnoticed how quickly Omi sprung to his feet worried and overly eager. Master Fung hummed, not approving of the sheer anxiety on his young face. He sighed before speaking,

"Spicer shall be fine..." Master Fung said softly. "For now, he needs undisturbed rest."

"But-"

"Undisturbed, Omi. He needs to rest. Dojo and I will keep an eye over him for tonight. Perhaps tomorrow you may see him, if he decides to remain under our care."

Omi took up his seat, feeling dismissed and useless once again. He tugged the sleeves of his robe down over his hands. He crossed his arms and legs, sitting like a sulking child.

"Do not worry yourself," Master Fung continued. "You were all very responsible to bring him back here. Dojo had told me how it occurred-"

"It was my fault," Raimundo interrupted, voice laced with guilt. It was dismissed with a gentle wave and a shake of a head. "It was, I pushed him too far."

"He knew what he was getting into. It was no different from any other showdown..." Kimi tried to argue.

"He's never almost died! He could have drown...foda..." Rai got to his feet, angry with himself more than anything else. He couldn't look at anyone, moving passed his master in order to leave the room. There were a few calls to him to come back but Rai quickly ran down the hall.

"Rai!"

"It is alright, Kimiko... He will return when he has calmed himself." Master Fung seemed to be unphased by the abrupt outburst. Although, in fact, he was only keeping calm for the benefit of his students. He chose not to worry them by mentioning how Jack's body was bruised and worn down, how his heart rate was dangerously slow, or how it would take longer than a single night for him to recover. However, for now, Jack was in dry clothes and resting. His body temperature stable for as long as he stayed put. Master Fung looked at the grim faces turned to him. He saw how Omi looked at the door too, wanting to follow after Raimundo. With a small nod of his head he bid Omi silent permission to see to his teammate and friend. Within seconds the youth was to his feet and out the door.

Clay lifted his hat, looking to his teacher. "And that Wu we got?" He asked curiously, deliberately changing the subject. It was appreciated.

"Safely placed in the vault, thanks to Dojo." Master Fung confirmed. The little dragon started to get all doe eyed and nuzzled into his neck.

"You are welcome," he sang. The moderate praise was taken all too intensely, as it always was.

.

.

Raimundo wandered aimlessly around the temple at a quick pace, guilt eating away at him. More than once he stopped by Jack's door, standing there for minutes on end just looking at the closed door. He would then place a hand on the wood, tempted to slide the door aside and go in. However, he would change his mind and walk away. He would loop round the courtyard and eventually return to the room, fidgeting and touching the door.

This time, after another long moment of hesitation he opened the door enough to peek inside. The room light was dim and the heat from inside was far warmer than the rest of the temple. Inside, Rai could see Jack huddled on the thin mattress, a stack of blankets placed over him. Only his pale face was exposed to the warm air of the room. Rai closed the door again and continued on walking.

From far back down the hall Omi poked his head around the corner. He had been following after Rai but chose to keep at a distance since the first time he passed and stopped at Jack's door. It was, at first, curiosity that made him stay away. Now, it was hedging on feelings he could not place - suspicion or possible jealousy. It was uncomfortable and unwanted. When Rai was out of sight he moved quietly down the hall, stopping by the closed door too. Finger traced over the frame delicately. He glanced up and down the hallway for any sign of the others. Opening it just enough, Omi slipped inside the room.

He was greeted by the heat at first, how it touched his skin softly. It was warm and comforting. Trying not to make any noise, he joined Jack on the floor, sitting beside the mat. It was so uncharacteristic to see Jack so still and calm. It was bothersome. Jack was always so lively and energetic. Seeing him motionless and cold was heartbreaking. The only indication of life in him was the slight raising and lower of his chest.

Omi sighed and frowned. Even though Master Fung had said Jack would be alright, he still worried. Omi lightly touched Jack's forehead. It felt hot even though he shivered under the touch and tried to get away.

"I apologize, Jack. You probably wish to be elsewhere, but I promise you that we will take better care of you than Chase Young would. He only means to harm you... use you... I will keep you safe while you heal," Omi said to him. Jack did not respond but it was not expected that he would. Every so often he would lightly moan or make a noise of sleep but nothing much else. Omi smiled a little bit watching Jack sleep. The pallor of his skin and white hair reminded him of some fairy tale character, like Snow White. How could something so pretty be evil, or claim to be? He leant over, studying Jack's facial features, intrigued.

After a few minutes of sitting silently with Jack, Omi could hear footsteps coming back up the hall. They were heavy and fast approaching. There was the rustle of fabric as the steps stopped outside the closed door. Omi looked over his shoulder assuming Rai would be there and would open the door again. This time it didn't and Rai stayed on the outside, quietly pacing lightly in the hallway. Omi knew he shouldn't be in here, just as Raimundo shouldn't be guarding the door so much. He would leave as soon as Rai did. Then he would join his friend in another part of the temple to avoid this temptation.

Rai lingered outside the door longer than he had any other time. As he left, Omi could hear him muttering about something but it was too muffled to understand. The foot steps quieted as they disappeared down the hall. Omi glanced back down at Jack before getting to his feet. He said goodnight politely before exiting the room.

The door was closed and he walked down the hallway after Rai. The pattern to which his friend was going was different from before. Now, he had no idea where Rai was even headed. Omi followed still, unsure if he should make himself known or to stay behind. The longer he followed, the more he felt that something strange was going on.

His speed and all around manner of walking didn't seem right. Rai's back was too stiff, shoulders squared off. It was almost like he were marching and not walking normally. They left the main building and crossed the courtyard. Omi followed from a distance still but close enough to keep an eye on his friend. It became quickly obvious that Rai was heading down to where they held their collection of Wu. There was no need to be in the vault, so why would he be going down there, he wondered. Omi stopped to watch Raimundo vanish down the stairs.

After a hesitant moment, he followed on his toes. The lighting was very dim but it was fine for now. Omi could see all the shelves, organized and untouched. He could see clearly where everything had been paced and well kept. Further down he could hear Rai rummage around for something in particular. Whatever was happening had to stop.

"Raimundo?" Omi said, stepping down to the bottom step. He offered a small smile, moving closer. "Raimundo... Rai?"

Rai turned around, drawn by the noise more than any direct address toward himself. His eyes looked glossed over and barely made a move to blink. His lips were parted slightly to allow for his shallow breathing. Over all, he looked ill and dazed. It wasn't necessarily that which made Omi take a hesitant step back though, but the fact that he was holding their newest Wu in his hands. The golden statuette looked relatively harmless inactivated. However, Omi remembered Dojo's warning of how unpredictable its effects were. Omi outstretched his arm towards his friend, concerned and wanting to help him.

"Rai, please put that back. Let us go back to the others," he offered softly.

Raimundo said nothing. The voice that did answer Omi was not his, but another unmistakably familiar.

"You should consider investing in better locks, boy, before someone breaks in here and uses...any of these Wu." The little voice chuckled. "Oh wait, I did."

Omi held his composure watching a small shadow settle itself onto Rai's wrist. "What exactly have you done to Raimundo, Hannibal Bean?" He demanded, annoyed at the way Hannibal continued to snicker in his self-satisfied manner.

"As I said, ya don't exactly guard these well enough. So, it's obvious what I did." Hannibal's root like arm stretched down and patted a discarded Wu on a near by shelf. It was the Zing Zom-Bone, laying on its side after use. "You'd think for a bunch of chosen guardians, you'd do ya job better."

"Release your hold over Raimundo."

"I plan to, boy. He's not who I'm after," Hannibal informed him calmly, looking to the Wu next to him. "Would you like to see how this little puppy works?" Bean rested his arm on the Genie Moo and offered a large toothy grin.

Omi took a fighting stance in response to the threat. Hannibal looked less than impressed. He gathered to the Wu from Rai's outstretched hands. With a little smirk he activated the Wu.

"Genie Moo," he drawled.

The statuette started to glow a bright gold like the sun. It quickly engulfed the vault in a bright glow, touching all present. The Genie Moo was a particularly tricky Wu to use because of its luck of the draw behaviour. Some times it did something, and some times it did nothing to the person it was being used on. Rai, being controlled already by another Wu, remained standing and unaffected. As the intense light dimmed, Hannibal was excited to see what changes it left on the other monk present.

Omi dropped his arms to his sides, taking on an indifferent stance in front of the evil being before him. The trusting, optimistic spark in his eye was all but gone, leaving behind a cold, steady stare. Hannibal hummed, intrigued.

"Now then, boy," he said calmly. It was unclear of how Omi would react to anything, so caution and patience were key. The Genie Moo had the power to potentially bring out dormant traits, or amplify others. It could flip entire personalities, or do nothing. "I only need one more thing before I get out of your hair, so to speak... Tell me, where are ya hiding little Jackie?" Something was set off in Omi at the mention of Jack's whereabouts. His eyes snapped to Bean in a harsh glare and bared his teeth like an animal.

"You will stay away from Jack Spicer!" He ordered, confident and commanding.

"Why is that now?"

"Because he is mine to protect. Mine! You will not lay one proverbial finger on him." Omi stared him down, waiting for a response either in agreement or in challenge for possession of the albino. Hannibal smiled over the claim, watching the greed and desire cross the young monk's face.

"Of course, he's all yours," Hannibal thought quickly. The monk seemed just as possessive over Jack as another spiteful old dragon. "Though I think Chase Young would disagree with ya, over who he belongs to-"

And that was what it all boiled down to. Hannibal was always on the look out for some kind of weakness, something to use against the Heylin Prince, to knock him off his throne and show who really held the power to rule. Over the years it quickly became obvious that it wasn't Wu or trickery per-say, it was the red-headed, shrill screaming, obnoxious boy that would be Young's downfall. For some reason that Bean could not understand, the child turned young man was desirable in Chase's eyes. Yes, Jack was smart and resourceful, and perhaps he was the loyalest of dogs, but it was still so unlike Young's taste to want someone so clumsy and unrefined.

With all this knowledge, it had been solely a waiting game to find the prime opportunity to use the boy for personal gain. This was that opportunity. A showdown Jack couldn't resist taking part in, an unfortunate turn of events, it was all too easy. It was just a plus that it all included an interesting Wu. The Genie Moo had done exactly what was needed for Hannibal, if not better. Originally the plan was to bring out a more destructive side of one of the monks and brute force an attack. However, sending one of the Xiaolin monks into a jealous and possessive rage worked just as well. Omi tensed up at the very mention of the name Chase Young, and was practically spitting as he yelled.

"Chase Young holds no claim over Spicer. Whatever his opinion is on the matter is meaningless to me. I have fully witnessed Chase's ill treatment of him and I will not allow it any further!"

Hannibal was uncharacteristically gentle, not that Omi could tell in his current state. "I agree with ya on that one. You deserve Spicer all to ya'self." Was all he had to say to get the monk to slightly drop his guard. Omi gave him a confused look, and Hannibal continued to fill his head with praise and reassurance. "Of course, he's all yours. There ain't no reason why you should hold back, boy. You got your prize all nestled away inside the temple, right? Good and safe."

Omi nodded slowly. "Yes, I do," he said. "I will make sure that is where he stays."

"Good boy. You keep him safe and by ya'side. I got no use for him myself, but I see why you would fancy his company. The only problem with that is-"

"Problem?" Omi snapped angrily. "There is no problem."

"Sorry to tell ya but there is. I have it on good authority to tell ya that Chase Young not only wants your Spicer but will take him by force if he has'ta. You know how Young can be."

"He will not get his hands on Jack. I will make sure of that. I shall stand guard until Jack is well again."

"Yes, I'm sure you will." Hannibal gave a faint hum of thought, as if he were thinking of something. "Although, if Chase Young were to make off with your little Jackie, what would you do then monk? Would'ja fight him? Would'ja kill him? Come on, boy, this is the safety of your little prize we're talkin' about. Chase wants that boy for himself, under his control to use. He'd beat up and bruise that pure white body and fuck what's left... So... would'ja?"

"If Chase Young were even to think of doing such a thing, I would render his head from his body, flay his skin, and will burn what's left. He will not harm my friend and possession."

"I like the way you think, boy!" Hannibal laughed, pleased in every way by these turn of events. "Don't let me keep ya now. You got a sick friend to babysit."

Omi scoffed and gave Hannibal a dismissive gesture. "The threat is as much yours as it is his. Now, excuse me." He started to head back up the stairs. "And free Raimundo, you have no further use of him. He does not serve you."

"Whatever you say." Hannibal waited for Omi to disappear from sight before smirking to himself. "Not quite what I was expecting, but damn good work all the same." He hummed and gather the Genie Moo in one root arm and the Zing Zom-Bone in the other. "Imma just help myself to these for now."

Before he vanished into the shadows he lifted his hold on the other monk. Rai blinked in the dim lighting and looked around, confused and disoriented. He scratched his head slightly.

"What the hell?"

.

.

Hannibal did not return to his domain. He actually followed Omi back to Jack's room. As the young monk had promised, he sat in front of the closed door out in the hall way on guard.

Every so often Omi would steal a peek into the room to reassure himself the Jack was still in bed and asleep. Other than that, he sat on the floor, back stiff and legs crossed. Omi meditated to pass the time and mediate his anger. His senses tuned into his surroundings, picking up every little creak of wood, the wind outside, the pumping of his own blood through his veins. Heavier set foot steps caught his ear quickly and he waited until they were closer before opening his eyes to acknowledge them. From the weight and speed, he knew it would be Clay.

Omi opened his eyes and looked up at his fellow monk. Clay had an expression of obvious worry on his face but he did not nag or panic. Clay only set his lips in a thin line and looked at Omi sitting on the floor. He may not be the smartest guy but he knew what he was doing there. In a soft voice he asked,

"Have you seen Rai around anywhere?"

Omi considered his friend but shrugged it off deeming him no threat. "I have indeed. He's around," was what he said. While he still cared for all of his friends, because they were his, at the moment Omi believed he had more important matters at hand. Clay could find Raimundo himself.

"Where exactly?" Clay pressed. He noticed how it made Omi's brow furl. "Are you okay there, Omi?"

"I saw Raimundo prowling the halls earlier before heading outside. You might find him there or somewhere else. And yes, Clay, I am okay."

"Ya sure cuz-"

"I am well, Clay, only busy."

Clay looked between his friend and the closed door. He passed this strange behaviour off as guilt and Omi's strong sense of care and doing what is right and good. However, he would still mention it to the others when he found them all. Omi was being Omi, but he was still not himself. Clay nodded but did not move on.

Omi gave him a challenging look, seeing how Clay glanced at the door behind him. "Can I help with anything else?" he asked in a short tempered way.

"No, we're good. Night, Omi." Clay dismissed him. After a long minute of the two staring at one another, Clay decided it was best to leave and find the others. Something was wrong.

Omi watched him leave, back straightening with pride. Pleased, he fell back into meditation, trying to pick up on Jack's calm breathing in the room behind him as he could before. This time however he heard nothing but the buzz of the space heater coming from beyond the wall. Omi blinked his eyes open again and shifted to turn around. He slid the door open and peered inside. The mattress on the floor was vacant, blankets shoved aside. The pillow still creased from use. Jack however had vanished.

Omi jumped to his feet, a prickle of anger dancing up his spine. He snarled through clenched teeth, jealousy taking control of him. "Chase Young..." he spat, head full of so many lies he could only blame the man he knew Jack held affection for. Now he believed these feeling to be reciprocated. However, it would not last, if he had anything to say about it. He would travel to the Land of Nowhere and face Chase Young for possession of Jack Spicer.

In actuality it was quite a pointless journey. Spicer would not be there. Not yet, anyway.

Hannibal had merely sat and waited for Omi to get distracted. It didn't take long. Once he could over hear them conversing, he quietly patted the sleeping Jack Spicer on the head soothingly and smiled before using his magic to quickly steal away into the night, leaving the room vacant and untouched.

.

.

Chase was in a mood, which felt all too common as of late. Normally, he would be solely irritated or forcing patience on himself, but now he was feeling such unfamiliar things such as guilt and pity. It wasn't something he cared to admit to feeling, or that it was something he could possibly feel. His emotions had been under check for hundreds of years. Occasionally, they rose to the surface manifesting as anger or greed, amusement even. However, there he sat on his throne drumming his fingers, unable to sit still or focus.

He had been this way since the showdown. The reason being obvious, Spicer was ill because he once again could not follow orders or use any slight notion of common sense. The man-child decided it was a good idea to participate, despite being grossly unprepared and acted without thinking. Jack was now sick and hurt and it was his own fault. No, this was a lie. Chase was only telling himself so to ease the nagging, chest crushing feelings going on within him.

He could have prevented the whole incident to begin with, ordered Jack to back down, dragging him by force off the mountain, or simply saved him from falling. For some reason he hesitated. Chase felt the blatant display of valuing Jack's life would be to give up his greatest weakness. Chase ground his teeth and breathed heavily through his nose, nostrils flaring.

Because it was Jack though, the dragon did not have his usual amusement and quite often – method of defusing his temper. It had become very convenient for him to spy on Spicer from the comfort of his palace. The habit of peering into the young man's daily life was oddly soothing, even though it all started as a way of keeping an eye on a rambunctious and disobedient teenager. Jack's preferred and amiable traits were made apparent though this and Chase found himself very quickly enamoured. He spent hours quietly watch Jack tinker on tiny mechanical details, showing just how focused and steady handed he could be. Other times were less calming but no less entertaining to watch. Jack liked to sing and dance to unnecessarily loud music, not Chase's taste but it suited the young man fine. And of course, there were no complaints in the way Jack's thin frame could bend and move along to the rhythmic techno music.

Alright, so Spicer had quite a few qualities that drew Chase to him. And right now, Chase's chosen consort, his property, his mate-to-be, was at the Xiaolin temple being manhandled by unworthy idiots. It was infuriating to say the least. More than once he had considered going there and demanding they hand him over, or to just take him by force, but he restrained himself. He reminded himself Jack was mortal and needed gentle care. He was well aware what condition Jack had slipped into and how that was dangerous for such a delicate body. Chase stood abruptly.

He needed time to breath, to change his state of mind. With a frustrated, heavy sigh he descended the stairs in pursuit of a small walk, perhaps mediating within the inner garden of his palace. In theory it would have been relaxing, should have been, if it weren't for the intruder to his land. Back stiffening, Chase's super human senses honed in on the newcomer to his palace. He could feel the Xiaolin white magic and the use of Wu. A snarl ripped up from his chest. This was the last stray. He would personally rip apart whomever it was entering his realm uninvited. He followed after the trace of magic, his own emanating from him in waves.

"Who Dares?" He roared out into the quiet room.

"Chase Young!" Came the voice of a very angered Omi.

Curious as to why he of all monks would come, Chase glared, hesitantly waiting to see what he would claim to be his reasoning for intruding like this. The monk marched into view, his body rigid and abnormally tense. It was clear he was not himself. None the less, Chase did not consider this to exclude him from punishment.

"You shall hand over Jack Spicer this instant, or else I will have to end your immortal being!"

Chase almost wanted to laugh over such a ridiculous threat, but the demand was far too surprising. Jack was not here, nor did he take him. Had the albino run away from the temple, or had something occurred? Chase wondered. He crossed his arms defiantly. After a short pause, he asked, curious to see the monk's reaction.

"What makes you think I have him?" Omi stood tall, eyes widening as if he had said something completely ludicrous. So, Chase continued, "Spicer is not here, young monk. If he is not with you, perhaps he went home? Have you even checked there?"

"There is no need! I know you have him!" Omi shouted back at him, marching across the floor to close the distance between them. "I know you have desires for him. And while he may too want you, it will not happen. I will not allow it. Even though he tries, Jack is hardly evil. He will not join you."

"Spicer already allies himself with us as Heylin," Chase said. He chose to not acknowledge the comment over his desire for Jack, despite wanting to know what would make Omi believe that. "Now, remove yourself from my palace before I force you to leave."

Omi took a wide stance, hands coming up in front of him. It was a casual fighting stance, more to show willingness to fight than to initiate. It was in no way intimidating, even if he were to follow through. Chase complied, sinking low into a real fighting pose. They watched each others movements, noting each intake of breath or the slightest twitch of a muscle. Omi lowered himself, knee bent deep and one leg stretched out to the side. The young monk was the first to attack, lunging forward, arms up to throw the first punch.

Fists flew, blocked and thrown again. The power behind them would have any normal person knocked out cold, but Chase swatted at Omi's punches like they were nothing. He dodged an otherwise skilled kick. Omi bared his teeth, annoyed at how easily the other man outmatched him. They were centuries apart in experience and for every hit he landed, Chase came back with two or more well place strikes of his own. Omi was thrown across the room into the wall.

The lean monk bounced off the rock wall, paying next to no attention to how his shoulder throbbed or the bloom of purple marring his skin. Feet planted, he pushed off the wall, sailing through the air to bombard Chase with a wave of kicks.

No Wu were involved in their fight, only pure skill and physical strength and agility. Omi's skill and focus were being muddled with anger and jealousy. His footing was sloppy and his aim was off. He yelled in frustration missing another hit, only to be then knocked to the floor. A boot kicked him aside. Chase circled around, eyeing the monk.

"You fought well enough but we are done here, Omi. Spicer is not here and you are only making a fool of yourself. Leave before I change my mind about being lenient." He told Omi, glaring down his nose.

"I am not leaving without Jack. He is mine!" Omi screamed and rolled back onto his shoulder. He jumped to his feet swiftly and pounced forward again. "Spicer is under my care. He is mine to protect. He is only to be mine."

Chase snapped, his inner dragon fracturing his concentration and control. As he went to land a punch to Omi's abdomen, those few words spilled from his lips. Mine to protect... Only to be mine... Chase's hand twisted, knuckled cracking, and right before impact, his claws became unsheathed. He sunk them deep into the muscle of Omi's torso. Blood quickly pooled around his long nails, running and ripping over fresh scales. Chase could smell the blood, that sweet iron scent. He snarled, turning and digging his nails in deeper.

"Jack will never be yours, monk. You do not deserve him," he promised coldly. Chase could feel his body prickle and crack. His dragon wanted to come out, wanted to rip Omi apart for suggesting Jack belonged to anyone but himself. He hissed between fangs too large for a human's mouth and snapped at the young man. "Jack belongs to me. He is mine to possess! Mine to have! He shall become my ward and consort. If you so choose to challenge me on this manor further, I will gut you here and now."

To emphasis how serious he was, Chase forced his nails further into Omi's torso. The monk gave pained whines and groans. He gripped Chase's wrist and shoulder, trying to pulled away. Chase's free hand, fingers clawed and spread wide came to hold the base of Omi's neck. He snarled again, "Answer carefully young monk. Are you challenging me?"

"I...no? Nhg..." Omi groaned, ready to double over in pain. His body suddenly shifted under his own weight, all too slack. The rage in his voice dissipated and was only the breathless whimper of an injured boy. Whatever it was that had influence his behaviour was gone. Chase retracted his hold and let Omi fall to the floor. It was so sudden and surprisingly quick that it held Chase's attention all too well. He didn't even hear the soft foot steps come up behind him. It wasn't until he sensed a presence, a hand by his shoulder reaching out to touch him, that he spun around to attack. His arm shot out, claws ready to slice the newcomer in half.

His hand froze less than a inch from the pale white skin of Jack's neck. Chase quickly removed himself from anywhere near the boy, not trusting his own actions let alone how and why he was suddenly there. As Omi had seemed to be under some magical influence, so was Jack. He could tell by the dull, glossed over expression in his normally vibrant red eyes. Instead of the familiar embarrassed blush, accompanied with nervous laughter, he stood silent and blankly staring. Chase frowned, because he knew Jack was under some sort of control. He breathed his name softly, barely able to be heard.

Jack's head tilted a little but didn't respond. He didn't look well, even under the circumstance. He was still in spare monk robes and thick socks. They were too large for his bony frame, sliding open around his collar and chest. He looked cold but physically unable to shiver or move on his own accord. It was if he were hypnotized.

Chase clicked his tongue. "Of course..." he sighed. A Wu was to blame here too. "Bean, I presume you are watching. What are you doing now?"

"Always the perceptive one," Hannibal's chuckling disembodied voice echoed off the walls of the large room, displacing his location from Chase's sensitive senses. "I'm just restarting this stagnant war. Little Jackie here was unexpectedly a wonderful help. A surprising amount of people want that scrawny little albino ass. Now, come'er Jackie. Let our boy Young have a moment."

"You sent Omi here to try and fight me for you. You coward," Chase snapped. Before Jack could get far, he took hold of him. Under the influence of a Wu or not, he was not strong enough to get away. Jack was still cold under his touch. It was concerning, knowing what condition he was in and what could happen to him now. Chase wrapped an arm around the thin body and held him closer.

Hannibal sighed, "Originally, but you are always a surprise, Young. But I brought extra Wu just for this occasion. Zing Zom-Bone!" The bone Wu lit up with a light glow, answering the call of its name. Hannibal made a nonchalant gesture towards the monk, still sitting on the floor holding his stomach. The effects of the Wu were almost immediate. Omi's back stiffened. "Omi, get to your feet, boy. End Chase Young for me, will ya?"

Omi stood, a glazed look set on his face. With a fluid motion, he took up another fighting stance. Once again he attacked, all be it more sluggish than normal, mentally unaware of his bodily exhaustion or injury. His hands were coated in his own fresh blood which run up his wrists to stain his sleeves. His robes were frayed and covered the growing red mark from the deep tears in his torso. Yet, nothing stopped him from attacking.

Chase stepped aside, lifting Jack in one arm to keep him from being punched and/or kicked. It wasn't a major hindrance to his fighting but he wasn't about to let Hannibal get a hold of the boy again either. He had in fact fought Omi one-handed on a number of occasions before. This time was no different. At least that's what he told himself. Unfortunately, this time Omi had no concept of self preservation, and while under the influence of the Zing Zom-Bone, would continue to attack until he either died from the fight or collapsed from blood loss. He wouldn't slow down or stop, or even care about blocking a hit. Chase turned and took a blow to protect Jack. It left him standing, only pushed him back a few feet.

Chase growled, finding the whole situation annoyingly tedious. He bared his teeth and gave Omi a swift kick to the abdomen, sending the monk flying backwards across the room. That was satisfying.

The pause in the fight was broken by a different kind of commotion. A few awkward and anything but stealthy yelps echoed around the stone pillars. Chase rolled his eyes, knowing the rest of the monks had arrived to get their friend and by extension Jack. The lot scampered onto the scene, barely being worthy enough to side track Chase's attention. Omi didn't even look at them.

"Omi!"

They yelled in unison, all trying to get his attention or break him out of his trance. It was a fruitless effort. They even tried to hurry over and physically retrain him. Chase found it a loyal thing to do, but pointless and stupid. They would only risk their own safety by getting in the way of someone hypnotized to fight to the death.

Jack wiggled in his arms, still sluggishly trying to get away and follow his previous order. Chase lightly squeezed him around the ribs. His fingers rubbed at his side through the monk robes he worse. It was meant to be a soothing gesture, even if Jack couldn't recognize it. So, if anything, it was a self reassuring thing for Chase's own benefit. When Jack gave a wordless query, a whimper passing his lips, Chase hushed him quietly.

"Oh, how sweet," Hannibal said, interrupting their little moment. "Chase I've never seen ya so protective over anything living. It's almost cute, in a way."

"Hannibal, you are nothing but a pathetic nuisance," Chase barked out at the little villainous bean. He made sure to keep an eye on where Clay was trying to over power Omi and hold him in place. "Can't fight me yourself so you went for those even more weak? You must have been desperate."

Hannibal burst out into laughter from his hiding place. "Boy, you trying to insult me?" He asked between snickering.

Chase listened for it, turning his head a fraction, sensitive ears trying to find him. Baiting him out of hiding was the quickest course of action. After that, it wouldn't take too much to relieve Hannibal of the annoying Wu that were grating on his nerves. By the end of the night, he would crush the damned thing under his foot and be done with it.

His ears picked up on the heavy foot step to his left. Chase side stepped to avoid a quick attack. Omi had broken free of Clay, too determined and strong willed to be held down for long. The spry young monk came kicking and pouncing, mildly uncoordinated but still dangerous in their own right. Chase ground his teeth and gave the boy another kick, this time to his lower back. It sent Omi flying forward a fair distance.

"If you think this boy is going to defeat me like this," Chase commented with a bored tone. "Either you doubt me, or you are unable to fight yourself. Relying so heavily on others Bean? Couldn't bribe Wuya?"

"I am fully capable of fighting you myself, Young. You just have no idea how entertaining all this is for me."

Chase scoffed. "Oh, I'm sure. The fight did, however, mellow down since you've switched Wu. It won't last much longer." He sighed and stepped out of the way from Omi once more. The effects of the Wu did greatly reduce the monk's abilities. The major threat was knowing Omi wouldn't stop as long as he was under its power. "So, you can either fight me yourself, or we can call this a draw for today. I've grown bored."

"Oh well, if you insist." Hannibal agreed.

Chase couldn't help the smile ever so slightly tugging on his mouth. It would end quickly one-on-one, even with the added irritation that was a hypnotized Omi.

Chase first heard the snap of air, his only warning before a vine-like whip passed his head. He turned and jumped back a foot to avoid its swing. It quickly withdrew, but another followed. Chase moved out of the way of it again, putting him closer to where the other monks where scrambling around pointlessly. He decided to give them some sense of purpose. He glared at Clay, then Raimundo. He didn't quite trust either of them but he decided to go with Clay. The dragon of earth was a better defence than Rai's over zealous nature. Chase threw Jack at Clay.

"Don't let him go this time," Chase ordered firmly, a clear warning behind his words. It didn't have to be questioned that he'd skin them if Jack got hurt any further. The blonde nodded and held Jack tightly.

"Uh-Hi! What the hell is going on?" Rai cut in, mad he was being ignored. Chase didn't even look at him this time, but he answered still,

"Your friend is under the influence of the Zing Zom-Bone, obviously. I advice you get it from Hannibal."

Kimiko was the first one to leap into the fray. At least she didn't need any further encouragement. Both Chase and Rai joined after her, leaving Clay behind to protect the pointlessly wriggling albino.

"Don't you worry none, partner," Clay cooed to Jack.

Hannibal was a much more formidable fighter than Omi could ever be. He certainly had years on all of them, and more magic than the lot. Chase was the only equal in skill and barely bat an eye at how the bean attacked. Hannibal was a striker, taking the head on approach. Rai was knocked around by it, being sent flying this way and that. Kimi was at least more strategical and smart enough to move out of the way when a root came whipping towards her. They had their own agenda in the fight, so Chase himself paid them next to no mine.

The dragon in him clawed to the surface, breaking through his exterior shell. Skin cracked and hardened to form green scales. Teeth lengthened, sharpening to a point. They snapped menacingly and the dragon roared. He charged Hannibal, down on all fours. Claws out, he scratched, bit and slashed at Bean.

Despite how Hannibal managed to stay on top of the fight, his focus faltered just enough. Chase on one side, Rai on the other; he never noticed Kimiko snagging the Wu from behind. The fact Hannibal managed to spin around and hit her was by sheer fluke. The Wu went sailing into the air. It deactivated on its own, being relieved of its owner. With a loud clatter it fell, bouncing across stone and tile. The group left it there, preoccupied with one another.

Omi, who had landed on his back off to one side, was waking up from his Wu induced trance. He rubbed his head, feeling the pain wracking through his body. The reason as to why slowly filtered into his memory, however blurred and pieced together. He saw the fight, saw Clay with Jack, and saw the Zing Zom-Bone forgotten on his right. On shaking limbs, Omi pulled himself up. Hand planted over his wound, he thankfully went unseen as he clambered over to grab the discarded Wu. He called to Kimiko who had broken off from the group. He waved the Wu to get her attention. She joined him quickly, taking it from him.

"You got it. But are you alright?" she asked, knowing full well he was too stubborn to stop himself from fighting. Omi smiled, even though it was clear how out of it he still was, and in pain.

"Yes, of course," he said. It was all he said before taking off to join the others. Kimi backed away. She ran to Clay's side.

"Is he...okay?" Kimiko looked at Jack who had gone still. He looked unconscious once more and was barely breathing.

Clay's expression was grim. He thumbed at his forehead under the brim of his hat. "I dunno yet..."

Kimiko leaned in close to check on him. Jack still felt cold to touch but she could feel his pulse sporadically beating under her fingers. She hummed thoughtfully. Even though he was breathing, she knew he wasn't 'okay'. If they hurried and got him back to the temple... Suddenly her hand was swatted at in an effort to push it away. Jack's pale fingers patted at hers weakly. He groaned trying to wake up.

Blurry red eyed cracked open. His sight was unfocused but fell on Kimi immediately. Jack blinked, wanting to look away because she was right there, and much too close. His lip twitched into a sneer. "Fucking fucker-fuck..." he managed to groan. The comment was given a very unimpressed look and whatever concern that was directed towards him quickly disappeared.

"Really? Running out of insults?" Kimiko snapped. "You could just say 'thanks' or something."

"Ugh, for what?" Jack pushed on Clay's chest but he didn't budge.

"Uh, how about-" Kimiko started in a sarcastic tone.

"Not now," Clay cut in. "This isn't the best time for all this bellyaching. Kimi go help the others. And Jack, buddy you pipe down before you tote an ass whuppin'."

"Yeah...whatever." Defeated, Jack let Clay continue to hold him bridal style. He knew he wasn't going anywhere any time soon. At least it was Clay and not Raimundo. Out of all of the monks, Jack figured he hated Clay the least.

It wasn't until then that Jack clued into his surroundings and noticed the fighting only a few feet away from him. The monks were keeping up their side of the fight relatively well. What really caught Jack's eye was Chase in full dragon form. He had seen it too many times to count, but this time felt different – and it wasn't because of his blurry vision. Chase held himself rigidly. His body hunched and stiff. For once, even while in this form, Chase seemed more reptile than man. The yellow eyes that normally held some sense of awareness was absent.

Chase growled and snarled, spitting excess saliva. His claws swiped and clawed at Hannibal, or a monk if one got in the way. The tips of each claw were covered in fresh, still dripping blood.

"Chase?..." He breathed, concerned. Jack gaped, trying to sit up on his own but lacked the strength. Everything in him wanted to help, to do something for his idol, though in the back of his mind he knew he'd get swatted away like a fly. Even if he were in some state to fight, Jack wasn't exactly strong or skilled.

Jack watched on as they all fought against Hannibal Bean. The bean was having a hard time keeping them all at bay. He had a few cuts and scrapes already. Nothing life threatening but definitely enough to condone a retreat. Chase sunk his claws into a vine, shredding the outer layer back. Thick blood pooled forth, leaking out over the appendage and over Chase's lizard-like hands. He hissed, yet didn't seem satisfied. Chase gripped one of the vines. In a fit of rage he used it to fling Hannibal into the floor. The villain bounced on impact then proceeded to lay still. When Bean stopped movie, Chase took a more calming breath.

Jack almost rolled out of Clay's arms. He yelped loudly, scared of actually falling on his face. The arm around him tightened as the other lowered his legs to the floor. Clay was prattling on, saying something to him, but Jack was not paying attention at all. It went in one ear and out the other. When Jack's feet touched tile, he tried to make a break for it for Chase out of impulse. However, his body protested and he stumbled. Clay's arm caught him before he could collapse.

"Easy now,"

"Clay, let go!" Jack snapped, miffed. "Hands off!"

A loud growl left Jack frozen, head shooting up to see Chase stalking toward them. His back hunched, showing off the sharp spines along his back. It was a predatorial stance no one wanted to provoke. Clay tried not to make any sudden movements, carefully bending at the waist to lower Jack to the floor. Unable to stand on his own, Jack sat uselessly on his knees. Clay removed his hands all together and tried to back away without wanting to grab Chase's attention.

Jack felt the monk let go of him and start to back out of the way. Now, he was left in Chase's path. He whimpered, voice cracking and jumping up an octave. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything to make Chase mad. Not that ever truly stopped Chase from being mad with him. Awkwardly, Jack tried to crawl away but the dragon came to block him him. He lowered his head, shoulders scrunched to his ears. Jack was not sure what to expect and held his breath.

Instead of being smacked or bit, smooth hot scaled rubbed up against his back. Jack opened his eyes to see Chase circling him protectively, every so often his tail would swish and caress against Jack's body. Whether or not it was an intentional touch wasn't clear to him yet. However, the dragon continued to only focus his glare at his opponents, daring anyone to approach.

Jack reached forward without thinking. His fingers brushed over the lizard's long body. The beast stopped but didn't look at him or acknowledge him in any way. Jack could feel Chase vibrating with tension. He was holding back quite a bit of anger.

The latent hostility was broken by loud, maniacal laughter. Everyone's attention was drawn towards Bean who was still laying face down on the floor. He slowly pushed himself up, turning to face them all. There was a pleased expression on his face, but there was an underlining promise of violence in his eye. He gave them a toothy grin.

"This has been fun. Hate to go, really," he said in an oddly cheery tone. "I'll be seeing you all next time." Bean used his reality breaking, plot convenient magic to slip away into the shadows before any further attack left him completely defeated. Though it went unsaid, they knew he would recover quickly and would return for another round without warning. This was no victory.

The silence that fell was heavy. No one moved for a long minute. Omi was the first to sigh in relief. The gentle breath was deafening. Everyone looked at him, surprised. Somehow, he found the optimism to smile. The young monk gave Chase and Jack a soft looked and bowed to them respectfully. The jumbled memories of the last few hours were still trying to piece together. He took an unwise step forward, assuming they would accept an apology.

"Jack, I'm glad you are awake-" His kind words were immediately stopped by Chase rearing back onto his hind legs. The dragon snarled threateningly.

"I will tell you once more, monk - stay away from Spicer. He is not your concern."

Omi stopped, taken aback by the outburst of possessiveness on Chase's part. He had never seen Chase act like this toward Jack at all. In fact, he couldn't remember a time where Chase Young of all people looked at Jack Spicer in anyway other than disapproval and exhaustion. The villain would frequently toss Jack away, ignore and dismiss him. Even then, Jack took it only as encouragement to try harder.

Omi looked between the two. Even Jack looked confused to the sudden attention. "To what extent are you speaking?" he asked.

"At all. I never want to catch you near him in any way besides a showdown – even for that, I am being all too lenient." Chase lowered back down onto all fours and found a comfortable place to sit in front of Jack, acting like a shield. "But that is for Jack and I to discuss later."

"What?" Jack pipped up because his name was being said far too much but nothing was being directed at him. "I'm right here. No need to talk about me like I'm not..."

"Jack is my friend. There's no need for this." Omi smiled, though it was obviously forced to try and lighten the mood.

"Okay, ignore me..." Jack tiredly leaned back on his hands, suddenly tired and dizzy. A shiver ran down his back.

Feeling the boy shake, Chat wrapped his tail around him the best he could to share warmth. "Think what you will, but what I have said stands. If you get too close I will rip you apart. Jack is mine." There was a lengthy pause after Chase stopped speaking. "Have I made myself clear?"

Omi stared at the dragon, noted the serious expression on his scaled face. There was a glimmer of human characteristics behind it. There was a softness, some genuine care, even though what he had said spoke only off possession and jealousy. However, Omi saw the little flicker on his face; maybe it was in his own mind but his heart felt touched that Chase actually cared for something, anything at all. He smiled and nodded. The others didn't see any of this. They only saw a possessive, insane, controlling warlord, forcibly claiming Jack as his property, and they weren't going along with that.

"If you think we're leaving him-" Raimundo started but was politely interrupted by Omi. The taller monk place a hand on his shoulder.

"Perfectly, clear." Omi said. He spoke for them, making the final decision. After that, he turned with a slight bow of his head. The others were not as polite nor accommodating. They followed after their friend but not without one hundred different questions and complaints about leaving Jack behind.

Chase watched them go. The lot yelling at each other and arguing as they left. Even when they were all out of sight their loud voices bounced off the walls and he could still hear them bicker. Glad they were at least leaving, Chase stood up. It took a lot to focus enough magic and energy to shape shift back to his human form. After such a fight and exertion of energy, it would generally require some time but he did not feel that an option. There was still the issue of a shivering, barely awake Jack still kneeling at his feet.

He looked down at him. The boy was understandably confused, staring back at him with large blood shot eyes which were rimmed with dark circles. He sighed, knowing their talk would have to wait until Jack had fully regained his health.

"...Chase..." Jack started, maybe trying to ask something about what had been said, but his words fell short. Chase knelt down and easily lifted Jack's thin body up into his arms. "Hey, wait-Chase-"

"Hush, Jack. Now is not the time. You can say whatever it is you want after you have slept," Chase said as he carried him across the room. They left the partially demolished throne room for now, heading down a long hallway. Jack did not argue, either due to his tiredness or because he was choosing to listen for once. As he carried Jack, Chase noticed how the boy was going out of his way to try and not touch him. Jack was not holding on or willingly leaning on him as expected. It was like Jack didn't want to do something wrong. Chase smirked a little, finding his awkwardness amusing. He knew it wouldn't last, and after their talk, Jack probably wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself.

.

.

The garden was peacefully silent. There was no sound at all, no wind or breath too heavy. It was utterly still. Chase breathed in through his nose, and out from his mouth. The air felt warm. It was one of those rare moments, where nothing was wrong, nothing weight on him, and he felt completely calm. Meditating in his private garden, seated under a pergola made of wood and stone, he had free time to relax and catch a much needed breath. There was no harsh sun, only an unnatural glow about the area, lighting everything in an almost blue tone. The irregular flower offered a gentle aroma, calming like lavender and jasmine. This was where he preferred to mediate when he had the luxury to choose a setting, instead of doing so out of need.

Hair pulled back in a low, loose pony tail to keep it off his bare shoulders, Chase allowed himself some time out of his day to reflect. He held his hands folded in his lap.

Things had been astonishingly calm after bringing Jack to his new home. There had been certain expectations which he prepared for. He took into account how loud and rambunctious the boy could be. He figured Jack would disturb him and his warriors often, out of boredom or need for attention. It was in Jack's nature to be excessively talkative and restless.

However, he was pleasantly surprised in how subdued Jack had become. Yes, he was still talkative from dawn till dusk, and did interrupt him often. But instead of it being irritating or vexing, Chase found it welcoming. It was a strange feeling. Often, Jack would merely sit and watch him practice Tai Chi without a word, looking on with large doe eyes full of admiration. At night they would read. And when Jack started to get too loud or press on a nerve, a single warning look would shut him up quick.

Chase couldn't take credit for training the boy. As it turned out, they were just a perfect match. Jack was an enthusiastic and willingly submissive lover, eager to please in every way. He was a perfect match for Chase's primal desire for dominance and control. Jack would bend over backwards for his attention and approval, and Chase gave both in droves.

They quickly became familiar with each other in ways Chase had never could have seen coming. It took him by surprise one day when Jack came sauntering into his throne room with the sole purpose to seduce him. It had worked too. Chase had to admit: for as awkward and clumsy as Jack was, he could be hard to resist.

This was probably why he couldn't say no when Jack pouted about being excluded from collecting Wu. They had debated over it for quite a while in the beginning, eventually he decided to allow Jack a chance. The young man's technology helped find Wu much faster than Wuya ever could. It was a benefit Chase couldn't pass up. However, that was where it stopped though. He refuse to let another incident to occur. And no matter the training, Jack would never stand a chance. So, Chase fought in his place.

Chase took another long breath. The smell of cinnamon peeked his senses as well as something tart, a fruit. He gave a knowing smirk but made no other attempt to acknowledge the bare feet that were quietly padding across the path stones toward him. They tiptoed up the steps, followed by a sweep of fabric. They approached and stopped.

Jack took a seat beside him. He chuckled, amused at something or another. Pretending he wasn't curious at all, Chase didn't look at him until Jack's body leant up against his arm.

Finally, Chase opened his eyes and gave the boy a sideways glance. His nails bit into the flesh of his palms as he restrained himself over the sight greeting him. It was a spectacular sight. Jack was lounging on his side, hip curved up to show off his body line draped in smooth black silk. Bare feet and thin ankles stuck out from the long robes. As quickly as they caught Chase's attention, they were pulled out of sight, as if Jack were shy. He could play innocent all too well. With a large smile he sat up on his knees, facing his lover. Jack popped a seed into his mouth and gave an exaggerated moan over the flavour.

Layers of shimmering silk rustled as he moved. It wrapped around his body, hiding more skin than anything. But the way it had been tied let the collar spill open to show off the sharp collarbone lining Jack's chest. Not exactly sexy in the modern sense but it turned on the dragon faster than anything. Jack learned far too quickly that prancing around in a traditional hanfu had the same effect on Chase as lingerie did on the average male.

Jack coyly ate another pomegranate seed, moaning away. The little plump red seeds looking like small rubies in his pale hand. He licked the juice from his finger tips which were already stained from handling the fruit.

"Sorry, am I interrupting?" He asked with a smile. They overmodest behaviour made Chase give a light scoff and a roll of his eyes.

"You know you are... but it is a pleasing interruption," and it was. Chase wouldn't turn such a vision away. He let Jack scooted himself a little closer so they were barely inches apart. A seed was held up to Chase's lips. The offer was take without question. He let the small seed fall to his tongue but before Jack could fully pull away his lips wrapped around pale fingers and drew them into his mouth. Chase sucked off the tart lingering juice. It was almost as enjoyable as the blush that covered the albino's face.

The touch of pink crossing his cheeks gave Jack an all too innocent look about him. Chase chuckled and released his fingers. He knew better than to think of his consort as innocent. Though, it was still fun to pretend.

Jack licked his lips and covered his face to not give away the dorky smile he had going on. He playfully batted his lashed and looked down.

"Did you know that pomegranate trees can live for 200 years? Or that they are considered more of a berry?" Jack stuttered and stuffed a few seeds into his mouth. Chase gave a low, rumbling chuckled and reached out to touch Jack.

"Is that so?" He asked, leaning over. The boy nodded and hummed a confirmation. Little gold beads tinkled together in his hair. The gold stood out beautifully against Jack's re dyed red hair. Chase looked at them before running a finger over the small delicately pinned in decoration. He was actually very flattered that Jack went to such lengths to please him, taking into account small details in his appearance that could possibly go over looked by anyone else. Instead Jack clearly put in time and effort all in the hopes to be noticed and desired by him alone.

And Chase fell for it all, completely and totally taken in by the silk clad boy with his eyes begging for attention and love. He placed a lingering kiss to the soft white skin of Jack's jawline completely forgoing his meditation in order to ravish Jack in the garden. After all, he wouldn't want Jack's efforts to be for not.

.

.

Coma Merda – eat shit

Piroca – dick

Seu cuzao – you asshole

Chupa meu à pau – suck my dick

Vai pro inferno – go to hell

Puta – whore

Foda - fuck