I don't own anything from Jackie Chan adventures, although I did create the character of Delia.
Chapter 1
Section 13 hadn't changed a lot in the last two years. It still looked far too big compared to the amount of people that actually worked there. It was still painted the same colour – a ghastly, nauseating shade that was probably supposed to be magnolia but had turned out pale, pastel orange. There were still posters here and there, half hanging off the walls, parading faded warnings and slogans such as "ARE YOU BEING WATCHED FROM THE SHADOWS? Always check LEFT – RIGHT – UP – DOWN – BEWARE THE SHADOWKHAN" and "Never handle nitro glycerine in the main foyer". A slightly smaller piece of paper, lined and bearing only a tiny sketch of what looked like a man in oversized pyjamas holding a bunch of crackers was stuck with a piece of blue-tack in between the male and female toilets, right where any curious soul could peek and probably guess what it was, given the vast history of all 3 previous Section 13 tenants.
Jackie sighed and removed the sketch from the wall, folded it up, and put it in his trouser pocket. Just how long had that been stuck there? Probably at least 2 or 3 years given the presumed age of the hand that had more than certainly drew it. And why did nobody take it down? Why hadn't the wind just blown it off the wall? Why had a huge vat of corrosive acid not thrown itself at it?
"Jackie."
Jackie straightened up. If there was something else that certainly hadn't changed, it was the sight of Captain Augustus Black striding down the foyer with his bald head shining and big black coat billowing out behind him. Jackie couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at his lips at the sight of his old friend.
"Captain Black," he greeted. Black nodded in return, his straight, serious green eyes scanning the Asian's face.
"You look tired, Jackie."
"Ah-ha, well..." Jackie scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Things have been a little crazy back home. Jade has just started middle school and you know she can get a bit over excited about some things, sometimes..."
"Jades in middle school?" Black asked, frowning. "What age is she now?"
"She'll turn eleven in January."
"Eleven? God, I hadn't realised she was that old."
"Hmm," Jackie nodded, agreeing all too well.
"I mean... I guess it's pretty easy to lose track of time, after all that's happened... after all we've being doing." He tapped his knuckles on the metal railing of the balcony. "Things like kids moving school just slip out of everyday thought, huh?"
They both looked out over Section 13 – the solitary figures in white coats drifting along the corridors, the dull echo of the distant machinery being the only noise in the air besides the buzz of the air conditioning, working constantly to keep the underground warehouse cool as this San Francisco summer drew to an end.
"Why did you call me here then?" asked Jackie eventually.
"No particular reason," said Captain Black, shrugging one shoulder unconvincingly. "I wanted to know how my old friend was doing. How's early retirement working out for you?"
"I haven't retired," insisted Jackie. "I'm just... taking my profession down a peg or two..."
"By working in a rundown antique shop?" asked Black, raising two eyebrows. "After having been employed personally by the head of a faction of the secret service of the United States? An obscure faction of course, but the statement still stands."
"...It's not run down," Jackie said, avoiding eye contact. "We re-painted the sign, and Uncle just acquired a whole load of new artefacts from Suriname, and a few from The Grenadines..."
"Uh-huh."
"B-besides!" Jackie's voiced raised suddenly. "What is even the point of still being here? Captain Black, it's over. No more talismans, no more masks, no more Dark Hand or Demon Lords, no J-Team – so what would be the point in continuing to hang around here? I mean, what top secret missions could Section 13 be carrying out now? Anything more exciting than perfecting the jet-pack back-pack?" He scoffed; strange uncomfortable emotions coursing through him, causing him to momentarily disregard how rude his words were. He lowered his head onto his arms, and continued to stare without seeing out over the headquarters.
When Captain Black did not reply right away, he immediately felt ashamed.
"I'm sorry, Captain Black."
"No, Jackie." Captain Black shook his head. "You're right really. This Popsicle stand has had its time and, well, I sometimes have my doubts... over whether or not it's really my place to stay here anymore."
"Captain Black?"
He sighed, and something seemed to rest heavy across his brow. "Delia is pregnant."
The "Who?" had already escaped his mouth before he had even taken the time to think. Then the image of a much younger, less built Captain Black with his arm over the shoulders of a short, rather plump red-haired girl raised itself out of the jumble of his memories.
"Oh, D-Delia?" he corrected himself, his tone incredulous. "That was nearly fifteen years ago!"
"Hmm," Captain Black pressed his lips tightly together. "I know."
"And you're still thinking about her?"
"She got married three years ago to some Puerto Rican guy." He chuckled humourlessly. "To think, I waited ten years for her to call me because I was too damn proud and now some goddamn Latino has come into the picture and messed it all up."
Jackie frowned. "It's not his fault, Captain Black."
"I know."
The uncomfortable atmosphere was one they rarely had together, and it made Jackie fidget awkwardly. Where was all this coming from? Captain Black hadn't been with Delia since his late twenties, having entered after military service after college, and, well, Jackie didn't know anything about the conception of Section 13, but he imagined from Captain Black's high position, he must have been there for a fair while.
"So, uh..."
"I called you here for another reason, Jackie."
"Uh..."
Coherence wasn't usually Jackie's strongest point, but he could feel himself started to feel a bit disorientated. Captain Black slid both hands into the pockets of his trench coat and sighed again.
"It doesn't really concern you, what I'm going to tell you, but Jackie you're..." he laughed and shook his head. "You're too damn considerate and... and nice; you're like everyone's caring old uncle. I feel like it's worth you knowing this."
Jackie waited patiently. But as Captain Black continued to stare out unseeing over HQ, he pointedly asked, "So, what is it?"
"Valmont is in hospital."
"Oh."
Jackie's first impression was relief. Captain Black didn't have any serious illnesses (that he was admitting to anyway), Viper hadn't been incarcerated (though he suspected this would actually be better for the majority of people in the world), and well, he couldn't imagine Paco or El Torro getting into any sort of trouble except for El Torro maybe overdoing it on the steroids. Valmont had almost vanished entirely out of his mind in the past year, only brief glimpses of his fall from grace, his unshaven face and ratty clothes, the look of shame behind those once arrogant eyes. It must've been hard for him, but he had hurt so many people in the past Jackie found it difficult to conjure up sympathy for his old nemesis.
Captain Black was looking at him now. Jackie suddenly realised his blank faced expression probably looked a bit callous (or mentally stunted).
"Uh, I mean, is he OK? What happened to him?"
"Stomach pumped, or so I heard. Apparently he drank himself into a stupor. He didn't give a name when admitted into A&E, but one of our agents spotted and recognised him."
"He drank himself into a stupor?" Jackie echoed. "That's, uh... not nice..."
"No."
There was another short silence. Jackie felt extremely uncomfortable with the line of conversation, the one before it, and the weird atmosphere between them. What was going on? The urge to turn on his heel and bolt out of there as fast as possible was rising swiftly.
"It's your choice whether or not you go to see him, of course. Just thought I should let you know."
"No, yes, thank you Captain Black."
He nodded sternly. He walked Jackie back up to the exit, almost entirely in silence, only asking him to wish Jade well in school on his behalf. Jackie was quite glad to leave, to be fair.
As he wandered back to the shop, he wondered whether he should buy some groceries on the way home. After all, Jade went through Coca-Cola like it was tap water, and Tohru had taken very fondly to rice cakes and raspberry jam (which tended to be finished pretty quickly). He meandered briefly through the supermarket, picking up 4 litres of coke for Jade, but not being able to find rice cakes. He tried to pay with his driver's license instead of his credit card, and once he left the store, the cashier called him back to give him the items he had left in the bagging area.
His head was blurred and busy, images whirling around of Delia's funny red hair-cut and her silly knitted jumpers; Jade when she was younger – pestering him to take her to Moose World; and Valmont, standing, looking over his shoulder at Jackie, his expression unreadable...
Jackie stopped in the middle of road, and yelped as a girl with a pram crashed into the back of his knees. Apologising profusely, he hopped into the shadows of a nearby alley and took out his cell phone. With a few moments hesitation, and no small of amount of resignation, he dialled all familiar number onto the keypad.
"Captain Black?" he asked, after his friend picked up. "Can you tell me which hospital?"
/Chapter 1