I: Jack's Failure

I: Jack's Failure

Long ago in a distant land, I, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness, unleashed an unspeakable evil! But a foolish Samurai warrior wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me. Before the final blow was struck, I tore open a portal in time and flung him into the future, where my evil is law! Now the fool seeks to return to the past, and undo the future that is Aku!

This future was a dangerous place. Cities were filled with criminals and other scum from across the galaxy, ill-tempered creatures with fancy futuristic cannons and blades of every shape and size roamed the streets just waiting for someone to look at them the wrong way, and bounty hunters searching for men wanted by the evil demon known as Aku, who, at this time, ruled over the whole universe.

With his iron fists of cruelty and oppression, he enslaved Earth and every planet above its star-lit skies, taking galaxies one by one as if playing a twisted game of chess. Aku was a terrible ruler who forced most of his subjects into forced labor, making them build monuments in his honor, mine precious stones to power his nature-destroying factories, and even forcing them to work for him personally in the Pit of Hate, where the shape-shifting master of darkness took residence and ruled over literally everything. In the pit, his slaves performed demeaning tasks and endured torment from Aku and his minions.

However, Aku's tyranny often escaped remote places that he saw as "undesirable pieces of dirt". These lands are often destroyed by Aku's pollution or ignored entirely by the evil emperor, thus leaving hidden sanctuaries free from Aku's clutches.

One such man happened to be in one of these lands one day. He wore unusual clothes for that time period; a white and grey gi, wooden sandals, and to hide his identity, and an oriental straw sunhat. Tied to his waist was a katana enclosed in a black sheath with a black and gold handle. He walked along the rocky path, his sandals making muffled CLOP, CLOP, CLOP sounds as he slowly made his way through the heavily wooded forest.

Finally, the man came to a building called "The Green Pagoda". The tower had between fifteen and twenty stories, each story having a green, upward-curving roof. The building's name flashed in neon above the door. As he stepped towards the door, he noticed an old wanted poster with a picture of a man with Japanese facial features, his hair tied back, and a gi similar to the one this man wore. Under the picture read, "Wanted by Aku: 'Samurai Jack'."

"Hmm," the traveler said as he inspected the poster. He then pushed back the curtain covering the entrance and walked inside.

The inside looked like a traditional Japanese tea house, only larger. Golden Chinese dragons, lions, and warriors decorated the walls and guarded the doorway, tables were barely off the ground and surrounded by mats for customers to sit on instead of chairs, and the room was filled with mixed company; humans, alien creatures, and robots sat at the tables and were conversing with each other and towards the back, two muscular guards protected a door with the words: PRIVATE ENTRY KEEP OUT engraved above the frame. Wheeling around the room were robotic geishas painted in bright floral colors.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, (which you should've by now) this man is none other than the man in the poster: the famed Samurai Jack, one of the few men in the universe considered brave enough and foolish enough to challenge the authority of Aku. The samurai was sent here to this bleak future thousands of years ago, during his first duel with Aku. Since then, Aku has hired bounty hunter after bounty hunter to try and defeat the ancient warrior and put a price on Jack's head higher than the price of any man before him, but so far, none have been able to stand against the samurai.

Seeing that no one had recognized him from the poster, (much less notice his presence) Jack sat down at a corner table, his back to the corner to keep an eye out for potential danger. One of the geisha-bots looked his way and glided over to the silent warrior.

"Good afternoon, sir," she, or it, said in a feminine, robotic tone. "Can I take your order?"

"Yes, please," Jack answered. "I would like only a cup of hot water."

The geisha-bot's hand flattened and became a serving tray. Then, her stomach opened up, revealing a glass of steaming water. A robotic arm gently placed the cup on her hand and she placed it neatly on the table in front of the samurai.

"Here you go, sir!" She said. "If you need anything, just press the button on the wall to your right and I or another unit will report here to serve you." The samurai just waved his hand and the geisha-bot bowed deeply and rolled away.

Jack then reached into the sleeve of his gi and pulled out a small teaspoon and a small bag of tea leaves given to him by a grateful merchant he met during his travels. He dropped the bag into the hot cup of water and began stirring the water. Whenever it turned a clear green, Jack placed the spoon on the table and began to put the cup to his lips. He was just about to enjoy his tea when a large figure busted through the entrance, sending debris flying at the samurai, knocking his tea cup to the floor. Slightly irritated, Jack stood up and turned around.

The figure was extremely tall and had arms ten times bigger than Jack's entire body. He had a red moustache and what remained of his hair was tied in a ponytail. He wore a white shirt and a plaid kilt. In place of his right leg was a loaded machine gun and he carried a huge shield and sword on his back. He turned towards the samurai's direction.

"Jack," he said in a Scottish accent. "There's no time to explain! We need to get going now, Laddie!"

Instantly Jack recognized this man from his earlier travels. It was a man he knew only as the "Scotsman".

"Well, are ye just gonna stand there gawking at me like a seasick goat or are ye comin' with me?" the Scotsman asked.

"Well, I…" Suddenly, the Scotsman lifted Jack like a helpless doll, put him under his huge arm, and ran back out the door.

"We don't have time to stand around and make small talk, Jack! Aku is plannin' something that could put your mission in great jeopardy!"

"What is he planning?" Jack asked, trying to ignore the Scotsman's pungent body odor.

"He's created a portal to the past and is plannin' on usin' it to travel back to the time of your childhood and kill you so you won't be a threat to him now!" Jack's eyes widened in alarm at this news. He knew that he had to stop Aku now or the consequences would be dire!

"But, I do not know where Aku dwells."

"Aye, but I do, Laddie," the Scotsman answered. "I was battling one of Aku's cronies and before I did away with him, I made him tell me a few things so I could help you out. At first I didn't believe him about the portal until I traveled to the Pit of Hate and saw for meself! I knew that even though I'm almost as tough as me Granddad, I couldn't take Aku on alone, so I went looking for you!"

"Then we must not waste time! We must find Aku and stop him before it's too late!"

The Scotsman carried the samurai all the way through the forest, through a barren wasteland, and finally he entered a dark and desolate valley. Giant stone statues of a tree-like figure with horns and flaming eyes lined the pathway leading to a giant tower made to resemble a burning inferno. Jack's eyes continued to stare at the domain of evil as the Scotsman gently put his friend down.

"From here we must walk," the Scotsman explained. "If we go barging in there, Aku will surround us with more guards and bounty hunters than we've both faced combined!" Jack nodded in agreement and the two began their walk towards the tower.

During the long, suspenseful walk, the two warriors spoke not a word, both of them knowing that this could potentially be the end of many things. If all went well, the universe would be free from Aku's terrible clutches, Jack would've fulfilled the first part of his destiny, and Jack would have his portal home. If things took a turn for the worst, Aku would remain in power, both Jack and the Scotsman could potentially be killed, and even if they did escape Aku's wrath, Aku still had a shot at destroying Jack forever with that time portal, and if Jack was killed, then no one, not even the Scotsman, would be able to stop Aku, since Jack's magic sword was the only weapon capable of doing any major damage to the evil emperor, and, for the icing on the cake, the only people capable of wielding Jack's sword are those of his father's bloodline, which were all killed after Aku sent the samurai into the distant future on that fateful day.

These thoughts of "what if" lingered in their heads as the Pit of Hate grew closer and closer with every step they took. Great creatures made of stone crawled along the ledges around Jack and the Scotsman, eying them closely, but not making any efforts at an attack. Giant three-eyed, four-winged buzzards sat perched atop the statues of Aku glaring down on the two warriors. Finally, they reached the end of the valley and stood at the doors of Aku's Pit of Hate.

Two mechanical guards stood at the door. Both of them resembled knights and had large shields and long poles with large blades welded to the tips. The guards were huge, and seemed to ignore the two traveling warriors, but once they got a look at the puny swordsman standing next to the hulking Scotsman, the two pointed their weapons at Jack and his friend.

The guard on the right attacked first, and attempted to impale Jack with his weapon. Jack drew his katana and slashed the weapon in half. Jack then leaped high into the air, and came crashing down on his foe's shield with his mystic sword.

Meanwhile, the Scotsman was dodging the other guard's jabs. He leapt backwards, lifted his machine gun leg, and fired a barrage of bullets at the guard. Filled with bullet holes, the guard fell to the ground with a crash and exploded. The Scotsman looked over to his comrade; Jack was being pushed back by the guard's shield, but continued to hold his ground. The Scotsman pulled the massive shield from his back and threw it at the hulking robotic guard, hitting it in the head. Dazed, the guard stumbled backwards.

The Scotsman reached into the pouch hanging from his kilt, pulled out a handful of grenades, and lobbed them at the guard's feet, where they exploded, giving the guard little time to react. Bits and pieces of it flew high into the air.

Jack and the Scotsman looked at each other sternly, nodded, and ran through the entrance, but little did they realize how close they were to being too late…

Deep in the Pit, Aku, the shape-shifting Master of Darkness himself, was gazing into a portal floating in front of him. In it was an image of a young Samurai Jack, playing with a wooden katana.

"Yes, play with your toy, young samurai, for it will be the last blade you will ever wield!!" Aku roared. Suddenly, a black ninja in red clothing appeared in front of Aku.

"Master," he said, bowing. "I have bad news. The samurai you've been hunting for has breeched the Pit of Hate and is coming this way! He has a Scottish man helping him!"

Aku turned to a spot on his wall and another portal opened up, this time showing Samurai Jack and the Scotsman walking down a flight of black stairs.

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH!!" Aku hissed, the flames engulfing his eyes burning more intensely than before. "Capture him and his friend and bring them to me!!"

"Yes, sir!" And with that, the ninja vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Meanwhile, the samurai and Scotsman came to a pair of huge, black metal doors. Aku's image engraved on the door grinned evilly at the two unwelcome guests as they gawked at the massive door.

"Jack," the Scotsman said. "This is Aku's chamber, which means Aku is behind those doors." Jack nodded in agreement. "Before we go on, I want ye to have something." He pulled a stone with a strange symbol from his pouch. "Everyone in me family has a stone similar to this one. Jack, I want ye to have mine."

Jack was astonished at first, but he reluctantly took the stone and bowed low to his friend.

"Thank you, my friend," Jack said.

"When you return to your own time, show that stone to anyone who looks like one of the people in the photographs I showed ye a while back. Also, that stone will help ye remember me and your adventures in the future when you defeat Aku." Once again, the two stared at the door. "What's wrong, Jack?"

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Jack answered. Suddenly, his feelings proved to be correct when a beetle-like robot fell in front of them.

It stared at them with its blue eyes and bared its four front legs, each one armed with a sickle. Jack and the Scotsman drew their swords when they heard something behind them. They turned around, only to be met with thousands more. Mixed in with the mechanical insects were minions and bounty hunters. Behind them, the bug-bot thought it had the advantage and attempted to hack the warriors to pieces, but Jack quickly blocked the blows and hacked the robot to pieces.

Instantly the army attacked! Jack and his Scottish friend charged towards them, screaming. The Scotsman was attacked by a cowboy-like robot, but the machine was no match for the Scotsman's sword. Behind the front lines of the army, Jack was slicing through robots, ninjas, and aliens, defeating them with ease.

On the other side of the battle, the Scotsman was under fire by a bounty hunter with a jetpack and two laser pistols. The Scotsman returned fire with his machine gun leg, damaging the bounty hunter's jetpack. Before he could recover from the fall, the Scotsman decapitated him and continued spraying the rest of Aku's army with bullets.

The fight dragged on with Jack nearly buried in robot parts and the Scotsman running out of grenades and patience. Eventually, the two were driven in the center of the army, greatly fatigued and almost out of tricks. Suddenly the bounty hunters stopped firing and the robotic bugs stopped attacking. A lone minion stepped out of the crowd.

"Samurai Jack," he said. "You and your friend are surrounded and there's no hope for escape. If you end this now, we will spare your friend and you will be given at least a few more hours to live. If you do not, then we will kill you right here and now! Now, warriors, choose!!"

Jack and the Scotsman glanced at each other and then glanced back at the ninja-like minion of Aku. They smiled as both of their blades came crashing down on the ninja, giving him his answer. His body vanished in a black vapor, leaving nothing behind but his whip and red clothes. They then turned their attention to the remaining forces and charged at them. With their heightened morale, the warriors crushed the army with ease, despite their great number disadvantage. With the last of the robots, minions, and bounty hunters lying on the black bridge in pieces, the two warriors again focused their attention to the door.

"Hey, Jack." Jack looked over at his comrade. "That bad feeling ya had earlier, it hasn't gone away, has it?" Jack only stared ahead.

"No, it hasn't."

"Well, we won't get anywhere standin' around flapping our gums," the Scotsman said. "Let's go!'

The Scotsman pulled his fist back and swung at the door. The black metal doors swung open with a loud creek and hit the walls with a loud bang.

Jack ran into the room and screamed at the top of his lungs, "AKUUUUUUUUUUU!!"

A black form rose out from the bottom of the Pit and looked down upon the samurai and Scottish swordsman with his flaming eyes.

"Foolish Samurai," Aku said. "For a long time now, you have succeeded in defeating every foe I sent your way, but today is the day you will fail! BWA-HAHAHAHAHA!!"

Tired of hearing Aku speak, the Scotsman fired a barrage of bullets at Aku, but they all glanced harmlessly off Aku's black form. The Scotsman then tossed the last of his grenades at Aku, but without any luck; the explosions did nothing to harm the Shogun of Sorrow.

"Fool!! No weapon forged by Man can harm me!" Aku boasted. Aku then slammed his fist down and attempted to crush the Scotsman, but he quickly dodged the attack and slashed a small cut into Aku's arm. Aku recoiled in pain. "So, those runes inscribed into your sword can harm me. But they can do little damage, which means it will not be enough to defeat me!" Aku formed himself into a swirling mass of blackness and transformed into a giant gorilla. Aku tried to crush Jack, but Jack sliced the dark emperor into three pieces.

The pieces formed back together, and this time, Aku took the form of a great buzzard.

"No matter what form you take, Aku, you will never defeat the power of righteousness!" Aku ignored the samurai and dive-bombed him.

Jack and his comrade ducked. Aku slashed the Scotsman in the arms with his sharp talons, but only put a small cut in his arm. Aku then attempted another attack and missed again and only got his beak stuck in the ground. The Scotsman slashed Aku in the side, only making a small cut, but causing Aku great pain nonetheless. Jack then followed through with his katana, bisecting Aku. Aku then reformed into a great viper.

Aku struck at his enemies, but they scattered. Aku struck at Jack, only to be met with the blade that sealed him in that petrified tree thousands of years ago. It was fang against blade; Jack and Aku were both locked together. If Aku let up, Jack would slice through his skull and Aku would be finished. If Jack loosened his grip on the ground, Aku would knock him down, leaving him wide open for a fatal attack from Aku. The Scotsman slashed the tip of Aku's tail off, breaking the stalemate between the two bitter enemies. Jack was thrown backwards and his sword was knocked from his hand, landing on the edge of the platform. Jack tried to reclaim his weapon, but was stopped by a sharp pain in his shoulder.

Jack looked on his arm and saw Aku's fangs penetrating his skin. Aku picked the samurai up and tossed him across the room with his enormous maw. Aku then knocked Jack's sword off into the Pit.

"Oops!" He exclaimed. Outraged, the Scotsman thrust his sword into Aku's side as deep as it would go.

Aku screamed in agony and wrapped his coils around the Scotsman. On the other side of the room, Jack stood to his feet, dizzy from both the landing and the venom flowing through his bloodstream.

"So, Scotsman," Aku hissed, "you're helping this accursed Samurai? You know how you could help him more? By retrieving his sword! BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHA!!" Aku continued to laugh as he dropped the Scotsman off the edge and into the Pit of Hate. Jack looked on helplessly as his friend fell deep into the depths of Aku's darkness.

"Well, Samurai, it looks like in this battle, the cheese stands alone!" Suddenly, the sword in Aku's side started to glow a red color and Aku was forced to return to his original form. "The accursed runes on this sword are draining my power!!" Aku pulled it from his side and tossed it.

Jack suddenly fell to his knees; the venom was taking its toll on his muscles. Aku stood over him, also mortally wounded.

"So, Samurai, this is how it turns out. You have been poisoned by me and your friend has drained most of my power. However, I still have plenty left to dispose of you, Samurai Jack!" Jack tried to move, couldn't. Aku's eyes glowed a dark red and a red beam fired out of them at Jack.

But suddenly, a flash of light cancelled out the beam and Jack and Aku vanished and reappeared in a void of darkness.

"What's going on?" Aku asked. "Who dares interfere with Aku!?"

"SAMURAI!!" A booming voice said. "YOU HAVE FAILED YOUR QUEST!!" Jack was amazed to find that he was able to move. "HOWEVER, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE TO DEFEAT AKU!! IF YOU FAIL THIS TIME, YOU WILL NOT BE GIVEN ANOTHER CHANCE. IS THAT CLEAR?"

"Uh, yes," Jack said, unsure of what was happening.

"ANOTHER SWORD HAS BEEN FORGED FOR YOU TO REPLACE THE ONE DESTROYED BY AKU." A katana identical to Jack's old one appeared in front of him.

"Eh, I guess I'm okay with this," Aku stated. "I defeated that foolish samurai before and I shall do it again!"

"YOU, AKU," the voice said. "YOU AND JACK WILL BE TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE DAY YOU SENT JACK INTO THE FUTURE AND BOTH OF YOU WILL BE IN THE SAME STATE AS THEN, ONLY YOU WILL KEEP THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE OLD FUTURE. AKU, YOU HOWEVER WILL STILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THE SCOTSMAN'S RUNES, AS I DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO HEAL YOU FROM THOSE."

"What!?" Aku yelled. He folded his arms and pouted. "This stinks! Now I'm gonna have to wait thousands of years for my powers to return!"

"NOW GO!!"

Instantly, Jack and Aku were transported back to the moment of their first confrontation. Aku was lying on the ground, a huge gash in his chest, and Jack stood over him. Aku felt the pain from his wound and the weakness from the Scotsman's runes.

"We've returned to the time we first fought," Jack said.

"I said this once, Samurai, and I'll say it again," Aku growled. "We will meet in combat again in the future, when my powers have returned." Before Jack could do anything, Aku used the last of his power to shoot circles from his mouth, circles that engulfed Jack and sent him forward in time yet again.

Jack, once again, found himself in that same time portal that sent him thousands of years into the future. This time, he would have to be on his guard. Who knows what could wait for him in this new future….

Next time- Aku Gets Schooled: In the present, three months before Jack arrives in the new future, Aku reawakens and decides to spend a day in Karakura Town to learn about the people of this time and plan building his new empire. Will he be able to blend in, or will the residents suspect something strange about this new student and try to stop his insidious plans?