Disclaimer: I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, because if I did, this all would be canon.
Before you go on with reading this story, I feel like it's only fair to explain what is this all about.
This fanfic is sort of a typical "darker and edgier" fanfic retelling, taking a child-friendly show and giving it a more serious tone. It isn't just about using topics of death and violence, but also about trying to patch up plot holes, give characters more depth and a bigger level of character development. It is not a completely different story, since I use the same plots, just tailor them a little. If this was all, I wouldn't feel a need to write a warning, though.
I can't promise anything, since I am still writing it, but this story might touch uncomfortable topics like slavery, interspecies relationship, sexual harassment, physical and psychological abuse, manipulation, torture, heck, even age gap and incest. Nothing too graphic, and if events are getting too dark, I'll put special warnings at beginning of chapter.
I am not adding grittiness for sake of grittiness, but neither am I removing it just because it can make someone uncomfortable. These are ancient demonic creatures after all, let them be as bad as they should be.
Basically, if it fits, it sticks.
You've been warned.
Enjoy.
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Chapter 1
The Mask Of The Shadowkhan, part 1
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"Dullsville," Jade sighed.
"No, the capital of Georgia is Atlanta," uncle Jackie lowered the card and looked at his niece with a smile on his face.
The girl muttered under her breath and buried the face in her arms. How long have they been studying this stupid stuff? She swore she could feel herself getting older just from how boring it was!
"Jade, your geography test is tomorrow," tried to reason with her Jackie. "Let's try… Oregon!"
Yeah, like she needed another reminder of that. Miss Hartman just had to be the meanest teacher ever to give a geography test at the end of the second school week. Who does that?!
"Why does Tohru get to study the fun stuff?" she pointed at the wizards.
They watched Uncle raise an old, dusty card. A purple symbol (which to Jade looked more like a pan with tentacles) was printed on it.
"Uncle is waiiiting," the old man adjusted his round tiny glasses and furrowed thin grey eyebrows.
"Oh, I know this one," Tohru rubbed back of his back, probably sweating from the tension. "Uh, that is a symbol for conjuring spell, one which requires garlic and, uh, ginger."
Jade smiled at her friend. Of course he did, he was Tohru, he was going to be the best chi mage he world had ever known.
"Correct," the Chinese man smiled, resting the hand with card on lap.
Uh-oh.
"IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHICKEN CHAO MEIN!" he shouted at his student.
Tohru flinched and almost fell back. It was pretty funny, such a big warrior afraid of such an old fragile man. At least, anyone stupid enough to underestimate Uncle would think that.
Jade wasn't one of them.
"Do you plan on becoming a chi wizard, Tohru?" his voice was calm again, as he leaned forward and looked him right into eyes with a stern expression. "Then you must prepare for day when new evil enters our world."
Jade hoped it would happen ASAP. She'd better fight demons than algebra. There she at least had a chance.
Life of a criminal was a funny thing.
One day you're part of a powerful international crime organization, next day you're getting enslaved by some dark deity, and then you're serving grey shit for breakfast in a jail's cafeteria.
Chow wondered if he should find it hilarious or tragic.
The truth was, he just didn't give a fuck anymore.
"Bon Appetite," he threw some munch on a plate.
A black dude in a grey beanie with the food-tray passed next to Ratso, who added more of the same shitty substance and then to Finn.
"Today's special," he muttered, which typically meant 'it's good enough to pass as an animal food'.
When the man left and it seemed like no one else was coming, they waved at the two guards, standing near exit doors in the kitchen. The room smelt of iron and meat, raw vegetables and some flowers. Not nice flowers, but poisonous. Chow would know, he's had… worked with chemicals in his younger years.
The trio was dressed in orange costumes, black boots, grey boots, their hair cut to an "appropriate" length and style, special electrical cuff attach to each man's left foot used to detect their location and alert guards if they walked into prohibited areas. It was all bearable though, lack of his favourite sunglasses – now this was the worst. He felt naked.
"Hey, we're out of meat, mind if we get to the freezer?"
"All together?" the man squinted his eyes so much he looked like he tried to outasian Chow.
"We need a lot, it's heavy, and Ratso pulled an arm yesterday," the redhead shrugged.
"Slipped on a banana peel," their pal said in a sad tone.
Chow snickered. He wasn't sure what was funnier – a criminal dude whining like a child or the fact that it was actually true.
They were a really special trio. Um, four-io. Granted not like anyone cared about Hei Hu…
"You two stay here," the guards pointed at Finn and Chow. "We'll help Ratso."
"Thanks," the man smiled as sincerely as only Ratso could.
It was hard to explain, but even guards and the vilest of criminals here had a soft spot for the Italian man. His "dumb puppy"-like charm worked well.
"What about him?" Chow pointed at Daolon Wong doing weird gestures over a fuming pot. "What if he tries to escape or attacks us?"
Judging from the smell, if the old geezer was cooking soup, the soup had already gone bad.
"Yeah, right," the guard, Kenny, was his name? laughed. "Call us if he starts biting your ankles."
"Just asking," Chow shrugged.
When the guards and Ratso finally left, Finn turned to Wong.
"Hey, how is that special sauce coming?"
The old man glared at the two, but for once neither flinched. He no longer had his powerful magic, and for once treated them with some semblance of respect. Though it was likely to end once he finished his spell. Was it really that bad in prison compared to an eternal slavery?
…Well, at least magic slavery wasn't so boring.
"While I no longer possess my full powers, I, Daolon Wong, have amassed almost all the spell ingredients required to make our escape," the man narrowed his eyes and returned to whispering in ancient Chinese.
Chow had little to none understanding of what he was saying, and he doubted he'd like to know.
"Then we just have to wait for our special delivery, Hak Foo and Ratso should be back veery soon," Finn chuckled.
They didn't have to wait long. Several minutes later Ratso and the redhead came from the storeroom, no guards watching them whatsoever.
"…so I just hope someone finds them before they freeze," the Italian man told the kung-fu fighter, who seemed to ignore him. "They aren't so bad, Kenny even lets me watch TV sometimes."
"This had better work, wizard," Hei Hu ignored him, growled and tossed something to the old man.
Chow leaned closer and recognized something furry. And bloody. A tail? A cat's tail?
Those wizards and their fascination with creepy shit like that.
"Ahh, yesss!" Daolon Wong grinned with his yellow teeth, catching the thing with a speed and ease unbelievable for such an old man.
He ripped it apart, breaking those tiny little bones and skin, throwing them into the pot. Squirted some blood into the mix and threw the rest on the floor.
The Enforcers watched in awe and disgust, as the wizard began loudly chanting a spell, the magical potion glowing with purple light, as a symbol appeared on its surface. Now Chow could recognize it for sure, and the memory was not pleasant.
That weird thing from Shendu's tome they tried to steal back from Chans. Which resulted in them getting their asses literally spanked because that little brat got this all "Shadowkhan" power to her.
He had a bad feeling about this.
"Come to me! Yes!" he loudly exclaimed. "Liberate us, Shadowkhan!"
A blast of blue light escaped the pot, and Daolong Wong rose his arms with a victorious expression.
"Rise, my army of darkness!"
The enforcers walked closer, but hid behind the wizard's back. Just in case.
Something was not right, though. The symbol was no longer just lines, it had colour, volume and… it felt like it was actually watching them. It was hard to tell with the liquid boiling and bubbling, but still…
"Your army?" a deep yet smooth new voice startled everyone.
They gasped, staring at the symbol of Shadowkhan talking.
"I am the one and only King of the Shadowkhan," it scoffed at the wizard.
"Tarakudo? Awakened?" for the first time ever Wong sounded… terrified?
"And ready to reclaim my ninja magic," he looked left and right, as if looking for a way out.
Daolon Wong, one of the loudest and most impatient bosses Chow has ever had just stared at the symbol in bafflement. What the fuck was that thing? Another demon sorcerer? Now one sealed in a pan?
"A task for which I will require…" the thing's gaze stopped at them. "Assistance."
Uh-oh.
"We have to check on desert now!" Finn and other Enforcers began backing away.
Another blast of magic turned the pot into pieces, and a giant gloating head emerged from it. It looked like a human's, just with pointy ears and horns. Bald but compensating with long and bushy grey moustache, beard and eyebrows. Dark-orange – or probably red – it had black swirly tattoos on its face around eyes, lips and on horns' tips, resembling tiger's stripes somewhat.
Wong fell on the ground, staring at the beast with awe.
The tigerman head grinned from ear to ear, revealing large and sharp teeth, probably strong enough to tear their bodies into pieces if it wanted to. Olive (or amber? he really needed his glasses) eyes right at them.
"Uhhh," Ratso reached for a doorknob.
The monster frowned and air around them flickered. Suddenly they couldn't move anymore. Chow felt some power lifting him in the air along with other three Enforcers.
"I suppose breaking you out of your prison is only fair for breaking me out of mine," the red monster smirked and opened one the doors with his power.
Before they could say anything, he was already levitating them away.
What's the point of living? Where do we come from? Why food at school cafeteria tastes like it was made of demon crap?
…Do demons even poop?
"Jade," uncle Jackie broke her out of her lazy super philosophical thoughts.
"I'm listening, listening," she sighed.
"Now, let's try-" he pointed at the map.
A loud sound caught everyone's attention. Some car stopped right in front of the shop. A very loudly. Captain Black slammed the door open and marched in.
Jade felt like all drowsiness was gone in a flash. Finally! Something happened!
"Jackie!" the man walked to his friend. "The Dark Hand thugs have escaped from prison!"
Yes! Action! Adventures! Magic!
"Ah! Daolong Wong!" Uncle gasped.
"The good news is, the wizard is still in custody," Captain Black smiled at the old man.
He was about to say something more when his phone rang. The man picked it up and listened to someone talking on the other end.
"Millar airfield? A floating what?" he frowned. "Send in every available agent-"
Unsurprisingly Uncle grabbed the phone out of his hand and angrily answered to the call.
"Your assistance will not be necessary! Magic will defeat magic! Goodbye."
Without giving a damn he just threw the thing on the floor and turned back to Jackie. Jade snickered at sad expression on Black's face as he silently picked up the phone. He didn't even try to argue anymore.
"Daolon Wong or no Daolong Wong, a new greater evil has forced its way into our realm! When we find Dark hand thugs we will find this evil, hurry!"
Jackie and Tohru nodded and got out of their seats, ready to go.
"Yes!" Jade jumped on her feet but her uncle pushed her back into the seat.
"50 states, 50 capitals," he pointed at the map.
"But Jackie, I'm 14! If I can marry in some countries I definitely can go and fight demons!"
"Jade, study the map, we'll handle it," Jackie shook his head.
"Ugh," she pouted and crossed her arms.
That was unfair.
She watched them leave the house, get in a black van and drive away. The girl sighed and glared at the map. Study it, ooof cooourse.
A sudden idea stuck her.
Study it, of course.
Jade smirked.
Chow recognized the place. Hangars, hangars, more hangars. Warm sunlight. And no walls or guards. Life outside of prison was nice, even while working for a demonic tyrant.
It was an airport where Valmont hid some of his personal planes. While he still was the head of Dark Hand, of course. The Chinese man was surprised no one confiscated all of that yet.
Or maybe they did and they were just wasting their time here.
"Serve me well and your reward will be great," the tigerman grinned at them with all his probably 66 fangs.
It probably should've unnerved Chow more, but really, he'd seen worse.
"Yeah, about that," Finn began nervously. "Eh, we appreciate your busting us and all, oh Tarakudo-san, but the truth is we're kind of burnt out on the whole 'Henchmen for Higher Things'."
Chow wasn't sure why he even tried. It's not like it ever worked before.
"Aah, so you require… motivation," the floating head answered with a tone the Chinese man didn't like at all.
He looked away and frowned. The Enforcers watched in horror how he lifted several metal barrels with his telekinetic powers, rose them way up and they began falling down with incredible speed.
Shit!
"Waaah!" they all cried out and covered their heads, but nothing happened.
Chow opened his eyes and looked up. The barrels were floating a few inches above their heads, air around them slightly distorted.
"We're on board!" Ratso squeaked.
"When do we start?" Chow asked.
"Ready to work!" Finn proclaimed.
Even Hei Hu looked a little shaken, but didn't say anything.
"That's the spirit!" Tarakudo grinned. "Now where is this Dark Hand jet?.."
A sudden noise attracted everyone's attention. An unfamiliar black van stopped several metres away from them, but they didn't need to look inside to know who it was.
"Visitors?" the demon raised his bushy long eyebrows.
"Jackie Chan and his friends," Finn almost spitted that name.
"He's always getting in our way," Ratso complained.
"So now would be an excellent time to bring out the ninjas!"
"Not just yet," the tigerman shook his head and floated in the Chans' direction. "Ready the plane."
He was… taking care of them personally and didn't make them do all the dirty work?
"Hey, do you think we can-" Finn whispered to his buddies.
"I wouldn't risk that."
The four criminals ran into the hangar and left Tarakudo to deal with Chans. Chow was for once excited to be on a demon's side.
Jackie had hard time describing what he saw.
A big floating tigerman head with a beard and moustache? That was bizarre even by demons' standards! There was something familiar about it, though…
The thing floated in their direction with a frightening deep roar. It was getting closer and closer.
"Oni," he heard Tohru whisper as the giant stopped in his tracks.
"Uh, new evil, right?" Jackie looked at his Uncle, who also seemed shocked.
That was no good news if both sorcerers looked like they met a ghost.
"The symbol of the Shadowkhan!" the old wizard finally said.
Of course. Ninjas and power which turned Jade into... "Queen". He was behind that magic?
"What good is a cymbal without drums?!" the demon's eyebrows twitched.
Metal barrels and other heavy stuff lying around was flung in them like with some invisible power it was possessed and they had to quickly dodge it. Levitation, huh?
Tohru though was just… standing.
"Tohru!" Captain Black shouted and ran to the wizard, trying to pull him away. "C'mon, big fella! Trying to save you a nasty bruise here!"
One of the barrels hit Black and he fell on the ground with a pained gasp and the demon stared at him with a smug grin. Jackie felt a burst of anger fill his heart but he managed to keep it together. He couldn't let feelings control him. He was about to run to his friend but thankfully Tohru broke out of his trance.
"Captain Black!" the Japanese wizard picked up the unconscious man, carrying him back to the van.
"Jackie! Quickly floating head!" Uncle shouted and pointed at the monster.
The young man nodded and ran towards the demon, who turned to him. His face turned into a slight frown again and Jackie knew something was coming this way. Specifically, parts of a plane. Bolts, plates and everything sharp.
Jackie dodged them but hit his back as he fell on the hard ground.
Ugh, that was going to hurt the next day.
He looked around searching for cover and noticed a light red aircraft standing nearby. He ran there, dodging more metal objects flying his way and finally hid under it.
Phew, this fight wasn't going well. Even worse than he expected. Good thing Jade-
"Hi, Jackie."
"Woah!" he almost jumped and turned to face his niece.
"Before you get mad, listen, the capital of Kansas is Kansas-city," the young teenage girl looked at him with a smug smile.
"The capital is Topica and that is not the point!" he couldn't help but shout.
Would she ever listen to him?! For once?!
A loud roar stopped their argument and both Chans looked up. The floating head quickly approached them, this time without throwing anything. Jackie watched the tigerman quickly fly to Jace and stop, staring her right in the eyes.
Was this thing terrifying this close. Jackie felt petrified.
"Uh-oh," Jade stepped back. "Wow."
"You…" he muttered in a deep rumbling voice.
Jackie didn't understand what was going on but their staring contest in a middle of a fight threw him off. As if there was some silent communication going on and he didn't dare to break it.
"Ah, the former Queen of the Shadowkhan," the floating head finally broke the pause with a wide grin which Jackie didn't like at all. "Returning to the forces of darkness?"
Now this definitely pulled him out of his trance. Fear of the thing was gone, fear for his niece flashed like never before.
"Thank you, no! Not today!" he grabbed the girl and ran away.
"Ah, what Jackie said!" to his relief she agreed.
For a second he feared that Jade… never mind.
"In time, you're young," the monster sighed behind their backs.
He heard magical blasts and another roar. Tohru and Uncle finally joined the fight.
Jackie reached the black van. He opened the door and placed Jade in a seat next to still unconscious Captain Black. He hoped the man wasn't hit too hard, but they couldn't do anything about it yet. First – demon business.
"Wait here and if anything happens, find cover," Jackie said to his niece and closed the door before she could protest.
Now back to Uncle, Tohru and Floating Head.
Jade blinked and brushed her eyes.
What was that?..
Last few minutes felt almost like a lucid dream or that one time she stole beer from her dad's office and tried it. Weird and dizzy but also conscious? Kind of? Things she couldn't remember but now suddenly did?
"Ugh, what did Jackie say?" she barely paid attention to what he said before leaving.
Even more than usually. It wasn't her fault, though. That Floating Head gave her a headache.
Find? Find what?
Jade sighed and got out of the van through the other door. Fresh air should clear her head. Suddenly she heard a loud noise. And it wasn't that… thing roaring or Uncle's spells. No… an air engine?
She ran to one of the hangars and peeked in. The Enforcers were getting in a black aircraft with Dark Hand logo on it. Darnit, they almost forgot these three doofuses! Where's Hak Foo, though?
"Get in!"
"Fly-fly-fly!"
Ratso and Finn finally climbed the entrance and closed the door behind them. The plane was still not moving though, just warming up its engines.
Hmmm…
Jade sneaked to the aircraft in shadows, hiding behind boxes and barrels until she reached one of the wheels. She hoped all the movies and cartoons didn't lie…
"Finally safe, and Chan's busy fighting the T-man," Finn leaned back and took a sip out of wineglass. "Now that's the life."
The plane was fancy, decorated like a top class hotel room in Peking. It had everything one could ever want during a flight – from extra soft, extra large seats to a fridge full of wine and to a working TV – it seemed like someone visited the plane quite regularly. Chow wondered if perhaps this thing had a Jacuzzi.
They should check out the back rooms when they have time…
"Do you think that we can… maybe," Ratso nervously tapped his laps.
"Nah, you know how it is, Tarakudo will have our heads if we try to fly our way,"
"Even if we could, try convincing Mr. Pilot," Chow pointed at the door to the flight deck.
"Aww."
It was still weird to know that Hei Hu was a professional pilot. Not all brawn and no brain.
Finally they felt the plane move. And no Chan yet. Just perfect. Though he'd probably appear at any second. Out of thin air. Chow wasn't even hoping for an easy escape.
All three looked in the windows, expecting the man be right there, but no. He and two wizards were behind them, still on the ground, getting farther and farther away…
Did they really do it this time?
Ratso and Finn groaned when Chan got on an escalatormobilething and it drove after the aircraft.
Of course no.
"Could you speed up?!" Finn shouted to the pilot. "Even my grandma could catch up with us!"
"Hey, I have an idea," Chow snapped his fingers.
"What?"
The Chinese man pointed at the main door with a hand gesture like he opened it.
"No magic is going to save Chan from hundreds metres fall," he chuckled.
"Oh, but he did survive the fall from a falling train in a river," Ratso added.
The three stared at each other with blank faces. Darnit.
"No way he's human."
To be honest no one even questioned it anymore.
"Well, at least it will get him off our tail for a while," Finn sighed.
The men fastened their seatbelts and looked in the windows again. Chan had almost caught up with them. Chow wondered how he was going to get inside. Climb the wing and open the door? But it can't be opened from the outside.
The plane finally started to take off, and it looked like Chan didn't reach them this time…
But they knew better.
A bunch of noise came from below them and a trapdoor on the floor opened. Jackie Chan climbed out of it. Slightly dirty and scratched but alive. How did he do that?
"You want a barf bag, Chan?" Ratso pushed an full bag into his face.
Let's just say the first "flight" with Tarakudo didn't go well.
"What?" the man blinked in surprise.
"Cause you're about to experience some air sickness!" Finn patted his seatbelt and opened the door.
The powerful wind sucked out crying out Chan into open air. Enforcers clung into their seats.
"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!" they heard outside. "Nooooo!"
Priceless.
"Goodbye," Finn smirked.
Was this the end of Jackie Chan?
Chow hoped so.
"Happy trails, Chan!" Ratso waved at him.
The wind was getting a little too strong though. They should close the door before-
Knock, knock, slam!
The backdoor opened wide and a short teenage girl jumped out of it right to the exit. She grabbed into Chow's seat, looking out of the door. She had a parachute and full equipment on.
"Jackie would so not approve," Chan girl said before jumping out of the plane.
The Enforcers stared in shock at her.
This girl.
They looked down, watching the girl catch up with the falling Chan. It seemed like the landed safely, to Enforcers' disappointment. Not like they really wanted the girl to break into pieces… but not like they would protest.
"At least we have our health," Ratso shrugged.
The door suddenly broke off before they could close it. And the wind was only getting stronger.
"Shut up, Ratso!" Finn shouted as the plane started to shake.
Phew. This was fun, but surprisingly time-consuming.
Half of the dialogue and scenes are pretty much already written, I just need to detail them but it still isn't easy. I also do skip some scenes and change PoV. Can't use Jade to describe the situation when she's not in it.
As you might have already guessed, this story does have dark!Jade plot – which will be one of the most important points. Show never did anything beyond hinting, but oh well, can't blame them, an underage Queen and 1000+ years old King is an awkward topic to discuss.
…Don't worry, they won't bang, Tarakudo is not a paedophile (tho he is a cannibal like all oni :P).
But the whole Queen-King thing (not Princess-King or General-King) will be discussed. As I said in the beginning – I will touch uneasy and uncomfortable topics. If idea of exploring relationship/enemyship/friendship/partnership/rivalry/etc between Tarakudo and Jade is not up to your tastes, just skip this fanfic altogether.
Oh, and yes, Jade is in fact 14 in this fic. I've made my own calculations judging the series' events, data and determined how long each season took and how old Jade should be (basically 11 in the first episode and 15 or 16 in season 5 finale).
Yeah, she didn't "age" because cartoon characters don't age in general (even when timeline says they should), but hey, this is what fanfiction is for.
Btw don't worry about Enforcers, they're fine and reached their destination. How? You'll find out in the next chapter. But just a note for the future – don't open doors in a flying plane XD
…And yes I know I have a bunch of other fanfics I should work on.