As the five students made their way back up the hallway and out toward the gardens, Chase quietly watched them leave, clasping his hands together a little too tightly under his sleeves. Nothing about these new three struck him as unusual, and yet…
Master Fung strolled to his side and said, "I sense disquiet in you. What is on your mind?"
Chase took a long breath, thinking back to the dozens of previous generations from the past 1,500 years. "We've never had five Xiaolin Dragons in training all at once before. Even back in Wuya's reign, there were only three: Dashi, me, and… and Guan." He frowned a little but quickly resumed his impassive expression.
Master Fung nodded slowly. "And you are worried about how the balance between good and evil will shift to accommodate these new monks."
Chase nodded. Dojo sprang from Master Fung's shoulder to his. Casually curling his tail across the back of Chase's neck, the dragon said, "Come on, Chase baby. You and I have weathered 1,500 years of evil. Giant spiders, green monkeys, earwigs, grim reapers… two-headed Atlantis-eating dragons…" He rubbed at one of his feathery ears and chuckled nervously. "My point is, no matter what the world has thrown at you, you've always come out on top!"
"I am not at all worried about what could happen to me," Chase said, following Master Fung as the two walked to the meditation rooms. "But if five Xiaolin Dragons are needed to maintain the balance of good and evil, then whenever that evil may rise, I merely hope our students will be ready."
"The key is balance!" Omi strolled in front of the group on two fingers, both feet high in the air. "If you are a beginner, you might want to start with three fingers."
Clay wiggled two of his fingers in front of him. "Uh, just curious: when will we need this?"
Raimundo stared intently at the smallest monk. "Might be useful for sneaking around. Maybe somewhere your footsteps would be too loud. Or on a narrow walkway."
"Looks like a waste of time to me," Kimiko mumbled, arms crossed and with cheeks still pink from her earlier embarrassment.
"Never mind that, then." Springing back onto his feet, Omi clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully to the group. "Firstly, I do offer my condolences for the fate of your parents."
The three newbies stared blankly at him, and Jack smacked his own forehead. Voice low, Raimundo asked, "What about our parents?"
This time it was Omi's turn to blink in confusion. "Are you not orphans? Like me and Jack?"
Raimundo's face turned pale. Frowning and glancing at the others, Clay said, "Not to my knowledge." Kimiko pulled out her phone and started dialing a number before Jack managed to intervene.
"Your parents are fine!" Waving his hands in appeasement, he aimed a kick at Omi's shins and missed. "Omi's just an idiot; he thought you guys were orphans like us, and that's why you were here."
"Oh." The three glanced at each other again. Kimiko blinked, tapped at her phone, and put it back in her bag. Raimundo let out a breath he had been holding, and Clay let out an uneasy chuckle. Kimiko said, "You two are orphans?"
"I have been here since I was a baby," said Omi with a nod, "and Jack's parents died in a car crash when he was six. His grandmother sent him here."
"Oh," Kimiko said again. "Um. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Jack rubbed at his temples before taking a breath and gesturing to Omi and himself. "Well, now that someone has made everything awkward, time to introduce ourselves! This is Omi. He punches stuff, and he makes everything awkward. I'm Jack Spicer, Xiaolin Boy Genius—"
"Self-proclaimed genius," Omi muttered.
"No, it's official, I took an IQ test and everything—"
"You cheated on that IQ test."
"And who else would be smart enough to do that?"
"Your shoelaces are still untied, Jack."
"My point is," said Jack, turning away from Omi's triumphant smirk, "I know the place like the back of my robots' hands. I am an expert on everything Xiaolin, so if you have any questions," He gave the group a cheesy wink and a set of finger guns, "don't hesitate to ask."
"Riiight," said Kimiko. Pulling out a PDA, she glanced at it and asked, "First question, then: any net connection? I need to send an email to a friend in Tokyo."
"Sure is!" Jack straightened his back proudly. "I set it up myself when I was seven! Don't tell Master Fung."
"The password is 'jackspiceroolz,'" said Omi. "J-A-C-K-S-P-I-C-E-R-O-O-L-Z. He was trying to say 'Jack Spicer rules,' but he forgot the second R and—"
Jack aimed and missed another kick at the small monk, but to their surprise, Kimiko giggled. "Seven years old, huh? Sounds like you know your way around a computer?"
Jack spun back to her and puffed out his chest. "Sure do! I've hacked more hard drives than you've ever seen, baby!"
"Somehow I doubt that," Kimiko said, resting a hand on her hip but still smiling.
Wondering if flexing his admittedly noodle-shaped muscles for her would have the desired effect, Jack stuck his thumbs into his pockets instead. "I'm more of the inventor type, though. Just this morning, I made a bot that can dust, wash dishes, sweep, and do laundry, all made out of recycled materials!"
"Recycled?" said Omi. "That's an odd way to pronounce 'stolen.'"
"Heeeeey, Cheddar Head," said Jack, turning a forced smile toward the small monk, "why don't you go do something fun with Raimundo and Clay, huh?"
Rolling his eyes, Omi spun on his heel to face the taller boys. "Are either of you swift on your feet?" Before either teen had the chance to answer, Omi beamed and took off down the field. "Then witness the fierce cheetah method of fighting! I defy you to catch me!"
Jack returned his attention to Kimiko. "Sorry about him. Where were we?" Kimiko, however, had her eyes on the other boys. Omi dashed around the grassy fields, babbling about a strategy to keep his opponents confused. Raimundo didn't move, but Clay pulled a rope out of his hat. Jack's eyebrows rose as the cowboy casually tied a lasso, threw it, and snagged Omi by the ankle. The small monk hit the dirt with a yelp.
"Hope I didn't muck up your lesson too much, little fella," said Clay. "Just can't resist a challenge."
Jack started laughing so hard that he nearly fell over. Kimiko giggled, and Raimundo smiled with a mixture of amusement and sympathy for their tiny teacher. Red-faced while the cowboy pulled the rope and dragged him back to the group, Omi sprang to his feet. The rest of the group braced itself for a temper tantrum, but instead, Omi took a deep breath, untied himself, and straightened his back. "Not at all, Clay. I am quite used to a teammate finding loopholes in my battle strategies."
His gaze slid to Jack, who smirked and said, "Keeps you on your toes."
Omi gritted his teeth. "Indeed."
Though Chase was tempted to observe the three newest students more closely, he agreed with Master Fung that allowing the five a chance to bond unsupervised would provide the most opportunity for them. He held a certain admiration for Master Fung's hands-off teaching methods, especially since they remained unchanged despite all the years of Jack Spicer constantly testing the elder's patience. If Chase were in charge, he would be down in the fields with the kids to at least make sure they were all getting along. However, he knew better than to let his desire for control get in the way of their budding friendships.
He had no reason to worry. He and the other elder monks had already moved the belongings of the new students into the dormitories, and starting tomorrow, the three would join Omi and Jack in their regular training. Everything was going exactly as it should-
A freezing shudder shot through Chase's back, and his eyes opened.
Sitting in a circle with the other elder monks, joined in meditation around the vault's cauldron, the warrior looked around at the others. Master Fung met his gaze. Eyes round, the bearded monk asked, "Did you sense that?"
Another elderly monk murmured, "It was as if a great chill had descended upon the land."
Master Fung raised an eyebrow, still watching Chase. "Do you recognize…?"
Chase's fingers clasped together tightly. "It's not Hannibal. His presence is more… sickly." He turned to gaze upward at the glass ceiling, through which the sky was still thankfully a clear blue. It couldn't be possible. Her puzzle box had been lost centuries ago, and yet… "I haven't felt this presence in 1,500 years. Someone has set her free."
Master Fung nodded slowly. "Wuya."
"Who's Wuya?" asked Raimundo.
The five young monks sat in a semi-circle around Master Fung and Master Monk Chase. Jack had made sure to sit right next to Kimiko, who gave him a friendly smile. At Raimundo's question, Omi's hand shot up, and Jack mouthed "teacher's pet" at him.
Master Fung acknowledged Omi's hand with a nod but answered the question himself, "She is an ancient Heylin witch from the era of Grand Master Dashi, creator of the Shen Gong Wu. Though she is currently powerless, she will attempt to collect the Shen Gong Wu for herself to build her strength. Should she succeed, the world will be thrown into ten thousand years of darkness. It is your most solemn duty as Xiaolin Warriors to find all the Shen Gong Wu before Wuya does."
Omi's hand dropped, and his expression turned solemn. Jack drummed his fingers on his crossed arms and said, "I have a question."
Master Fung's gaze slid to the redhead. "Yes?"
"Where's all my stuff?" When the others turned to stare at him, he pointed backwards. "You guys squished my room over to Omi's side to make space for the new guys, and all my bots are gone! Where'd you put them all?"
Master Fung looked like he had to physically restrain his own eye from twitching. "I assure you, Jack, all your belongings are still there. The only things missing are the parts and pieces that were never yours to begin with."
Omi put a hand over his mouth to muffle his giggle. Clay gave Jack a judgmental frown. Kimiko scooted a few inches away from him and shifted her backpack to her lap, watching him with newfound distrust. The only student who didn't respond to Jack's implied thievery was Raimundo, who leaned forward and asked, "The Shen Gong Wu… they're weapons, right? How do we get them before this witch person?"
Master Monk Chase answered, "You will need the ancient scroll of the Shen Gong Wu, which will inform you of their abilities as they reveal themselves. Dojo is currently guarding it; he will escort you to each location."
"Dojo?" Raimundo frowned skeptically. "The gecko?"
Jack snorted. Leaning closer to the hooded teen, he said, "Call him that to his face. I dare you."
Raimundo wrinkled his nose and leaned further back from Jack. "Why? What's the worst he can do? Bite me?"
A few minutes later, after abruptly learning that Dojo could change size, breathe fire, and most certainly did not appreciate a comparison between him and any species of common lizard, Raimundo stomped outside with his expression sour and his hair only slightly singed. Clutching the Shen Gong Wu scroll, the enormous dragon slithered out the door after him and called, "Hop on, kiddies!"
Omi bounded onto Dojo's back immediately, and Jack clambered on with a grumble, but the other three were too busy gawking. Dojo preened at their awe, and eventually Kimiko and Clay found the courage to climb onto him. Raimundo, tugging his hood forward, was the last to join. When Dojo took off, the new three's outcries and yelps drowned out Jack's groan of dread. He certainly wasn't scared of heights, but Dojo's serpentine body coasted through the air currents in the sky, which meant lots and lots of undulating. Jack had to keep his eyes either clamped shut or focused on a stationary spot on the dragon's scales to keep from getting nauseated.
"So, Omi," said Dojo, passing the scroll back to the smallest monk, "what's the name of your first hot one? Mantis Flip Coin? Ants in the Pants? Fist of Tebigong? Can't believe you kids are already on your first Wu hunt! You're all growing up so fast…"
Before Jack could grumpily point out that Dojo had known three of them for less than a day, Omi opened up the scroll and read, "The Moby Morpher."
Jack fell flat on his face as Dojo's flight abruptly slowed. The dragon whipped his head around. "What?"
Omi held up the scroll for the other monks behind him to see. "Whoever possesses the Moby Morpher can change his shape and size, even taking on the appearance of his enemies." In the center of the scroll, a round display showed a figure moving around like it belonged in a mystical television screen, but Jack was honestly too queasy to be impressed by mundane magic.
Dojo curled a bit in the air to bring his head closer to the group. "Are you sure that's what it says? It's not something… easier…?" His voice trailed off when he saw the scroll himself.
"What's got your goat, Dojo?" Clay asked. "You're lookin' a mite pale, there."
Dojo's lips curled as far down as they could go on his reptilian jawline, but when he glanced back up and saw the dawning worry of his passengers, he gave them a forced smile. "Nothing! Just different from the norm, that's all!" He whipped his head back around and sped forward again, causing Jack to fly backwards and smack the back of his head onto Clay's chest.
Clay, who didn't even flinch at the collision, grabbed Jack's shoulders and helped him sit back upright. "Uh, you alright there, partner?"
Flushing and laughing nervously, Jack casually stretched his arms over his head. "Hey, don't worry about me! I'm tougher than I look!" He swallowed a burp of nausea and grabbed onto Dojo again.
After what couldn't have been long, despite Jack's stomach complaining otherwise, Dojo descended upon a smoking volcanic island. The monks clutched the dragon closely as he landed right at the volcano's rim. Lava bubbled in the crater amongst chunks of hardened rock. When Dojo shrank down, Jack hobbled aside to sit down while the others nervously approached the rim.
"Uh." Kimiko rested her fists on her hips. "What now?"
Dojo sprang onto Clay's hat and peered into the smoke. "Now we fetch the Shen Gong Wu and hope no bad guys show up." After a moment of silence, he added, "And by 'we,' I mean 'you.'"
Clay tilted his hat a bit and turned around to gaze down the side of the volcano. "Where is it?"
Raimundo silently pointed into the smoke. Atop a hardened rock in the middle of the lava sat a gleaming black and red object. Raimundo cautiously placed his foot at the edge of the rim and bit his lip. Kimiko looked up at Dojo and said, "Can't you fly over there and get it?"
"Hey, this is a learning experience!" Dojo crossed his arms and smiled. "You kids can't become Xiaolin Dragons if I'm holding your hands the whole time. You'll have to go fetch it yourselves."
Managing to successfully contain his breakfast, Jack clambered back to his feet and joined the group. Omi held a hand up to him. "Jack, may I borrow your goggles?"
Jack shrugged and yanked his set of gold goggles from his head. "Knock yourself out." Omi pulled them over his own eyes, and before anyone could stop him, he sprang straight into the volcano with a battle cry. Kimiko and Clay called out in alarm, and Raimundo looked ready to leap after the child. Jack crossed his arms and muttered, "Show off."
The smallest monk dashed across the lava from rock to rock until he reached the precipice with the black object. He paused and looked around, looking almost puzzled before he hoisted the Moby Morpher off its rock and dashed back across the lava to the others. As soon as he reached the rim, he dropped the Shen Gong Wu on the ground and rubbed his hands on his sleeves, muttering, "It's hot…"
Jack gave him a golf clap. Clay and Dojo cheered, and Kimiko beamed. "That was amazing, Omi!"
Omi returned her smile with a smug one of his own. "I possess the speed and grace of a cheetah. A simple task like that was too easy for me."
"Yeah…" Dojo nodded slowly, and his own smile dwindled a bit. "Yeah, that was… really easy…"
Raimundo looked around, arms crossed and eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Didn't Master Fung say that Wuya would try to get the Shen Gong Wu first?" The way he stared at their surroundings reminded Jack of a hawk, checking every detail for a sign of danger.
Omi picked up the Moby Morpher and peered around. "Yes, he did, but where is she?"
The six were silent, waiting for the witch to burst out from the shadows like the boogeyman. However, the only movement and noise came from the faint sizzling and bubbling of the lava nearby.
Clay shrugged and said, "I reckon we just… got here first? Dojo is mighty fast."
"True…" Dojo drummed his claws against his chin for a moment before he sprang from the hat and expanded back to full size. "Well, if she's on the way, I'd rather get this Shen Gong Wu out of here before she can cause us any trouble. Hop on!" Jack groaned again, but all five were swift to climb onto the dragon's back and leave the volcanic island far behind.
