The Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown…I just have a little less of a life than most people…

Chapter Two: In The Vault

Sound echoes easily inside the vault, but word carries faster on the wind…As long as the door is shut, they will never know. They will never suspect either. At least I don't think they will. No, most likely they don't realize a thing, boys never do.

I left the door unlocked, but closed. I fidget with my fingers as I wait…I always do. I never know if this is true, if it's a dream or if he's just after the Wu. But where are we to go…where no one would think to look? Today is my day to guard the vault…funny that I would plan every week to let the one person I'm assigned to keep out, in…the others would never suspect.

The vault door creaks as it is slowly opened, inch by inch in a desperate attempt to refrain from making any noise. As a shadow the figure enters and closes the door. With heels in the air he creeps down into the depths of the dark stairwell towards his objective. The whole reason he would venture through a dark wilderness and break the barrier of the pitch black temple grounds is somewhere in this seemingly endless darkness.

"Hello? Who is it?" She whispers a little shaken.

He sighs with the utmost relief. For another week she is here waiting for him. With unconscious ease he picks up his pace down the dark stairway. The faster he got to her the brighter things would be…she is after all, the dragon of fire.

"Y-You didn't answer me."

She's startled.

"Who is it?"

He forgets his position for a moment. If only he could remember to not get so carried away with entrances.

He lunges at her with his arms wide open.

Fangs.

Glowing eyes.

Claws.

Tail.

In surprise she defends herself. Her hit is direct and painful, right in the sternum too. With a yelp he crumbles in two before falling flat on his face, his head swirling. Forming a ball of red hot flame in her hand she leans towards the attacker, still keeping her stance. But to her surprise it is who she was waiting for that she…

"Jack! Oh, I'm sorry!" Dropping to her knees, Kimiko lifts Jack's head from the stone stairs. "I thought you were a jungle cat…the way you pounced on me…"

Dizzy, Jack slurs a quick retort. "Animal aren't I…but-I-am soooo sorry, Kimiko. I-just-thought…I'd surprise you. But you know how-scared-of-the-dark I am…I forgot to deactivate the monkey staff…"

Kimiko props him up against the wall, lightly nibbling at one finger nail as she taps his chest with the other. He winces, his fangs grinding against one another. There will be a bruise there tomorrow indefinitely As hard as she hit him, he's lucky to get a bruise. The attack is quickly forgotten as her eyes wander up to his own, glowing in the dark as he has yet to drop his precious Wu. Lightly his tail wraps around her wrist and lightly Kimiko pulls her hand away with a blush staining her cheeks.

"You guys must be running low on supplies." She whispers as if the walls really do have ears.

"Yeah, we are…mostly because the good me feeds the wildlife." Jack grumbles.

"He means well."

"And he knows nothing. It was his fault after all that I got caught." Jack crosses his arms and pouts.

"Jack…he was the one who rewired Robo-Jack to obey you guys and ordered him to save you." Kimiko runs her fingers through her hair and watches Jack blush through the night. She does not want him to get the wrong idea, but a little teasing never hurt.

"I suppose…but it's still his fault that I'm so miserable."

"You do that to yourself." Kimiko grumbles.

"It's getting worse…" He whispers to her in hopes of changing the subject, his will heavily forcing the staff from his hand.

Kimiko nods. Lips barley parted she whispers. "I know. But this obsession with the Monkey Staff…Jack you've dropped it. And look." Her hands dangle in the air, her eyes wide and her mouth agape as she watches the spectacle.

Slowly his tail recedes back into his slowly reforming body. Kimiko hears a few small cracks. He arches his back as the fangs sink back into his jaw and he is Jack again.

"It's hurting you can't you see that? You need to stop it…"

"-Hey, Kimi…your not my mother. She never raised a hand to me…you've sent me up the river to bruisville countless times." Jack shrugs his shoulders upwards so his extended coat collar flaps in front of his face. "You should be nicer to me" He adds plainly as if to just say the words.

Kimiko grabs hold of the flaps and folds them down, taming them into even side collars just the way Jack hates it. Crossing her arms she returns to her feet and holds out a small china doll hand to Jack.

"I'm not trying to be your mother…" Jack rolls his eyes as he crosses his arms. "…but if this whole thing is going to go anywhere you need to consider a few things on my part first, mister boy genius."

Slowly, Jack finds himself in an embrace. Soft and gentle like he always dreamed of when he was in his lair. She could be so loving when she wanted to be…sure rough at others, but mostly sweet. Whenever they meet in the vault she was gentle as a lamb (scratch her almost death blow) …but only in the vault. If they were to be discovered she would do him the mercy of knocking him out so the others could not have their go at him.

Oh, how he would love to kiss her. She would never let him, they are friends and nothing more really. She is his mother and he is her secret. Her, dirty little secret…only less dirty and more of a secret really. Jack sinks his head into his jacket as she pulls away from him.

Looking at her now would just be awkward.

How they came to be meeting in the vault had become an answer to a series of life changing events for the both of them. It did not matter much to Jack…he just enjoyed the company. Everyone else, including fellow villains never wanted him around and when he was wanted it was to poke fun at his expense. Mostly they wanted him to do his 'little girly squeal' as they called it for kicks. Jack often dropped his head in shame around fellow villain esq. type people.

"Better days are here at last…beyond the edge of seas. I can't help of smirking when we talk of cabbages and kings…"

His usual mumbo jumbo. If it meant anything it was that he enjoyed the two of them being together. Kimiko looks up at him, his red eyes barely seen in the darkness. He is slumped against the wall, shuffling his feet and nibbling on his lower lip. With a hesitating voice she beckons him to her.

"Why are you so depressed today? Is the weather bad where you are?" Idle chit chat, never good but it conquered awkward silences.

"No. Its fair…it's the other two, they never help me the way I need help…not, that I really need the aid…I just, I don't know, hate not being able to go home, Kimiko. I miss my mommy…I miss my lair. I haven't been able to do anything evil in weeks!" Jack stops just in front of her. "You know…in the future I rule this planet." He states almost more to himself than to her. His whole being changes, enraptured by the mere thought.

"Jack…" It would never do him any good to go back to this.

"Really…My Jack-bots are perfected beyond belief…and Chase and Wuya are all in cages and stuff…" something sparks in his eyes.

Kimiko shakes her head, asking him to stop. He keeps on going, his voice rising as he speaks. His red eyes aflame with his lust for power.

"And I'm somebody…ruler of the planet…everybody listens to me, no one defies me. I have defeated everyone with my genius…even the Xiaolin Warriors are trapped in cages with no…"

She is facing him, but she does not look at him. Her stare goes right through him as she lightly shakes her head. Blinking slowly Kimiko raises her hand as if to outstretch it to Jack, but she pulls it back. She could never grow any emotion towards a man that every other second thinks about locking her up in a cage and taking over the planet.

"Kimiko I'm sorry." Bashfully he whispers, his face aflame with guilt. "It's just I get carried away ya know? Into the whole idea and stuff…if I kept at this evil genius stuff for another ten or more years, I really could rule the planet! If only I hadn't been caught! I saw it happen, you saw it happen!"

"Yes." She begins scaling the stairs, talking would do nothing but enrage her further but she had to let him know how she felt. "You were a monster. Pure evil Jack. Yup. Everything you've always wanted."

"Kimiko…" Jack stumbles after her. "Please don't go…" He holds his hand out and clumsily manages to grasp her own in his small shaking pale hand.

With a nod Kimiko turns slightly around, enough for him to see her dazzling azure eyes glint her disappointment in him. He always vows to change…but rarely keeps to his thin words. Jack lingers behind her dominant form, his palm barely holding onto her hand though she does not pull away…he waits in silence for her voice.

"I know that all you've ever wanted was some respect, Jack…and I'm trying, really trying to give you some. Even just a bit. But I can't respect you if you don't…the Xiaolin side and the Heylin side are enemies…" Hardly conclusive enough even for her, Kimiko lets her souls touch the staircase and waits.

"Ya…its epic, and junk. But I don't give a hoo-haw about all that really. I want to feel powerful and a little less pathetic than I know I am." Jack stops and uses his free hand to smack himself in the face. "I've got to stop admitting at how lame I am!"

Kimiko takes a moment to look at him. Jack. Just Jack. A boy outcaste from society trying to make himself worthy for the world consider him just a little bit part of it. She smiles.

"I'm helping you because no one else will. You begged me so much that day I found you in the snow to help you, but not tell. In exchange for my help you've promised not to do anything evil and you are in my debt. You're such a silly little boy. Don't you know that Jack?"

"Si-l-ly?" He tests the word on his tongue. "You think I'm silly? That's nice…" He grumbles.

"I'm glad I found you and you asked me to help you."

Jack blushes slightly.

"You are silly. In a good way, Jack. In…a good way."

Why she needed to repeat the sentence she did not know. She tests the word out again and again in her mind. Certainly her description of Jack is not anywhere near false…the Goth boy is rather silly.

(Chapter Talk): So...what's up with Kimiko and Jack? Friends...or...well it's cliffy. I'm so sorry, but i'll have to ransome the story...just for now. Give me reviews so I know it's worth bothering to continue or well...this one goes unupdated. Make sure to write to me, and well sighn the review (you don't have to) but if you do i'll write every one of you back! (Bribery is so cheap)