Disclaimer: I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures because if I did boy would it be a much darker series
Author's notes: This story will be dark, just warning ahead, with likely questionable and triggering content. Have fun.
Future Undone
Chapter 2
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"No way."
Jade looked at the newspaper in her hands. The paper was old, covered with dark stains of water and dirt. Photos and description of chaos. People attacked, cities conquered by creatures of darkness.
And Jade Chan as its leader, riding a monstrous black creature like some kind of twisted Shadowkhan horse.
The girl clenched her fists, unsure how to even react to this. She destroyed the world.
She destroyed the world.
"Feels like a nightmare, doesn't it?" Iso gestured at the ruins around.
"But," Jade couldn't understand. "I'm not… I'm not a bad guy! Why would I do this?"
Why would she? Why would she even have Shadowkhan at her disposal?! Weren't they all locked in…
Aha!
"I bet it's all King Lame-o's scheming!" she glanced at the photo.
While it was black and white, she could clearly see that her eyes were dark and had no pupils. And, well, how else would she control these armies? It made sense. The first time she got shadowkhaned she kinda went bloodthirsty and conquering on everyone's asses.
"Tarakudo and his generals were leading the darkness in this war," Iso nodded. "Otherwise J-team had a chance but… with your help, he overcame us. That's what I was trying to stop."
"By blowing up my brains?!" Jade frowned. "Why not tell us instead? I'm sure Uncle knows how to stop stupid oni from brainwashing me."
"Oh, you don't get it," the man chuckled bitterly and this was laughter which made Jade's skin crawl. "You released the Shadowkhan upon the world on your own free will. And your family did try to stop you. They failed. You didn't listen, stubborn as always."
…What?
"I'm not that stubborn!"
…This made no sense.
"Whatever, I already wasted too much time talking to you," Iso rolled his fingers in fists and stepped in Jade's direction. He had a short, but sharp and rusty knife in his hand, probably picked up somewhere here. "This time, no one is here to save you."
"Wait!" Jade stepped back. "There's gotta be something we can do to stop it! Like before, remember?"
Of course, Jade became much better at martial arts than she was before and being threatened was nothing new but… this was Jimmy! He couldn't do that to his friend, right?
"There is only one solution."
The man charged at her, reaching for her head with the blade, but Jade rolled right, slipping away. She ran, hoping to find a better location for a fight. Somewhere she could use her smaller stature. Or at least be safe and think over all that she'd heard. She had no time to think now!
Iso followed the heroine. The streets which Jade knew like a back of her palm were different now, and simple running became an obstacle course with some things laying around she didn't want to even think about. Worse of all, Jade wasn't sure even where she was going to!
Jumping over a broken motorbike, Jade suddenly recognised a little bakery shop on a crossroad. She was close to Uncle's shop, home! Surely, he'd agree to help her stop this mess without getting her killed!
Strangely enough, Iso didn't shout anything at her. Didn't cry or even angrily mutter. He was so quiet that the only sign of his presence were his hurried steps. In fact, Jade had a growing, creeping in fear that if he was right behind her, she wouldn't even know it.
"You ain't getting a birthday present from me anymore!" the girl couldn't help but cry out. Anything to shutter the silence!
He didn't answer.
"And I was getting you an exclusive Super Moose 3000 toy!"
Again, silence.
Jade couldn't help it and looked back. Iso was nowhere to see. Jade continued running, expecting him to jump at her if she stopped, but soon enough it became obvious she was alone and running out of stamina. She got her palm cut too. Not too deep, but it probably needed to be cleaned up. Asap.
Letting herself rest for a little, Jade wondered as she wrapped a handkerchief around her hand. At first she felt proud: even in her younger years she could outrun the dude! But then uneasy questions bumped in: did she actually outrun Jimmy or was he planning on something else? Why would he give up right now?
Well, at least he was somewhere away.
Jade felt thirsty after all the running, but the street didn't have even a vending machine. Just great.
"Only one way to go," the girl sighed and marched on to home.
Boy, did uncle Jackie had a lot to-
…or what was left of it.
A crater, like a bomb blew up there. Surrounded by ruined, but at least still standing building, it was filled with trash and boiling mud. Not even the foundation stayed intact.
Uncle's Rare Finds… was no more.
"It can't be," Jade grabbed her face, falling on her knees.
This can't be.
Sure, they had the shop crushed, burnt and all many times, but the whole building – completely demolished?
"I'M GONNA FIND WHO DID THIS AND I'M GONNA CRUSH THEIR STUPID FUCKING HEADS!"
"We can do that for you," she heard a familiar voice behind.
Of course, it was Iso with a bunch of his friends. Many, probably a dozen. All looking like they were actors from some post-Apocalyptic film. And they all carried some kind of weapon.
How did they get here so quickly?
"Issssoooooooo," Jade was way too pissed off and devastated for peace talks. "I'm gonna whoop your ass once and for all! How dare you-?!"
"You did it, don't remember?" the man smirked. "Something about burning old bridges."
"I couldn't! It gotta be Tarakudo's magic, this was my home!"
She loved her home, her family!
Family.
"Where is Jackie? Uncle? Tohru? My parents?!" she angrily clenched her fists. "Where is my family!?"
Somewhere far away a screech sounded which made the humans flinch and cling to their weapons. Iso shook his head and pointed at one girl in front of them.
"Get her, quickly!" he commanded and his group headed at Jade.
"You try!" Jade gritted her teeth and raised her fists.
No way she was going down without a fight!
Yet, what were her chances? Alone, between a group of people wanting to kill her and a deep pool of boiling mud. Nowhere to go. Usually Jackie would appear at moments like these, saving her butt and whooping villains'. But was he even… did he even exist in this time?
Several men and women with crossbows aimed their shot at her, and Jade realized with horror that she couldn't avoid them all. She ducked, hoping that at very least it wouldn't hit anything important. Before they could hit the triggers another screech followed, this time closer.
The people looked up, fear on their faces. It was dark and cloudy, but Jade could swear she saw something up there. Like some bird?
"Ignore it! It's our only chance!" Iso hissed at his group, and they followed his order despite obviously being horrified.
It was too late, though. Monsters fell from the sky and monsters rose from the shadows. Black, grey with blue skin and red eyes, they either came in form of batpeople, grabbing humans and carrying them in the sky or humanoids with long sharp fingers and blades-like feet slashing and stabbing their victims.
By this point his group completely forgot about Jade and their leader and just tried to fight back or get away.
"No!" her past friend cried out.
And there was so much pain, anger and despair in Iso's voice Jade could almost feel it herself.
A couple of creatures now aimed their attention at the man, flexing their sharp claws.
"It's not over yet! I'll get you myself!" he glared at Jade and hurled a little sphere on the ground.
A flash of bright green light vaporized the nearest Shadowkhan and let Iso and some other humans slip away from the slaughter. Leaving Jade pretty much alone with a bunch of murderous Shadowkhan. Thankfully they were too busy fighting humans to notice her.
Maybe if she stayed quiet… Jade quickly fell on the ground, pretending to be dead while still peeking at the happening as subtly as she could. Well, what else could she do? The Shadowkhan, who finally dealt with the humans, stared at Jade with blank "faces". Not approaching her but neither leaving too.
C'mon, just go away already! The smell of blood was just nauseous, and the ground was cold, dirty, hard.
"Kusoooo, kare ga nigemashita," a long and thin, just like his ninjas, oni appeared out of shadows. His voice was… sleek? but somehow also deep. "Suberi yasui yatsu!"
Another oni landed close by. Yellow, with black bat wings, so painfully familiar. Jade always wondered why Scruffy didn't grow any wings when he wore this mask.
"Chōdo anatagasuki!" laughed the bat one, shoving the purple guy closer and giving his horns a lick.
"Sore wa hontōda!" the oni smirked, facing the batoni, bringing their scary fanged faces closer.
…W-what were they doing?
"MITE!" the batoni suddenly shoved away the other and pointed at Jade.
SHIT.
Jade didn't see the reaction of the other, closing her eyes and holding her breath. But she could feel one of them getting closer.
"Yer think yer can fool us, girly?" the screechy voice chuckled. "I can hear yer breathe! Your heart pumping blood in yer veins."
"Leeet's eat this one before going back, Okashino!" the purple one added.
SHITSHITSHIT.
"You ain't getting none of MY brain!" Jade swiftly jumped back on her feet and faced the two with her fists raised.
To her surprise both oni bursted out laughing.
"Awww, look at her! This kiddo thinks she knows karate!"
A kid? She's 17! Ugh.
Also… didn't they recognise her? Probably not, the only time she recall meeting them in her human form was a very short one. And when she got them released she probably was already Shadowkhaned.
"First of all, it's kung fu," now they were just pissing her off. "And secondly captain Black taught me some karate."
Suddenly the two stared at her with completely baffled expressions. They exchanged puzzled glances.
"Did you-"
"Did I say Black? I meant Blook! Captain Blook, yes!" Jade grinned awkwardly.
Judging from their looks, they didn't trust her one bit… and frankly, Jade wasn't sure why she was lying too.
She was their Queen, so at least they wouldn't hurt her? But what if this was how it all began? She got in the past, Tarakudo brainwashed her and sent back to present to awaken him. Or…
In fact, she wasn't sure about anything anymore! Tired, confused, a bit hurt - all Jade wanted was to meet uncle Jackie, or Uncle, or Tohru, or Captain Black or anyone from J-team. Any friendly face. To at least have some time and peace to just think.
It was like the Book of Ages problem all over again. Only in future. Only she had no support. Unless…
"Yer smell that?" sniffed the air batoni. "Her blood… no way!"
Jade looked at her hand and realized her handkerchief was gone and her wound was leaking blood. Not much, she didn't even feel the smell or pain, but they seemed to.
"But… she can't be one!" the purple one rubbed her head, ignoring cuts he left with those long claws. They healed up momentarily anyway. "TWO twerp-Queens?"
"I dunno, let Boss do the thinking," the yellow oni shrugged with a goofy grin. "Sides, this Iso-rat sure wanted something with her. Gotta be important!"
"I-I am not going anywhere with you!"
But before Jade could run or fight Okashino lunged at her, taking into his clawed hands and swiftly flying up in the sky. The girl squealed, clinging into him as they soared higher and higher, wind blowing, the ground getting farther and farther.
…Well, no way back, it seems.
"I'm so gonna kick your butt when we're back on the ground!" Jade shouted, but the wind was so strong and loud this high even she couldn't hear herself.
"Sure-sure, girly!" Okashino – or whatever was his name – still heard her somehow.
San-Francisco was beneath them, some buildings engulfed in fire, thick black smoke raising to the sky, others abandoned or even just utterly demolished. Jade couldn't tear her eyes off from the sight. A city which became her second home now lay in ruins.
Was it really because of her? Jade didn't want to believe so.
"Almost there!" shrieked the batoni general as they approached… something which used to be Sector 13.
Now it looked more like Castle 13. Jade weakly remembered making Sector 13 her palace back from her time as a Shadowkhan Queen, but this was a whole new level. It actually looked… lavish. A whole block was turned into some kind of Chinise-Japanese settlement, with a palace-fortress in the centre. Clean, well-kept, decorated but… empty, excluding Shadowkhan lurking everywhere of course. Some batkhan soared above it, keeping a tight watch on the area.
"Aah, home, sweet home," Okashino took a deep breath and exhaled with a smile.
They were lowering, now much slower getting back to the ground. Jade quickly glanced around, trying not to miss the right moment for escape. Okashino landed near an entrance guarded by sumokhan and samuraikhans.
The exact moment the oni's clawed feet hit the ground Jade kicked him right into his groin with all her might. And though she was just a tiny teenager, she carried quite a punch. Or, um, a kick in this case.
"GAH!" the oni cried out in surprise, releasing Jade from his grasp.
The girl quickly landed on her feet and dashed away from the entrance, trying to get as far as possible. This place had to have a place where she could hide, right?
But, just as Jade feared, dozens of Shadowkhan emerged from the shadows, surrounding her in a tight and stoic circle. Shit. There is no way she could fight through a bunch of sumokhan and samuraikhans without some kind of magic or weapon. Even Jackie couldn't.
"Not bad, not bad!" Okashino laughed hysterically, flying right above her. "Nice kick, I liked it!"
…Is he some masochist? Not like Jade'd be surprised.
"I'm not going with you," the girl said in defiance.
Even her chances were slim to none she wasn't going to give up so easily. That's not Jade Chan's style.
"Of course, you're going with me," a feminine voice sounded somewhere behind the Shadowkhan.
Okashino squeaked and quieted. The sumo- and samuraikhans stepped aside to open a path for the newcomer, the one which Jade dreaded to meet but still was curious about.
A Chinese woman with light-blue skin, black and somewhat wild hair and blood-red pupilless eyes. She was dressed in a black and purple dress with black tight pants and six wing-like ribbons attached to her back.
Jade Chan was looking at Jade Chan and somehow was not even really surprised.
Well, considering that it wasn't the first or even second time meeting herself from the future it was almost expected. Now, meeting a completely different version was a different thing.
"I have questions," Jade crossed her arms.
The girl expected future Jade being somewhat mad, angry, evil, but no, the older woman wore a calm if a bit curious look.
"What a coincidence, so do I," the older Jade (dark Jade? Shadow Jade? Jadekhan?) lightly chuckled, showing off her new fangs. "Let's talk."
Author's notes:
I'm terribly sorry for updating after such a long hiatus, but with university, vacation, some illnesses and frankly losing my JCA strive for a while it was too hard to continue.
But now hopefully I'll update properly XD Hope you enjoy the story, it's only a beginning.