Chapter 2

It was night.

No one would be awake this late. Hitomi snuck out of her room quietly in the guest quarters before exiting the building. The night was chilly but her body felt heated up with anticipation for what she was about to do.

After returning to the temple that afternoon, Hitomi had made sure to keep an eye on where the monks stored the Shen Gong Wu. In a small and seemingly plain courtyard where a large spiral decorated the ground. There was a combination to the vault, but she didn't bother to learn it. Stopping at the spiral, Hitomi crouched down before focusing her chi. With a precise, silent strike, she broke through the tiles on the ground and caused the spiral to open up. Quietly, she slinked inside.

She checked each and every drawer on her way down into the vault. She didn't find the Wu she was looking for until she was near the bottom. Anxiously, she gripped the Golden Tiger Claws. She didn't want to take the Genggai Gecko. It was so powerful, it was better off at the temple. With a deep breath, she left behind a note in its place and quietly called out, "Golden Tiger Claws."

'Take me to Chase Young's lair.'

It was several minutes after the lock was broken on the vault before anyone got to it. The four monks-in-training were all hoping for the same thing. That their new friend and ally wasn't to blame. They found Master Fung standing at the vault with a frown on his face. "Master Fung, what has happened?" Omi asked first.

"I am afraid that our guest does not take advice very well," Master Fung started.

"Yup. It's just the Tiger Claws missing. At least she left a note," Dojo said as he slithered out of the broken vault with a piece of paper in hand.

"What? A note?" Raimundo questioned. The Shoku warrior took the note from Dojo before reading it over. Raimundo frowned. "At least she promised to bring it back."

"Well, I reckon we gotta go after her. She's got no idea the trouble she's in. She's in more danger than a cowboy in red at a bull wrangling," Clay said.

"You must hurry, young dragons. Before it is too late," Master Fung spoke just before Dojo transformed.

~:~

Chase was practicing his Tai chi in his throne room when he felt it. Someone had landed at his door, probably by the use of the Golden Tiger Claws. He couldn't determine who it was based on their chi, but whoever it was had a strong chi- a powerful fighter indeed. Chase smirked.

At the sound of Wuya's loud groan, Chase frowned. He continued his motions, not bothering with the witch. He had commanded his jungle cats to keep their eyes on the witch at all times. She was not allowed to leave for any reason. When the Genggai Gecko had revealed itself and she could not sneak away to retrieve it, she had taken to moping around him quite loudly. At the sound of her bored groan, Chase bristled. "You will be silent in my presence," he commanded.

Wuya glared at Chase's back, but stayed quiet. He had been in a pissy mood lately without any explanation as to why. He had been getting better, but the Prince still an extremely short temper as of late.

Wuya closed the magazine in her hands with a frown. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the jungle cats rising to their feet with low growls building in their throats. Wuya raised a brow just as Chase ceased in his movements. He stood and faced the entryway with a cruel smirk on his face. Wuya felt a shiver go down her spine as she sat up to see who it was who had stopped by. She was slightly surprised and disappointed to see a teenage girl holding the- Golden Tiger Claws?!

"Where did you get that Shen Gong Wu? I know for a fact that those Xiaolin monks keep that in their vault," Wuya accused.

"I borrowed it," she answered before turning away from Wuya to glare up at Chase. Chase on the other hand, hadn't looked away from the girl. He stared down at her, mild shock alighting his features. 'It couldn't be,' he thought to himself. "You are Chase Young. Correct?"

Chase frowned. She couldn't be who he thought. She was dead. She'd been dead for centuries. Slowly, Chase made his way down the grand staircase to where the girl stood. His jungle cats followed behind him, waiting for his signal. The closer he got to her, the more Chase doubted himself. She looked just like her. Well, not exactly. This girl looked a bit older- about two years. But she looked no less beautiful. Now at the bottom of the stairs, Chase raised a single brow, "And what is your name?"

"Kurosawa Hitomi," she answered in a hard tone.

Chase frowned deeply. He'd never heard of her before let alone met this girl. But, her face… Perhaps she was a reincarnation? Was it- could it be- possible? Whoever this girl was, she had found him with the help of Shen Gong Wu. "Why have you come?" Chase questioned. He could feel Wuya watching carefully from afar- probably waiting for the right time to sneak away. He mentally scoffed.

"I have come to retrieve something you stole from me," she replied, practically shaking in anger now. Hitomi hadn't known what she had expected. Chase Young to remember her? To remember her face as he left with her mother at his side?

"Oh? And what would that be?" Chase smirked.

"My mother," the girl spat and crouched low. Chase's gazed narrowed at her fighting stance. Her form was practically flawless. Her words had intrigued him. Her mother?

Suddenly, the sound of rock shattering could be heard just before a large, green dragon flew into the room. Chase rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. Were these Xiaolin Warriors not familiar with the concept of knocking?

"Chase Young, release Hitomi at once!" Omi shouted before leaping off of Dojo's back and landing in a fighting stance.

"I believe you are poorly misinformed, young monk. I have not captured anyone," Chase said with a smirk. Omi blinked owlishly before spotting Hitomi glaring at Chase Young completely unharmed.

"Now listen here, pardner. You don't know what yer doin'. Chase Young is not someone you wanna be messin' with," Clay tried to reason with the girl.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not leaving here until he is defeated," Hitomi said before lashing out with her fist.

Chase smirked as he blocked her attack with his palm. "You should listen to your allies," Chase advised her.

"Why? Do you not think I can beat you?" she fired back, her eyes alight with a determined fire. Chase stilled for a second, his mind gone.

"I would advise against this," Chase said with a bored tone as his eyes moved to follow Mei's movements. She had him concerned as she moved around him in a circle. The Heylin warrior rolled his eyes at her foolishness and stood with his hands behind his back in boredom.

"Oh really? Do you not think that I can beat you? Are you that scared of me?" she taunted before she lunged just as she had seen him do on many occasions. With ease, Chase ducked lowly and allowed her to sail clear over his head. He heard her land on the ground with a thud before rising.

Slowly, he made his way over to her. He saw her rubbing her rear with a pained expression before she looked up at him. She chuckled sheepishly at him with a grin. The corner of his mouth upturned at the sight of her in a small smile. Wordlessly, he offered her a hand. Taking it gratefully, she dusted off her clothes before sighing. "I think I'll leave the martial arts to you, Chase. I don't think I'm very good," she said.

"You're right. You were terrible," Chase smirked.

"That's a mean thing to say!" she objected with a huff. Chase chuckled lowly at her as she stuck her tongue out at him.

Chase blinked twice as he refocused on his surroundings. The Xiaolin monks were still trying to convince the girl to back down. She was circling him now. Chase was nearly floored at the uncanny likeness of this girl to Mei. The resemblance had to be more than a coincidence. Chase frowned.

"Chase Young, you defeated my mother in battle ten years ago and have kept her here as your slave since then. I challenge you for her freedom. If I win, she leaves this place with me," Hitomi spoke.

"Interesting proposition. And what do Iget if I win?" Chase questioned with a smirk. From the look on her face Chase assumed that highly doubted that she would lose to him. "If I win, you will stay here and pledge your loyalty to me. But judging by how easily you turned on you allies, I can assume that your loyalty means very little."

"I wasn't given much of a choice. Nonetheless, I accept your condition," Hitomi spoke up before lunging again with a cry. With a grunt of his own, Chase managed to block her attack.

It continued that way for several minutes, him blocking her strikes, but never returning any. He took this time to observe her fully. She had to have been a reincarnation or a distant descendant. He could see Mei in her every feature. Even in the boundless anger she showed him could he see her. Mei always did have a quick temper…

"Fight me damn you!" she exclaimed before striking the side of his face with her fist.

Chase froze at the contact, his face still turned away from her. The room got deathly quiet as he straightened out. He fixed a hard glare on the girl. He had let himself be distracted by her, but no longer. She was not Mei. "If that is what you wish," he said before lunging at her.

She appeared to be just as skilled at dodging as she was at offensive combat. She caught him by surprise when she was able to dodge one of his punches before slipping between his legs and away from him. He caught the foot she aimed at his head before tossing her away with a flick of his wrist.

Chase frowned at where she was rising once again. She was an excellent fighter. He would give her that much. She was far better than any of the Xiaolin monks. She would make an excellent addition to his jungle cats. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw her brandish two, crystal chopsticks from her hair. With her hair now flowing freely behind her, she looked almost identical to Mei. Caught up in images of the past flashing before him, Chase nearly missed dodging one of her strikes with a small, crystal dagger in her hand. 'The Wǔqì Chopsticks? So they do exist…'

"I'd reckon that she's got Chase on the ropes," Chase heard the Dragon of the Earth say.

"No. Chase Young is not fighting to the best of his abilities," Omi had commented.

"So he's toying with her?" the Dragon of the Wind next.

"No. It is not on purpose. He appears to be distracted," Omi surmised. Chase would have praised the young monk for his astute detection, had he not been busy.

Omi was right. He was distracted. This girl, no matter how much he tried to ignore it, had to have been a reincarnation of the girl he'd known so long ago. With every strike he posed, he imagined himself attacking her and hesitated. At one of these instances, she took advantage of his hesitation, grabbing his outstretched arm before pushing him down to the ground with his arm locked in a death grip behind him. He growled lowly as her foot struck down on the back of his armor.

He could feel his true self clawing at the surface, begging to be released. It wanted out. He felt his control snapping as she pulled at his arm and pushed his face into the floors of his palace. He wasn't about to suffer such a humiliating defeat. Not to her.

With a loud snarl, Chase let his body shift, pulling his arm away from her before knocking away Hitomi easily. He released a loud roar before letting his eyes land on Hitomi. She had fallen not too far away from him on her back. Now towering over her in his lizard-like form, he stalked closer to her. The pathetic monks had tried to intervene, but his jungle cats were more than ready for them. Chase raised a clawed hand above his head as he approached her. He could see her eyes widen fearfully and a gasp escaped her. He could smell her fear… Suddenly, she shut her eyes before looking away from him. When a new scent hit his nose, he stilled. 'Tears?'

He was in his true form. His latest challenge was proving to be slightly difficult. They had put up an admirable fight, but now that he had transformed… They didn't stand a chance. Chase released a mighty roar as he readied himself for the final blow.

"Chase! Please stop!" he heard a voice break through the bloodlust. He paused. There was a new scent on the wind. He turned around to spot Mei standing not too far away from him. Even in this thick forest with only the moon as a light source, he could make out her features easily. He smelled the tars before he saw them run down her face. "This isn't you. Please stop," she pleaded with him.

Chase blinked down at the girl before him. She seemed to have accepted her fate. With an expressionless mask, Chase lowered his claws. He shifted back down to his human form and placed his hands behind his back. He breathed deeply and evenly to help calm his nerves. When he did gaze down at the girl, she was staring up at him with wide, teary eyes. The way her eyes shined left a hollow feeling in his chest. "It appears that you have lost," Chase spoke up. He allowed her to stand and face him with a resigned expression. "You fought well, but not well enough," Chase reminded her. He could see her look down at her feet with a quiet huff. He smirked.

"No, Hitomi," Chase heard the Dragon of Fire say.

"Chase Young, I will not allow you to do this!" Omi valiantly protested. Chase was about to smugly point out that the conditions of their agreement, but it was Hitomi who made the first move.

"I may not have the Xiaolin sense of honor, but I know when I am bested. I gave my word. You all and Master Fung were right. I wasn't ready. This was my decision and now it is my consequence," she said while making her way over to them. She handed Omi the Tiger Claws before bowing to them.

Having had enough of the monks' presence, Chase snapped his fingers once. The jungle cats surrounded the monks at once with loud snarls and growls escaping them. "Now if you would be so kind as to leave," Chase inputted. Dojo quickly transformed before scooping up the monks onto his back and fleeing in a rush. Chase watched them go before letting his eyes fall on Hitomi. She stared after the monks for some time before sighing deeply. Chase felt Wuya approach slowly before he heard her mutter, "Great. Another cat. Just what this place needs: more hairballs."

Chase growled lowly at her in the back of his throat. Wuya stiffened before waving Chase off with a grin. "If you're going to turn me into one of your kittens, then so be it," he heard Hitomi speak up then. She faced him with a hard expression.

He raised a brow at her bravery before smirking in a predatory grin. "That won't be necessary," Chase said before turning to leave back up the stairs where he came. Wuya watched him with a curious expression, but he ignored her. Upon reach the top of the staircase, Chase fell gracefully into the Lotus position and closed his eyes in meditation. He couldn't keep the grin off his face, however.