-Authors notes at bottom
In the Shadow of Love
Chapter 4
~~I love you.....~~
From within the hijacked mind he now inhabited, Dalon Wong smiled as Paco's body slid from his grasp and onto the cold floor.
*To little, too late young one. Now for the finishing touch!* he thought with dark glee as his mind retreated to the outskirts of the girls' conscious mind, determined to break the final fragments of her resistance. .
Jade blinked as she found herself standing in Uncle's shop once again. It took a moment to adjust to the bright lights as the young girl tried to bridge the gaps in her memory. The last thing she recalled with any sense of clarity was trying to force the Dark Chi Master from her mind. Then....nothing.
A quick glance out the window showed it was well into the night, perhaps midnight or later judging by the lack of traffic on the normally busy street. But as her gaze tuned back to the room, a sense that something was horribly wrong began to nudge at her back of her mind.
It was only when she glanced down at her outstretched hand did the terror hit home; Paco was there in a crumpled heap not moving...not breathing...not doing... /anything/.
He was.... he was.... .
Jade's soul chilled to the core as the mocking laughter of Dalon Wong filled her mind. It suddenly became painfully clear that she had failed in her battle against the wizard.
And because of that failure, Paco paid the price.
In that moment of overwhelming terror, the young girl crumbled to her knees, her trembling voice calling out to the one person she trusted more than anyone else.
"Jackie!!"
In both of the connected rooms, Jackie and the others jerked towards the sound of Jade's voice and a mad dash began towards the source of the cry. But as each dashed in, a look of disbelief filled their faces as Paco's body lay unmoving at Jade feet, her hand still frozen in the death grip.
"Paco!?" bellow El Toro as his mind painfully processed the image before him. "What have you done to him monster?!" he bellowed in rate as he advanced on the girl.
"El Toro, please, it wasn't me! I mean, I didn't do..." she stammered as tears of grief and confusion streamed down her face. But as she glanced from Uncle to Tohru, then to Jackie and her parents, all she saw were looks of confusion slowly turn into in those of anger and hatred.
And all directed at her.
But it was the look on Jackie's face-the pure fear at what she had become-that forced Jade to realize that they could never trust her again. There was no way to convince them she was herself and not Wong.
*Now you see my child, that fighting me is pointless!* taunted the Dark Wizard. *You have no one to help you to stand against me; not your precious Jackie, nor that doddering Good Chi Wizard! Even your own parents cower in fear at what you have become; a murderer of anyone who gets in your way! Even the boy who professed love for you with his dying breath was not safe...* .
Staggering back, Jade looked at Paco's form with disbelief as the wizard's words hit home. *Paco...loves...me??* she thought, unable at first to believe such a fantasy. But there, in the recesses of her mind, Paco's last words echoed softly.
~~I love you....~~
"I will see you cast into Hell, dark one!" growled El Toro as he tried to advance on the small girl, any sense of trying to safeguard Jade lost in a sea of anguish over Paco's death.
"No, El Toro! You can't...!" countered Jackie as both he and Captain Black struggled to hold back the enraged wrestler.
Jade looked at Paco's broken form once more and whispered... "Oh God. I...I'm so sorry Paco. I didn't know...didn't want to know....".
**You can not bring him back child!** tormented her inner demon once more. **And if you do not embrace my presence willingly, you will lack the power to save yourself from that baffoon's rage! Surrender to me now child; embrace the powers I possess, or you....will... perish!**
Looking over at El Toro, Jade knew that Wong was right; for what she had done El Toro would never forgive her-never understand that it was all part of the wizard's plot for survival. But as she watched Black and Jackie lose the fight against holding El Toro, it became crystal clear what she had to do.
What she /must/ do to save the ones she loved and atone for her part in Paco's death.
Even if it cost her own life.
"Jackie, I'm sorry..." she whispered before the young girl turned and ran out the door into the night, tears streaming down her cheeks. As the door slammed open against the frame Jade never once looked back as the life she had so cherished had to be left behind for the sake of everyone she held dear.
"Jade..stop!" yelled Jackie as he started to chase after the girl. But El Toro's rage took advantage of the archeologist distracted focus and tossed him out of the way into a china cabinet. Before Black could say or do anything he too was rendered stunned as he impacted against the far wall. But as the burly wrestler began his chase after Paco's killer, Uncle stepped forth and with two fingers brought the larger man to his knees as a feeling of numbness spread throughout El Toro's legs.
"You will not help Paco by acting like bull in my shop!" yelled the elder Chan as he turned back to Viper and Jackie. "Jackie! Go find Jade! " he commanded as his gaze fell on the ex-thief next. "You! Help Uncle with Paco!"
"But he's...I mean..." Viper stammered, confused by Uncle's demand.
"Aiyah! Do you think Jade possesses sufficient strength to do this!?" he countered brashly as he leaned down over Paco's still form and gingerly laid the boy out straight. "Hurry! Not much time!" he ordered as his fingers intertwined and began to push down on Paco's chest. "You must be quick! Uncle can not spare any breath for boy; need all for myself! You must breath for him!"
It was then Viper realized what Uncle was saying. While Jade was strong in her own way and extremely proficient in martial arts, even possessed she didn't have the pure strength of hand to crush Paco's windpipe or to suffocate him. So there /was/ a chance...
Without another word she joined Uncle, alternating deep breaths into the boy's lungs as the elder's open palms pushed down onto the boy's chest.
As the feeling in El Toro's legs began to return, the wrestler could only look on in silent prayer as the pair tried to bring Paco back from the edge of oblivion.
Jackie stood there, lost in thought for a moment at how crazy everything had become. But he knew that if anyone could do the impossible, it was Uncle and Viper. Casting a look at El Toro, Jackie silently prayed with his friend for a second before turning and dashing out into the night. With all the speed he could muster, he began to search for his wayward niece, hoping to bring her home before she did something rash.
Shivering in the dark ally Jade huddled against the cold brick wall, trembling with grief as the block of running full tilt had taken their toll. With legs raised against her heaving chest, the young girl rocked back and forth, sobbing into the denim of her jeans as the image of Paco's lifeless eyes burned into her memory.
**I can't hurt anyone else....** she achingly told herself, as if coming to some dreadful conclusion. "I /won't/ hurt anyone else!" she said with a hint of her old defiance.
She would pay for her crime against Paco and protect her family and friends no matter what.
It was then a hint of light reflecting off a jagged fragment of glass caught her attention. The rough-edged shard of some broken mirror seemed to call to her like a sirens song. With a shaky grasp she pulled the sharp piece to her eyes and for a moment watched the moonlight reflect along the surface.
In that moment, she /knew/ what she had to do.
Tugging at the tan sleeve of her shirt, Jade exposed her slender left wrist to the nighttime air and clenched her fist. Gingerly, her right hand drifted closer to its twin until the jagged point rested just above her tender wrist.
"I'm sorry everyone; please understand..." she whispered as the razor-like glass began to cut into her skin......
(to be continued)
Authors Notes:
1) Sorry for the short chapter, but RL time constraints have me pretty boxed in at the moment. I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of November. I really need to pause on Shadows and work on my Digimon story 'Cave of Wonders'.
2) Thanks to everyone who's read and left a review. Special thanks to Lord Archive for proofreading and some valuable suggestions!
3)I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures
Next chapter: Will Jackie reach Jade in time? Can Uncle and Viper save Paco? What steps will Jade take to keep her family and friends out of harms way, and what part will the 12 Noble Animals play in the final battle between Jade and Wong?
In the Shadow of Love
Chapter 4
~~I love you.....~~
From within the hijacked mind he now inhabited, Dalon Wong smiled as Paco's body slid from his grasp and onto the cold floor.
*To little, too late young one. Now for the finishing touch!* he thought with dark glee as his mind retreated to the outskirts of the girls' conscious mind, determined to break the final fragments of her resistance. .
Jade blinked as she found herself standing in Uncle's shop once again. It took a moment to adjust to the bright lights as the young girl tried to bridge the gaps in her memory. The last thing she recalled with any sense of clarity was trying to force the Dark Chi Master from her mind. Then....nothing.
A quick glance out the window showed it was well into the night, perhaps midnight or later judging by the lack of traffic on the normally busy street. But as her gaze tuned back to the room, a sense that something was horribly wrong began to nudge at her back of her mind.
It was only when she glanced down at her outstretched hand did the terror hit home; Paco was there in a crumpled heap not moving...not breathing...not doing... /anything/.
He was.... he was.... .
Jade's soul chilled to the core as the mocking laughter of Dalon Wong filled her mind. It suddenly became painfully clear that she had failed in her battle against the wizard.
And because of that failure, Paco paid the price.
In that moment of overwhelming terror, the young girl crumbled to her knees, her trembling voice calling out to the one person she trusted more than anyone else.
"Jackie!!"
In both of the connected rooms, Jackie and the others jerked towards the sound of Jade's voice and a mad dash began towards the source of the cry. But as each dashed in, a look of disbelief filled their faces as Paco's body lay unmoving at Jade feet, her hand still frozen in the death grip.
"Paco!?" bellow El Toro as his mind painfully processed the image before him. "What have you done to him monster?!" he bellowed in rate as he advanced on the girl.
"El Toro, please, it wasn't me! I mean, I didn't do..." she stammered as tears of grief and confusion streamed down her face. But as she glanced from Uncle to Tohru, then to Jackie and her parents, all she saw were looks of confusion slowly turn into in those of anger and hatred.
And all directed at her.
But it was the look on Jackie's face-the pure fear at what she had become-that forced Jade to realize that they could never trust her again. There was no way to convince them she was herself and not Wong.
*Now you see my child, that fighting me is pointless!* taunted the Dark Wizard. *You have no one to help you to stand against me; not your precious Jackie, nor that doddering Good Chi Wizard! Even your own parents cower in fear at what you have become; a murderer of anyone who gets in your way! Even the boy who professed love for you with his dying breath was not safe...* .
Staggering back, Jade looked at Paco's form with disbelief as the wizard's words hit home. *Paco...loves...me??* she thought, unable at first to believe such a fantasy. But there, in the recesses of her mind, Paco's last words echoed softly.
~~I love you....~~
"I will see you cast into Hell, dark one!" growled El Toro as he tried to advance on the small girl, any sense of trying to safeguard Jade lost in a sea of anguish over Paco's death.
"No, El Toro! You can't...!" countered Jackie as both he and Captain Black struggled to hold back the enraged wrestler.
Jade looked at Paco's broken form once more and whispered... "Oh God. I...I'm so sorry Paco. I didn't know...didn't want to know....".
**You can not bring him back child!** tormented her inner demon once more. **And if you do not embrace my presence willingly, you will lack the power to save yourself from that baffoon's rage! Surrender to me now child; embrace the powers I possess, or you....will... perish!**
Looking over at El Toro, Jade knew that Wong was right; for what she had done El Toro would never forgive her-never understand that it was all part of the wizard's plot for survival. But as she watched Black and Jackie lose the fight against holding El Toro, it became crystal clear what she had to do.
What she /must/ do to save the ones she loved and atone for her part in Paco's death.
Even if it cost her own life.
"Jackie, I'm sorry..." she whispered before the young girl turned and ran out the door into the night, tears streaming down her cheeks. As the door slammed open against the frame Jade never once looked back as the life she had so cherished had to be left behind for the sake of everyone she held dear.
"Jade..stop!" yelled Jackie as he started to chase after the girl. But El Toro's rage took advantage of the archeologist distracted focus and tossed him out of the way into a china cabinet. Before Black could say or do anything he too was rendered stunned as he impacted against the far wall. But as the burly wrestler began his chase after Paco's killer, Uncle stepped forth and with two fingers brought the larger man to his knees as a feeling of numbness spread throughout El Toro's legs.
"You will not help Paco by acting like bull in my shop!" yelled the elder Chan as he turned back to Viper and Jackie. "Jackie! Go find Jade! " he commanded as his gaze fell on the ex-thief next. "You! Help Uncle with Paco!"
"But he's...I mean..." Viper stammered, confused by Uncle's demand.
"Aiyah! Do you think Jade possesses sufficient strength to do this!?" he countered brashly as he leaned down over Paco's still form and gingerly laid the boy out straight. "Hurry! Not much time!" he ordered as his fingers intertwined and began to push down on Paco's chest. "You must be quick! Uncle can not spare any breath for boy; need all for myself! You must breath for him!"
It was then Viper realized what Uncle was saying. While Jade was strong in her own way and extremely proficient in martial arts, even possessed she didn't have the pure strength of hand to crush Paco's windpipe or to suffocate him. So there /was/ a chance...
Without another word she joined Uncle, alternating deep breaths into the boy's lungs as the elder's open palms pushed down onto the boy's chest.
As the feeling in El Toro's legs began to return, the wrestler could only look on in silent prayer as the pair tried to bring Paco back from the edge of oblivion.
Jackie stood there, lost in thought for a moment at how crazy everything had become. But he knew that if anyone could do the impossible, it was Uncle and Viper. Casting a look at El Toro, Jackie silently prayed with his friend for a second before turning and dashing out into the night. With all the speed he could muster, he began to search for his wayward niece, hoping to bring her home before she did something rash.
Shivering in the dark ally Jade huddled against the cold brick wall, trembling with grief as the block of running full tilt had taken their toll. With legs raised against her heaving chest, the young girl rocked back and forth, sobbing into the denim of her jeans as the image of Paco's lifeless eyes burned into her memory.
**I can't hurt anyone else....** she achingly told herself, as if coming to some dreadful conclusion. "I /won't/ hurt anyone else!" she said with a hint of her old defiance.
She would pay for her crime against Paco and protect her family and friends no matter what.
It was then a hint of light reflecting off a jagged fragment of glass caught her attention. The rough-edged shard of some broken mirror seemed to call to her like a sirens song. With a shaky grasp she pulled the sharp piece to her eyes and for a moment watched the moonlight reflect along the surface.
In that moment, she /knew/ what she had to do.
Tugging at the tan sleeve of her shirt, Jade exposed her slender left wrist to the nighttime air and clenched her fist. Gingerly, her right hand drifted closer to its twin until the jagged point rested just above her tender wrist.
"I'm sorry everyone; please understand..." she whispered as the razor-like glass began to cut into her skin......
(to be continued)
Authors Notes:
1) Sorry for the short chapter, but RL time constraints have me pretty boxed in at the moment. I hope to have the next chapter up by the end of November. I really need to pause on Shadows and work on my Digimon story 'Cave of Wonders'.
2) Thanks to everyone who's read and left a review. Special thanks to Lord Archive for proofreading and some valuable suggestions!
3)I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures
Next chapter: Will Jackie reach Jade in time? Can Uncle and Viper save Paco? What steps will Jade take to keep her family and friends out of harms way, and what part will the 12 Noble Animals play in the final battle between Jade and Wong?