Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown

Chapter 7

A Fight On Two Sides

"Eye Of Dashi!" Kimiko shouted, shooting the beam that the shen gong wu emitted straight at the red haired Heylin witch.

With little more than an unimpressed chuckle, Wuya blocked the attack with only her hand, and sent it flying straight back at the Dragon-Of-Fire-in-training. The black haired girl's face became a momentary mask of shock before she gathered up her wits and protected herself using her own element. Next to her, her friends - the three other Xiaolin monks - ducked out of the way, all silently. Jack Spicer shrieked and dived out of the way - the cowardly Jack was the only one Wuya had ever really known, and he never failed to irritate her. It was a talent, she was certain.

The monks, however, where even more irritating, because they actually put up a fight.

Raimundo - how he'd ever become their leader was beyond the old witch - was the one to initiate the fighting. The green eyed boy lunged at the witch with whom he had once partnered in evil with, aiming to punch her guts, but Wuya moved out of the way at the opportune moment, causing Raimundo to fly past her and into a rock. Clay came next, but his attack was even less useful: not only did Wuya suffer no damage, he ended up sprawled on the floor a few metres away. The little cheese ball, Omi, went for her next, with somewhat more knowledge of her fighting style. Despite being so small, his powerful kick was enough to wind the old witch, but it wasn't enough to stop her, and she sent him flying backwards, straight into Kimiko, who had been preparing to attack herself.

Four Xiaolin monks down and one whining albino to go. Wuya grinned slyly at Jack Spicer.

"Don't try it" Jack threatened, and Wuya couldn't resist laughing hysterically.

Jack Spicer was threatening her - or at least, he was trying to. That was just priceless. Or perhaps it was just sad.

Wuya jumped forward and used nought but her feet and hands to send Jack to the ground in a whimpering mess, tears already falling from the harsh blows to his tender skin. Which word, Wuya wondered, suited Jack Spicer more, pathetic or cowardly?

Hmm … pathetic. Yes.

Wuya began to gloat - it was something she took a bit of pleasure in doing - but was interrupted when a tough punch to the back sent her spiralling into a wall. Gathering her composure took only a moment, and Wuya glared at her attacker.

"Had enough?" Omi grinned.

"You wish, cheddar head" Wuya hissed, and she lunged forward, grabbing the big headed boy by his shoulders and tossing him into the air. His scream only intensified when she kicked him on his path back down to the ground, and sent him flying across the room once again.

The Heylin witch grinned, and was rewarded for her cockiness by being tackled to the ground by a none-too-pleased Raimundo.

"Let's go, Wuya" he growled, and he brought his knee up, straight into her chest.

And before Wuya knew it, the other three monks were behind him, ready to fight with him and with each other, and Wuya had lost the upper hand.

/

All around him, on his skin, inside his body; it was there. It got worse with each blow he took, with the force of impact each time he crashed into the solid magical walls of the cage. Worse with every gash that cut into his skin, with the sting of the blood flowing out of seeping wounds.

Pain.

It was something that Chase Young wasn't entirely familiar with, at least not physically. He had, most likely, more emotional pain built up inside than a normal person would ever have, even if he didn't acknowledge it. But his martial arts skills had prevented him from having to ever get used to large amounts of intense physical pain. He rarely lost an actual fight, and he knew that there were reasons for that - not only were his skills in tai chi outstanding, but most people freaked out completely when suddenly faced with a huge dragon with sharp teeth and claws.

Pain wasn't as familiar to Chase as he had imagined it might be, and he could never have imagined just how much it truly hurt. There was something in him - the sheer intensity of the pain - that made him want to keel over and give in, to beg Hannibal Bean to just hurry up and finish him off, because he was dying anyway. But there was more of him that said it was not an option, no matter what. He would not beg that loathsome bean for anything, especially his own death. He would not give in.

After all, he was fighting for more than just himself.

And that was new as well. He suddenly felt - for the first time in a little over eight months - that he had an obligation to the thing inside him. He didn't have to care about it or want it, but he had it. It was his. And that meant he had to protect it.

Suddenly, there was a need to protect it. There was a feeling that no matter what pains he suffered, he had to get away, because of the things that would happen to 'it' if he didn't.

The … baby.

And it hit Chase right there. And it hit him hard.

The thing inside him was more than a thing. It was more than a mistake. It was more than just something that was his own.

It was a whole new being. One that he had created. Well, technically he and that idiot Jack Spicer, but technicalities didn't matter right now. It was something - someone, dammit - that Chase had created himself, that lived inside him.

That depended entirely on him. Someone who would follow his every lead, whom he could teach everything he knew, who would understand his evil desires and build on them …

His own.

Chase blocked the next punch Hannibal threw at him.

"You think … I'll give up … but I won't" he spat at the enemy, and Hannibal growled.

The cage walls reacted when the heavily pregnant body of Chase Young crashed into them, and again when Hannibal Bean lunged for his enemy, missing him by mere inches as the dragon rolled out of the way.

/

Crash.

Bang.

Crash.

Angry eyes opened to meet with four fists, simultaneously going for her, too quickly for her to move out of the way.

Another thundering noise pounded into their ears as the ancient Heylin witch collided roughly with a massive rock. Wuya lay on the rock in what looked to be a thoroughly uncomfortable position, just about passed out. But to be certain - and also so she didn't break her back on the rock's sharpness - Raimundo used his element to send her flying off into the nearest wall.

Wuya collapsed to the ground, defeated and barely moving.

The four monks stood together, a united force, and nodded their heads once in satisfaction. The old witch would not be bothering them again for a while.

Somewhere in the midst of their silent celebrations, Jack Spicer crawled out from behind the rock where he'd been hiding.

"Way to go, Xiaolin losers!" he grinned, genuinely pleased despite his rather unsatisfactory choice of words.

The four monks glared at him, Kimiko raising her hand to strike him but being restrained by Raimundo.

"We've gotta get to Chase" he reminded her, and the girl lowered her hand.

The leader of their small team raised the Mind Reader Conch once again, listened for a minute and then turned to Clay.

"Through there!" he said, pointing at a thick wall.

The others once again moved out of the way - Jack Spicer diving behind the three of them - as Clay moved forward and gathered his elemental powers.

Raimundo did not tell the others that he had not only heard Chase's thoughts, that he had also heard the thoughts of Hannibal Bean. He didn't tell them, either, how faint Chase's thoughts were, despite being so close - it was like his life was slipping away little by little.

Of course, that was probably the case. He was fighting Hannibal, Raimundo knew that much.

Raimundo glanced down at Omi, who was staring at Clay with determination. The leader of the monks bit his lip, wondering how Omi would take it if they were too late. How Jack Spicer would take it, though he cared about Jack somewhat less.

And then, he was brought out of the his thoughts, when the earth in front of him split the wall in two, and the scene before them met his eyes …


Please R&R