Updated: 28.07.2011
Tension
To say Kimiko was enraged was an understatement. She felt like she would burn up the whole temple especially the sudden visitors who so kindly got tangled in their life and brought along with their presence God knew what secrets. She could care less they were Raimundo's family. They couldn't do a damn thing about his current condition…or about his current lack of condition. The ones with the most chances of finding him were they and that was because Raimundo was one of them, a xiaolin dragon.
But hell if Kimiko could see the whole plot!
"I said I want to know what you are hiding! And I want it now!" she repeated glaring at the calm group staying at the temple.
Damian put the cup down and turned to face the fuming girl. "Maybe you should tell us what had you so work up all of the sudden!"
"I believe he is right, Kimiko!" spoke Omi from behind the black haired girl. "We have no reason to demand question unless they know the situation!"
"Ok!" Kimiko inhaled rubbing her face and walked in the room sitting on a free chair right beside Naiara. "It started when we left for the wu a few hours ago!"
Flashback
Dojo flew through the clouds glistening with the golden rays of the sun. Beneath them an infinity of water spread, its deep blue hue sparkling at it swayed moving the foams of the waves hitting the rocks. The proud standing stones rose above the surface, their rectangular angles splashed with water drops darkening their color into a black shade.
The area was filled with this kind of rocks and further in the horizon loomed the shape of a lone exotic island. Dojo easily descended on the thin sand, his head suddenly jerking up toward the sky still draped with a blanket of blinding mist.
"Is something wrong, Dojo?"
The dragon shook his head, snapping out of his reverie and turned to look at Omi who was waiting along with Kimiko and Clay beside him. "No problemo, kido!" he shrunk to his lizard side and wrapped himself around the cowboy's hat. "The wu is in the forest. And I do remember something about water."
"There is water all around you, Dojo!" mumbled the Japanese girl making her way through the thick foliage of the tropical forest.
"Come on, Kim'ko! He's probably just tired from flying us all the way here!" added Clay holding a branch for the others to pass.
The dragon huffed. "No…I meant the place where the wu is! I think it was a lake! Did anyone bring a swimsuit?"
"No, but I brought the Gills of Hamachi! Is there a problem?" Omi held the gills in his hand with an expression that seemed to ponder if he did a good or bad thing.
Kimiko rolled her eyes. "Omi that's just very good! Don't mind Dojo!"
The green reptile glared playfully at Kimiko before he returned at pointing the location of their target. The walk through the forest was much harder than they thought not to mention that the island suddenly seemed so big. The luxuriant vegetation was growing like, everywhere which could only mean you could hear an 'Ouch!', or 'Darn!' or 'I just bought that!' at every two minutes.
The makeshift road ended at the border of a circular lake. Around it the forest stopped abruptly, some of the trees remaining hanging over the cliff with their roots sticking out of the ground. The coast was rocky margining the lake in a perfect curved shape while the waters delicately swayed with the gentle wind.
The air was calm and that was weird for the dragons considering a very well known evil genius boy who kept getting in their way. They ignored it instead and Omi activated the Gills of Hamachi at the same time with the other touching it.
Their skin took on a green color just as gills grew on their necks and their fingers were united with a thin membrane that could provide them quick movements in the water. The three dived forward, immediately splitting up in order to search more swiftly the area.
Flashback
"Okay, so you went to search for the magical thingies! What's up with that?" interrupted Blas tilting his head confused. Just as he finished he was greeted with Kimiko's evil eye. The blond Brazilian gulped and motioned for her to continue.
"I was getting there! Now where was I?"
Flashback
"I challenge you to a xiaolin showdown, cheeseball!"
"Name your contest, Jack Spicer!"
Jack sneered. "The one who climbs that waterfall first wins everything! I put my Longi Kite against your Orb of Tornami. Let's go…"
"XIAOLIN SHOWDOWN!"
The water in the lagoon was suddenly thrown upwards at impossible heights and at the same time the small waterfall on the other side of the lake grew at air sickly altitudes. The beam of water from the lagoon switched directions from upwards to downwards and sideways creating roads floating in midair all around the waterfall. Kimiko and Clay were transported on a path of water closer to the cascade and down at its base stood Omi and Jack each armed with their respective shen-gong-wu.
"GONG YI TAMPAI!"
Jack smirked activating the Longi Kite and flew carelessly towards the finish line. Omi gritted his teeth summoning a jet of water that threw him in the air. He created another stream that caught him and hurled the little monk closer to Jack who was oblivious to what was going on beneath him, too confident that he already won the showdown. Omi flew in the air with a battle cry that made the red haired teen turned around and in time to see the bald boy grabbing his legs.
"Hey, how did you make it so fast?"
"Water is my element Jack Spicer! You can't defeat me here!"
Jack scowled and his voice acquired a slightly whiny tone. "Come on…I really thought I had this thing worked out!"
"I'm afraid it wasn't that well worked out after all! ORB OF TORNAMI!" Omi aimed the small blue sphere above him and at Jack's chest watching as a jet of water burst out of it splashing the teen and making him lose his wu. Omi let him go and called for the orb one more time shooting upwards.
In a flash of light everything returned to normal. Jack left right away angry for his yet another defeat while the three monks gathered at the border of the lake to congratulate Omi. The short boy practically beamed with happiness at the praises.
"Thank you very much, my friends! I'm glad too that it was me in the showdown!"
Kimiko rolled her eyes starting to walk back to the beach. "Well, let's go then! The faster we leave the faster we can search for Rai!"
"Sure thing little lady. If only we had some clues!"
Kimiko's mind instantly went to the three who went in the forest before they left and that right after they told them that was where Raimundo has been last time. She frowned, her finger slightly tapping her chin. I know it's something weird with them!
"Kimiko, come on!"
The black haired girl looked up in time to see Dojo waving at her to hurry before disappearing in the forest. She shook her head and walked after them when a girly scream suddenly echoed through the air.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "What the…"
She ducked to the ground avoiding in the nick of time the barrel of a gun aimed at her head. Extending her leg backwards, she smirked when she hit something that was follow by a thud. Kimiko leaped in a crouch and not a moment later did a low flip in the air that resulted in her roundhouse kicking the guy in the head.
She stood up, her heart pumping adrenaline in her bloodstream and ran in the direction of the forest only to be greeted with other two men appearing in her way. Could those guys have something to do with Raimundo's disappearance?
The thought sent chills down her back and she embraced herself for a fight. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the guns, her mind screaming curses in four languages: English, Japanese, Chinese and Texan.
Her knees bent in a crouch and she dived forward just as one of the guys seemed to push the trigger while the other just frowned. Her speed was far greater than of a normal human because of the rigorous training Master Fung has given them for two years not to mention that her small form could easily sneak between the two massive gorillas.
The gun shot with a deafening bang hurting her ears so unused with it, but the action didn't slowed her down. Her hands spurted ablaze and she threw two fireballs at the gawking men while rolling sideways to avoid the bullet. One of the balls hit the gun making the guy let it go and clutch his hand with a pained expression while the other was more faster and actually dodged it.
He jumped toward her, extending his arms to catch her, but Kimiko leaped in the air coming down with a kick straight in his face that most likely broke his nose and rolled on his back and to her feet. She ran to the still hissing and cursing man and threw an uppercut that he avoided. He took a few steps back and glared at the girl before he decided to throw some moves on his own in the fray.
Kimiko smirked and cart wheeled backwards dropping down and swinging her legs beneath him unbalancing the grown up. She shot up, connecting his chin with her knee before punching him in the head, completely knocking him out.
"That takes care of you!" she scrubbed the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand and turned to leave when a click that could only belong to something she dreaded to see in action reached her ears.
"I would stay put in your place, miss!"
Her head slowly tilted backwards and she saw the other guy who's nose she has just broke and who she forgot about, pointing the gun at her skull with that smug annoying expression. Her fists clenched but she refused to let her anxiety be revealed.
"Now would you be a good girl and stay there so I can give you this!" he took from his belt a syringe filled with a white substance which Kimiko assumed must have been either poison or a sedative. She was inclined to believe it was the latter.
There was no more doubt in her mind now.
"What have you done with my friend?" her hands were on the verge of igniting in flames and the fact that the idiot was smirking only fueled her anger.
"I don't know what you're talking about, miss, but I guess you'll soon find out anyway!"
"ORB OF TORNAMI!" Both looked in the direction of the forest and their eyes widened like dinner plates when Omi shot out riding on the small orb with Dojo on his shoulder screaming his head off: 'SLOW DOWN! SLOW DOWN! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE!'
With a battle cry, Omi leaped in the air kicking the man straight in the head and throwing him all the way to the lake. Now, beside a broken nose he would have some brain damages too. Kimiko sighed in relief although her anger was still clinging on her wanting to be released.
Omi looked at her, his black eyes filled with worry. "Kimiko are you hurt!"
She shook her head and took a look around her. "Where's Clay?"
"I thought he was with you!"
Kimiko stared at him for a second then just face palmed earning confused looks from the two.
Flashback
"Clay was kidnapped?" Naiara spoke flabbergasted. Kimiko nodded when waving hands caught her attention and she moved her gaze to Blas.
"Just to make sure, Clay is the guy with the funny hat right?"
"Well, do you see him around?" the Japanese girl asked back.
"Um…no?"
"Then yes, he is!"
Blas raised an eyebrow at her mocking tone. "Geez! I was just asking!"
Damian sighed. "So what do you want to know?"
Kimiko closed her eyes trying to put some order in her thoughts. From her side Omi looked curious and Dojo was nervously biting his claws. When she seemed to decide upon a start, Kimiko finally spoke.
"Ok, are you really Rai's family?" They simultaneously raised an eyebrow except from Damian who instead took a sip from his tea.
"We are a family even if we may not be blood related!" Naiara said quietly. "But Damian is Raimundo's brother. And Blas as well has a little brother back at the Hideout!"
"Hideout?" inquired Omi confused.
Naiara just then seemed to realize what she had said and her light blue eyes glanced discreetly at Damian who shrugged in return. "That's how we call our home!"
"Why?"
"It…sounds cool?" tried Blas earning blank stares from everyone. "Maybe not!"
"We named it like that because it's a safe place for us!" answered Damian receiving a nod from Omi and Kimiko but Dojo kept rubbing his hands and tapping his tail on the table that he finally got everyone's attention.
"Dojo, are you alright?"
The dragon gulped glancing at the three. "Um, I know it's not my business, but wouldn't it be a lot more easier if you would let them help…I mean two of their friends are missing!"
The dragons gave him weird looks and then moved their attention to the other group. Blas was exchanging some serious looks with Naiara while Damian was drinking his tea. When the cup was empty again he put it down and placed his hands beneath his chin. "Fine!"
For some reason, Kimiko knew that the next words would change completely the situation and maybe even her relationship with Raimundo and she wasn't disappointed. Her mouth fell open and from beside her she felt Omi leaning back on the chair very slowly.
She felt worse than being struck by a lightning bolt or by the perspective of another end of the world. She was completely speechless.
