Author Notes: Another chapter! Sorry about the waiting folks. I had like 30000 words written already but due a computer accident, I lost it all, my anger and annoyance let me to put up this chapter, but don't worry, now Im writing and upgrading what I used to have to more quality content. Im back! This time for good, Im writing like no tomorrow and I got my spark back, better hold on your seats, this will get punchy, ENJOY!
-Disclaimer: Jackie Chan Adventures belongs to Warner Channel and John Rogers. And I gain no profit writing this.
The March of the Black Queen
Chapter 9
For Everything That Is Lost
A week after Jade's transformation.
Nevada, Las Vegas.
For many it was a place of rightful sin, where you gambled your fortune for a chance of multiplying your assets for another chance at life, or you could fail and find yourself further deeper into debt.
The lights shined amid the madness of rushing people, either to gamble or to visit, gladly being a witness to the events happened deep within. Yet there was something alluring that made you go within its depths and be a part of it and as they say, roll the wheel of fortune. To Jade, these elements made her almost recoil deep within her flesh. The light was a constant annoyance against her pale skin and her eyes felt like they would drop off her sockets if she got closer to it. She quickly adjusted her sun glasses, squeezing her hood closer to her skin at the same time, just as the rain picked up more violently, but nobody in the streets stopped rushing to their greed. The enforcers had set up the truck in the parking lot and had not moved from their location; Finn came with her, surveying the casino for any angles that were lacking in security, but there was none that they could see.
Her dull senses were screaming at her to bolt and the constant flash of lights and obnoxious noises that assaulted her ears like music, the roll of coin machines and other electronic whirls were not helping matters. Her companion at least had the decency to help her along when she got dizzy, pushing slightly against her back, not enough to enrage her.
"Let's get somewhere where I can think freely" She told Finn with a tone of forced cheerfulness and he understood completely.
The pair stepped into the elevator directly for the 10th floor, Finn had stepped into the hotel before her majesty, paying for a private room in the furthest corner of the floor, cash at front, and like the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays at Vegas, the hotel crew gave them the privacy and that was fine for them. The room was everything out of the ordinary. Why Jade didn't even had time to appreciate the room back then in the adventure to get Sasha the Tigress all those years ago, now she could appreciate the one that Finn had rented, it gave her sometime to think freely without the obstruction of the people downstairs with the constant loudness of the casino.
"Chow should be here soon, he has the schematics"
"He better be" The Queen answered shaking her head to ease the lights away as she closed the curtains of the room.
The plan was simple. Akin to her last plan in the first robbery a truck would receive the stolen goods that would be teleported inside, which brought two dilemmas to a bigger job. It was bluntly obvious that Section 13 would be clearly alerted that someone is digging through the cookie jar for the candy wrapped coins, scrambling a jet in less than 15 minutes and flying to Las Vegas, roughly 450 miles, knowing their tech, it would take them close to thirty minutes before they came smashing through the front door. This came to her in a few seconds while Finn tilted his head, knowing too well that he had something else to say.
"We are on point Miss Queenie. Everything I know has been for this moment!"
Jade snarled turning to him in a heartbeat. "Do-Not-Call-Me-Queenie!" She said lifting him up a few feet off the ground by the hem of his shirt, surprising herself more than him. With his useless feet dangling from side to side the Irishman chuckled nervously.
He was saved from further aggravation with a knock on the door. She politely let go of him with a swing of her forearm, sending Finn to the bed and bouncing to the hotel room fridge with a painful groan. The Queen poked her head through the wall surprising the American born Chinese out of his skin, without further aggravation she pulled him through the door further scaring the man and perhaps even taking ten years off his life in one move.
"Where is the stuff?" She cut to the chase immediately without giving him time to recover.
"In here! Don't do that again, please!" Chow cried holding the laptop bag and pressing it to Jade who tsked, sitting on the bed.
Chow was in so bad shape that he started doing breathing exercises that would make Jackie proud, but Jade was never a patient person, currently Shadowkhan or not.
"You know what to do" She pointed a clawed finger at the cowering man, Chow sighed, nodding and sitting on the desk, preparing the equipment, her ever present scowl and cringe worthy clicking of her sharp nails sent him into overload, his fingers flying over the keyboard.
With a huff, Queen Jade hovered off the bed and started passing, it was a bad habit when she was restless that not even the Shadowkhan could take away from her former human vessel. Left and right, right and left, back and forth she went.
Finn merely observed, afraid that if she kept going, she would dig a hole through the floor. With a final and loud tackle of the keys, Chow grunted and then smirked, proudly. He was unceremoniously parted from the laptop by a growling Jade, surfing through the screen rapidly. She exhaled with a small smile playing at her lips as the information played in her head. Stealing a glimpse at Chow, with his arms crossed and looking away, trying to force his dislike for her rough treatment, she chuckled nonetheless pleased at such a rapid development.
"Well done" She praised, pleasing Chow but not removing the dislike and burning annoyance at her behavior. Ignoring his eyes burning a hole through her skull she sighed suddenly, black ink flowing from her mouth, curling a path around the room before the shadows materialized into four of her deadly and faithful servants, this time clutching what seemed to be sacks instead of sharp weapons, but the Enforcers knew better, their robes have hidden pockets where they stored all their equipment and weapons, they were never to be underestimated, though over the years, Jackie and troops were still fearful of them, but not enough to enter conflict and destroy them. A fact that hopefully very soon will change.
She stole another glimpse at Finn and nodded. "Showtime boys…tell Ratso to keep the truck running. Be back in a jiffy" With a growl of power, she sunk into the floor with her ninjas, the Enforcers watched her go with a frown.
The Queen easily passed through floors, startling many inhabitants of the rooms as she did so, phasing through floor by floor, falling from the hold of reality and where fantasy began it's tell to gravity. Ten floors down the river well and down she went with her ninjas. Her eyes opened into slits, land crashing to the limits of the human made structure. She unclipped a radio from her belt.
"I'm in Chow"
Back in their room, the ABC typed furiously on his keyboard, screen flashing going in and out and with a final key, the lights of the entire block collapsed into darkness, the power grid of the Strip completely shut down. A speckle of darkness within a vast area of light was what surrounded them now. In a city that never slept, shoving coins into machines, the sound of bets, laugher, cries and sneers of greed, for once in a lifetime, was surrounded in darkness, throwing it into chaos. Cars crashed in the streets without traffic lights, blocking main roads with disorder and confusion ruling in the streets. The effect was immediate almost immediately in the sinners that habituated in the multiple casinos in the block. Panic, fury and anger ran through their minds as they panicked and raged on at the loss of their winnings and some breathed a sigh of relief by being saved the humiliation and try another time, while others decided to try to steal from the casino itself. It was as a switch was flipped in which humanity transformed back into a shadow of their former selves, but greed would do that to the men and women in the casinos.
Outside in the infamous Strip, the great and famous signs such as the cowboy stopping swinging left and right with a metallic hiss, the newer holograms of cards and chips disappeared, neon lights flickered and died as people stared in confusion, the cowboy smiled again, his neon lips glowing back again but with another flicker of his fingers, the secondary power died and the Vegas boulevard died.
Security was thrown into chaos, the phone lines were still working but with the commotion, the Police would a long time to go through the chaotic streets. It would be so beautiful if Jade knew it, but for now, she was concentrated in the job.
The lights died in the vault, however alarms immediately blared with her approach, activated by some secondary power coming from somewhere that she did not bother to investigate; her mind was in one key element…money.
Her ninjas started their withdraw from the many safe cabinets and the pallets of cash at the last part of the big vault room, stuffing in massive sacks of money while she watched around. It was a good thing that it was summer; most people from all over the world came to Las Vegas, making this so much easier than it had to.
"You!" She pointed at the closest Ninja. "Seal the vault, destroy all cameras! Provide security by the entrance" All her commands were obeyed to the letter with efficiency and speed. Only two minutes had passed but she was already feeling the ground shake as the vault door was trying to be opened from the outside. No matter, they were just a nuisance. With a growl her hand extended like a flower and expanded outward with her palm open, a portal cracked open, lights and a powerful current of electricity cracked through reality itself into the waiting container of the truck. Her ninjas did not need any instruction of what to do after. The hit was swift and in three minutes, her twenty five Ninjas had stolen at least sixty percent of the casino earnings from the last three days, a hefty sum but it didn't stop there until the three casinos were under her thumb. Distractions were not needed.
She could almost taste the chaos that was eating away at the city, energizing her body and propelling her to adhere to her cause, twisted as it was.
And by now with the load complete she jumped through the portal herself, her ninjas following through landing just in the casino next door, The Sahara. It was a smaller Casino with an obvious Arabic theme. As she landed, she was surprised to find already security placing a perimeter and investigating their own vault.
"Wha the f-" A security guard spoke having the surprise of his life. With a motion of her wrist, her Ninjas attacked. The panicking crew of a mere thirteen was nothing compared to her warrior skills, shoots rang out but to the horror of the men and women that night, it didn't do anything to stop her warriors. Jade growled taking cover momentarily behind a pillar before she phased through the wall behind her and just under a security guard, taking a hold of her legs, sinking her into the concrete from the waist up. She screamed in surprise throwing her weapon and clawing at the ground in an attempt to escape whatever had a hold on her. Jade smirked, climbing on her shoulders, and lowering her face near to hers with a sadistic sneer full of pointy teeth. From the view of the demonic face of a child upside down looking at her with two pools of fire and malice was enough to made her pass out momentarily.
The final guard fell to a flurry of kicks from a Shadow Khan, landing on the ground painfully, alive but badly beaten senseless.
With a snicker, the Queen lifted the guard from the concrete, dropping her without care, sparing a few glimpses around the guards. Some were unconscious and some bleeding from their faces and with superficial cuts, but alive. She of course has the undivided and horrified attention of all those present.
"I'm here for the money. Don't DARE to interfere or it will be your life in the line, got it?!" She snarled with enough force to wake some of the out of cold guards and to almost piss the pants of everyone. Not every day you were beaten and mugged by demonic Ninjas and her especially scary demonic boss.
"Nobody moves, nobody loses an arm or your head, simple right?" She snickered, showing the tip of her pointy teeth, making her statement clear.
While her staff took care of tying the guards, the rest carried on with the money. A smaller vault, but profits were going to be through the roof with two successful heist in less than seven minutes. No one had ever done something similar to what she was doing. She knew the powers that ran the world, perhaps someone would said that she was wasting her incredible and growing powers of her blood in something so petty as to robberies of the lesser man, but she knew better. To build an empire you needed a lot of capital, conquering in this day and age did not cut it anymore.
The radios of the guards piled up against the wall flared up to life.
"Suspected robbery at Stratosphere is a go, brake, expect reinforcements" At receiving no response, the radio cracked again. "Security team? Come in?" No response. "Something is not right. Come in? Hello? Goddamn it come in"
She had to leave this casino, now. She turned at her audience and bowed. "You were a wonderful public tonight" She giggled, striking a pose. "But unfortunately that's my cue. Ta-Ta people" She snarled making the security guards jump with fear, except for one, the woman she had submerged in the concrete mere minutes ago.
"Just what the hell are you? A child? Demon?" She hissed through the pain and shock, eyeing the apparition before her.
The Queen chuckled and does not answer. She had forgotten that some years ago, when the good ol' Kingy of Shadows tried to take over the world, humans had seen once more the things of nightmares. A past of the forgotten carnage that they went through; realities that in centuries, became mere legends and tales rather than the cold truth of their insignificant lives and since that, they were less than surprised but nevertheless scared of the horrors that waited for them in the shadows. She was so glad that she's just the catalyzer of their wake up call. The ordeal had lasted hours, but the demonic ninjas that swarmed the skies through the world and conquered cities for their King were not forgotten. She knew that people had died back then only that her uncle didn't have the heart to tell her.
Another portal cracked behind her, with a final wave of her fingers, she jumped disappearing in the vortex of light, the ninjas disappearing with her to the next Casino, one called Circus Circus and then The Encore. Her quest for money did not stop and by then, hundreds of people protested at the loss of their profits, their hard earned cash burning before their very eyes.
One by one, Casino by Casino were hit the same way around the Las Vegas Strip. By now, eighteen minutes had passed since her assault to the biggest pile of money in the world. Over three hundred million in cash and jewels disappeared filling the truck via teleportation behind the parking lot of a Denny's, close to the very first Casino she hit in the night. Ratso for his part waited patiently as he ignored the bangs and swoosh of portals opening and closing in the container. The traffic was insane in every direction, he was not panicking but he was more than wary. He checked his watch and sighed, his fingers curling and uncurling on the steering wheel as the rain clattered against the windshield like pebbles. He gasped as ninjas materialized out of nowhere under the truck running straight at the police in riot gear, attacking them without mercy, beating them in mere seconds, the police radio that he used to track their frequency blasting in disbelief and panic.
Good thing he was away from the Strip.
In the streets, panic ran everywhere, people trampled against each other, riots were already spreading to the city and more than one Casino owner was having a fit as their money toppled down. The police were insufficient to control the situation and the military had to be called in; by now the National Guard were pouring in a convoy that sweep around the Strip, helicopters overflowing the air space as the new stations fought against each other for the story of the century and the flow of publicity. Those who weren't part of the insanity that was taking place on the Strip. The people were more frenzied than ever and by now, the police in riot gear put a perimeter around the Las Vegas Boulevard, holding the blockage as people threw stones at them. It seemed like the people had lost their humanity, pillaging stores and banging against casinos booths.
Back in their room, the two enforcers watched as the chaos mounted across the city and in their own hotel. People tramped around the hallways, screaming obscenities. Finn had been but a young boy of only six when he saw such a chaotic chaos back in Ireland, during the so called Bloody Sunday and the chaos that happened in the streets after the British fired against a crowd and again in the bombings of 1974 before his parents immigrated to the United States, right on San Francisco. And while his young mind could barely remember what happened, now it came back to him in pieces. Gunshots eventually ran around the streets and even in the own floors; they didn't know if people had gotten that insane or they were just warning shots, never to be unprepared, Chow opened another compartment in his bag surrounded by a high tech security proof material, drawing two side arms, throwing one at Finn and grabbing one for himself along with several magazines.
"Stay in your rooms! Don't come out!" The hotel intercom blasted endlessly as the destruction started to pile up around the floors.
The situation was getting out of control. Not even half an hour later, the rioting citizens around the Strip started burning vehicles and robbing every street that their greed induced rage could find a sporadic light cracking against the rainy dark sky. Panicking, a special agent called a secret organization he was part of, going by the unofficial name…Section 13.
At their San Francisco office, the call was replied by a young agent, trying but not avoiding the panicking rattle of the man blaring in the phone. He passed the call immediately as urgent to Captain Black directly at his office.
"We have more pressing concerns at the moment than a major robbery at this Agent. Mckenzie" There were some muffled screams at the other of the receiver, with a grimace, Captain Black mouth scrunched his lips into a fine line. "Cease and desist, I don't care if it's a massive robbery, we have another situation that has our top priority so I suggest-" Another wave of screams came and this time he listened intently, his eyes slowly widening into wide saucers. "I appreciate the intel…we'll be in our way ASAP"
Tohru's shoulders sagged with confusion as he looked at Uncle.
"There's…been a development. Ninjas were spotted causing chaos on the streets. A certain Queen won't be far behind. I suspect that Jade is doing Casino hopping. We don't have much time"
Alarms blared immediately, agents mobilizing at rapid succession. Jackie alerted by the chaos and the screaming when to investigate, a flushed Viper arranged her clothes, their eyes widening at the frantic commotion of Section 13. Three agents ran to Jackie.
"Sir! Captain Black request your immediate presence. It's urgent…"
Jackie could only nod not even giving time for Viper to fix her hair, with a grunt she was pulled by the hand rather rudely, a rare fact shown by Jackie, displaying his concern.
Captain Black was waiting in the briefing room, barking commands through his command console and at a speed that always impressed Jackie briefing multiple squads, as his fingers typed in an insane rate, dancing through keys, the screen displaying multiple maps, satellite scans and direct feed coming from a deployed UAV. The feed shows exactly what Jackie feared completely, the Shadowkhan on the move, beating police units and anyone who got too close but Jade was nowhere to be seen. The teams startled by this development were shaken to their core.
"Aiiiiai" Uncle exclaimed completely startled.
Tohru's eyes sadly watched the screen and slowly, after their initial shock the police and military radios blasted through the console speakers. The situation was escalating beyond of what they could handle, never trained to deal with the supernatural and demonic creatures that now roamed the city of greed. There was no sight of his precious flower, now falling apart before his very eyes, but the sumo knew that she was somewhere, guiding her puppets from the very same shadows that tarnished her into what she is today, but not anymore after they save her from the clutches of evil and her corrupted spirit. The resolve of the team toughened knowing that this was definitely going to be a second encounter with her, now playing on a scale that they never thought possible in such amount of time, from one bank robbery to causing chaos and more thieveries in an exploding scale.
She had to be stopped before it escalated to something everyone would regret.
"Tell our pilots to scramble the jet! We need to be there NOW!" Captain Black wasn't sparing anyone a glimpse as he entered in leader mode. "Jackie and Co! We have a flight to catch"
The incomplete J-Team eyes hardened.
Boarding an helicopter towards the airport, it took off at an angle without preparing its passengers. Uncle swallowed, scrunching his eyes together to clench his fears and put his head in the situation at hand; two pilots, the J team and two more agents were in the chopper, Black on the door, quickly checking his PDA for updates, directing his team to the mission and the fight that would follow.
Jackie hoped that the nightmare would be over before it truly began worsening into something that everyone would regret. From the helicopter window he could see the infamously fast black Cessna that was currently parked at the end of the runaway, unconsciously swallowing a lump he didn't know he was holding.
The small jet was waiting fueled and ready to go when they arrived at the airport ten minutes later. The engine were gunned and a hot trail of heated waves rushed off the engines, the pilot racing towards the landing point of the heliport before applying the brakes and stopping next to the landing helicopter as the hatch was opened hastily. Black was the first to come out boarding the aircraft followed by his agents and the J-Team.
"Buckle up" As always, Black orders left no room for rebuttal, everyone did so and immediately the jet engines came alight, flames propelling the powerful machine to 500 miles per hour down the runaway. The J-Team, never prepared for the propulsion shock, ramming them unto their seats, their eyes comically bulging out of their sockets as the jet took off and with it, the gravity that made their insides to churn almost upside down. It was an effect that always affected Jackie and Uncle but Tohru and Viper due their past high speed criminal lives styles and the travels around the world in high speed jets. Three minutes later, the jet gained enough altitude to stabilize at fifteen thousand feet, flying at 800 miles per hour. Captain Black unbuckled from his seat heading straight to the cockpit.
"We'll be there in thirty four minutes sir" The pilot informed him.
"Roger. Inform our crew on land, we need a chopper, fast and a clear air space to the Strip"
"Affirmative" The pilot nodded speaking on the radio the instructions made. Black sighed heading straight back to the small passenger compartment, returning to his seat. He could observe the anxiety, the resolve and even fear at facing Jade, getting stronger and showing abilities never seen in the young girl at an alarming rate, ever since her transformation into that demonic apparition. Uncle prepared the agent pistol magazines with his chi magic, piled up in a box, a fact that he found despicable but eventually gave in at their apparent usefulness against the faces of evil.
Augustus smiled at Uncle. "You know? Kepler is working right now on carrier rounds for chi magic"
Jackie, Uncle's and Tohru's eyes widened in surprise, the Thief just stared outside the window, her left arm crossed around Jackie's.
"You made me think about what happened in the vault. It had to happen eventually when we combine technology with magic to face our enemies. Supernatural or not…chi magic has always been so useful. We're testing ballistics so the rounds can only mean business against those monsters and demons only and no human beings" Black told them with a proud smirk on his slips. If there was one thing he absolutely liked was being resourceful. He could see as Uncle stopped what he was doing, eyeing him with something akin to admiration and then suddenly turn to irritation looking at his apprentice.
Tohru who was busy adding a solution to his puff fish suddenly felt the temperature drop, and not because they were flying at high speeds, over twenty thousand feet off the ground. He looked right at the angry eyes of his master and then turned right back to his fish, his massive shoulders sinking in embarrassment. Uncle, the only person who could stare at the face the massive seven feet tall mountain of a man and make him scrunch his shoulders like a scolded child, thought Black with amusement putting their current task away for a few seconds before it crashed back into his skull. His mind relaxed as he exhaled and inhaled squeezing his hands together, taking his time to look at Jackie and Viper who both had a distant look on their faces, but he knew better.
"What's bothering you old friend?"
Jackie's eyes flickered to him and then towards nothing in particular, showing him the distraught and terror in his eyes, Viper, even though she continued to look outside, squeezed his hand feeling his apprehension.
"Are we even ready to face her?" His defeatist tone took everyone by surprise, staring at him in disbelief. "Not because we lack the skills…but we lack a good attack plan we don't…think too Jade like, she is always a step ahead of us. Knows our weaknesses and our strengths, then exploits then and uses our feelings and fear against us. I don't like saying this, but we need to think like her"
Tohru sighed, rubbing his face with his massive fingers. "More importantly, we need to topple her abilities. The Shadowkhan goes beyond everything we have faced before…we're facing against a possible prophecy"
"Prophecy?" That word was enough to catch Viper's and Jackie's full interest, swinging their heads at the giant of a man.
It was then that Uncle sighed. "We aren't sure yet! Book vague about Jade's involvement with the Shadow Khan, but King of Shadows himself says she's…chosen, special"
Jackie squeezed his eyes together in disbelief. "I refuse to let them do with my niece as they please, prophecy or not, it has never stopped us and it won't know. She will be saved, one way or another"
"The better question is Jackie" Tohru spread his hands, sadness showing in his eyes. "Would she want us to save her when that time comes?"
Viper looked again and so did Jackie.
"For her own sake my friend, she will have to. She is still there, I know it in my heart that my niece, stubborn as she is trying to claw her way through" Jackie squeezed Viper hands tighter.
"No matter what some ol' geezer said a long time ago, nothing can keep Jade down, she's too noisy for that" Viper chuckled, joined by the rest of the crew, their spirits lifted and ready for the battle that was yet to come.
They could be further away from the truth. The Jade they knew chose herself to be extinguished, joined with the Queen in harmony to squeeze and claw at her demons that tortured her once pure soul, her powerful and abundant chi cracking with the power that always lay dormant inside of her, and now, she was using that very own power to break the head of security nose with an elbow, not giving time for the team leader of the MGM Grand security. The six foot man spat blood, snarling in fury at the little girl who was kicking his ass. He charged with all his might, joining his fingers and smashing at her head, only for Jade to take a step back, using the back of her hand to shrug the weakened guard, counter attacking with a hook to the man ribs. The man grunted in pain, feeling the agony even through his Kevlar plate carrier, falling a few steps behind breathing hard, sweat pouring down his skin, he caressed his busted lips and nose, smearing the blood from his mouth.
A memory triggered in Jade's mind about that terrifying night, that moment of hesitation was all the team leader needed to rush at her, quicker that his height should allowed him to, she was facing a professional. With her gut screaming at her, she did the only thing she thought about, she went through an obstacle, like phasing through a wall. The man went through her intangible body, like a rock through water, flooding around him then went solid as his fist connected with nothing stunning him, using her momentum to swipe her body down, swinging her legs like a viper, toppling the man on his back, acrobatically bouncing her hands from the floor, propelling her body to his side and with a speed that surprised the man himself, her ankle went down slamming on his head, completely taking him out of the fight.
But her job wasn't done.
Two more casino guards recuperated after the beat down from her ninjas going at her with night sticks. Sighing in annoyance, she jumped to the armored wall to her right with both feet, bouncing her in a cartwheel behind the two astonished men who didn't have enough time to turn around; brushing his hand aside to remove the nightstick from the man on her left, she pushed the very same man to have room to swing the club to his calf sending him screaming to the floor, using her fingers as a guide, the Queen pushed the weapon through them, striking the man on the head with enough force to topple him to the floor, out of cold. By now the other man knowing his predicament against his better judgment went to retrieve his side arm and then screamed as the girl jumped with a butterfly kick backwards at the same time smashing his hand in the process.
Growling at the pressure of his crushed hand, the girl didn't stop, pushing her feet forward and slamming a knee against his chest toppling him forward propelling his ear piece off, but never letting him, grabbing at his tie and propelling her towards her waiting hands, grabbing at the tie and the flying ear piece, tying around his head over and over until he couldn't move his hands anymore.
The man was breathing hard now tasting the fear and the shock still in disbelief and suddenly the little girl he thought about was towering over him, her glowing demonic eyes demanded respect and attention, the sharp teeth was another indicator, showing as she breathed hard in exhaustion and adrenaline cursing through her veins in an alien body, her pale skin only made her awfully terrifying. Her mouth opened in a clench of sharp teeth, now realizing that he was at her mercy. His terrified hazel eyes met her demonic ones for a second, but it was enough for the man to twist his gaze away, not being able to handle who she was.
Jade guessed that by now, they were awfully aware of her true presence, not able to forget as a demonic preteen kicking the shit out of them with ninjas at her command. The thought send her eyes around the vault as her ninjas finished loading the cash in their bags. With a small wave of her hands, a green portal cracked through time itself, the ninjas never wasting time in getting through it, disappearing from the face of the earth. It was back to that day, hell on earth, the day that demonic beings appeared from the skies, flooding even from their own shadows, blocking the sun as demonic beings rained from the sky itself, led by nobody without emotion and moving with a speed that would make any army useless.
They all remembered.
Her demonic eyes shrunk into slits, her hand ripped the security card pinned to his suit, walking towards the command console on the wall. Studying the machine in front of her, she slid the card into the card reader. Options were displayed into the screen, a flash of her slender fingers at the vault door started closing from the inside. Her manicured hands flew through the air, slashing at the console, tearing through the metal like confetti, with a final kick the screen tore from the wall smashing against the floor with a violent explosion of technology shreds. From his point on the ground staring at her back, fists clenched, the shaking man, his nose leaking blood and bones feeling like they've been through the grinder backed away horrified at the easiness with what this…this thing could destroy. His radio flickered noisily against the air as the pained moans of the wakening guards started to stain the atmosphere with their protest.
The man hissed, turning off the radio never daring to remove his tied limbs even at his protesting hands, he couldn't, the girl turned to face him, her head twisting to look at his defeated coworkers, her eyes shining like two pits from hell itself. It was like waking yourself from a nightmare only to appear in another; her eyes shining with malice that spoke volumes. Rise up, fight me and see what happens.
Nobody dared to move, afraid of what she-demon would do.
If it wasn't more surprising and to his even more complete bewilderment, the girl walked through the wall without looking back and went through it, disappearing from the vault leaving six men with broken bones and lacerations behind. The guard let himself fall down to the world terribly wishing that he had called sick in today.
"Uh…Queen, report down there?"
There was some broken static followed by a loud screech that made Chow to recoil in his seat.
"I'm f-AIi-ne…getting lots of gr-n. How a…things u…there?"
"City is going to hell for sure. There's riots all over the strip with the roads all closed down. Good thing that Ratso is off the strip. How much longer until we move out?"
There were some grunts of an unfamiliar person along with something breaking and then a scream. Chow and the Irish made a pained face, grimacing not even imagining what was going on with their boss whereabouts or…what kind of pain she was influencing right now.
"Me-t…Rats…now"
"Roger, moving out"
Chow typed in a furious rate, hacking their main security data, deleting the camera feed of the hotel by five hours, finishing he packed his laptop. Both enforcers tugged their side arms at their waistband quickly exiting the room, Finn was the last one to stand, fishing an object from his pack that looked like a long grenade with a pin.
"One of the last ones that we had. F're in the hole!" He pulled the pin on the stun grenade throwing it on the bed and closing the door. Both enforcers ran down the stairs through the emergency exit on the hallway before the loud bang blasted the room with fire, bursting the room windows. The grenade was made to be used as a room clearer and as a non-lethal disorienting weapon against enemies; throw it in the wrong place and the concussive power will incinerate everything close to it quite easily. The fire ate away at the door quickly consuming the room, the flames licking the walls as the door exploded, to put insult to injury to the staff of the hotel, a fire was reported in one of their rooms. Alarms quickly blared through the hallway, the heater sprinklers bursting on the highway scaring the reminder of the hotel guests to the floors below.
It wasn't always that they made these kind of operations, Valmont was always reserved in using firepower and explosives to a very restrictive sense, saying that they would only bring in heat and attention towards their growing organization, back when working with the Dark Hand scared people and had the upper hand in the highest elites of the criminal underworld. They were more of logistics and security kind of business rather than running the main show themselves and as always, their services was available for the highest bidder. Extortion, robberies, kidnapping, highly planned heists, security and transport of goods was their main game, never actually touching the stuff themselves, but never being far from it, hence the name, the Dark Hand. If only Valmont hadn't been such a greedy man, they would have never been involved with the magic stuff meeting Shendu and the show would still go on, never meeting Jackie Chan and taking on the Chan clan and everything that happened because of it. The enforcers had been with the organization for almost thirteen years of their lives. It taught them everything they knew, every skill growing per every crime done, keeping murder to a minimum, always finding ways to 'convince' people to see it their way, the ones that said no, even after torture were dealt with.
But now…after all they've been through, they exchanged a good boss by another after so many months of cleaning toilets and being out of the action, to good jobs but they missed their old lifestyle and to her, they couldn't say no. She was unique in her own sense, thought Finn as they ran down the stairs, pushing their way off the panicking hotel guest, she had talent and meant business, he still didn't know what her plan was, but he knew for a fact that she has a magical plan somewhere, after all…all the magical mixed individuals always have one, he was glad that for once, she wasn't aiming at the cartoony conquering the world theme.
The lobby was pure insanity. The staff, overworked due the pandemonium of guess rushing screaming through the hallways and the casinos, the security guards had been punched, battered, their clothes wrinkled and broken. The moral was in shambles, not being able to control the situation. The guess kept shoving people around the floors, trying to get out to the streets, where they thought they will be safe, without realizing that insanity on the streets, looting stores. If the looters went into the casinos to try to make a quick buck, nobody was aware with the confusion. It was enough for the enforcers, slipping unnoticed by the commotion, pushing people off their way, one stubborn man didn't seem convinced that he was in a hurry, the issue was resolved with Chow pistol whipping the man on the forehead sending him down on the floor, if anyone noticed they didn't have much to say. The enforcers quickly made haste off the casino taking the panic and the looting on the streets.
"Shit" Chow could only say.
"Oh yeah, let's git outta here. C'mon!" Both men ran on the Strip, trying but failing to ignore the turmoil and the screaming
It was just too much. The running, the scream and the cries of people filled with anguish, their voices crashing against another wall of noise that was crashing against another wave of cries and screams. The enforcers ran as fast as their legs could carry them, partying everyone roughly who got in their way.
They realized that this was an actual rebellion and rioting, and they were in the middle of it! To their astonishment, the corner on the South Las Vegas Boulevard was barricaded by police, shooting tear gas at the amassing crowd and pushing them back as the rain poured down, cold water enveloping the running Finn and Chow who went around a burning red convertible puffing breath and coughing through the smoke, a place called Sky Jump was closed down immediately, some people using the fence as protection from the mob, at the distance another one called Roni Josef Salon had its windows smashed, people were screaming pouring off the building. The enforcers kept running, going left through an intersection and into the always seeing eyes of Ratso.
"We're here! Where the hell are you?" Chow screamed into his ear piece frantically. The truck now was on their sights, close to the Carl Jr burger joint.
"On it boys, hang on!" Ratso pushed the pedal to the metal, gunning the engine, twisting the truck roughly, the eighteen wheeler went over the concrete barrier throwing sparks and concrete, veering violently on the pavement with a screech of its tires. The people panicked as the rapidly approaching truck through the streets, its exhausts pumping a steam of smoke through the middle of the boulevard, everyone got out of the way of the insane truck driver but for Finn and Chow, it was an extreme relief. Feeling that the situation got even more worse, the policemen in riot gear from the barricade mobilized a small force to stop the truck before anyone got hurt, waving their arms frantically. Ratso was having none of it, he pushed the pedal to the metal, exercising his middle finger at the police and shifting gears with the other hand. The remaining enforcers let Ratso stop at their side literally almost tearing the door of its hinges and jumping inside roughly, Finn slamming against Ratso's shoulders with a grunt.
"Go, go, go! DRIVE!" Finn panicking, screamed.
And he did just that, veering the truck from where it came from at fifty miles per hour, the trailer lifting from the road at a dangerous angle, making full swing, it felt back on the pavement with a violent slam that made all enforcers cringe and hiss. By now, the police had other orders.
Shoot.
The truck was peppered by small caliber bullets, gunshots slamming into the windshield of the panicking enforcers, dodging down into the truck, sparks and smashing glass raining on the enforcers and making Ratso almost lost control, but he came back to it with a vengeance. Whatever was in its way, they had the superior number…ten tons of steel with two more in the back. The policeman screamed, jumping out of the way of the incoming truck, smashing police cars and the roadblock to pieces, sending debris flying in all direction, the patrol cars literally obliterated in half as the crescendo of the impact left a massive trail of destruction, the truck kept driving at seventy miles per hour, smashing a traffic pole to pieces and veering violently into E St. Loius Avenue. The truck accelerated to eighty now, Ratso panting from the adrenaline and as he opened his eyes fully, he saw all the smashed glass where the bullet holes went into, even one close to the steering wheel, Finn wasn't so lucky, with a grunt pulling some of the glass from his face while Chow kept an eye on the right door mirror, his side arm out and at the ready.
"Come in! Where are you guys?" The Queen voice slammed some sense into the enforcers, now loud and clear without static. "ANSWER ME!"
Jade had finally made her way out of the casinos, currently perched on the rooftop of the Stratosphere, the rain and wind blowing and biting into her skin and hair violently.
"East St. Loius Avenue, pulling GPS coordiantes now, we're on the move" Chow informed her breathing hard as the adrenaline drained into his veins, fishing his cellphone and texting her the coordinates of their current location.
By now, Jade realized with great astonishment what was going on down below on the streets. It was pure insanity but it filled her with glee, trembling from toe to head in exhilaration. Who thought that a little withdrawal would cause such a stir? She thought with a sneer. She had been the one bothering the ant mount with a stick and now they were all running, rioting and burning stores and cars. A part of there could have stopped there to watch for hours, almost ignoring the digital click, signaling she had a message, but not her primal part, flipping her phone, looking at the picture that the buffoon sent her. Her eyes filled with resolve, focusing on the street where the truck was supposed to be, she felt her eyes recoiling and expanding, slightly but very faintly, the city started to melt in a purplish color, suddenly filling her vision with the back of the truck, she hissed in annoyance, even at the self-discovery of her night vision, the lights of Las Vegas was really messing her up.
She couldn't wait to leave this crappy city, and a Queen DID NOT wait.
Her right hand expanded snapping her finger. A single Shadowkhan materialized before her, bowing and lifting his head waiting for instructions, his red eyes glistening through the rain. Quickly remembering her inability to fly, even though she could float, she decided to place her entire trust in her vassal that lay before her, swallowing a lump. Hissing and arming herself with valor she pointed at the truck in the distance.
"Take me there"
It was insane, insane, pure insanity, stop…don't do it, STOP. With a growl she clenched her spirit shut and let the ninja some space so he could crouch. Swallowing the last bits of her own courage, she mounted his back. The Shadowkhan went to his full height, Jade sliding her legs across his hips to straighten herself, giving the street one last look in search of its target, the ninja had finally found his mark, stepping closer to the edge of the tower deploying his in-built suit glider wings, finally letting himself go at 1150 feet off the ground, the hotel down below coming into her vision before she could even think…oh shit.
She didn't scream.
She screeched, the hotel passing her in full swing.
Her arms wrapped tightly around the robes of the ninja as they glided through the air at a terrifying speed through the air, rain water splattering against her skin like pebbles, the cold seeping into her bones and flesh. While not entirely human, she could feel it peeling her flesh apart, shivering involuntary, adrenaline exploding into her veins, finally calming her enough to remember who she was, peeling her eyes, her fears were dissolved and instead she felt the rush of gratification as the city of lights rushed away from her, buildings and lights a blur in a mix that made her slightly dizzy, her eyes flayed at her objective approaching rapidly, the black and gray truck accelerating through the road, for a moment she thought she would smash against it but at the last moment, the ninja flickered his arm and legs downwards creating a rush of air against them giving them and then let himself fall downwards enough for her to jump from his back and landing on the truck gracefully, the ninja just half a second after her melting into white fog that floated towards her and disappeared; it was still very odd that they did that.
She breathed hard, her nostrils flared as the adrenaline punctured her skin feeling like needles. Snarling, she advanced forward on the trailer towards the truck, the wind blasting at her ears just as the rain but finally she jumped into the wind deflector.
The enforcers gasped in surprise, quickly looking up alarmed.
"What the hell was that? Go and check" Finn said to Chow, still nursing at his wounds, unsheathing his pistol at the ready, aiming forward.
The ABC, quickly peeked over the window, swinging his firearm upwards before a set of glowing red eyes stopped him, onyx hair swinging wildly on the wind.
"Yo boss" Chow smiled and she smiled back before disappearing from view and reappearing inside the truck smashing between Chow and Finn. The men grunted in confusion.
"Scoot over!" She snarled pushing them away with her hands making herself comfortable with a sigh plopping her feet on the console, but as she looked forward she eyed the enforcers with something akin to concern, realizing that Finn was bleeding from superficial cuts.
"Trouble?" She asked motioning to the bullet holes on the windshield and the one on the seat next to the grayish man.
"Nothing this big guy couldn't handle" Ratso puffed his chest, smirking cockily.
"Police, they ambushed us" Chow informed her.
Jade grunted. "You don't say" She looked at the passenger side mirror, its cracked spidery glass reflecting back her glowing eyes seven times.
From Ratso's viewpoint, a black speck appeared in the distance, for a moment he thought it was just a piece of dirt, before the object steered to the left confirmed his doubts or just for the fact that through the engine he could hear a sound they were more than used to by now.
"Helicopter"
Both enforcers turned to him in surprise.
"Exactly what we need right now" Jade sighed as she pulled her hands through the roof, lifting herself up and disappearing from view on the wind guard. Putting her sunglasses back on her face to cover against the rain, she peeled her eyes at the approaching flying vermin. It was a police helicopter; she never thought they would it that easy anyway, observing as it approached at an alarming distance, swinging down in an arc facing her, then flipping at an angle approaching from the left side, the helicopter swiped to the other side with a grumble of its engines, a light appearing beneath pointing it right at Jade underneath its belly.
"Pull over now or we'll be prepared to fire" The police intercom cracked to life, its doors opened revealing two policemen in full body armor pointing their weapons down below. In the cockpit, Agent Mckenzie peeked from the shoulder of the armed policeman to get a better view of the suspect. He just knew it was her.
"This is Mckenzie, target on the move, I think she just robed the entire goddamn Vegas" He spoke to his radio.
"Understood" Cracked the radio back. "We'll be landing soon, ETA five minutes. We got our team ready to go. Don't let them get out of your sight, do whatever you have to stop her on her tracks and pin her there, Black out"
The truck went through the intersection on a red forcing cars to slam on their brakes, smashing against each other as the heavy vehicle swerved with a screech of its tires into Highway 515, smashing a traffic light to pieces. The helicopter pursued the truck as it went into the highway at a menacing speed, smashing a white van off the road, crashing against the shoulder.
"Watch the merchandise big guy!" Jade hissed to her ear piece beyond annoyed at all the banging and crashing, holding herself together on the top of the truck was hard enough as it was. The helicopter got closer, turning to the side, she saw the policeman charging his weapon, and then things got bad.
Automatic gun fire rang out from the helicopter slamming against where Jade had been standing seconds ago disappearing into the cargo hold for protection, the exhaust pipes and wind breaker riddled with bullets. The truck twisted two lanes to the right avoiding another cargo truck and passing through an unsuspecting family van, its horn blaring in fury. In the cockpit, Chow fetched another weapon that was more effective than his side arm, his trusty MP5. Peeking from the window he let the charging handle go home with a clack and let out a quick burst towards the helicopter, peppering the insides with bullets and forcing the helicopter to twist upwards, showing its armored belly for protection as more bullets slammed on the helicopter, bouncing harmlessly from the small arms projectiles. Changing tactics, Chow let out his magazine and put fresh one in, palming the bolt forward and taking aim, he fired full auto to the rotating blades of the chopper, while made of a mix of carbon fiber and Kevlar lining, the bullets packed enough punch to bounce and put a dent on them affecting its aerodynamics and forcing the cursing pilot to keep more distance from the truck as possible where Chow couldn't get a proper target, the 9mm round falling short.
The truck was peppered again by the automatic 223 rifles from the police perforating the roof and impacting on the console enough for the enforcers to cry in alert and fear, Ratso slammed the pedal to the metal pushing the truck to its maximum speed.
"That's it!" The Queen growled inhumanly, hearing the commotion inside. With a grunt, she jumped back on the trailer, her hands spreading in a circle, ten ninjas flooding from the shadows like smoke.
"I'm taking point boys, Ratso keep moving! Step on it, I got this" She growled extending her hands towards the helicopter, her ninjas took off gliding backwards, using the momentum and their path of fly to create a track where two ninjas jumped from partner to partner upwards to the now panicking helicopter crew. The pilot cursed in fear pulling the stick to the left that controlled elevation away from the path of the ninjas but he didn't count with both ninjas jumping in the air throwing hook and rope that smashed into the cockpit glass, its sharp tips embedding on the control console and the other one wrapping around the control stick yanking the aircraft down.
The crew screamed in horror, the helicopter lurching violently from side to side, the pilot tugging at the hook with all his might all while Jade looked amused and impressed at her ninjas abilities to kick some ass, now climbing on the ropes attached to the aircraft. The agent fired on full auto against the advancing ninjas point blank range rattling the Section 13 agent ears, screaming in pain, to no effect and now they knew terror, bullets going through harmlessly through their smoke like bodies, the holes filling back in. Their unholy sight of immortal beings with red glowing eyes did more than enough for the first policeman to pause giving enough time for the ninja to grab him by his vest pouches kicking him to the back of the helicopter, gravity making full swing carrying him down to the waiting foot of the ninja, kicking him through the unprotected face putting his ass off commission. By now the helicopter was spiraling out of control descending at a frightening rate near the river, the pilot finally managed to yank the hook off the sticks throwing the aircraft in a pitch going up sending everyone that wasn't buckled up to the ceiling, the hook didn't want to miss the fun, fastening around the agent legs pushing off the aircraft with a scream, down he went with six ninjas on his tail to the Vegas Creek. The ninjas just glided up but the man wasn't so lucky, falling on the water.
If the pilot thought he was going to get be fortunate man of the year, he was sorely mistaken, the Shadow Khan putting him on a chokehold, the co-pilot not even recuperating from his shell shock looked at the predicament pulling off his side arm, the ninja's foot connected painfully with his head sending him crashing against the door cracking the glass on a spidery web leaving him unconscious, bouncing with the turbulence. Without control, the helicopter twisted to the left, the highway pole smashing the tail off the helicopter. The shock was enough to throw the ninja away off the aircraft; by now alarms were blaring full blast, the pilot trying to gain control of the aircraft, jerking the stick up twisting the helicopter vertically, the blades by now couldn't produce enough lift at the angle finally toppling the helicopter downwards into the river.
The helicopter twisted on its belly before smashing on the water below sending a giant splash, the dented blades smashing against the water before being ripped off by the violent torque.
From the viewpoint of the enforcers the crash made them cheer at the exceptional spectacle before them.
"Good job!" Chow cackled pointing at the downed chopper."Awesome!" Ratso and the Irishman snickered with excitement.
Hearing their cheers made Jade smirk, crossing her arms with her chin held high, a proud smirk playing at her lips. This played better than she hoped it would, her smirk widening as she mocked up saluted the helicopter crew, barely being able to get off the aircraft in time before it started to sink. Her ninjas landed on the trailer around her, her eyes shining with malice.
Their celebration though was short lived.
Even through the rain she could make up a big shape, forcing her eyes to look through the lights with a hiss, it was another helicopter, a big Black Hawk, often used by the military and…Section 13.
They were here.
"We got more company. Section 13..and the J...eight o clock" She couldn't quite say J-Team, if left a bitter taste in her mouth.
From the viewpoint of the bigger crew compartment of the Black Hawk, everyone was agasp in shock. The city was in full swing and not even rain could quench the fires of fury that spread like wild fire around the Strip. Black was the first to realize just how big this had become.
"There…there's no way to keep this under wraps anymore" He said through his intercom. Jackie and company were shell-shocked to find the reality and the unbelievable astonishment look that was displayed on everyone faces.
"What did Jade do?" Jackie asked.
"She robbed more than seven casinos today, stealing their profits. It appears she was the catalyst in throwing the city in chaos, riots and robberies have reported all over the city, the police and National Guard are trying to control the situation on the Strip as we speak. An eighteen wheeler was reported smashing through a police roadblock not long ago; I think it's our girl Jackie. But this confirms my suspicions, she isn't acting alone. Reports of the entire Strip electricity being hacked and controlled by an unknown source before the robberies could commence"
Uncle gasped, taking hold of Tohru's arm to not crash on the floor by the shock.
"Since ninjas can't drive or hack into the electricity of a city block to deactivate power, it appears she has hired a team. I don't have all the details yet. They're heading North-West now and I just lost contact with my agent close to here by the…" He checked his GPS. "…Vegas Creek which would be…right there…oh…oh Goddamn" He cursed.
"Not good" Viper grunted in anger, concerned about the lives of the helicopter crew but to everyone's relief the crew was save and sound on the river bank.
Captain Black had enough. "Pilot, get us closer to that truck"
"Roger" The pilot answered back, tilting the aircraft at an angle, slightly lowering the pitch, falling in an arc that increased their speed.
"But how to stop Jade?" Jackie asked holding on his seat belt.
"Uncleeee has solution!" The old wizard exclaimed. "Tohru and I have been on a loooooong time researching a chi cage. Not even the most powerful of beings can escape"
Tohru grunted in acknowledgement. "That should neutralize the effects of her dark chi, she won't be able to summon any of her ninjas, catching her will stop all of this madness, keeping her secured until we find a counter spell and reverse her back to her human form, but we need to get closer, it's a spell that has to be conjured almost face to face, I hope that won't be an issue?" Tohru smirked and Black smirked back.
"If I can count on something, is on my crew. I hire the best of the best, our pilot here is from the Night Stalkers, US Special Operations, count on it. Pilot, get close enough to land this thing on that truck".
The pilot smirked. "On it, sir"
By now, the truck had changed highways now unto Highway 95 going West to their destination, far away from the city. Alerted about the possibility of a "boarding party", Ratso stepped on the gas, keeping one eye on the door view mirror and one eye on the road ahead of him. The rain had died leaving a thick fog that quickly radiated a cold aura through the night chilling the bones of the enforcers rolling up the windows to no veil, there were bullet holes everywhere, the cold now coming in small gushes from them. On top of the trailer Jade swung down to check the loot, growling with fury, some bills had bullet holes in them, pieces of bills scattered on and around the cargo hold, but nevertheless incredible impressed by just how much cash there was in front of her. The massive of green was rolling in dozens if not hundreds of large sacks, metallic jingling from some of them which she assumed could be jewels, enough to set her off on her journey to victory.
The faint wop-wop like sound reached her ears, getting louder by each passing second, gravity beat into submission by the approaching helicopter. Darkened skies without clouds being torn asunder, now the turbo blades of the aircraft crashing through the air visible even to Ratso's side view mirror. The black helicopter quickly matched the speed of the truck as the hatch opened from the sides to get a look at the truck, the cabin riddled with bullet holes. The turbo whine of the helicopter made the enforcers to recoil in their seats, the rattling crescendo matching the thump of their hearts.
"I can't identify the driver. You're on point Jackie"
"What do you mean I'm on point?"
"It means that he wants you to jump on that truck, love" Viper informed him.
Jackie let out a terrified screech. "No, no, no" Crossing his hands repeatedly.
"Aiiiiii. It's not like nephew haven't jumped against bigger things! Like jumping on a crumbling building!"
"Or a space ship" Added Black.
"Or a taking off plane" Tohru continued.
"Or falling back from a castle on a cliff and using a blanket to land safely five hundred feet to the ground" The pilot added with a chuckle. Everyone looked at him. "What? I've been in this business for a long time" He shrugged.
Jackie sighed resigned to his fate. "Just let me get closer" He said unbuckling from his seat.
The pilot did just that, Jackie getting prepared while steeling his nerves, squatting down and was just about to jump that is when the truck veered suddenly off the current road, into Highway 95, Viper barely being able to wrench Jackie by the collar of his sweater as he screamed his lungs out, the helicopter changing angles to follow the truck, a car wasn't so fortunate smashing against the railing of the road.
"This has to end. Contact the police; we need to set up a roadblock overhead. This highway has no exits for miles, seal the first main exit right away!"
"Aye sir. Authorities inform me it will be sometime before they can get mobilized, they're short staffed as it is with the riots" The co-pilot informed Black.
The leader of Section 13 grunted in acknowledgement.
From the trailer, two sets of hands materialized through the steel, pulling an invisible hole where a head poked through, its eyes opened blaring red, a maw opening sharp teeth upwards in a fanged sneer, Jade had finally made her appearance. In the Black Hawk, the J-Team could only stare merely stopping for a second before they crash landed to reality.
"Jade" Viper exclaimed preparing for the combat that was about to follow and it came faster than anyone could have anticipated. The Queen pulled her whole body up horizontally, standing on the side of the trailer defying gravity, her onyx bangs flying through the air, her legs propelled upwards before jumping up. Even to Jackie, he knew she wasn't going to make it but as always, she had a sleeve off her hand, opening her mouth smoke like ink poured through the air, quickly solidifying into two ninjas that threw a hook and rope to the aircraft wheels, tugging at the rope and making a path. Jade snarled doing a cartwheel, landing on the straightened rope running upwards at full speed without missing a beat, jumping again to meet Jackie first hand, sliding between his legs as he punched the air, then using his shock to her advantage doing a hand stand and kicking him on the back with her waiting legs. The archaeologist dropping to the ground below with a scream barely being able to catch the rope that Jade had just being using, and kicking the one ninja that tried to attack him as he swung full circle, catapulting his body upwards before kicking at the turbine and propelling back into the cockpit with a scream and almost being cut to ribbons, throwing a kick to the unsuspecting Jade, but to his shock, she caught his kick midair and swung her body to throw him against an advancing Viper.
The thief hissed not prepared for Jackie's weight now on top of her but their problems were far from over as now the ninjas climbed up the helicopter compartment.
Section 13 agents now overriding their shock stood up from their seats unholstering their weapons and firing chi bullets stopping the ninjas on their tracks, making everyone without ear protection to jump in surprise.
Jade eyes widened, now presented with a dilemma, changing targets she avoided a chi blast from Tohru, passing through the legs of the big man and jumping to the corner of the passenger compartment leaning on Tohru's back. She snarled pushing her legs upwards, her forehead splintering with veins on her pale skin but successfully pushing the mountain of a man forward, causing him to lose his footing as he fell.
The aircraft lurched forward for a moment before straightening on the air. With the grunting and painful screams of the agents and Captain Black at the massive four hundred and eighty pound weight on top of them, the odds were now on Jade's favor, with a smirk, she motioned to her ninjas to attack the remaining members.
"Don't make me do this Jade!" Jackie screamed showing ferocity in his attacks that put her ninjas to shame; Viper didn't fall behind punching a ninja out of the aircraft, then using one of the seat belt strap to snare around his punching arm immediately countering with a hook that made him disappear in a puff of smoke against the cockpit seats. But to Uncle, this was merely the tip of the iceberg.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao, Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!" Her ninjas started to dissolve on smoke, recoiling them back into her body. With an enraged scream she catapulted her body against Uncle wanting no more than silence him, Jackie however stepped through, knocking her balance out with his shoulder immediately falling down on top of Jade, coiling his leg around her hip and pulling at her head with his two massive arms effectively trapping her in a judo hold. The Queen hissed in fury, passing through his arms to his complete shock, reappearing moments later on top of him, her elbow extended intending on smashing his face she didn't count with Uncle himself kicking her effortlessly to the side, barely managing to grab on the side door, pulling herself back in.
Uncle aimed his puff fish at her. "Surrender niece! You cannot win this fight, we're superior here!" By now, Tohru with the help of the agents and Black he managed to get on his feet, shaking his head apologetically as he pulled his salamander off his pocket, shining with a ready to go chi blast, the agent stayed put, weapons at the ready. Black stepped through them on the center carrying a pair of handcuffs.
"You have no option here Jade, surrender or face the consequences. You can't win"
Her face didn't shift in the slightest, not even a tremble of fear was evident on her solid combat stance, but one thing that was amiss was her display of bravado and cockiness that was as much as Jade like as Tohru liking grape soda. Walking a little closer to the edge of the compartment, she did the only thing that changed the situation entirely, she pulled a couple of shurikens from her robes, everyone prepared for combat and even to Jackie, she didn't believe that a weapon could be thrown at such a small distance.
He was wrong.
Her hand merely extended outside, letting the metal fly harmlessly, for a moment Jackie was as confused as the next person to him, but then turned to horror as they were sucked into the turboprop engines. The violent whine commenced prior to exploding through the back of it, flames tearing at the fuselage shaking the helicopter violently, lurching on its side.
"Shit! Hold on!" The pilot screamed trying to secure the aircraft back into his control, the copilot turning off that engine as he pressed the extinguishers, foam exploding from the back putting out the fire.
Everyone screamed taking hold on something to secure for dear life. Jade laughed with childish abandon as if it was the best joke in the world.
"I don't have to go for a win if I have no opponents left. Ta-Ta!" She jumped from the helicopter, white smoke following her all the way down, a ninja grabbing her from behind gliding back to the waiting truck. By now, the helicopter had lost its trajectory, the hissing pilot being forced to yoke to the other side on the remaining engine, alarms shrieking repeatedly, the pilot with the skill of a professional quickly decreased altitude as he twisted at an insane angle, the agents risked their lives quickly closing the side doors, everyone buckling down.
"AiiiiiiiAiiiii! I never had liked theeese things!" Uncle could only scream closing his eyes, feeling as the world spun faster than a yo-yo, by now the helicopter rolled on a pitch, belly facing upwards on the grass surrounding the highway landing on its small wheel followed by the front ones, sliding on the side rolling almost to the edge of a hill, finally the helicopter twisted once more before stopping completely, the whine of the wounded engines dying as the engines were shut down.
Everyone hearts beat violently breathing hard on relief, the danger now adverted.
"Out of the chopper" Black ordered, everyone was more than happy to comply. The helicopter pilots opened their doors, the agents quickly sliding the compartment hatches open, everyone climbing down. The still smoking engine hissed in pain with the propellers finally stopped spinning the whines of the second engine stopping completely. Now the only sound was the sighs and relieved breaths of the occupants.
"I can't believe she could do something like that" Jackie ran his hands on his face, brushing his cold sweat off his skin. "She tried to kill us"
Uncle advanced towards Jackie quickly applying his infamous Uncle finger slap making Jackie grunt in pain quickly rubbing the pain off.
"She is not the sameee! She is very…resourceful. She's displaying abilities never seen before, being able to even produce a essence of herself to summon Khan, this is most troublesome indeed. We need that book now! It's our best tip on how to stop her before more people are hurt and she is more lost to her demonic side"
Black nodded. "She won't be able to shake us off so easily, I have her on sight in our UAV" He pulled his tablet off his trench coat. "There's also a roadblock waiting for her further down. We will catch her and I hope that now on open ground, you guys can trap her with that spell".
"I have a feeling that Jade planned this from the very beginning, she will need to fly the loot off the state, it's what I would've done in her position". Viper added. "Not very professional, but guns blazing she took off with her prize and toppled down an entire city, now it's time for that prize to be her undoing. After this, every new station will inform the entire country, there is no way that this will stay quiet".
To Jackie's aggravation, this was another concern to his pile; his face couldn't contort even more downward doing his best not to break down right there. Sensing his anguish, the former thief, Uncle and Tohru put supporting hands around his shoulders, his face lifting even in these dark times.
"We're going to get her back, kicking and screaming if we have to"
Captain Black smiled. "And we will Jackie" His smile fell as his professional attitude took hold. "Wilkins, set up a perimeter around that highway, the rest of you, I need a list of every single big and small airport to hold a big cargo or fast mover.
"Yes sir!" His agents got to work immediately.
Jackie's eyes twisted up looking at the starless and cloudless sky, the city of lights glowing faintly in the distance, wondering after an encounter if the next one could be his last.
His fingers squeezed Viper's, holding on tight.
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A/N: Plenty of action on this one! I hope you've liked how I spiced things up. The entire concept came to me playing Rainbow Six Vegas. But this isn't over, not for a far stretch of the road. Now we're passing into darker territory, let's see how the J-Team face against their biggest threat so far on the next chapter next month. I want to personally thank everyone who kept reviewing and adding this to their subscription list, I won't abandon this story.
Thanks for your patience!
From Houston
D4rK.
