-1You Got Jacked!
Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown…
Previously...
"So what now Jack?"
"…as much of a genius as I am…I'm out of ideas..."
"We must dispose of him at once."
"How wonderfully evil…I can't wait."
"Dear, sweet Kimiko's in danger!"
Chapter Eleven: Jack Turns
The monks all select their Wu, ready to go out once more and search for Kimiko. Naturally Omi gets the 'Orb of Tornami', Clay slips on the 'Fist of Tebighong' and Raimundo grabs the 'Sword of the Storm'
Clay helps Raimundo out of the vault, Omi close behind with the Orb of Tornami above his head. He is still snickering at a joke Clay had told in an attempt to cheer Rai up. Something about a three legged cow…
All laughter stops as they exit the vault.
"Oh my…" Omi nearly drops the Orb of Tornami as he looks up at the crumbling buildings. "What has happened?"
"What low down dirty…" Clay grumbles, his Wu encased fist clenching into a large fist as he views the scorched landscaping.
"What's dat?" Rai mumbles, sniffing the ash in the air. "Hey…who ripped one?"
Suddenly the sound of helicopter blades is heard hazily through the smoke. All three look up and prepare themselves for an interaction with Jack Spicer.
He lands softly, his eyes closed and his lungs taking in deep breaths…his hands charred and smoking. Behind him appears Chase, wearing a victorious smirk in his features. With his new abilities, it had been all too easy for Jack to trash their precious temple. Jack slowly turns to look back at his hero he had tried so hard to make happy.
As he views the warriors and their expressions…he can't help but wish with all his might he could run away.
"Chase…"
Appearing suddenly besides him, Chase keeps his gaze on the tense warriors as he threatens Jack with his presence. "You will do as I command." He gently taps Jack forwards as an initiative to get going.
Jack shrugs his shoulders as he weakly coughs. He understands completely what Chase wants him to do. "I'm not exactly a get my hands dirty kind of guy."
Chase snatches his red hair at the speed of light, yanking at the locks hard. "Remember what happens if you question me. Here is your command, obey it like a good apprentice. Attack."
"Okay Chase…just easy on the hair…you just watch and see, I'll whoop them good. Just for you." Gives him a thumbs up.
Jack receives a stare capable of sending even the bravest of warriors running for their mommies.
"I'll do anything! Just don't hit me!" Jack squeals as he is dropped.
"Get ready for a Jack-attack, Xiaolin Losers! Monkey staff!"
Jack charges at the monks, suddenly finding himself quicker than he remembered…probably due to the potion from what he can figure. With his added speed and superb monkey agility, he manages to keep out of their reach and get a few good shots in. Though his tactic is mostly a defensive, he manages to find an opening in Omi's defense.
Jack swing's his staff when he is suddenly hit by a spontaneous gust of wind and is thrown back into a torched tree trunk. Most of what he hit crumbles to ash as he lands at the base of the trunk, his legs outstretched before him and his head down.
"Jack Spicer! Where is she?" He yells, sword of the storm in hand. "Tell me before I rip you to pieces…"
Jack looks up at Raimundo. His eyes are vacant…he has no vision. Without meaning to, Jack begins to laugh. "Y-You're blind? Ha!…HAHAHAHA, BWAHAHAHA!"
Jack begins to jump up and down, his fists slamming into ground as he howls.
"OOOEEEAAAHHHEEEEEOOOOAAAUUHHH! AAAUHH! AH!AH!AH! Oh! I'm soooo scared! You can't even see me!" Jack sticks his tongue out. "Hey Xiaolin loser…you can't see me right now but I'm give'n you da raspberry!" Jack falls back, using his monkey feet to clap as the monkey staff is used as a hammer against the temple grounds.
"And to think, I Jack Spicer…was almost frightened, by…a blind doodie head!"
Not taking the situation quite so lightly, Raimundo blows Jack upwards with a typhoon boom and charges forwards, giving him a good punch to the side of his face. "Consider not being able to see your freaky face a bonus!" He growls, lightly shaking the trembling Monkey Jack. He swings again, only this time Jack catches his blow in the palm of his hand.
"If you ask me…you see pretty well for a blind loser."
"Yah…well if you ask me…you smell pretty bad for being the apprentice of a guy like Chase Young. Does he make you sleep in a dog house or what?"
Jack bares his fangs, barely noticing as his palm begins to tingle. He growls as he tightens his grip on Raimundo's hand. In return, Raimundo urges forwards, pushing Jack back.
Jack's monkey tail lashes out behind him as he feels the earth moving from beneath his feet. He also feels Chase's stares.
"I won't lose…not to you…" Jack manages to say between short pants.
"This won't be different than any other time, Spicer. I wouldn't want to give you the satisfaction of pleasing that monster Chase."
Jack's face begins to flush, his furry rising inside of him. "This isn't for Chase…this is for me!" Jack puts all his weight and strength into pushing Raimundo back. He smirks as his opponent nearly loses his filling due to the sudden force.
They both feel the eyes of the others on them, both Xiaolin and Heylin alike. Being the leader, Raimundo goes to make his point clear…Jack, no matter what title given…is still just Jack, a lonely loser begging to get his butt handed to him.
"Everything is about you! You don't give a damn who you hurt…everything is you! You! YOU!"
Jack almost loses his footing at the statement.
"Well, what about Kimiko! Is she still alive…or did you let something happen to her?" Raimundo's eyes sharpen. He tightens his hands hold on Jack as gusts of razor sharp wind pour from his palms. "Let her gets in harms way just to save your pasty little butt!"
Jack lets loose a loud scream…filled with anguish and girly shrieks of pain. A tear rolls down his face as a drop of blood runs down his hand.
They reach a stalemate. Raimundo's other hand which is holding the sword of the storm cannot be used to swing and Jack is forced to use his free hand to brace his arm as he begins to slide back faster and faster, not being any match for Raimundo's superior strength and will.
"She had better still be alive…"
Jack closes his eyes, his opponent's stare is worst then any pain he's feeling in his whole body right now…and that's saying something.
Chase somehow sees it fit to interfere…though his presence is made to give advantage to neither side, Jack's or the Xiaolin leader Raimundo.
"Young Kimiko is with us as a guest…she is unharmed…and gets along quite affectionately with Spicer…" He raises an eyebrow, delight twinkling in his reptilian eyes.
Raimundo instantly breaks the stalemate, his fist being jerked free as it goes forward, slamming into Jack's face and even cutting the flesh from the sheer cleanness of the blow and emotion put behind it. Clearly to an overseer, Raimundo was communicating purly with his fists.
Jack watches in horror as he sees his own blood spill from the wound on his face. He falls and doesn't get up.
His hand trembles to strike again, even as Jack sits weakly on the floor before him. Shaking a loose strand of brown hair from his brow he glares menacingly down at Jack who is cowering, covering his face with his hands. The staff had been knocked away from him and he sits trying to stop the cut from bleeding…almost completely helpless.
"What does that mean? What have you done to her?" He ignores Jack's whimpering…and the fact that he looks completely pathetic. "Answer me Spicer!"
Jack is so petrified at this point…wondering in his mind if that murdering stare is an indication of his fate. Raimundo grabs Jack by his tattered Heylin uniform. His whole body, itching to rip him to pieces…is only halted by the words of their master.
"Young dragon…this is not the way of the Xioalin warrior. Put Spicer down before you do something you may greatly regret later on."
Raimundo throws Jack with all his might in an attempt to put as much distance between the two as possible.
Jack bounces as if he were a rag doll, his body in return taking a considerable amount of damage before skidding to a stop at Clay's feet. Raimundo grips his weapon tightly, feeling the wind currents as he searches for Jack. After all, in Jack's case you can distrust him as far as you can throw him.
Jack looks up at Clay, his fingertips barley touching his boots "Help…" Jack manages to mumble, his eyes half closed an watering.
"What is it you want, Spicer…Chase Young's union with you is very, unexpected." Omi jumps to Raimundo's side as Jack is picked up by Clay and slowly forced towards them, his hands tightly held behind his back.
Jack weakly smiles. "I'm his new apprentice." He winces as he is dropped to the floor and laughed at by the other monks. "At least that's what he says."
" That's wackier than a tie-dye crow! Chase would never allow you to be his apprentice!" Clay jokes, slapping his knee. "Why…that's funnier than…"
"The idea of Jack Spicer getting a date?" Raimundo chuckles.
Chase intervenes, appearing at Jack's side and sending Clay flying at his fellow warriors. "Spicer is my new apprentice. And by the way…by being so, means he gets anything he wants…so long as he is loyal." With the last line, Chase glares both alluringly and threateningly at Jack who was performing small smoke signals with his firepower. Jack begins whistling as he looks off in other directions.
"Anything he wants? Listen you!" Raimundo shifts his feet, as if planting himself for another attack. Clay's hand is the only thing that stops him.
"Hold on there partner…if it were just Jack I'd let ya go…but…"
"This is also Chase Young we are dealing with." Omi concludes, tugging on Raimundo's pants.
Chase takes a few steps ahead of Jack. He snaps his fingers and an array of jungle cats appear out of nowhere. "Let's talk business."
Jack scoots backwards as the cats walk past him. He turns to flee but is suddenly face to face with a Black Panther. The mouth opens, barring all of the sharp pointy teeth the cat owns as it roars. Jack not only squeals, but scrambles back to just behind Chase…who turns around just in time to see Spicer still at his side.
"We will not hand over our Shen Gaun Wu!" Omi yells, jumping ahead of Chase and Raimundo. "As honorable Xiaolin Dragons, we are prepared to fight! And more than happy to open a bottle of butt punching on Jack Spicer!"
"It's open a case of butt whoop…and I don't think so cheese ball!" Jack presses a button combination into his wrist watch, and is instantly surrounded by an array of his new robots.
What are you doing?
Jack stops, his finger resting lightly atop the final button. He stares at the monks, then at nothing…'What am I doing?' Old habits never die.
Do you have any shame?
Jack's whole arm trembles…he couldn't attack them on his own accord. Sure he'd fought Raimundo…but Chase had made him!
He takes a step back, sweat pouring down his face from the pressure as Chase's presence makes itself known. He stares intensely at the monks…now joined by their master they look back at him ready to fight.
'Got caught up in the moment…but…I won't…' Jack grinds his teeth as he pulls his finger from the button. "I won't fight."
Chase angrily appears at Jack's side. "What was that? Destroy them…now!" He pushes Jack forwards, making him land flat on his face.
Join them…leave Chase
Jack weakly lifts his head up and spits the dirt he can from his mouth, his hand still trembling he looks to the monks for mental support. They're Kimiko's best friends…attacking them would be like attacking her.
"Chase…"
Chase angrily roars at Jack, his form shifting back to it's natural reptilian state. "What's the matter? Does that monk have you so wrapped around her finger that you'd disobey me?"
Jack slowly pulls his hand away from his wrist. He earns a questioning look from the monks…his supposed enemies. Jack lowers his head. "I…I…" Inside his thoughts are turning…he had been good, he had practically promised her that he would be good. Jack nervously grinds his teeth. "…promised…"
That's when a voice more devious and persuasive than anything he had ever heard intervened…the voice of his all time hero, Chase Young.
"Promised? Jack…you've fallen for quite the trick…" Chase casually pulls a questioning Jack to his side. "Do you really think she likes you, Spicer? That's funny…Kimiko would never really care for you. At least…not as long as they're around to take her away from you…"
Master Fung calmly raises his hand to gather Spicer's attention. "Jack Spicer…know this…" He points at Chase. "Pardon me, for it is very rude to point…but this I must point out to you. Chase will never give you what you want…in the end he will always bestow upon you what he sees fit. True happiness is not given but found…love is destined."
Chase pulls Jack closer, earning a slight blush to trail across the young teen's face. "If love was destined…then he has been gravely abused in the area. What Spicer needs is a way to fight for what he wants…and claim the love for himself. Take the young Kimiko for example…"
Jack's face loses all color and appears so pale one can see his skull beneath his thin flesh. He shakes his head, clasping his hands together as he begs. "Please, chase…don't…"
Chase deletes any chance of Jack turning to them for help. "I'm sure by the way that girl flaunts herself about him…she's like a little wind up toy Jack just adores…a precious little piece that personally I find to low in property value."
"Kimiko isn't property! And by da way Spicer…Kimiko's my girlfriend and I won't let you toy with her like this!" Raimundo tenses up, tears of rage pouring down his face.
"I'm going to get her back! Even if I have to kill you to do it." his voice drops low and dark. Even though he can't see, Raimundo manages to look Jack in the eye…and inspire fear within him.
"She has to be mad right now…cause she could never in a million years care for you."
"What…" Jack leans against chase, his hands itching to cover his ears.
"Kimiko loves me…not you so get that little fantasy out of your sick little head!"
SNAP
Jack's head snaps up.
"You're wrong!"
Images fill his mind as he recalls the time they had spent together over the past month. The ways she had looked at him, the way she had watched over him…the way she kissed him. The feeling she gave him, the feeling of being cared about…Jack would never give that up without a fight.
"Y-You're wrong!" Jack's eyes tense, the red darkening as if blood had rushed to them. He holds up his wrist, a devious grin slowly cracking in his expression.
"Kimiko is my girl from now on…and she does love me! She will love me not you, Dragon that passed wind…And I'm not going to let you take her away from me! It's Jack's time to shine, suckers…my wrath will be known…and feared! I'm going to teach you all…the ultimate power that is Jack Spicer." Cramming his finger down on the button, Jack begins chuckling like a madman…and really without knowing why.
As the bots fly towards the monks Jack smiles a smile of pure joy, easily returning to and enjoying his old ways as his number one hero, Chase Young evil genius of all time gently pats him on the back in approval.
"Go and fetch the Wu we require Spicer. You have proven yourself."
Jack's eyes are shadowed as Chase observes him. He is crying…it took everything he had to fight his evil nature…but…in the end Jack had returned to his old self, the hope of one day ruling the world with Kimiko completely filling his thoughts. His love for her…and lack of confidence in himself led right back to Chase.
If he didn't comply on the other hand chase really would have harmed Kimiko. Jack's newfound logic is such: He turned good to save her…so it couldn't be wrong to turn evil to save her as well…
Chase smirks deviously, his plan had worked better than he could have hoped…Jack smiles at him with complete adulation just as he had when they first met.
Chase gave him a purpose again…a lifestyle that made him feel alive, safe and…loved. He had given him an accepting home, ways to use his mind to its full potential and…indirectly gave him the affection and love he reacquired through Kimiko. Chase had personally given Jack everything he had ever wanted…including the taste of victory.
"Thank you Master Chase Young…sir." His voice is calm, soothed and devoid of anything other than that of complete content.
Jack looks on at the battle…between the jungle cats and the robots, the monks are falling like flies. And to Jack that's exactly what they are…little flies ready to be squished and wiped across the floor as he laughs from his throne. Jack twitches, his mind itching from the stress…his eyes are hollowed, his body is torn and his hair is sticking out at all ends…to an overseer he would truly look like a madman.
You turn so easily
Jack grabs a handful of his hair as he claws at his skull. He tightly closes his eyes, trying to erase the guilt and pain that's so suddenly growing. His eyes open and he looks at the monks, unable to defeat his and Chase's new army. They never stood a chance…
"Kimiko…" He whispers falling to his knees. "…I…tri…" Raimundo flies over his head and into a large tree…an eye twitches…lips tremble…Jack laughs. "HAHAHAHA! Oh well…what harm will come of this…I did it to save her…this is best for the both of us…right? She's better off with me? And I'm better of with you?"
"Jack…stick with me and she'll be your forever."
Jack raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't exactly answer…"
"After all…Someone that special must be protected by someone powerful…and I can give you power beyond measure, Spicer."
"Power? Me?" Jack asks, leaning towards Chase.
"Of course." Chase heads for the vault…Jack trailing close behind, as a puppy would follow its owner.
The hairs on the back of Jack's neck stand on end. His body is hit with a wave of heat as his senses are suddenly heightened. His eyes dilating…he activates his monkey staff and baring claws and fangs stops the attacker just as he is only an inch from striking Chase.
Thru ought the temple one could at first hear his cheery shouts. "I-I did it! Chase did you see? Chase did you…" then his voice grows quiet before becoming louder than ever as he drops the staff and lets his voice carry thru ought the wilderness.
"B-B-BloooOOOUUUAAAAAHHHHHEEEEEE?"
(Chapter Talk): Okay, once again Jack gets his chance to change and blows it (How original right?). Well…now he really has no choice but to remain evil and on top of that, he has to somehow explain that to Kimiko. Uh...sorry guys, but i'll be gone till saturday...Cross country hell-week camping trip thing we do every summer. Saying that, I won't be able to update under any cercumstances because, well i'll be in big bear.
But i'll make a deal with you guys...if I get, uh lets say twlve reviews on this chapter by the time I get back, i'll post two chapters upon my return either saturday night or sunday morning. pinky promise, two chapters...all you have to do is give me twelve reviews.
Oh...and take your guess at who's blood is on Jack's hands...I bet no one will get it right!