I'm back! I'm so thankful for all the support you guys have given me as readers. I don't think I could've come this far without the encouraging words and brilliant ideas. Anywho, hope your ready for some more alien/magical butt kicking! Before we get into that, however, let's answer some reviews.
Guest-450: Actually I decided to have Grimfang he more like a prime specimen of a troll, kind of like how Kickenhawk isn't exactly like the guy who gave Ben access to the form. Spring-Heel Jack was basically the DNA donor through biting the Omnitrix. I'll think on how to best do that OC alien list.
Aztec 13: Only the future will tell.
BlueEyeCat: Glad you liked that scene.
Guest-Questioner: I know what you mean. Sadly for my brain, I might use the big guy in the future. And as for that line, I kinda didn't see a need for it as Tiger was already trying to reunite with his Lite half. If you guys feel like it should be in then I'll fix it real quick.
Mr. B: That's what I was going for when writing that chapter. It only took me a few minutes to come up with those rhymes. I do plan to throw in more Ben 10 villains. I just haven't exactly decided which ones I'll use and when. That being said, look out for our favorite animal scientist in the future.
As for your second review, I'm more than happy to give some advice and details. I suggest having two emails: one for business, school and the like; and another for fanfiction, personal and other things like that.
As for setting up your profile: making an account is easy and you can just write what you want about yourself. I recommend writing your favorite series, books, characters and even ships if your feeling bold. You can even list potential stories on your mind.
Downloading stories is actually very easy. The site has you accept the rules before you even begin to post a story. They first show you a selection between whether your story is regular or a crossover along with a selection for categories. You have to write the first chapter beforehand as it won't let you post a story without any chapters. Then you'll have to give your story a title and summary (of course), select the language, choose the story's rating, the genre(s), whether it's complete or not (this is for whether it's a one shot or not but can be changed later), any notable characters and/or pairings, which document acts as the first chapter, and a code to ensure it's not a machine writing the chapter.
Adding chapters is easy enough to do. You don't have to do this last one but I like to use the mobile app whenever I go to write. Sure there are a few kinks here and there when it comes to reading stories and having to fix some light errors in a document, but it's very helpful. It even has a translator so you can read stories written in other languages. Also, PMing on the app has a different in box then PMing on the site.
Hope that helps you, and can't wait to see what you write! With all that out of the way, let's begin. I don't own Ben 10, Jackie Chan Adventures or any of the series in this crossverse. I do own OC characters, ideas, and objects unless stated otherwise.
Venice Sewer System, Italy
Venice was a beautiful city. It sat atop the water, a truly awe inspiring sight. The very canals were like roads traversed by gondolas. The residents and vacation goers above went about their everyday lives. Below their feet, however, someone wasn't having such a grand time traversing the sewers.
Jackie carefully walked among the mucky waters at his feet. He could have been with the other people above, but here he was looking for ancient hieroglyphs in the sewer system. At least Jade actually decided to stay behind this time, so there shouldn't be any surprise visits from any children.
"Greetings Mr. Chan." greeted a childish voice. Jackie looked to his left to see Rook and Sarah in similar outfits to his. He smiled in response.
"Ah." sighed Jackie. "Hello Rook, Sar..." He let out a quiet gasp as he fully turned to the children. He pointed to them with a frown. "Why are you here?"
"Magister Tennyson believed it would be good for us to learn more about Terran culture." explained Rook. "He assigned me to bring Sacae on this archeological exploration with you." Jackie groaned as he facepalmed. If Max Tennyson believed they should come with him then he must put a lot of trust in them. He rubbed his temples before removing his hand from his face.
"Just be careful. There could be traps up ahead." The children nodded as he pulled out a map with directions. He cleared his throat as he found the next step. "One more thing..."
Sarah giggled as Rook looked to the archeologist patiently. The Martian in disguise whispered in his ear, causing his face to light up with amusement as he finally understood. Jackie cleared his throat once more, causing the two to quiet down. "Go through archway and continue thirty more paces." The trio walked through an archway as they continued on their current course.
Sarah glanced back secretly as she bumped Rook. The boy, after turning to the Martian girl and seeing the look in her eyes, nodded as he grabbed at something hidden in his belt. They soon came across a deep hole in the center of a room. Jackie dropped his torch, revealing snakes at the bottom as they slithered away from the fallen object. He let down a rope and started to climb as the children followed.
They were soon in a room that seemed more Egyptian than Italian. There were several hieroglyphics and pictures of pharaohs on the walls. Rook held a strange device in his hand as the trio approached a large stone table. Jackie gasped with a smile as he saw what seemed to be a hieroglyphic of an eye. "The Sorcerer's Eye."
He placed a piece of paper on a tablet in front of them, rubbing charcoal over it to copy the inscriptions. "The inscriptions are in beautiful condition. The museum will be pleased to..." The marks began to glow, causing Jackie to hop back in shock.
The wall before them suddenly split open, revealing a stone statue of an Egyptian woman. What caught the trio's attention, however, was the golden necklace upon the statue's neck. Rook scanned the room as Jackie walked towards the statue.
"I would exercise extreme caution Mr. Chan." warned Rook as Jackie was half way towards the statue. "There seems to be some kind of pit fall trap below you." Jackie stopped as he reached for the necklace. He looked back to Rook with a shocked expression. "With lack of any other mechanisms, I can only assume the position of the necklace is the trigger for the trap."
Jackie thought over his options as he rubbed his chin. He reached into his bag, pulling out a rope the same length as the necklace. Sacae turned and covered her eyes in worry. In a split second, Jackie swapped the rope for the necklace. Nothing happened as the floor stayed where it belonged.
Jackie turned as he got a good look at the necklace. He failed to notice the statue's eyes glow red as the rope caught fire. The floor caved in, revealing the spiked pit Rook had warned him about. Sarah and Rook suddenly found themselves caught up in nets. A whip soon wrapped around Jackie's wrist.
He followed the whip to its wielder. A woman with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, blue eyes and tan skin. She wore a white/beige collar shirt, a long red trench coat, black pants, and black boots. Jackie could tell that everything about her screamed treasure hunter as he tugged back to keep himself from being pulled forward. "Who are you!?"
"The new owner of that necklace." responded the woman with a smirk. That smirk dropped as she gripped her whip tighter. "Now give!" She yanked Jackie forward, but he was able to stay on the statue as he caught his footing.
"No! This belongs in a museum!" Jackie chuckled a bit as he shrugged to the mysterious woman. "Sorry." His opponent growled as her anger flared.
"Oh trust me. You will be!" She tugged forward with all her might, causing Jackie to plummet towards the spikes below. The martial artist screamed as he closed his eyes. He suddenly felt a jerk as he found himself dangling by his wrist. "Are we having fun yet?"
"No we are not!" The woman started to pull Jackie closer as he tried to free himself. "Why are you doing this? You seem like a very nice lady." His assailant suddenly chuckled to herself as she stopped pulling.
"Been called a lot of things in my career. Relic hunter, mercenary, and thief were only a few but Vanessa Barone: a nice lady? Gotta admit that is a new one." She held out her hand with a scowl. "The necklace!"
"As I have said before, it belongs in a museum!" Jackie began to swing forward as Rook finally freed himself from the net that held him. He attached the disc he pulled out earlier to his back, casing a breastplate with two vents on the back to form on his torso. The whip loosened as Jackie was released from its hold. Jackie screamed as he was about to be plaster against the wall.
"I've got you Mr. Chan!" shouted Rook as he suddenly took off flying. The alien boy grabbed Jackie from under his arms and flew along with the wall. Jackie stepped against the surface as he looked up at Rook. "Aero rig: never leave base without one." Jackie accidentally kicked Vanessa in the face as the two flew by.
Jackie found his way out of Rook's grip as he looked to the moaning woman. Rook took the time to free Sarah as Jackie ran up to the thief.
"Are you alright? Should I call a doctor?" The treasure hunter smiled as she readied her leg.
"For you!" shouted Vanessa Barone as she kicked Jackie in the face. The archeologist found himself against the wall as Rook grabbed a small blaster from his pocket. Vanessa was quick to retrieve the necklace with her whip while Jackie was down.
"Vanessa Barone, you are under arrest for assault and the many other crimes you have commited to earn the title of thief." stated Rook as he had the woman in his sights. Sarah and Jackie remained still as Vanessa was caught in an interesting situation. She put the hand she held her whip in on her hip as she sent Rook a disbelieving grin.
"You expect me to believe that you're some kind of cop shortstack?" Rook took a step forward as he kept his sights straight.
"I am not at leisure to answer that question. Now surrender and your sentence may not be as severe." The woman smirked as she tightened her grip on her prize.
"Oh well. I guess I won't get to RETURN TO THE PONTELLO!" The woman suddenly vanished as a small warp appeared around her. Rook lowered his weapon as he mirrored the shocked expressions of Jackie and Sarah. Jackie sounded his disappointment as he stood up.
"I cannot believe we let her get away with the necklace." sighed the martial artist. The group made their way above ground and walked along the streets of Venice. Jackie looked sullen as the children followed behind him. An elderly man in a booth saw them walking by and cleared his throat.
"Gondola rides!" called the elderly salesman. "Come ride all your favorite canals! The Divatello, the Monteleone, and I hear the Pontello is beautiful this time of year!" Jackie stopped in his tracks as he looked to the man.
"The Pontello is a canal!?" The elderly man nodded in response.
"What did you think it was? Another planet? We don't live in a comic book. In any case, how many tickets will it be?" Rook pulled out a wallet and handed the man some cash.
"I believe this would suffice for three tickets for the Pontello." declared Rook as the man looked over the cash. It was a good bit over the cost, but Rook had already put the wallet away.
"Excelsior! You sure do know how to tip kid!" Meanwhile, Vanessa Barone smiled as she laid back on her gondola ride. She marveled at the necklace she had stolen. She glanced back at the gondoli rowing the boat across the canal.
"You know what I'm holding here Paisan?" asked the relic hunter. "A key to all the riches in the world." The gondolier chuckled as he shrugged at his passenger.
"No speak much english." said the Venetian. Vanessa chuckled at the man, when a hook suddenly pulled the necklace from her grasp. She growled as she saw the trio in another gondola.
"You!?" Jackie grabbed the necklace as he displayed it before her.
"This belongs somewhere out of your reach!" Vanessa wrestled the gondolier for his oar, throwing him into the water. The man swam away as Jackie handed the necklace to Rook. The two entered combat as Jackie repeatedly dodged Vanessa's stolen oar. A ringtone came from his jacket as he dodged another attack.
Rook was able to grab his phone and answer so he could focus.
"I apologize but Mr. Chan is very busy right now!" said Rook loudly as he was forced to dodge the oar as it missed its intended target. "I recommend calling back another..."
"Rook!?" asked a familiar voice on the end of the line. "You're there too!? Next you're gonna tell me Sarah's there!" Rook got down as another swing came his way.
"Yes Jade, but now is really not a good time." Vanessa hopped to their gondola as she ran for Rook. "I promise to share this story with you as well as train with you once we return to Chinatown." The necklace glowed slightly as the trio were suddenly teleported away from the gondola. Vanessa gripped the oar in her grasp tightly as she lifted it into the air.
"No!" roared the woman as she threw her makeshift weapon into the waters below. She suddenly looked straight forward with a smirk. "Chinatown huh?" She looked to the boat but quickly noticed something. She had thrown the oar into the water and it was currently floating away from her. She groaned as she sat on the gondola for a while.
Chinatown, San Francisco
The trio suddenly found themselves outside of Uncle's shop, the necklace still in Rook's hands. They looked around in shock as people passed them by, oblivious to their recent predicament. They were still in battle mode as they were unable to process how they got there. Silence seemed to be the only sound they perceived as they looked around. A groan came from Jackie's phone as Rook still had it against his head.
"Alright." sighed Jade, unaware of what just happened. "I'm at Plumber Base with Ben and the others. We were thinking of testing out our abilities anyway. It better be a pretty cool story or there might be a little extra heat." The phone grew silent as Jade hung up.
"What... just happened?" asked Sarah as she looked down at herself. She looked up to see Jackie and Rook walking into the shop. She quickly followed behind, not wanting to be left alone. Uncle walked out from the back room to see the trio enter. He smiled as he spread his arms out to meet Jackie.
"Jackie!" greeted Uncle. "Did not expect you till tonight!" Jackie grabbed the necklace from Rook and presented it to Uncle.
"You and me both Uncle." replied Jackie as Uncle began to examine the necklace. "I believe that necklace has magical powers." He brought out the imprints he took from the site. "These inscriptions may be the key to this mystery." Uncle nodded as he grabbed the paper.
"I shall begin translations." Rook got Jackie's attention as a screen suddenly shot down from another device in his hands.
"I just asked the Plumber Base in Italy to transport the things from your apartment in Venice back to Section 13." informed Rook. "Now me and Sacae must report to base immediately so that she may return to her brother and I may begin my promised training with Jade and the others." Jackie nodded as he watched the children walk out the door. He was suddenly smacked in the head by Uncle with the rolled up paper.
"One more thing! You must do something to fix your niece!" Jackie made it very clear by his expression that he had no idea what Uncle was talking about. "Whenever she is not with Benjamin, training, or working on school she sits around like a couch potato. She has been like this ever since she has lost touch with the spirit once bound to her."
Jackie sounded his understanding as he rubbed his chin. Jade has been pretty down ever since Ghostfrea... Grimsley had disappeared for some strange reason. Without her teacher and training partner, she quickly fell into this form of incompleteness. He just needed to find something to take her mind off... The doorbell suddenly rang as a young girl scout around Jade's age walked into the room.
The girl wore an orange dress with a pale yellow t-shirt underneath, a bright orange sash with a few badges placed upon it, and an orange hat with a large flower atop it. The girl held a cheerful smile as she held tightly to her red waggon.
"Greetings campers!" greeted the girl enthusiastically. "I'm a Buttercup Scout and my troop is raising money by selling..." Jackie nearly avoided the swinging door as Tohru came out from the kitchen.
"Cookies." finished the large man as he walked up to the girl's wagon.
"What kind would you like Mister? We have sugar cookies, white chocolate macadamia, oatmeal raisin..." Tohru reached into his pocket with a nervous smile.
"May I... have them all?" The girl gave the large man a large smile in response to his question.
"You sure can! Will that be cash or..." She didn't get to finish her sentence as Tohru gave her plenty enough money for her stock. "Cool!" Tohru grabbed the cookies and the two parted ways with their respective plunder.
Jackie smirked as he got an idea.
Plumber Base
Jade flew around the streets of San Francisco as she tried to stay out of sight. Currently the group was training to handle stealth situations, where being discovered could jeopardize the mission. After all, they couldn't always go guns blazing into a fight and some people might be more adept in finding your location. Lucky enough for Jade, she was pretty good at being stealthy since she had to sneak past so many people to get through Section 13, though she still had trouble with Plumber Base. That was to be expected as they had to keep intergalactic villains locked up and intruders out.
A warm breath escaped her mouth as she turned to her right. She blocked an ecto blast from Dani as the ghost girl flew around her. They flew up to the rooftops to avoid being spotted by civilians down below. They exchanged physical and ranged attacks as they tried to defeat one another. Both suddenly flew back as green goop was launched their way.
"Seriously Ben!" groaned Jade in anger and disgust. "Trying to sneak goop us as Stinkfly!? That stuff can be smelled for miles!" The aforementioned form landed in the center of the roof. The bug alien shrugged in response.
"Okay so maybe my only flyer isn't that good with stealthy attacks." started Stinkfly. He patted the Omnitrix symbol, a green light barely escaping the roof. XLR8 suddenly stood where the bug once was.
"XLR8, however, is fast enough to where he's just a blur on the wind." finished the reptilian alien as he rushed forward. Jade and Dani flew up to try and avoid the speedy alien, but he was able to grab them both by their left and right ankles respectively. He ran from rooftop to rooftop as fast as he could, the two girl's cheeks flapping in from the sheer speed. He stopped as he threw the duo forward. They rolled across the ground as XLR8 skidded to a stop.
He smirked as his visor went up. He felt a sudden pain in his tail as he was thrown the opposite direction. He came to a stop as he saw a stone Kevin standing before him.
"Come at me Tennyson." taunted Kevin. "We don't have all day." XLR8 smirked as he lowered his visor once more. Kevin just stood still as Ben rushed towards him. The Omnitrix wielder's former foe was suddenly lifted into the air as he ran face first into Jade.
The two rolled across the top for a bit. Ben returned to normal as they came to a stop. They quickly regained their senses as they found that their faces were inches away from each other. The duo blushed madly as they backed away from each other. Kevin laughed maniacally as Gwen set him down.
"Hey!" shouted Ben as his face returned to normal. "We agreed no teams until Rook came back! That way things would be even! That's cheating Kevin!" Gwen crossed her arms as she looked to the two that were still sitting on the ground.
"It was actually my idea dweeb." revealed Gwen much to Ben's shock. "Kevin had an absorption ability that just so happened to match with the Ram Talisman. It made sense to work together as I could give Kevin a boost." Before Ben could retort his cousin's claim, a large screen appeared before the group. They had set a list of criteria that they were judged on, such as: the damage they caused to each other, the damage they caused to the area around them, how many people saw them using their powers, and so on and so forth.
The group powered down as they gathered around the board. It displayed their names in standard format, best at the top and worst at the bottom. The majority of the group were proud of their placement. Ben? Not so much.
"How was I seen by twenty people!? I flew above the roofs so I could avoid the crowds!" Dani was right above him, with Jade next up. Gwen was just one hit less than Kevin on the board. Smaller screens appeared before the group as the area began to turn into particles.
They were each set with videos of where they could improve. Ben groaned at the fact that twelve of the people were drawn to the stench of Stinkfly's mucus, said mucus would be extremely hard to wash out and deodorize, and the remaining eight saw him as he was pulling Jade and Dani across the rooftops as XLR8. Dani was shown that five people had seen her first blast at Jade and three more saw her and Jade's battle from above. Jade nodded as she had been careless in her blocking and that she had the same three people as Dani. Kevin and Gwen basically had the same moment where someone saw them conversing over their plan to team up.
The room had finally transformed into a white walled area with a sliding door. Said door opened as Max Tennyson stepped into the room with T'sekmar in human form by his side. The group was definitely surprised by the duo's appearance.
"You kids did well out there." commented Max. "Despite a few problems you were able to successfully handle stealth combat." The group felt a sense of pride as the sliding doors opened once more.
"Brother!" greeted Sacae as she ran to T'sekmar. "I had the most joyous trip!" The siblings embraced as Rook walked over to the group. Jade smirked as Rook began to pull off the top of his outfit.
"Did you two have fun helping out Jackie in Venice?" asked Jade. "I thought you wouldn't be back till later." The feline alien wrapped the shirt around his waist, revealing a light blue sleeveless shirt.
"I will tell you how it went after the next training session." answered Rook. Suddenly, Max got a phone call as the others were getting ready for the next exercise.
"Maxwell here." answered the elder Tennyson. He smiled as he heard the man on the other side. "It's nice to hear from you Jackie. Mhm. Yeah I'll send her over."
Jade sighed upon hearing those words. Max hung up the phone as he looked to Jade. "Your uncle wants to see you Jade. He wants to talk with you about something." Jade shook her head as she walked over to the exit.
"Sorry guys." apologized Jade. "Jackie needs to talk." Ben raised his arm in response.
"No problems Jade." responded Ben. He started walking towards the exit as well. "I was actually thinking about tapping out myself." He held his hands behind his back as he looked down. "Want me to... walk you back to the shop?"
"S...sure. I could use the company." The two walked out of the room, leaving the others behind.
Uncle's Shop
Jade was definitely not happy with her current predicament. Jackie had signed her up with the Buttercup Scouts against her will. She already had a lot on her plate with trying to learn the ins and outs of her powers and keeping up with school. She didn't have time to sell cookies and hand out pamphlets! Her displeasure was definitely visible as she stood there in the Buttercup Scout uniform, a scowl on her face.
"Aw." cooed Jackie. "You look cute!" Tohru, who was standing beside him, leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Oh! I mean cool."
"Jackie!" shouted Jade in protest. "I don't wanna be a Buttercup Scout! I've already got a lot on my plate!" Jackie shook his head in denial.
"You're doing well enough in school and you shouldn't be training so much. Plus scouting builds character." Tohru munched down on some of his purchased cookies as he smirked at Jade.
"I have also heard that scouts get a discount on cookies." added Tohru as he held yet another cookie in his hand. Jade huffed as she looked to Ben. He was munching down on a few cookies himself. He shrugged as he offered her one.
"Caramel?" asked Ben. Jade sighed as she took the cookie and sat beside him. "Between you and me I think you look nice in that outfit." Jade blushed as she took a bite of the cookie. Maybe she'd try this out for just a bit.
Meanwhile, Uncle read over the inscriptions provided by Jackie. Said martial artist rested his hands on the desk. He stopped on one of the symbols as his eyes widened slightly.
"Hacha!" declared Uncle. Jackie leaned in as Uncle looked to him. "Necklace is known as the Eye of Aurora." Jackie sounded his understanding as he rubbed his chin.
"Aurora was an ancient princess said to..." started Jackie. Uncle held up his hand as he interrupted his nephew.
"Getting to that! Aurora was a princess known for the necklace gifted to her by a sorcerer." Ben and Jade walked over to the doorway as Uncle took a sip of water. "The necklace had the ability to take someone somewhere as long as they knew it by name and said 'return to.'" Jade mouthed her interest to Ben, who nodded in response.
"Why would the princess want such a powerful relic?" Uncle once again lifted his hand.
"Getting to that! Princess was greedy! Used necklace to steal treasures from rivals around the world." Jackie sighed once more as he looked down.
"That explains why that treasure hunter wanted it so bad." Uncle raised his hand once again, but stopped as he looked to Jackie.
"Who?" Jackie shook his head as he looked to the elder Chan.
"A nice lady I met in Venice by the name of Vanessa Barone." Ben groaned as he walked to the counter. Jade followed him with a raised brow.
"What's going on Ben?" asked Jade as she munched down on another cookie. The Omnitrix wielder stopped as he grabbed a cup of water.
"Whenever someone gets in the way of a villains plot the bad guy always ones back for revenge." answered Ben. "Your uncle just made another enemy. A necklace like this needs to be kept out of any villain's hands." Jade nodded her head in agreement.
Days went by as Uncle continued to study the inscriptions and the Eye of Aurora. He knew it was no Shen Gong Wu, or else Dojo would have sensed it. There seemed to be a special property to the gold of the necklace. The sorcerer who made the jewelry was definitely good at his craft if he could forge the magic into the very material itself. The door handle began to jiggle, catching the chi wizard's attention.
"Hello?" asked Uncle. The door handle jiggled some more. Uncle quickly hid the necklace in a shoebox before approaching the door. The door began to bulge as the handle jiggled ferociously. "I must warn you that Uncle may be thin, but he is still spry!"
He slowly turned the knob, ready for a fight. The door shot open, revealing a seven large faces. Uncle shouted in horror as he shut the door. "Demons! The necklace has placed a curse upon us!"
The faces began to fight their way into the room, but Uncle continued to push back. One of the faces was able to get past his defenses. "You will not take Uncle demon!" Uncle grabbed a feather duster and prepared to attack. The being grabbed at its face and... pulled it off?
"I apologize Mr. Uncle." apologized a familiar voice. Sacae stood before the elder Chan in a Buttercup Scout outfit and her mask in hand. "We just wanted to show off our masks." Unce sighed as he moved away from the door. Jade sounded her disappointment as she and the rest of the girls took off their masks.
"Way to ruin the surprise Sarah." groaned Jade. "I wanted to scare Jackie with the masks, but now he'll know for sure." Sacae looked down in shame upon those words.
"I apologize Jade, but Mr. Uncle began showing signs of increased stress and I did not want him to sustain irreparable damage." Jade sighed as she put a hand on Sarah's shoulder.
"I guess you were just looking out for Uncle." Jade received the famous slap of said elder Chan.
"At least someone has the decency to make sure Uncle lives a full life!" shouted Uncle. Jade rubbed her head as she looked away. Uncle couldn't help the small smile that graced his face as he looked to Jade. "Looks like someone is having a good time with girl scouts after all." Jade shook her head as she returned her attention to the elderly Chan.
"This was a way better idea than I thought! I didn't even know there were so many cool badges! There's the rock wall climbing badge, the soap box car racing badge, and even film makers badge! Plus Simone and Sarah joined in!" Uncle's smile grew at Jade's excitement.
Jade suddenly snapped her fingers upon realization. "Have you seen Jackie anywhere? He said he found us a Buttercup Mom for the camping trip today." Uncle rubbed his chin as he tried to remember.
"He should be in the back cleaning cookie crumbs left by Tohru. One more thing. Tell Jackie that I will be taking the necklace with me when I go to visit Maxwell." Jade nodded as she ran through the shop. Just as Uncle said, Jackie could be found vacuuming up loads of cookie crumbs off the floor.
The martial artist sighed as he looked over to a sleeping Tohru, an empty cookie box on the man's stomach. Jackie looked down to the almost clean floor as he shook his head.
"You must learn to use a napkin Tohru!" called Jackie, but his cries went unanswered. The archeologist sighed as he grew closer towards a closet. As he passed by, a pair of arms reached out for him. Jackie sighed in relief as he got the last crumb he could see. The hands suddenly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into the closet.
Jade walked into the room and looked around. She checked all around the building, but couldn't find Jackie anywhere. She saw that the vacuum was sitting outside the closet. She looked around a bit to see if Jackie was nearby, but still saw no signs. She went to put the device back up but stopped as she heard a light laughter coming inside the closet, voices she knew.
"Jackie?" There was a shifting sound as she turned on the light. Imagine her surprise when she not only found Jackie, but Viper as well. Viper was wearing an orange button up and down shirt with a flower in one of her pockets, a brown leather belt, brown shorts and black exercise shoes. Jade's smile grew as Jackie sounded off his embarrassment.
"Um... surprise." said Jackie as he gestured to Viper. The woman was on the receiving end of a tackle hug from Jade.
"Viper!" The ex-thief in question smirked as she grunted.
"Easy there Jade." greeted Viper. "Just because I'm an ex-thief doesn't mean I can handle a kid knocking me into a wall." Jade chuckled in embarrassment as she hopped out of Viper's arms.
"I thought you worked security for some company?" asked Jade. "How did you find time to come here?" Viper put a hand on her hip as the trio walked out of the closet.
"Eh! The job was nice for a while, but I started to miss the rush. I got a job offer here and decided it's time to set down roots." Jade's smile grew at those words. Seemed like Viper was here to stay.
The Girl Scouts played goldfish as they waited for Jade. Sacae had suggested the game because she had never played before. She tried to refrain from using her mind reading as she did not want to cheat. She heard a sigh as one of the girls handed Simone three cards. Sacae noticed Simone looking in her direction as she placed a set of fours down.
"You have any threes Sarah?" asked Simone. Sacae looked over her cards, seeing none of the requested cards.
'Go fish.' responded Sacae. Simone looked to her with widened eyes. The Martian girl raised her brow in response, a little worried by the look in the scout's eyes. "Is something wrong Simone?" The girl shook her head in response.
"How did you do that?" Sacae shrugged as she did not have an answer. "You didn't even move your mouth yet you said something to me." The Martian's eyes widened at this. She had accidentally spoke telepathically with Simone.
"Are you sure Simone?" asked one of the girls. "I didn't hear anything. Maybe you just imagined it." Simone sighed as she shook her head.
"Maybe that's what happened. Anyway, do you have any threes?" Sacae shook her head with a sigh.
"Go fish." answered Sacae. She nearly dodged a bullet on that one. She looked around as she was about to ask someone a question.
'This must be where they took the necklace.' thought a familiar voice. Sacae gasped as she looked around. 'This is the last viable spot in Chinatown. No one takes the quarry of Vanessa Barone.' Sacae thought over her options before hatching up a plan.
"If you would excuse me, I must use the restroom." The girls played on as she ran into the aforementioned room. She shifted into her Martian form and flew out of the room. She soon found a blue box she had once seen Uncle place the Eye of Aurora in. She found the necklace and grabbed it.
She made it back just Viper and Jackie were loading the girls on the bus. She stuffed the artifact in her bag as she entered the vehicle. The bus soon took off as a taxi arrived. Uncle was reading over the book he was studying when he heard the door open. He looked up to see Vanessa Barone with her whip in hand.
"How may I help you?" asked Uncle as he put away the book. Vanessa smirked as she loosened her grip on her weapon.
"Yes I was hoping to find a rare and valuable necklace." answered the hunter. Uncle pushed the blue box under his desk as he stood up.
"I work in antiques, not jewelry. Now if you'll excuse me I must..." The woman whipped Uncle in the arm, causing him to shout in pain. Tohru came out form the kitchen in response.
"Sensei!" shouted Tohru. The whip then found the large man's face. Vanessa then grabbed Uncle by the shirt and hoisted him up.
"I'll only ask once." stated Vanessa. "Where is the Eye of Aurora?" Uncle looked to the blue box, only to see it was empty. A loud yawn suddenly caught the group's attention. Raimundo walked down the stairs as he rubbed his eyes.
"Is Jackie back from Summit Hill yet Master Chan?" asked Raimundo. "Omi clogged the toilet again and I can't stand... the... smell." He looked over to see Vanessa holding Uncle by his collar. He growled as he leapt at her in a flying kick. The woman dropped Uncle and moved out of the way, causing the Brazilian boy to go flying into a shelf.
"Thanks for the tip soccer boy." thanked Vanessa as she walked out the door. Raimundo hobbled over to his master as he helped him up.
"Are you alright Master Chan?" Uncle slapped Raimundo in the head as Omi and Kimiko ran down the stairs.
"Of course I am alright!" shouted Uncle. "Thanks to you, Jackie and the girls are now in danger! I must call them and warn them!" He reached for his phone and dialed Jackie's number, only to hear his ringtone nearby. He growled as he put the phone away.
He walked over to find Dojo sleeping on a pillow. "DOJO!" The dragon rolled off his resting place and grabbed his ears. "You must fly us to Summit Hill so we can warn Jackie about the bad woman after him!" Dojo rubbed his ear holes as he moved to the stairs.
"Alright alright!" shouted Dojo. "What a day for Clay to head off for a family reunion." The group took off to find the scouts.
Summit Hill
The forest air was crisp as the sun shined overhead. There were plenty of shadows for animals to rest on this nice summer day. In the middle of this forest was a clearing. It is there that Jackie was helping Viper display how to properly set up a tent. He tied the last knot as he finished setting up his tent.
"And that is how you tie a bowline knot." finished Jackie. He looked over to the girls with a large smile. "Who wants to try?" The girls raised their hands as they vied for a chance. Viper smirked as she pointed to two of the girls.
"Tara and Dana." chose Viper. "You're up." The girls celebrated as they ran to grab some rope. Viper looked behind the other girls, her smile growing. Jackie looked around as he walked up to Viper.
"I believe some of the girls went missing. I can't find..."
"Jade, Sarah and Simone?" Jackie gave her a raised brow in response. The woman pointed in the direction she was looking. Jackie looked the same direction to see the trio had already set up their tent. "You should give Jade more credit than expecting her to run off."
Jackie approached the tent as the missing girls poked their heads out.
"Hi Jackie/Mr. Chan." greeted the girls. Jackie smiled as he squatted down.
"Did you do this by yourselves?" asked Jackie. The girls nodded as Jade walked out.
"No 'you-know-whats' or 'you-know-who's.'" added Jade. Jackie nodded in response as he stood up.
"I'm proud of you for taking some initiative Jade. I should've signed you up for this a long time ago." Jade sounded her disagreement as she shrugged.
"I'd probably have tried to find a way out of it then." Jackie thought about it a bit before shrugging himself. At least Jade was being honest with herself. The helper grabbed some canteens as the other girls exited the tent.
"Would you girls mind refilling the canteens at the nearby river?" Jade grabbed the first one as she gave Jackie a thumbs up.
"Sure thing. Wouldn't wanna die of thirst out here. Come on guys!" Jade and the others walked off down the trail. Sacae grabbed her bag as she followed the others.
They soon found the river and began filling the canteens. Jade decided to have a little fun and splashed Sacae. The three girls started to play around for a bit before returning to the canteens. Jade decided to start a conversation as she looked to Simone. "Is there anywhere you've dreamed of going Simone."
"Well I've always wanted to go to Ireland." answered the young girl. "I want to see the beautiful lakes and smell the misty air. How about you Jade?" The young Chan rubbed her chin in response.
"I guess somewhere I haven't been yet like Hawaii or Japan." Jade smiled as she looked to Sacae. "Where do you want to go Sarah?" The Martian in disguise looked down with a hint of sadness in her eyes. The two friends noticed this mood change and drew closer to her.
"You don't have to say anything if you..." Sacae shook her head in response as the girls each had a hand on her.
"Could you two keep a secret?" asked the young girl. Her companions nodded as she looked up to them. "I'd honestly return home." The three of them suddenly disappeared upon those words. The canteens were left on the ground.
Mars
The surface of the planet remained as red as it always was. Dust flew across the desert as a yellow void began to appear. The three Buttercup Scouts found themselves in the middle of this sci fi wasteland. Sacae covered her mouth too late as the deed was done. Her companions looked around in shock.
"What just happened!?" asked Simone in shock. "Where are we!?" Jade looked around as Sacae began to panic. The girl suddenly realised what happened as she looked to the Martian.
"You brought the necklace didn't you Sarah?" asked Jade. The girl nodded as she held her head. "We were keeping the Eye of Aurora safe from that Vanessa Barone lady Jackie talked about!" Simone raised her hands in the air as she stepped between the two.
"Calm down Jade. What happened is already done. We just have to find our way home." Sacae suddenly grabbed the two by the arms as she pulled them along.
"Run!" shouted Sacae. The trio moved forward as Sacae took the lead. Jade glanced back to see a group of White Martians charging at them. She transformed as she grabbed the duo.
"I've got this!" shouted Jade. She began to become intangible, but she found the power to be negated by Sacae's touch.
"They can do that too! They'll catch us if we stop!" They soon came upon what looked to be a broken house. "In there!" The trio hopped in as a huge dust storm came in from the east.
Sacae watched as the White Martians turned back. She was able to get her head back inside before the storm blew through. The girls looked around as they tried to assess their surroundings. Jade looked to the Martian in disguise.
"What the heck were those things!?" Sacae sighed as she looked down.
"They were... the White Ones. They ravaged an entire city before Grimsley got me and my brother out of here." Sacae sat down as she looked to the girls. "I apologize for bringing you two here. I completely forgot I had the necklace on me and I did not expect to run into those things."
Sacae stood up as she walked past the duo. Jade sighed as she shook her head.
"It's alright. All we have to do is say 'Return to Summit Hill' and we'll be back home." She noticed that Sacae seemed to be ignoring her as she stared at the interior of the building. "Sarah?" The duo walked up to the girl as she looked over to a fruit on a stone table.
Jade squinted her eyes as she looked over the fruit. "Isn't this an implena? I remember Rook telling me about them when he talked about plants similar to the ones on Earth. Aren't these things only found on..." Simone was out of the loop as Sacae nodded her head.
"Mars." Jade's eyes widened as Simone shook her head.
"Hold the phone." interrupted the young girl. "You mean to tell me that we are standing on Mars!? The fourth planet from the sun Mars! That's crazy! Next you'll tell me ghosts exist."
Jade sent Simone a deadpanned look. "Sorry." Sacae sighed as she returned to her Martian form. Simone almost fainted had it not been for Jade putting a hand on her back. The ghost girl in question chuckled in embarrassment.
"I know Martians don't really do this, but maybe you could form an outfit." informed Jade as she tried to look away from her friend. Sacae sounded her understanding as she formed the Buttercup Scout uniform back on. She also returned her head to her human appearance but still green skinned. "That's better. Now let's get back to Summit Hill before Jackie and Viper throw a fit."
Sacae pulled the Eye of Aurora out of her bag. Jade managed to grab a seed before her and Simone places their hands on the necklace. "Might wanna change your complexion before hand." Both girls changed into their human forms as they looked down. "Return to Summit Hill."
Summit Hill, San Francisco
While the girls were on Mars, Jackie found himself tied in bandages surrounded by the rest of the Buttercup Scouts. He decided to teach the girls how to use bandaging while Viper went to grab some firewood. He offered to get the wood himself, but she was stubborn in that regard. Looking back now, he realized that she basically saw this outcome before he offered. He smiled as he looked to the scouts.
"How did we do?" asked one of the girls. Jackie smiled as he wiggled around in the bandages.
"Very good." responded Jackie as he tried once again to get out. "Very thorough too." He noticed the girls shrink back as they gasped. He sighed as he looked at them. "There's something behind me isn't there?"
"Try someone Chan." growled a familiar voice. Vanessa Barone grabbed him by the shoulders as she turned him to face her. She then pushed him onto the log he was resting on and chuckled. "Now there's a face only a mummy could love." One of the girls chuckled at the pun.
She was elbowed in the arm as Vanessa held out her hand. "The necklace!" Jackie shook his head in response.
"I don't have it! Scout's Honor!" The woman cracked her whip in response.
"If you're lying to me, you're going to need a lot more bandages." One of the girls noticed Viper coming up from behind. She smirked as she stepped forwards.
"A Buttercup Scout never lies!" shouted the girl in determination. Vanessa chuckled as she stood up straight.
"Charming. Well then, hop to it Buttercup Scouts. I'm not leaving till you find my Eye of Aurora." Viper reeled back a large stick she found.
"I'll be sure to tell the doctors that when I visit you at the hospital." said Viper. Vanessa turned to face her, only to be hit in the face by the makeshift weapon. The woman caught herself on a tree as she looked to Viper.
"Viper. I'm surprised to see you here. Guess the rumors about you going legit are true after all." The ex-thief nodded as she dropped the branch.
"They are just as real as your chances of finding a decent score these days." Vanessa growled as she lashed her whip at Viper. The Buttercup Mom dodged as she landed in a stump. She pointed to the girls with a scowl. "Untie him now." The girls quickly got to work as Viper continued her fight with Vanessa Barone.
Try as they might they couldn't get the bandaging off. One of the girls snapped her fingers at the same time as Vanessa cracked her whip.
"I know!" shouted the girl as she grabbed a pair of scissors. Jackie started to struggle a bit as the girl looked for a safe place to undo the bandages. Viper dodged another attack as she grabbed another stick. Vanessa whipped the weapon out of Viper's hand, hitting her in the process. The little girl cut a few of the bandages, but he was just too trapped.
Vanessa stood over Viper as the ex-thief held her hand.
"Looks like you've gone soft." stated Vanessa as she had her whip ready. "Going legit hasn't done your fighting skills any good, but I'll admit you've found a good catch. Don't worry about your reputation. I'll end your shame here and now." She was ready to continue her attack, but stopped as a weird sound filled the air.
The three missing scouts returned as they fell on their rears. Vanessa seized the opportunity and whipped the necklace away from them. "Same day delivery. How flattering." Jade growled as she looked to Jackie.
He was still being cut free by the little girl. That was until Vanessa Barone whipped the scissors out of her hand. "Sorry to cut this short but I got what I came for." Jade ran for the woman and entered a flying kick. Vanessa dodged to the side as Jade soared by.
She chuckled as Jade was heading for a tree. "Honestly if an actual fighter tried that and failed then how do you expect me to fall for..." Jade planted both feet into the tree and jumped back the way she came.
"It's gheist time!" She once again entered her ghost form as she ran head first into Vanessa's stomach. The Eye of Aurora was sent flying, but Sacae was able to catch it. Jade used a small amount of fire to burn the wrappings off of Jackie. The martial artist rolled around on the ground as he tried to extinguish the flames.
He got up after the fire disappeared. He sent Jade a scowl.
"You brought the necklace on the trip!" accused Jackie. Sacae rubbed her arm as she approached the duo. "I trusted you to behave and you..."
"I did it Mr. Chan." confessed the Martian girl. Jackie turned around to face Sacae. "I sensed the villain coming and thought the Eye of Aurora would be safer with us." Jackie sighed as he knelt down to the girl's eye level.
"At least you were honest with me Sarah." The Martian girl smiled. She was suddenly hit in the back by Vanessa's whip. Jackie checked on the girl as the necklace skidded across the ground a bit. He growled as Vanessa once again whipped the Eye of Aurora to herself.
"I'm tired of super powered freaks and soft fighters." growled Vanessa. "I'm taking the Eye of Aurora and you'll wish you were never born!" Jackie and Viper ran towards the villain as she looked to the necklace. "Return to Peru!"
All three adults were gone, leaving the scouts behind.
Peru
The three fighters soon found themselves on top of one of the pyramids in Peru. They continued their battle as they vied for the necklace. Viper ducked under Vanessa's whip as Jackie grabbed at the Eye of Aurora. He began a tug of war with Vanessa. Viper soon got in on it as she kept the villain's whip hand from being effective.
"Sorry but I fly solo and I'm not about to let a duet show me up." growled Vanessa as she continued to fight the opponents. Viper caught a kick meant for jackie and pushed Vanessa back. Jackie was able to get in a solid punch, causing Vanessa to cry.
"I'm so sorry!" shouted Jackie in guilt. "Is that the same cheek as in Venice?" Vanessa smirked as she kicked Jackie closer to the edge of the pyramid. The stone beneath them suddenly began to crack as their weight pressured it. The ground fell beneath them as they began to plummet.
Viper grabbed onto Jackie as he held the Eye of Aurora.
"Return to Everest!" The trio disappeared once again as the stone hit the ground.
Mt. Everest
The trio soon found themselves falling into a huge amount of snow. Vanessa was in a pull battle with Jackie as Viper was waist deep in snow. The ex-thief began to dig her way up so she wouldn't suffer from hypothermia. Jackie tried to jump and gain a stronger pull, but Vanessa Barone followed his attempt. The martial artist chattered his teeth as he looked to his opponent.
"MMMMM...Mt. Everest?" asked Jackie. "Bad idea. Too cold." Vanessa shook her head in response.
"I wanted a soft landing." argued the treasure hunter. Jackie pulled the necklace out of her grasp, causing her to fall into the snow. The gentleman helped Viper get out the rest of the way. He looked back as his opponent began stand up.
"I would have said, Sahara Desert!" Nothing happened as Viper shivered in the cold. Jackie deadpanned as he looked to the necklace. "Return to the Sahara Desert." Vanessa was able to grab Jackie's leg as the group disappeared once more.
Sahara Desert, Africa
The group fell once again as they landed in the cool sand. The moon hung overhead as night had covered the normally hot desert. Thankfully it wasn't nearly as cold as Mt. Everest. Jackie and Viper engaged Vanessa Barone once more. The villain grunted as she tried to whip the duo.
"Brilliant!" shouted Vanessa Barone as she lashed her whip at the duo once more. "You must have been a real A-plus student Chan!" Jackie was able to get in close and land a flying kick on the villain. Vanessa was sent flying back as Viper took a minute to take in the slightly warmer climate.
"A-minus in school and A-plus at the dojo." corrected Jackie. Vanessa turned onto her stomach as she got an idea.
"Well you and Viper are complete washouts as scout leaders. You left those sweet, defenseless girls all alone in the woods." Jackie gasped as Viper looked to the woman with a scowl.
"She's righ... Wait a minute! This is another trick like last time!" Vanessa was still able to grab the necklace, but she did carry a pleasantly surprised smile.
"Well well well. You're brighter than I thought you were. If only you were faster. Return to..." Viper quickly covered the woman's mouth as Jackie nodded.
"Return to Summit Hill!" shouted the duo at once. They disappeared for what was the fourth time in a row.
Summit Hill, San Francisco
Jade and the others were making sure Sacae was alright as they awaited Jackie and Viper's return. Sacae found the emotion of anger welling up in her, but she kept it maintained for now. Jackie and Viper fell from the air, causing the girls to look their way. Vanessa Barone landed on her feet not too far away. Jade growled as she lit her fists aflame, but ceased as Sacae began to show signs of extra strain from the light's presence.
"It was fun sightseeing with you two but now I've got the necklace." stated Vanessa Barone as she held up the Eye of Aurora. "Return to Venice." Silence rang through the air as nothing occurred. Viper sat up as Jackie got on his hands and knees.
"You got the necklace alright." stated the ex-thief as she held up half of the Eye of Aurora. "Half of it anyways." Vanessa looked between the two pieces of gold. She growled as she tried to whip the artifact away from Viper, but she quickly dodged. Jackie was able to grab the whip before the treasure hunter could pull it back, ensuing yet another tug of war.
"Let me help Jackie!" called out Jade. "I could burn that whip to the ground right about now!" Jackie was soon in front of the young Chan as he continued to pull. He sighed as he began to tug the weapon closer.
"Fire no but a little assistance would be nice." Jade smiled as she moved closer. Jackie whispered something in her ear, causing the girl to smirk as she nodded her head. The martial artist hopped over to Viper and whispered into her ear. He got a similar response as he jumped towards Vanessa.
He held his hands up in defeat. "I give up!" Vanessa humored Jackie as she sent him a raised brow. "Our fight has already gotten one of the girls hurt, so how about we give you the other half of the Eye of Aurora and tell you where to find an extremely valuable treasure." Vanessa furrowed her brow at the proposition, but couldn't help the curios tingle in her spine.
"I'm listening." answered Vanessa. Jackie rubbed the back of his head as he tried to come up with something.
"There is an extremely valuable object on a small island off the coast of Chile. What was it called again? Demolition Island? Devotion Island?" Vanessa smirked as she leaned forward.
"Desolation Island. Nice try Chan. Thought you could get me to travel to one of the most remote spots on Earth? I bet you even planned to call the authorities to pick me up soon after my arrival." Jackie sighed as he looked down.
"Actually, I was going to connect my half to yours then pull back. That way you'd be stranded. Lucky for you I didn't count on you not saying 'back to Desolation Island.'" Vanessa groaned as she rolled her eyes.
"It's return to Desolation Island you..." The woman gasped as she pulled her arm back. Viper barely missed as the treasure hunter kicked her into Jackie. Vanessa chuckled as she waived her half of the necklace in the air. "I have to admit that was a clever stunt Chan but you and your partner just weren't quick enough."
"But I am." declared a small voice from behind. Vanessa turned to see Sacae with her regular green skin. The Martian made her hair fly forward and entangle the villain in its grasp. Sacae was able to touch the two halves of the necklace together with ease. "Let's see what you fear as we return to Desolation Island."
"Dogpile!" shouted one of the Buttercup Scouts as the troup minus Jade jumped on for the ride. The three remaining members blinked a few times as the whole group had vanished. Jade cleared her throat as she looked to Jackie.
"That wasn't supposed to happen was it?" asked Jade. Jackie began to panic as he began to run out of the park. Viper grabbed him by his shirt as they felt a large gust of wind overhead. Dojo landed quickly as the monks and Uncle hopped off.
"Jackie!" called out Uncle as he entered a fighting stance. "We are here to help you fight..." Jackie ignored the elderly Chan as he and Viper hopped onto Dojo's back.
"Can't talk now Uncle!" cried Jackie. "Have to get to Desolation Island!" Uncle sighed as he and the others reboarded Dojo.
Desolation Island, Chille
Dojo soared over the ocean for a long while as they searched for the missing scouts. Jackie felt that he should've been more careful, but finding the girls was top priority. They soon came across the warm island that's name did not match its appearance. The group got off as Dojo shrunk back to normal size. The dragon wheezed as he barely made it up to Uncle's shoulders.
"I just need a little rest before the next flight." reassured the dragon. "Just look for the girls." They didn't have to look long as they felt a strange feeling in the back of their heads. They moved in the direction of the feeling to find Vanessa Barone tied to a post. The woman screamed as she saw them.
"Thank goodness!" shouted the woman. "Let me out of here! Arrest me for all I care! Just keep me away from that green thing!" The group turned to see the Buttercup Scouts having a hula contest while wearing grass skirts.
"Aloha Mr. Chan." greeted Sacae from behind. The group turned to see Sacae smiling at them, her skin still green. "I believe that is the customary island greeting, unless it's only linked to Hawaii." Jade hugged Sacae in response to her accidental humor.
"Sarah!" cried Jade as she held tightly to the girl. The Martian slowly returned the gesture. Jade pulled back as she looked to her friend. "So, is Sarah really your name or..." Sacae chuckled as she rubbed the back of her head.
"My name is actually Sacae. If Sarah makes you feel more comfortable then by all means continue." The other Buttercup Scouts gathered around the duo to ask them various questions. Jackie smiled as he turned to Uncle.
"Let's head home Uncle." stated Jackie. The elder Chan poked Dojo's head, not getting a response.
"Dojo is too tired to carry around extra weight." denied Uncle. The group's eyes widened as Viper stepped forward.
"How the heck are we supposed to get home then?!" asked the ex-thief. A breeze caught the group's attention as they saw a strange aircraft fly overhead. A Plumber Craft landed in a nearby clearing as the group approached. The hatch lowered, revealing Rook in his disguised form.
"Need a lift Mr. Chan?" asked Rook as he looked among the group. He smirked as he walked over to the tied up Vanessa Barone. She lowered her head as the boy held up a pair of handcuffs. "As I said in Venice, you are under arrest." The group returned home with a very curious scout troop and a villain in tow.
That's it for the chapter. I know it took me a while to get this out but honestly life just keeps finding ways to mess up my callender. I still do not have definite update dates, but I'll try to be a little more consistent. Anywho, what do you think of the changes I made? Did you like the use of the Aero rig, and how about that cameo (RIP Stan Lee)?
Let me know in a review down below and I'll try to respond ASAP. This is Caliban, signing out.