A/N So a double chapter this weekend. This time I didn't take a million years to update. That's because my inspiration is back, and I'm lovin' Jackie Chan Adventures again! I may do Jackie's POV again in this chapter. Thanks for the nice reviews! I do need some constructive criticism, however. Like...how is character development? How are the subplots? Etc. You get the point. Anyway read!

"There is a balance between two worlds

One with an arrow and one with a cross

Regardless of the balance

Life has become cumbersome

Too heavy, too light

Too black or two white

Too wrong or too right"-

Seven Mary Three, "Cumbersome."

Chapter Three: The J Team (season 2, episode 3, part 1)

I leaned back in my chair and extended my hands, cracking my knuckles. Although I was stiff and sore, my back throbbing and muscles cinched from leaning over a desk most of the day, I felt a surge of pride overcome me. I had finally finished at least half of a column, documenting my work at Uncle's Rare Finds and as Jackie Chan's partner. (I left out the demon part, of course.) On top of that I'd gotten six hours of uninterrupted sleep the night before. So it wasn't exactly perfect, but I only woke up once and was able to function like a normal human being again. (Let's see how long this lasts.)

Tohru, the ex-nemesis of the Dark Hand, had subsequently decided to live with us the day we defeated Shendu. (Or so we thought.) This I was unaware of until I awoke in the middle of the night to a puzzled Tohru innocently rummaging through my luggage IN my apartment. He hadn't bad intentions, of course, but still creepy nonetheless, especially in the dead of the night. (Had he been watching me sleep?)

We found a makeshift bedroom for him in Section 13's headquarters. His sudden turn to the Good Side came to all of us as a surprise, but we needed more allies more than ever, now that Shendu was a spirit and more powerful than before.

My office had been transferred to Uncle's, which was tolerable in the least, except the fact that we had to share. We bickered, mostly playful, but it got serious at times- not too serious that it would put a dent in our...friendship? If you could call it that. Uncle was just...well, Uncle.

Tohru didn't notice me or flat-out pretended not to. Ever since he'd moved in, it seemed as if he was avoiding me. Either that, or he just didn't care. I was still adjusting to his presence, but in each other's company, it felt tense and awkward. Maybe because I tried to beat him up in one of our Dark Hand fights. I guess anyone would hold a grudge if they almost got pummeled.

Now, as I stretched back in the leather chair, Uncle, Captain Black, and Jackie entered the room, appearing exhausted yet relieved.

"You guys look like something the cat dragged in," I commented, pushing the column I'd been working on aside.

"Thank you, Macey," Jackie said tiredly, but smiled all the same.

"What happened?" I stood, coming to his side.

Jackie jerked a thumb in Uncle's direction. "Magic is what happened."

"Unc, that was some magic," Captain Black remarked in admiration.

Uncle scoffed as if what had happened was nothing. "Simple Chi spell," he replied dismissively, extending his hand to pull a book off the shelf. "Many others in my book."

"So the dragon is back?" I inquired, looking at Jackie. "And he's got the Talismans, too?" Another dragon fight would probably kill me, or at least tear me up pretty bad.

Uncle narrowed his eyes. "Talismans are not important," he proclaimed, wagging a finger as if we were impudent children. "Shendu is a spirit now. Not even Talismans can change that."

"Don't remind me," I groaned.

"So you figure he's onto something bigger, mi compadre?" Captain Black gazed at Uncle, who was frowning intensely.

"The book Shendu stole from my library is the key to understanding his motives," Uncle stated at last.

"He stole a book?" I rubbed my forehead. "That's lovely."

"What volume did he steal?" Tohru asked.

"How do I know?!" Uncle shrieked, shrugging. "We must take inventory!"

Captain Black pulled a book off the shelf, studying it. "So all these books have spells?" His question only received a slap on the head from Uncle. "Ow!"

"Do not touch!" Uncle barked, yanking the book away from Captain Black.

"Aww…," Captain Black pouted childishly, and Jackie and I exchanged awkward glances.

*JCA*

By "taking inventory", Uncle met cleaning and re-organizing shelves, starting by pulling down all of the books in an attempt to reclaim the desired book that Shendu had swiped. Re-organizing shelves is what I'd been originally hired for, at least while I worked on my columns, but not to look for a stolen spell book.

I stood on my tip-toes, reaching up and handing another useless book to Jackie. I sneezed as another dust fleck traveled up my nose.

"Bless you," Jackie said simply as he set the book on a nearby cardboard box.

"Thanks." I sighed, heading over to the latter. (One of my short stature couldn't simply climb up the shelf without pulling it on top of them.) "It's so stuffy in here. I guess I need to clean that."

The door chimed, and Uncle, who was busy in the corner, barely glanced up to shoo the customer away. "Go away! We are busy with inventory!"

"We are not customers," a gravelly voice, laced with a slight Hispanic accent, replied.

"El Toro?!" I gasped, remembering him from our mishap in Mexico. "JACKIEEE!" Uncle yelled. "A BURGLAR!"

"Uncle, he is no thief!" Jackie protested, stepping in front of a disheveled Uncle. "He is-" Uncle slapped Jackie upside the head. "Ow!"

"Of course he is a thief," Uncle argued, irked. "He is wearing a mask!"

"Oh, no no no." I recognized the next voice to be that of Paco's. The small Hispanic boy was lingering near El Toro. El Toro was still Paco's hero, even if he'd deceived his fans, without the intention of doing so. "El Toro Fuente never removes his mask!"

Jade, who was standing next to Paco, grinned sheepishly when Jackie's parental glare turned on her.

"Jade," he addressed her firmly, "explain."

"It's your team, duh," the said girl retorted. "The J-Team. The Chan Clan. The Chantastic Six!"

I looked at Jackie and burst out laughing when she said the Chantastic Six.

"Chantastic?" Jackie repeated, equally as amused and befuddled by her play on words.

"Six, see? You, Macey, and me make three," Jade calculated eagerly. "And then there's Viper, and El Toro makes five!"

Paco stepped forward. "And I, Paco, am the sixth member of the J-Team," he boasted, puffing out his chest.

I grinned and ruffled his hair. "Hi, Paco."

Paco scowled, rubbing his hair where I'd messed it up, and smiled up at me shyly. "Hi, Macey."

Jade hesitated. "I...actually had someone less puny in mind." She glanced over at Tohru, who perked up like a happy puppy.

"Hmm? I am honored," he hummed, smiling.

Jackie, however, was frowning. "I am sorry you all came here for nothing," he apologized solemnly, "but I didn't realize my niece read so many comic books."

Jackie pulled Jade aside firmly, and I followed suit.

"Jackie, you and Macey need help more than ever," Jade practically pleaded, looking up at Jackie. "You two can't just do this on your own now. Shendu is a spirit!"

"Ah, but I have found the book," Uncle announced, strolling into the room.

My heart throttled with anticipation. "You mean, the book that Shendu-"

Uncle nodded. "Yes. The book is located in Tibet."

"Tibet, China?" Jackie asked incredulously.

Tibet. More than a million miles away.

But if I'd learned anything since arriving in Chinatown, is that anything you didn't think could happen, likely could, and definitely would.