Omi awoke slowly from a deep, restless sleep. Shadows and penumbra played on a pristine white wall. Frightening faces, like the visages of gloriously macabre native trolls, smiled wryly at him, their shrill, ghostly voices haunting his psyche.
He sprang suddenly from the crimson and gold velvet bedding, rubbed his eyes, observed the bandages on his arms, and then surveyed the room. It was at least seven times the size of his bedroom in the temple. The walls were decorated in a more peculiar pattern of frothy, turquoise waves, and the room gave off a faint smell of lavender.
He stepped slowly onto the blood-red carpeted floor, on which were stitched various warriors from distant ages. Omi frowned briefly, knowing he was not in Chase's usual abode, having walked through all the rooms before and none looked quite like this one.
The child sighed deeply and then opened the door wide bumping into none other than Jack Spicer.
"Hey, cheeseball, how's it hanging?" Jack asked casually, leaning on the door frame.
Omi glared and said, "Most well, but it would be better if you wouldn't be hanging down with me at all!"
Jack cackled and said, "It's hanging out, shorty."
"Same difference!" Omi said, throwing his hands up.
"Okay look, I know it sounds pretty uncool now, but you should at least give this Heylin thing a chance," he coaxed.
"Out of question!"
"Hey, I tried to turn Xiaolin. I was pretty open-minded."
"I see, Jack Spicer. Therefore you want me to be just as motivated as you were."
"Exactly!"
"So motivated you betrayed us at the first opportunity and ran away with our wu."
"Hey, you guys weren't exactly friendly either," Jack muttered.
Omi sighed and said, "I believed in you, Jack Spicer. I still do. I want you to find happiness. If me laughing along with my friends when you were washing clothes bothered you, then I sincerely apologize," Omi said looking down at the floor, ashamed.
"I, well you should be! Jack Spicer, evil boy genius is no one's clown, and that time I pretended to be one for Megan's birthday doesn't count. But, I know you were the only one there who genuinely cared for me, and didn't want me to die gruesomely, so, I forgive you cheeseball."
Omi beamed and hugged Jack so tightly it might as well have been a bear hug.
Jack was patting the little monk's back and murmuring, half-heartedly, "Three-second rule."
When Omi finally let go of him, Jack couldn't help but say, "Hey, I would love it if you turned Heylin, it would be a dream come, true baby! And I even made you your own evil theme song but I'm not about to torture you or something if you don't want to turn Heylin. Not even I am that evil."
"Thank you, Jack Spicer," Omi said and smiled.
"Just at least try, okay. It would be so cool to have a friend, I mean an ally with me," Jack said and Omi's smile wavered, sadness and compassion flooding his eyes.
"Wuya can't do much without her powers, except whine. And Chase had that thing about, 'One only being able to be truly evil if they choose that path,' but you should watch out for Bean. He gives even me the creeps."
They strolled side by side down the long, interminable corridors made of white marble and jasper, with different nature paintings creating a calming state of mind, perfect for meditation.
Jack whistled.
"Man. Chase has good taste."
Omi nodded, although the giant, black snakes made of onix in the corner, with the inscription, "He who wants to be a dragon must eat many little snakes," creeped him out. Chase probably thought it amusing, given his lao mang lone soup.
Just before entering the living room, they heard a commotion inside.
"What do you mean we're not going to force him? Then why did we kidnap him in the first place?" Wuya's irritating voice rang out.
"I agree with you, my dear. Good ol'Chase must be compromised. I say we put it to a vote," Hannibal said slyly.
Chase Young gritted his teeth and said, "You are welcome to fight me on this and lose Hannibal. I'd rather your incompetent little uprising happen before breakfast, as I wouldn't want Omi to go hungry."
Jack put a hand on Omi's shoulder, guiding him into a dark corner in the hallway until the situation diffused. He squinted his eyes and pursed his lips.
"You challenge Hannibal Roy Bean! You won't defeat me, boy."
Chase smirked and said, "Shall we put it to the test?"
Then he stroke a pose with both arms raised, while he lounged on his right foot. Hannibal got off Ying Ying and used his moby morpher to change sizes exponentially. After that he jumped high above Chase's head, lifting his arm up, intending to smite him down. Chase teleported at the last second, evading the large crater which Hannibal left behind.
He used his telekinesis powers to levitate the sharp cutlery from the table and flung them at Hannibal's head. They moved swiftly in the air, only one of them managing to graze his arm, but barely because of his extremely durable skin.
They circled each other like lions battling over prey.
"Got to say, Chase, I'm not surprised you would let this opportunity slip through your fingers. You always were a slow learner when it came to Heylin matters," Hannibal chided, going into lecture mode.
"I was only as good as my teacher," Chase responded, grinning impishly.
"If you're not forcing him into obedience with a bit of jolly torture then what the devil do you plan to do, Chase? Tell us, while we're still young!" Hannibal huffed.
"We?" Chase inquired, raising an eyebrow, "Don't flatter yourself, Hannibal. Compared to me you're a fossil."
"Idiot boy, you should respect your betters!" Bean yelled.
"No better in sight, only an annoying jelly bean. As to what I plan to do with Omi, it involves of course turning him to our side. Without the cruel techniques which will only harm him and make him resentful. I am not teaching him obedience like you taught me, Hannibal," Chase growled.
"Man, Chase is so hardcore," Jack whispered, marveling at his evil hero's guts.
Omi looked concerned at his mentor, not realizing that Wuya had found their hiding spot.
"Well, well, boys. Playing hide and seek?"
"Beat it Wuya, I'm trying to watch Chase fight," Jack said, trying to move a bit to the right because the old witch was obstructing his vision.
"Watching is all you'll ever get, Jackie. Don't think for a second that you're ever going to be as good as us."
Jack bit his lip and looked down ashamed at his weaknesses, knowing that right now his Heylin hero thought of him as an insect, his ex-mentor and mother figure enjoyed making him feel small, and Bean only wanted to use him for his robot-making talent.
Omi frowned and said passionately, "Jack Spicer may not be as good a fighter as us, yet, but he far excels all of you in the field of robotics! And he has won showdowns on occasion, even against me, who have trained all my life to become the greatest Xiaolin dragon in the world! You should not underestimate him, or make him feel small. At least Jack Spicer didn't get himself stuck in a puzzle box for thousands of years!"
"You impertinent…!" Wuya growled while Jack giggled.
He felt touched, no one has ever stood up for him before, except Omi. But the kid was special, he burrowed his way into your heart faster than a kid brother playing in a sandbox and hugging you. And Jack had always wanted siblings.
Wuya stepped forward, her emerald eyes promising aggression as she took hold of Jack's collar. Jack's ruby-red eyes widened in fear. Omi immediately, not caring that he was technically still injured, put himself between them. He took hold of Wuya's arm and tried with all his might to pull her away.
Emerald met onix, each gaze as fierce as possible.
Meanwhile, Chase and Hannibal were still very much battling, with Chase having a slight edge in the fight. They were so entranced in the other's demise they did not even hear the commotion down the hall. Bean was throwing punches which Chase blocked with difficulty and then Chase began the assault, only to be blocked by Hannibal. Chase jumped on high furniture, balancing on one leg. While he materialized his Kwan-dao sword in his hand, he crouched down and then levitated toward Hannibal, attacking with an animalistic yell.
But Hannibal Roy dodged at the last second, and ever so craftily managed to trip Chase when he put one foot on the carpet to be as close to Hannibal as possible. Chase tumbled down, his sword laying a foot away from him. He growled while Hannibal gloated between panting, "Looks like the master outshone the student, Chase. How disappointing. You should have never betrayed me, you still have very much to learn…"
But no sooner were those words spoken that Chase summoned two energy blasts and directed them at his face. Bean screamed loudly, desperately, and fell down prompting Chase to immediately pick up his sword, jump on Hannibal, and push at his chest with a foot.
Bean was almost asphyxiating, his vision turning a bit red as Chase said pridefully, "As expected the student surpassed the former master. Will you beg for your life like a dog, Bean?"
Hannibal glared and in a stroke of genius, he whispered "moby morpher" and shrank down to the side of a bean. Then he whistled, which signaled Ying-Ying to come pick him up.
The loyal bird didn't hesitate, despite the danger of becoming Chase's misplaced aggression. Chase growled and tried to squash Bean with his feet, but Ying Ying arrived in time, and Bean managed to get on its back.
"You haven't seen the last of Hannibal Roy Bean, Chase! I will get even!"
Chase roared and threw his sword after the bird, impaling it into a wall, a few black and red feathers stuck on it.
During Chase's battle, Omi was threatening Wuya to the best of his abilities, "Wuya, let go of Jack Spicer immediately, or suffer a most humiliating defeat."
"Why don't you try and make me, Cheddarhead."
Omi gritted his teeth and said, "Wudai Neptune, water!"
Wuya scowled, inadvertently letting go of Jack, then was about to battle using martial arts before Chase interrupted, "And what do you think you're doing, Wuya?"
"Chase?" she said smiling in a guilty fashion, "Just testing Omi's skills, that's all."
Chase glared at her, which made her look the other way and murmur, "I'll be going to my room now." Chase glared and nodded.
After she made her way to her chambers, Jack laughed and said, "Wow, like a scolded child."
"I believe you are the child, Spicer," Chase told him, rolling his eyes before smiling at Omi and saying, "How are you feeling little one?"
"Chase Young, I have heard your fight with Mr. Bean. If you will truly not force me using abusive means, then it would be better for you if you let me go. I will never betray the Xiaolin forces."
"Don't be so hasty, little one. I have removed you from negative influences and I will dedicate my time to teaching you. In the end, you will learn to savor evil, it's just an acquired taste," Chase said, putting a hand on Omi's shoulder.
Omi looked glum, but slightly enjoyed Chase's pat on his head.
Chase snapped his fingers, and his enslaved warrior tigers, lions, and panthers arranged the table enough to be presentable.
There were different culinary delicacies arranged like fresh muffins, savory and spicy soup, yet not the soup, delicious salmon sprinkled with dill, salt and pepper, as well as fresh vegetables, different types of bread, and glasses of chocolate milk.
"You sure like extravagance, Chace," Jack observed.
"Quiet, worm."
Jack shut his mouth and stared at the cutlery.
"Chase Young, you are most rude. Jack Spicer helped capture me, which was what you wanted and is your fellow Heylin ally. You should treat him with courtesy," Omi lectured, crossing his small, bandaged arms.
Chase sighed and gritted out, "Apologies, Spicer."
Jack's eyes widened in surprise as he said, "It, it's okay, Chase. You know you're my evil hero."
"Who's your Xiaolin hero, I wonder?" Omi asked interested.
"I don't have one, but you might just take the spot, Omi," Jack said sincerely, making the young water dragon grin toothily.
Chase sipped on his lentil soup, observing the children being playful. It reminded him of old times.
"You will stay inside my auxiliary castle for now, Omi. Spicer is to accompany you, and help me with his robotics. Dig in little one, your training will commence soon."
After eating and feeling a bit uncomfortable to munch on delicious food with his enemies while his friends were probably worried sick, Omi excused himself to his room and Jack followed.
"So, what do you like to do for fun, Omi?"
"Me and Kimiko would play computer games, Raimundo would teach me soccer, Clay would tell me stories and Dojo..."
Omi's eyes welled with tears.
Jack sighed, pinched his nose, and said, "I probably shouldn't tell you this, and you have to promise to keep it a secret but...the loudmouthed gecko is still alive. Unfortunately."
"Dojo lives?" Omi asked rapidly, jumping near Jack, putting his hands on his shoulders, looking at his face desperately trying to find any inkling of deceit.
Jack nodded and said, "Chase told me that he would serve his usefulness in luring you in, but C.Y. would need some leverage to make you stay in case you did manage to escape. Isn't he a genius?"
"Jack Spicer, if Dojo is still alive then you must know where he is?" Omi asked, hopeful.
Jack shook his head, "I'm not allowed to say, he did threaten to eat me, cheeseball."
Omi nodded, somberly.
Upon seeing him so morose, Jack sighed and said, "But, I could help you make video contact with him if you want."
Omi's eyes lit up.