I am not hiding in my room like a loser after meeting cheesehead! I am in my basement/evil lair doing dastardly things that take a little planning to do. And if those plans involve moments of staring melancholically outside the window wishing Omi would come back and keep me company, then nobody is none the wiser. Or so I hope.

I, truthfully, I have missed the several three consecutive xiaolin showdowns. But it's no big deal! I'm an evil boy genius, I'll make do. I know what you're thinking. Jack you're hiding from baldy! No! I am not! I just don't want to see him, so I cleverly conserve my energy and direct it towards a worthy cause, improving my robots. See, told you I was brilliant.

Unfortunately, not everyone appreciates my mind. One moment I improve the interface of my jack-bots and strengthen their emotion chips, so that they'll have more loyalty, the next moment Wuya and Chase barge in, like they own the place!

"Jack," Wuya says with distaste, "Where on earth have you been the past three showdowns?"

"I uh…" I mumble.

"Well, insect?" Chase inquires.

I have planned to answer politely but you know what, fuck politeness, I was angsty enough without them always mocking me, always jeering at me.

"None of your business," I whisper and look to the floor.

They smirk.

"Jackie," Wuya coos then takes my jaw firmly in her hands, gripping it tightly and saying, dangerously, "Care to repeat that?"

"None of your business, you witch!" I yell, and probably sign my death warrant at the same time.

She slaps me! I fall down and touch my burning cheek.

"Awww," I mutter. As expected, I get no sympathy.

"Don't get rude with me, young man," Wuya says in a faux motherly tone and you know what I just figured out she'd make a wonderful evil step mother. My stomach churns.

"I must admit I find myself, disappointed Spicer."

"Huh?"

"One of your very few qualities was your determination. Don't tell me you have run out of even that?" Chase says.

It shouldn't sting this much, disappointing my evil hero. It isn't like it's the first time I hear Chase's savage opinions. But one would think I would have grown immune to them. After all don't I disappoint him on a daily basis and doesn't he call me an embarrassment to evil any other day or so?

"No, I, I've been working on something," I say hurriedly, for some reason, trying to get their approval. I act almost the same way as when I'm trying to make mom and dad pay attention to me and not leave for months on end like they usually do. My face is burning but I continue, "At the end of this week, I, Jack Spicer, evil boy genius, will have come up with the most brilliant plan ever to defeat the xiaolin losers. Hahahahahaha!

I know, I know. The evil laughter was overkill but perhaps they'll leave me alone now.

"Oh," Chase says, raising an eyebrow. "Very well, Spicer. I look forward to your pitiful attempts of competency. However be warned, should you actually succeed in terminating any of the monks by some accident of fate, Omi is not to be killed. Understood?"

As if I could kill cueball. Whenever I think about him I can't help but come up with a picture of the kid with chocolate ice cream smudged all over his face.

Wuya is looking disapprovingly at him, probably still angry about Chase's fondness for Omi and I can't help but nod and say, "You got it Chase."

And after some more totally unwarranted glares followed by meek acceptance on my part inducing smug smirks, and head pats from Wuya, they depart. Well, the witch departs, Chase just sort of blends into the shadows giving me the creepy sensation that I am watched…and I probably am.

Is it pathetic that I crave human contact, even if it's Wuya's? Am I considered pathetic for wanting her to return and pat me on the head some more and maybe listen to me rant a bit, like in the good old days?

Well if it is, I don't contemplate more about it. I am about to return to my work, and try to ignore the possibility that Chase is spying on me, most likely to see what I come up with and if it's okay to use it on Omi. And speaking of the devil…

"Jack Spicer!" Omi's voice rings out making me jump out of my skin. Man, the kid needs a bell or something.

I sigh and acknowledge his presence, "Omi."

He gives me a hug but I can't hug him back. Chase might be watching, and I'm already enough of a laughingstock as an evil doer as it is. Yet I can't help but pat him on the head and smile. It's a good thing Wuya's not here, she would have had screaming fits that would have woken my neighbors up by now.

"How are you, Jack Spicer?" Omi asks.

"Uh, I'm okay, Omi. Why?"

"You have missed the last three showdowns. I have come here to make sure you are in top-tip shape! I have come most prepared, I brought medicine and a thermometer, oh, and a good luck charm," He says and shows me a dragon shaped plushy that looks eerily similar to their lizard companion.

"It used to be Dojo's!" Omi exclaims.

That checks out.

He hugs it close to his chest before smiling and offering it to me.

"I'm really okay, cueball. I wasn't sick," I say, reluctantly petting the dragon.

What? I need all the luck I can get!

"Then perhaps you have done some thinking," Omi prods. We both know he's talking about me turning to the good side. This must be the most persistent little kid I've ever met. And I know Meghan.

"I'm only thinking of my future reign of darkness, shorty," I deny, huffing.

"Jack Spicer, if that were true then why haven't you come to the showdowns? Why are you avoiding making that dream a materiality?"

"It's turning the dream into reality, and I've just been busy."

"Busy...trying to avoid me?" Omi asks and looks downcast.

It's almost scary how well he can read people and some situations, particularly for one his age.

"No, I, Omi..." I say, throwing a look behind me. Chase is nowhere in sight. Maybe he's gone. But I can't be sure and I desperately want to comfort Omi. I valiantly control myself, barely.

The kid throws me a hopeful glance, and I decide to stick with a neutral statement, "Who'd be busy avoiding you, Omi? I mean it's practically impossible with the way you obnoxiously want to make friends with everything that moves."

Omi smiles so I smile in return.

"Interesting," Chase's voice interrupts.

Omi turns quickly and looks at Chase with a mixture of emotions resembling love, respect, confusion, disappointment and a bit of anger.

"Chase Young, as a xiaolin warrior I am here to protect and love my enemies. I sincerely hope you are not here to bother Jack Spicer."

Chase smirks.