Hi everyone, welcome back. I'm glad the last chapter was so-well received and I'm looking forward very much to writing more of the Demon Chi battles, with everything else in-between. I'm sure many of you already have plenty of theories as to where this will all lead to, but I can neither confirm nor deny anything. You'll just have to see as the story goes on. Now, this is one chapter that I've really been wanting to write for a while and I'm hoping you really enjoy it. Now then, let's get started.
Seeds of Doubt
It was nighttime in the old steel mill outside Heatherfield that served as the hide out for the Knights of Vengeance, with the villainous group currently planning their next move.
"How long will it be until the next Demon Chi awakens?" Raythor asked their leader.
"I don't know." Drago confessed.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Frost questioned. "Aren't you their kin? You were able to detect the Wind Demon Chi."
The mention of that particular power caused the Tracker to stand up with a growl. He had never once felt so powerful in all his life! He could stand toe-to-toe with a Guardian at her full power! But that moment only lasted a few seconds. There was nothing more infuriating than that.
"I don't control when it awakens or where the Relic will be." Drago explained. "I can only sense at the time of its awakening, and only then can I learn where that Relic is. So, for now, we wait."
Hak Foo growled in annoyance as he punched his scaled fist into a wall. "Why wait when we can strike Chan and the Guardians now?!" Even Gargoyle seemed to agree as he gave an eager growl.
"Because they have allies here on Earth." Raythor told the pair. "We can't afford to act so recklessly without getting trapped."
"Then perhaps it's time to change our approach." Miranda suggested as she walked up in her human form. "How about instead of crushing their bodies, we crush their spirits?"
Drago looked at the spider-girl with a grin. "You have an idea in mind?"
"Their identities as Guardians are meant to be a secret, correct? What do you think would happen if that were all exposed?" Miranda asked rhetorically.
The humanoid dragon sneered, seeing where she was going with this. "I like the way you think, Miranda. Alright, here's the new plan: Raythor, you and everyone else go back to Meridian and report to Nerissa about what happened recently. Miranda and Sandpit will stay here with me while we mess around with the Guardians' personal lives a little bit."
Raythor looked away. "I will do as you say, but I feel that I must say something."
"What is it?" Drago asked.
"I'd rather face an opponent and defeat them in battle with honor, then resort to the methods that you are implying." Raythor said.
"Your opinion is noted, but we're not looking for honor here, Raythor. We're looking to win." Drago told him before taking out the ring his mother gave him and used its power to open a Fold for most of the Knights. "Go to Meridian; don't make any moves against Elyon until you hear from me."
"Understood." Raythor nodded reluctantly as he, Hak Foo, Frost, the Tracker, and Gargoyle all entered the Fold, which quickly closed, leaving Drago, Miranda, and Sandpit alone in the steel mill.
"So, it's your plan. Got any ideas?" Drago asked the spider-girl.
"Yes… and it's funny how you mentioned Elyon…" Miranda grinned.
The Next Day - Sheffield Institute
Will and Jade both sat down in their history class as Cornelia sat behind them. "Hey, have any of you guys seen Alchemy?"
"Not since we came in." Will answered.
"I think I saw her go to Knickerbocker's office." Jade replied.
"If she doesn't hurry, she'll miss the test." Cornelia said.
"Right. Test." Jade rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Remind me again how the school's still open? Didn't Drago total the building?"
"Damage wasn't that bad; we got the fight outside remember?" Will reminded.
"I'd still take fighting demons and monsters over some lame test." Jade commented. She recalled how Jackie would have all the girls sit down for group study sessions in order to keep up on their schoolwork alongside their duties as Guardians. Jackie was very insistent on it.
"I'm at least glad we're still keeping with school." Will said. "Mom would kill me if I flunked out."
"Alright class, let's get started!" Professor Collins announced as he walked in. "Pencils out, books and cellphones away. Remember, any talking will be considered cheating."
It wasn't long before the test started. The entire room was silent with the exceptions of pencils to paper. Will seemed focused on her test. So far, she'd say she was doing pretty good. But there were a few questions that she seemed to be having a hard time with.
"Number two is wrong, and you misspelled Lincoln."
Will almost gasped, but quickly clasped her hand over her own mouth to keep from drawing attention. Who just spoke up? She glanced toward her desk's compartment and saw her calculator just barely hanging out.
"What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
There it was again! It was coming from her calculator! Did her calculator just talk!? Will took a brief glance around the room to see that everyone else was working on their tests; even Jade and Cornelia didn't seem to notice.
'Calm down, Will. Calm down.' She thought to herself. 'Your calculator is talking. Nobody else seems to hear it. Can't focus on the test right now, so…'
She quietly reached into her desk and grabbed her calculator, slipping it into her sweater pocket before standing up and making her way over to the teacher's desk.
"Professor Collins? I need to use the restroom."
"Here, take a hall pass." He handed her said pass. "Don't take too long."
"Thanks."
Once she was out of the classroom, Will made a break down the hall and found the nearest janitor's closet. She went in and closed the door, making sure she was alone before taking out her calculator again.
"You can talk!?"
"Of course, I can talk."
"Since when have you been able to freaking talk?! Calculators don't talk!"
"Since forever. You just never heard me. The name's Sammy, by the way."
Will took a second to catch her breath, remaining calm before coming up with a plan. "Alright. Listen up… After school, I'll be taking you over to Jackie's and find out what's going on. Until then, you don't make a peep. I got a test I need to focus on, and I don't want to get all this magic stuff mixed up with my schoolwork. Deal?"
"Deal. No talking in class. Cross my circuits."
Taking a sigh of relief, Will left the janitor's closet and returned to class.
"Principal Knickerbocker… why did you call me here?" Alchemy asked as she sat in the school's principal's office. "I got a big test right now!"
"I'll speak with your teacher on the matter afterwards, but this is a very serious matter." Knickerbocker told Alchemy.
"What's wrong?"
"Where is Elyon Brown?"
Alchemy's eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting that question. "I… I don't know…"
"You and Cornelia are her closest friends, and then she just vanishes." Principle Knickerbocker explained to her. "You don't even seem that concerned."
"S-She's on vacation! She said she was going on a trip with her family!" Alchemy tried to come up with an excuse.
"For almost six months?!" The principal questioned.
"I… She didn't exactly give me the details…" Alchemy shifted in her seat, wanting so desperately to leave.
"Alchemy, this is serious." Knickerbocker said. "The police have received an anonymous tip that something may have happened to Elyon Brown and her family. They'll be here soon to look into the matter. If you know anything, you must tell me."
"I don't! I don't know what's going on!" Alchemy tried to state, letting some of her stress out. She couldn't tell Knickerbocker that her best friend was a magical queen in another dimension obviously.
Knickerbocker could tell that Alchemy was stressed, but assumed it was likely out of concern for her friend and chose not to press on it. "Alright. But if you know anything, please tell me."
"Y-yes ma'am."
"You're dismissed."
Alchemy left the Principal's office with a worried sigh, rubbing her hand down her face. "This isn't good…" She accidentally bumped into someone, however. "Ow! Oh, I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright, accidents happen." The person she bumped into happened to be a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, who wore a white shirt, blue dress, and black boots. "I'm new here. My name's Melinda."
"Hi…" Alchemy got a good look at her. "You… look kinda familiar, have we met?"
"Oh no, I just have one of those faces." Melinda brushed off.
"Alright… maybe we'll talk later. I gotta get to class." Alchemy walked away, trying to see if she can get to her history class with enough time to complete the test.
Once she was alone Melinda walked around the corner and to a partially open window. "The seeds have been planted. It's only a matter of time now."
She spoke to none other than Drago, who had scaled the wall outside the building up to the window. "You got a good idea there, but do I have to remind you that Chan and the girls got friends in high places here?"
"Yes, but it's all still a secret." The disguised Miranda explained. "Humans have a bad history of xenophobia; all we need do is tug on the thread a little bit… put a bit of doubt in other people… particularly their families… and it'll all come crashing down. Hit them where it hurts."
Drago grinned. "Now I can get behind that."
"What I can't get behind is why I have to wear this stupid wig and these ridiculous contact lenses." Miranda said in annoyance.
"They saw your human form before, they'll recognize you." Drago said. "Thought it was obvious."
"But this… this is not my color!" Miranda took off her wig to reveal her black hair.
"Not my fault you so-called shapeshifters only got one human form." Drago shrugged with a chuckle. "Besides, I think brown looks great on you."
"Are you seriously flirting with me?" Miranda questioned.
"You wish." Drago snarked before jumping down from his perch, leaving Miranda to scoff in annoyance.
Meridian
Elyon currently sat on her throne room; with Caleb, Finn, Ratso, Chow, Blunk, and Alborn all by her side as they listened to a nobleman talk about Huggons from the east and west from some towns in those same direction; but she didn't seem to be listening, not that anybody was capable of keeping track of a conversation like this where east and west was spoken repeatedly. Such a dreadfully boring topic had made Caleb yawn and was also making Blunk and Ratso sleepy as the latter struggled to keep himself awake with Chow nudging him.
Once it was all done, Elyon didn't notice as she still appeared stuck in her own head. That is until her adoptive father got her attention. "Ahem."
"Oh…! Thank you. I'll give your concerns further thought." Elyon said. The nobleman bowed and then left.
"Try saying all that five times fast." Finn joked, earning a chuckle from Elyon.
"I honestly lost it all at the first west town… or whatever." Chow commented.
"You mean you don't find Huggon land disputes fascinating?" Caleb said sarcastically.
"Give Blunk land. Dispute settled." Blunk stated.
"Heh… yeah." Elyon looked away with a far off look, something they all noticed.
"Hey, you okay kiddo?" Ratso asked.
"…Guys… Phobos has done… a lot of terrible things, right?" Elyon asked.
The group looked in surprise. What would make her think about her brother right now. "Of course. You know what he's done, Elyon."
"So… wouldn't… I don't know… the death penalty be a thing or…" Elyon asked.
"Whoa! Whoa! Death penalty?!" Chow exclaimed.
"Where did that come from?!" Even Caleb was caught off guard like everyone else.
Elyon stood up from her throne and begun to pace the room. "He might be my brother, but he's done horrible things! He was a tyrant! And he's got a group of bad guys causing more trouble in his name, right?!"
"Yes, the Knights of Vengeance are a problem…" Alborn granted.
"Knights scary. Very bad." Blunk added.
"So… if he's… ya know… gone? Wouldn't that… cause them to disband or lose confidence or…?" Elyon struggled. "What do you guys think?"
"Little E, kid, where is this coming from?" Finn asked, stepping forward.
Seeing everyone look toward her with concerned expressions, Elyon looked away with a sigh before coming clean. "Remember when I went down to talk to Shendu…?"
"Oh. I see now." Chow understood.
"Let me guess. He got in your head, saying you should do something bad because it'll make you look strong, right?" Ratso summed up.
"Yeah… something like that." She couldn't find it within herself to look them in the eye.
"Your majesty… Shendu is an evil demon." Caleb told her. "You know that. You shouldn't listen to anything that monster says!"
"I know! I know! But I can't get it out of my head!" Elyon pulled her hair in frustration. "Some of the stuff he said did make sense….!"
"Elyon, let's say you're right and Phobos' life were to end." Alborn explained. "It could dissuade the Knights of Vengeance. Or it could add more fuel to the fire, give them more reason to act to seek vengeance for the death of their prince. It may make things worse."
"Blunk not want worse!" Blunk shook his head.
"Yeah… but…" Elyon still seemed unsure.
"Hey kid, take some advice from the guys who know lizard-breath the most." Chow said, referring to himself and the former Enforcers. "Forget everything he said to you."
"Yeah, he don't care about nobody but himself." Ratso added.
"You're doing a great job as a kid-queen right now." Finn put in. "Let dragon-face get all dusty in that pit where he belongs."
"And I think the people like a more idealistic ruler now anyways." Caleb said with a smile. "Let's not go into anything dark any time soon, alright?"
This did seem to help Elyon a bit. Seeing everyone's encouraging smiles and hearing their words after she voiced her thoughts felt like a weight off her chest. Yeah. Things were going to be different in Meridian. No death penalties, nothing extreme. No more listening to evil demons.
"Thanks guys. So, what's next?" Elyon asked with a smile. "Bring on the next boring topic."
"Up next… is the royal architect with his plans for sewage construction." Alborn revealed, causing Elyon to wince.
"I brought nose plugs." Ratso offered.
Earth – Heatherfield
"The police are looking for Elyon?" Taranee questioned as the girls all walked home from school.
"That's what Principal Knickerbocker told me." Alchemy said.
"Yeah… that's gonna be a problem." Hay Lin winced.
"It's not the only one." Will took out her calculator. "I just found out my calculator's apparently named Sammy."
"Pleased to meet you." The calculator spoke, causing all but Alchemy to look in surprise.
"Whoa." Jade looked in awe.
"Wild." Irma smiled impressively.
"Yikes!" Hay Lin was surprised.
"Cool." Cornelia commented.
"Is it artificially intelligent?" Taranee asked.
"More like stunningly intelligent." Sammy bragged.
"Hold on, hold on, you can actually hear him?" Will asked in surprise.
"Duh." Jade replied, as if it were obvious.
"Duh-nothing! No one else can!" Will added.
"Well… apparently I can't." Alchemy shrugged. "I just see you guys talking to a calculator."
"Guess only Guardians can hear him." Will assumed. "Anyway, we should talk to Jackie about what's going on."
Uncle's Rare Finds.
Jackie Chan watched as Uncle and Tohru put together an odd-looking contraption, something both his uncle and friend had been working on non-stop since that whole mess with the Knights of Vengeance and the Wind Demon Chi.
"Uncle, how does this… device locate the scattered Demon Chi?" Jackie asked.
The device that he spoke of resembled a hand-held vacuum with a compass built into it and a glass jar attached to the end.
"Ancient Chinese compass detects energy imbalance." Uncle explained. "When Demon Chi is activated, compass picks up frequency, leading us directly to the Immortal object."
"A reversal spell will then draw the bad chi out of the Immortal object and into the containment jar." Tohru added with a sense of pride as he helped build the device.
"Uncle getting to that!" Uncle exclaimed. "a reversal spell will then draw bad chi out of Immortal object and into containment jar."
"Hey, Uncle Jackie!" They heard Jade's voice as they saw the girls enter the shop.
"Hello girls, how was your day?" Jackie asked.
"Pretty good." Hay Lin answered.
"What's with the weird vacuum?" Irma asked upon seeing Uncle's device. "Got demonic dust bunnies underneath your sofa?"
"Close." Tohru answered. "It's a locator device that'll help us to track down and capture the Demon Chi whenever the remaining seven powers awaken."
"Cool." Jade smiled. "Your own hand-held Demon-Chi-omatic! Shipping and handling not included."
"It's cool and all, but we might have a couple problems." Will said, getting Jackie's attention.
"What is it?"
"Apparently I'm hearing electronics talk." Will revealed, taking out her calculator and cellphone. "First my calculator's giving me hints on my test, then I got my phone lecturing me as if he were my dad, and I think I hear Uncle's fridge in the other room."
"And apparently only Guardians can hear them." Cornelia added. "Cause we all can. That fridge even just said 'one more thing' like his crusty owner."
Rather than be offended as usual, Uncle had a serious expression as he gazed at Will. Or more specifically, the Heart of Kandrakar she always wore around her neck.
"Your powers have been growing since our first visit to Kandrakar and the lowering of the Veil." Tohru commented. "Perhaps that may have something to do with it."
"I didn't even have any powers other than super strength." Will said. "What's that gotta do with me hearing electronics?"
"Talking electronics not important." Uncle waved his finger. "What is second problem?"
"The police are looking for Elyon." Alchemy revealed. "They're probably gonna be at the school tomorrow to talk with everyone."
"And we can't exactly tell them the truth for obvious reasons." Taranee added
"I'll talk with Captain Black and have this situation settled quickly." Jackie said. "In the meantime, we should come up with a reasonable explanation."
"Yeah, that's a good idea." Will nodded. As the group talked, Jade leaned back against the wall near a lamp. Unbeknownst to her, the lightbulb in the lamp began to flicker on and off, catching her attention before the light suddenly came off. Jade pulled on the string-switch to try and turn it back on, but nothing came back on.
"Huh, must have burnt out." Jade commented. "Could have sworn I changed it yesterday…"
After a lengthy discussion with Jackie, in which the girls all got their story straight if they were asked about Elyon, they all went to their respective homes for the day. At this point, there was nothing more they can do, other than let Jackie talk with Captain Black so that they can find a solution. It really was good to have friends in high places.
Irma had arrived at her home when she heard her father call to her from the kitchen. "Irma, come in here please."
"Um… okay. Hey Dad, something up?" Irma asked, sitting across from her dad, who was clad in his police uniform, a cup of coffee in front of him.
"Irma, why didn't you tell me no one's seen Elyon for months?" Tom Lair questioned. "She's one of your best friends."
"Dad, she and her family were going on a world tour right now. Something personal she had to do." Irma explained, using the story she and the others came up with.
"Were you in contact with her recently?" Tom questioned. "Gotten any texts? Post cards? Do you know where she is right now?"
Even if she did have a reasonable story, the feeling of being interrogated by her own father did not sit well with her. There have been other times where he has done so whenever she'd get into trouble growing up and even then, it was irritating.
'Why am I always the one getting interrogated? Chris gets in way more trouble than I do! He wore a freaking demon mask for crying out loud! Why don't you talk to him about stuff like that, huh?'
Tom stood up from the table, much to Irma's surprise. "We'll talk more later. Right now, I need to have a word with Chris."
As he left, Irma was more than a little shocked over what just occurred. "Was that…? Did I… Can I…? Hey, for once… I'm actually speechless."
Later that night, after returning home, Will had decided to get to bed. Before she went to sleep however…
"That's a pretty good plan you and your friends came up with." Sammy complemented as the talking calculator was now on the dresser right next to the window. "You got some good friends looking out for you."
"Thanks, I know." Will said as she curled up in her bed. "Right now though, I just wanna get some sleep. You should power down too, or whatever you do."
"Good idea."
"Talking with my calculator… what's happening with my life…?" Will muttered before she fell asleep.
Around midnight, with Will deep in her sleep, she failed to notice a tiny trail of sand climbing up the wall outside her window and slowly slip in underneath the crack between the window itself and the sill. The sand reformed and reached up to slowly and quietly open the lock, pushing the window open only slightly before the sand grabbed the calculator and pull it outside…
Right into the gloved hands of Drago who had scaled the wall of the building. He leapt down and let himself fall toward Sandpit to cushion his fall and keep it quiet where Miranda was waiting for him on the empty sidewalk.
"Look what we got." Drago said with a grin.
"Evidence of a crime." Miranda smirked.
"We do make a rather devious team, don't we?" Drago said.
"I suppose we do." Miranda admitted. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Drago actually had a lot in common with Cedric; they were both deceitful and ruthless, but Drago had a certain subtly to his merciless nature that Cedric lacked; and Miranda found it to be quite entrancing.
The Next Day – Sheffield Institute
Irma entered the school like any other day, but before she even got to her locker to get all her supplies.
"Miss Lair." She turned around to see Principal Knickerbocker approaching her. "Come with me."
A sinking feeling filling her gut, Irma followed the principal straight to her office, having a good idea what this was about. Once they got outside the office, she spotted Will, Taranee, Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Alchemy already there. She could only assume Jade either hadn't been brought in yet or was already inside being questioned. The six girls exchanged eye-contact and had a solid plan… but that didn't make this situation any less tense.
"We got the right to remain silent or something?" Irma put in a joke to try and diffuse the tension.
Inside the office, Jade sat across from the principal's desk, which was now occupied by a male detective with long blonde hair and brown eyes. Standing at his right was his partner, a woman with brown eyes and brown hair tied back in a ponytail. On the left was Tom Lair in his police uniform.
"Jade, these are Detectives Medina and McTiennan." Tom told the girl. "They'd like to ask a few questions about Elyon Brown and her parents."
"We've heard that you know where they are?" McTiennan questioned, getting right to the point.
"How did you hear that, exactly?" Jade asked.
"Do you know where they are, yes or no?" Medina pressed.
"I don't know where they are right now currently…" Jade began, going along with the story that she, Jackie, and the girls all came up with together. "But Elyon said she and her family were going on a world tour. Didn't say why, just that it was personal."
"Did they give you any kind of timeframe? A date where they'd be back?" Medina questioned. "Do you have any means to contact them?"
"No, No, and no." Jade answered. "Apparently her folks wanted her to 'disconnect', as in not spend twenty-four hours on her phone or something. Guess they wanted her to open up a bit more to nature or something."
"And that's all you know?" McTiennan asked.
"Yep. Everything I know." She replied. "But… everyone is getting a bit worried so… if anything's wrong… can you please let me and my friends know?" Jade tried to put on an innocent and concerned act that wouldn't fool Jackie, and he would most certainly not approve of it, but given the circumstances, such a ploy was necessary.
Tom seemed to buy it as he looked toward the detectives, who only gave nods as they appeared to have gotten what they need.
"Alright, we'll let you know if something comes up. You're dismissed." Tom told Jade, who got up and walked out of the office, giving a brief sigh of relief that neither of them would notice.
One-by-one; all the other girls were brought in for questioning: Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, Hay Lin, and Alchemy; but they all told the same kind of story of Elyon and her parents being on a world tour, it seemed consistent enough that the detectives had bought it.
Tom and the detectives left the school after the questioning, having gotten all that they could from the girls.
"Did you notice how they all basically told the same story?" McTiennan questioned.
"Maybe because it's the truth." Tom seemed of be giving them the benefit of the doubt. "And that the Browns are really on a 'world tour'."
"Or maybe they're hiding something." Medina assumed.
"What proof exactly do you have of that?" Tom asked, not liking the direction they're going with this, especially since it involved his daughter.
"Um… excuse me. Are you the police?"
The three of them turned to see Miranda, still in her Melinda-disguise, approaching them, putting on an innocent act.
"Yes, and you are?" McTiennan questioned.
"Melinda. I want to help you but… I'm afraid." She said in a whisper.
"Don't worry, you're safe with us." Medina whispered back, having bought it, hook-line-and sinker.
"It's those seven mean girls." Miranda began. "They pretended to be Elyon's friends but… they were really mean to her. And it wasn't just them. They all hang around this scary shop downtown and… I've seen some scary things going on in there." The detectives exchanged concerning looks. "The last time I saw her, they were walking Elyon home. They said they had a surprise for her… in her basement."
The bell then rang. "I know you have to get to class but thank you for telling us this." Medina thanked. Miranda smiled before walking away.
"Still think nothing's up?" McTiennan asked rhetorically to Tom.
"I'll try and talk to Irma tonight… see if she knows anything else." He spoke.
"Good. We'll look into that shop she mentioned and get a search warrant for that basement." McTiennan said.
As she saw the police walk away, Miranda gazed up the rooftop of the school and gave a nod to Drago, who had remained hidden up there the whole time with Sandpit right behind him.
"That's our cue. Let's go." Drago told Sandpit before running and jumping off the building to the nearest rooftop with the sentient sand following him like a breeze in the wind.
Uncle's Rare Finds
"And there's nothing more you can tell us about Elyon Brown or her parents?" Detective Medina questioned Jackie with Tohru right behind him as her partner looked through the shop.
"No, we do not know her current whereabouts." Jackie confirmed.
"We've already talked with your niece and her friends, and they all say she's on a world tour." Medina said.
"My niece is not a liar. If she does not know where Elyon is, she does not know." Jackie said in a more assertive tone.
"This is quite a collection you have here, Mr. Chan." Detective McTiennan said as he walked into the backroom and skimmed through one of the books. "Some priceless relics and…" He looked in confusion at the contents of one of the books, unable to read the inscriptions inside. "What kind of book is this… Ow!"
Uncle had delivered a dope-slap to the detective's forehead as he took his book back. "Do not touch! Private property!"
"Everything we have for purchase in this shop has been acquired legally." Jackie told the detectives. "I have the records if you wish to see them."
"All the books in the back are part of Sensei's private collection." Tohru added. "They are not for sale."
Medina got a good look at the large man. "You do look rather familiar. I think we've seen your face somewhere before."
"Your name is Tohru, right?" McTiennan recalled. "I think you have a record."
"Tohru has long since paid his debt to society and is a free man." Jackie stepped up, speaking firmly in his statement. "Now it is my question to ask you something. Do either of you have a warrant to search this property?"
"Not currently." McTiennan answered.
"Then there is nothing more that can be done." Jackie said with finality in his voice, crossing his arms. "I am happy to answer any other questions you may have, and if I hear anything on the Browns, I will contact the authorities. But until then, we have nothing left to discuss."
"Mr. Chan, this could be a very serious matter." Medina began. "If we find out you're hiding something… Ow!" She too felt her forehead as Uncle delivered a dope slap to her as well.
"Do you see Elyon or parents in shop? No? That is because Elyon and parents are not here!" Uncle stated as he walked toward the front door and opened it. "If you wish to buy from Uncle's shop, then speak to Uncle. Otherwise… Get out!"
With reluctance, and nothing more they can do, the detectives both left the shop, with Uncle slamming the door behind them.
"This is getting more serious than we thought." Tohru commented.
"Yes, I have a feeling that something else is amiss here." Jackie agreed.
"Dark forces are at work here." Uncle said. "And now is terrible time."
"You mean the Demon Chi, Sensei?" Tohru asked.
"Demon Chi not important. Newfound Guardian power, is." Uncle said. "We must gather girls here."
Jackie looked with a serious expression at that. If something was going on with the girls' powers, and the possibility that outside forces were conspiring against them, then they need to get together and come up with a new plan.
"I'll get in contact with Miss Lin, and we'll bring the girls here as soon as their classes end." Jackie said as he took out his cell phone and immediately made a call to Yan Lin.
After getting home from school, Irma got started on her homework with some snacks at the family room table. "Find the square-root of four thousand ninety-six? I'd rather listen to Uncle go on about universal balance stuff."
She noticed her father enter house. "Oh, hi Dad. I was just…" She noticed him silently sitting down on the coach across from her. She recognized that expression on his face and it told her that he was being serious right now. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh is right. I know you want to protect your friends, Irma. But you don't have to lie to me."
"I'm not lying!" Irma exclaimed. "I told you and your detective friends what's going on! I don't know where Elyon is right now, and I can't call her! Come on, Dad! You're treating me like a suspect in a murder for no reason!"
"You want reasons?" He began. "You've been acting strange for months, disappearing all the time, and after what that Melinda said…?"
"Who's Melinda?" Irma asked, never hearing that name before.
"Nevermind!" Tom stood up from the sofa. "You need to answer my questions, now!" He slammed his fist on the table, causing Irma to gasp.
Suddenly, the water in the kitchen sink shot up like a geyser, much to both their shock, and it was already flooding the kitchen floor.
"Oh! Call a plumber!" Tom ran into the kitchen to try and quell the situation.
Seeing this as her cue, Irma quietly slipped outside her house. She gasped as she saw a car on her curb, Yan Lin in the driver's seat with Cornelia, Hay Lin, and Taranee already inside.
"Get in. Now." The tone in Yan Lin's voice left no room for arguments, and Irma wasn't about to. She quickly got in the car and the retired Guardian drove away.
After arriving at Uncle's Rare Finds, with Jackie having brought Jade, Will, and Alchemy; the group began to compare notes.
"I'm so glad I found you guys!" Irma said to her friends. "My dad…"
"Stared giving you the third-degree." Cornelia finished for her.
"Yeah? How did you know?" Irma asked in surprise.
"Taranee's suddenly gone psychic." Will explained. "She can tune into each of our brains and broadcast our thoughts."
"But it only works for Guardians." Taranee herself said. "I can't broadcast to you guys." She said, referring to Jackie, Tohru, Uncle, Alchemy, and Yan Lin.
"It's not just that! Look what I can do!" Hay Lin beamed as she suddenly turned invisible, much to everyone's surprise, save for Uncle and Yan Lin, who looked with seriousness. "I don't even have the Snake Talisman. I can turn invisible like air!" She turned visible again.
Jade gave her usual scoff. "You think that's cool? Get a load of this!" Jade waved her hand and all the lights in the shop suddenly turned off.
"Aiya!" Uncle exclaimed.
"That's a surprise." Yan Lin noted.
"I can nullify light." Jade said as she waved her hand again and the lights came back on. "I wonder if… Hey Taranee, can you make a small fire?"
"Um sure." Taranee created a small flame in her hand. "Why would you…?" Jade then extended her hand toward the flame and clenched her fist, suddenly extinguishing the flame.
"Looks like I'm a living fire extinguisher too!" Jade grinned.
"Fire is also a source of light; so, it stands to reason you can nullify that as well." Tohru put in.
"Can you do anything new Cornelia?" Alchemy asked her friend.
"No… nothing yet at least." The blonde replied. "So not only are our powers stronger, but we're even getting new ones?"
"I even made an indoor pool in my kitchen without even trying." Irma added. "I even pulled an actual Jedi Mind Trick on my dad yesterday."
"Am I correct to assume this is all because of the Veil being lowered and the power being transferred back to their Aurameres?" Jackie asked Yan Lin and Uncle.
"That is correct." Yan Lin confirmed. "Your powers are returning their original strength."
"Okay… so what kind of power do I have that lets me talk to electronics?" Will asked. "I thought I didn't even have any powers."
"You wield power of Quintessence." Uncle revealed, catching everyone's attention.
"Quint-what-now?" Jade questioned.
"Each of the Guardians possess one element." Uncle explained. "Fire, water, earth, air. Together, these elements help to create and sustain life. Air to breathe, water to drink, earth to nourish, and fire to sustain. Quintessence is the element of life."
"Element of… life…?" Will muttered in surprise, looking at the Heart of Kandrakar.
"I think I've heard of that before." Jackie revealed. "There are many writings in which life is regarded as an element as all the other four are necessary to create life, as Uncle said. Sometimes it is known as Aether."
"There are even other names of such a force I found in my studies." Tohru added. "Soul, essence, embodiment, life itself. The fifth element."
"So… I've had this power all along…?" Will was more than a little surprised, not taking her eyes off the Heart. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"
"Because when the Veil was raised, the power diverted from your Auramere, your power of Quintessence was rendered inert." Yan Lin explained. "That and Quintessence is an incredibly powerful energy source. If misused, it can overwhelm you. You were only just starting to get used to being a Guardian at the time and… we did not wish to increase your burden."
"Did the other Guardians have this power?" Jade asked.
Yan Lin and Uncle exchanged uncomfortable glances before the later gave his answer. "Yes. One did. But she… is no longer among us."
To say Will was shocked would be an understatement. She had this mysterious power with her all along? The power over life itself? Was that how she was able to hear all the electronics around her? Did her power somehow bring them to life? She was already starting to feel dizzy just from thinking about all of it.
"I… I need to sit down…" She made her way over to a chair and sat down to try and collect her thoughts. Jade was already at her side.
"Hey, it's okay, we'll get this figured out." Jade told her best friend. "I mean, I'm a bit of a wild card too, being the first and only Shadow Guardian. So, you're not alone here. Come on bestie, you know I got your back."
"We all do. We're a team. J-WITCH, remember?" Cornelia added as she and the other girls, including Alchemy, all gathered around her. Even Scruffy came up with a bark and hoped onto Will's lap. She smiled, already feeling a bit of relief from the support of her friends around her.
"Will, I know this may be overwhelming…" Jackie began as he kneeled in front of the redhead. "But whatever happens, we're all here for you. You're not alone."
"I know…. Thanks guys." Will smiled almost emotionally before getting back to the situation at hand. "So… what exactly are we going to do about the 'Elyon-situation'? Didn't you talk with Captain Black?"
"I did and he is already working on it." Jackie explained. "But this situation is becoming more complicated than expected, especially since you girls are being interrogated."
"You think Valmont might be involved in this?" Taranee wondered. "We haven't seen him in a while."
"I don't think so." Tohru shook his head, having worked with Valmont in the past, he was familiar with how he operates. "I can certainly see him doing something like this, but this is not how he would approach it. Someone else is involved here."
"My dad said something about a girl named Melinda, said that we might be lying about Elyon" Irma put in. "But I've never heard of her."
"I've met her." Alchemy said. "She seems nice."
"Then why is she trying to frame us?" Hay Lin asked.
"We'll figure this out." Jackie told the group. "But for now, I think it's best you all return home. Those detectives seem very persistent, and we don't want to raise any further suspicion."
The Brown residence has been boarded up since Elyon's disappearance months ago, but that did not stop Detectives McTiennan and Medina from getting their search warrant and entering the premises. Using the tip they got from Melinda, the two of them searched the dark basement first, their only source of light being from their flashlights.
Medina noticed an odd whiff in the air. "Do you smell that?"
"Smells like gas or even sulfur." McTiennan replied, catching the scent himself. "Something burnt here." He then spotted an odd-looking wall and went over to knock on it. "It's hollow."
"And it doesn't match the other walls." Medina noted. "I think it's new."
"We need equipment to take it down." McTiennan said.
"We also need to find out Chan and those girls now." Medina added before leaving the basement.
After waiting a few minutes for the detectives to vacate the premises, the mysterious wall fell apart in the form of a pile of sand, revealed to be Sandpit, who had Drago hiding behind him with an evil chuckle.
"Miranda might be onto something; I'm starting to like the slow-burn approach." Drago commented. "But now, I think it's time to turn up the heat." He dropped Will's calculator on the ground, planting false evidence for the so-called crime.
Vandom Residence.
"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Susan defended her daughter from the detectives as Will sat nervously on the sofa behind her mother. "My daughter is not a criminal!"
"We were at the Brown residence at three thirty pm earlier today." Medina explained. "There was a hollow wall that was not originally part of the building. When we returned with equipment to get through, the wall was gone."
"And what makes you think Will was responsible for that?" Susan questioned skeptically.
"Because this was on the floor of the basement when we got there!" McTiennan revealed Will's calculator in a plastic bag, much to hers and her mother's surprise.
"How did you get my calculator?" Will questioned as she stood up from her spot.
"You're hiding something." Medina told the girl. "Make it easy on yourself and come clean right now."
"Hold on a second." Susan stepped forward. "You said you were at Elyon's house at three thirty, right? When did you come back and notice that wall was gone?"
"We returned fifteen minutes to four." McTiennan answered.
"Will has been in this apartment the whole time!" Susan stated. "I don't know how her calculator ended up there, but she would not have enough time to go all the way to Elyon's house, take down a wall, and come back here! Perhaps you should check our math before making accusations! Other than that, do you have any kind of proof that my daughter or her friends are involved in some kind of… conspiracy? If not, then get out!"
The two detectives exchanged eye-contact. They had to admit that the time didn't quite add up right, but they could still tell that something else was going on and these girls were at the center of it.
"We'll leave." Medina said. "But if we find out that she is involved in some way… we will be back. And you'd better have a good lawyer." She and her partner left the apartment, taking the calculator with them as evidence, leaving Will and her mother alone as the girl sat down with an exhausted sigh.
"Thanks, Mom."
Susan turned to her daughter with a concerned expression. "Will, this could be serious. If you know something…"
"I don't!" Will cried out. "I don't know what's going on! I don't know where Elyon is, I don't know how my calculator ended up there, I just don't know!" She placed her hands on her face, the stress getting to her. Ironic in that she's fought the likes of Phobos, Tarakudo, and even freaking Shendu, and yet… this whole thing going on right now, it made her feel trapped. It was probably because she couldn't just use her powers to fight her way out like before.
Susan then sat down next to her daughter. "Okay. I believe you." She said calmly with an assuring smile as Will looked toward her. "I might not know what's going on but, I'm here you for you, Will. No matter what's happening, I'll always have your back. You know that, right?"
"Yeah… I know." Will honestly felt pretty bad that she was lying to her mom about her magical double-life, but she didn't want to freak her out with all the monsters and demons she's been fighting, or even put her in danger. But she was glad to still have her for emotional support.
Speaking of emotional support, Will wrapped her arms around her mother, who didn't hesitate to embrace her back. Though it wouldn't solve the problem, feeling her mother's warmth was enough to help elevate much of the stress she's been dealing with.
Will walked into her room to get some space, which Susan respected. The second she closed the door however…
"Incoming call for Will." She heard her cellphone speak out.
"Who's calling?" She asked as she moved away from the door, speaking lowly so that her mom couldn't overhear.
"Sammy, through one of those detective's radios. He says he's trying to warn you."
This might have something to do with what's been going on, so Will answered the phone. "Hello? Sammy?"
"Will, be careful! They're trying to frame you!"
"Who are 'they'?"
"Some scary lizard boy and a huge moving sand… thing, with a girl, Melinda!" Sammy told her. "They kidnapped me and left me for the cops to find!"
"Lizard boy…?" Her eyes widened in shock. "Drago!" That sand-thing was probably Sandpit, which would also mean that this Melinda-girl is really Miranda. "That explains a lot. Thanks for the tip, Sammy. I'll take care of it." She hung up and addressed her phone again. "Ed, call Jackie's phone. This just turned into a life-or-death situation here."
"I'm on it."
Later that night, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin, all three clad in their Guardian uniforms, flew to Elyon's house. Hay Lin carried Uncle with her while Taranee and Cornelia both helped to carry Tohru. The group landed in the backyard near the empty pool.
"You think Will and Jackie's plan will work?" Hay Lin asked.
"We're about to find out." Tohru said.
Suddenly, both Taranee and Cornelia felt a chill go down their spines. "Anyone else feel a little clammy?" Taranee asked.
"You two have the willies?" Uncle asked.
"Gee, I wonder why." The group looked up toward the rooftop of the house to see Drago looming over them.
"That explains it, Mr. Lizard Creep." Cornelia cringed just at the sight of him.
"There's no need to be so rude." Miranda said from behind in her human form, having taken off her wig and contacts. "Especially since we made all the trouble to invite you on this little playdate." She transformed into her spider-like form with Drago leaping off the rooftop to land in front of the group and Sandpit sliding down to reform next to him; the three villains circling around the five heroes.
"What's the old saying? 'Criminals always return to the scene of the crime'?" Drago mused. "You know, in the past… the crime for being a magic-user was usually being burnt at the stake or hung at the gallows. Nowadays it's all about labs and dissection tables."
"Either way, once people see you for what you really are… you can kiss your normal lives goodbye." Miranda hissed as she, Drago, and Sandpit went on the attack; lashing out with webbing, fire blasts, and streams of sand, forcing the group to scatter.
Uncle took out his blowfish and shot stun spells towards Drago, who swiftly dodged them before closing in to swipe his tail at Uncle to send him flying toward the fence. Tohru then grabbed Drago by his tail from behind to haul him over and slam him on the ground, but Drago kicked his feet at Tohru's hand, forcing the sumo to let go of his tail before unleashing his fire breath upon him.
Hay Lin flew in the air to try and gain some distance, but Sandpit quickly reached up to grab Hay Lin by the foot. Fortunately, Cornelia came to her aid as she focused her power over Earth on Sandpit's hand to break it apart, freeing Hay Lin and allowing her to blast the sentient sand with a cyclone to push him backwards.
Taranee stood with a flame in her hand, facing with Miranda as the giant spider shot a stand of webbing, which Taranee quickly incinerated.
"Looks like it's just you and me." Miranda sneered.
"You sure about that?" Taranee smirked as a mouse appeared on her shoulder. "Sick em, Scruffy!" The mouse leapt off Taranee and suddenly transformed into the Chan family dog, Scruffy, thanks to the Monkey Talisman on his collar, and then shifted into a Bengal Tiger to pounce on the surprised Miranda.
Meanwhile, back at Irma's house, her father had brought her downstairs where both McTiennan and Medina were waiting for her.
"No more games, young lady. We need answers, here and now." Tom told his daughter.
"Or would you rather we talk back at the station?" Medina added.
McTiennan felt his radio buzz and was quick to respond. "McTiennan?"
"Got complaints from the Browns' neighbors. Disturbances in the backyard."
"We're on it."
"B-But I have information!" Irma stated.
"Yeah, we'll catch up on the way." Medina led Irma to the police car outside with her father and McTiennan right behind her.
Scruffy in his tiger-form had Miranda pinned down as he tried to bite and claw at her. "Get off me, mutt!" She pushed him off before trying to web him to the ground. But Scruffy recovered and used the Monkey Talisman to transform into a grizzly bear and rush Miranda again, grabbing and biting her all over her body with his superior strength as she struggled in his grip.
Sandpit shot itself towards Tohru, who tried to barrel through with his shoulder, which caused Sandpit to break apart from the crash. But Sandpit was quick to reform itself and face Tohru again, who noticed Cornelia landing behind the sentient sand. She placed her hands on the ground and broke open the concrete with her earth-powers, exposing the water pipes underneath and blasting streams of water at Sandpit, causing its body to turn into a more solid mud-form.
"All yours, T-Man!" Cornelia told Tohru, who threw a solid punch in to knock the muddy Sandpit down, its current form was much more solid and more difficult to move around in, which made him vulnerable for Tohru to pound it into the ground with his superior strength.
Drago rushed around Hay Lin who tried to throw a series of razor-sharp air disks at him, but he was able to leap above Hay Lin's attack and fall to land a kick on her and knock her down. He felt a burning sensation as he got zapped in the back by Uncle's chi-blast, causing Drago to turn around with a growl before returning fire with an inferno from his mouth.
"Aiya!" Uncle exclaimed as the blast hit below his feet to knock him to the fence.
"Mess with a dragon, you're gonna get burned!" Drago grinned but looked upwards to see Taranee ready to face him, an inferno of her own was blazing around her whole body.
"Take your own advice."
The police car rushed through the streets, its sirens blaring loudly to clear away any possible traffic between its occupants and their destination. Irma continued to sit in the back as she tried to use her newfound powers on her dad and the detectives around her.
'Nothing's happening at the Browns'! Nothing's happening at the Browns'! Nothing's happening at the Browns'!'
"Something's happening at the Browns'!" McTiennan stated as they got closer to the house and saw a plum of smoke coming from the backyard.
"Gas leak maybe, spider-problem, or just some random weirdos causing trouble?" Irma deadpanned.
"We'll know soon enough." Tom said as he drove faster.
Taranee and Drago wrestled with each other, pressing their respective fire powers against one another through their palms. "Who knew you were so biblical, T?" Drago grinned. "And you're dancing with a literal demon. Getting a little forbidden romance vibes here?"
"Gross! No way!" Taranee pulled him down and drove her knee into his face to shake him up, causing him to loosen his grip before delivering a roundhouse kick, in which she added an explosive fireball at her feet, the force of the attack was enough to send Drago flying and crashing into the fence on the other side of the yard.
Bear-Scruffy continued to push, claw, and bite all over Miranda's spider-form as his strength was clearly superior to her own. She quickly shifted into her human form to escape from his grip and slide under him before turning back into her true form. She looked all over her body to see bleeding bite and claw marks all over her body before growling as she spat a ton of webbing all over Scruffy, who had turned back into his normal dog form and got caught in the sticky strands.
"Bleeding… from a mutt…!" Miranda growled in anger. "No one humiliates me like that!" She was about to leap toward the dog with deadly intent, only for a cyclone of wind to blast her away.
"And nobody hurts our little Scruffy!" Hay Lin glared as she quickly generated a pair of air-disks to cut the webbing away from Scruffy, who licked her in thanks, causing her to giggle. However, Scruffy noticed Sandpit reforming behind her, which earned a series of barks and growls.
Before Sandpit could make a move on her though, it got blasted by a series of stun-spells from Uncle, who ran around it; the chi-magic actually appeared to be hurting Sandpit as his body began to fall apart with each chi-blast. It tried to retreat, only to come face-to-face with Tohru and Cornelia again, the former cracking his massive knuckles.
The police car pulled up to the curb in front of Elyon's house and the three officers immediately got out.
"Irma, stay in the car!" Tom told his daughter as he and the two detectives made their way to the house.
"So much for stalling… I hope Jackie and Will have had enough time…" Irma muttered before using her mind trick powers again, concentrating as hard as she could. 'We have to get to the airport! We have to get to the airport! We have to get the airport!'
The detectives stopped in their tracks.
"We have to get to the airport!" McTiennan stated.
"Just what I was thinking." Medina added.
'Great minds think alike.' Irma smiled with relief as they all got back in the car and drove away from the house.
Cornelia concentrated and focused all her powers on Sandpit directly, trying to keep his body from moving and flowing. "Here's the problem with being made completely out of sand. You're also made out of earth." With her powers to keep Sandpit pinned, it left him open for Tohru to pound it relentlessly and unable to reform. Tohru even picked up Sandpit's form and threw it toward the fence, causing its body to break apart.
Hay Lin tried to throw more air-disks towards Miranda and slice through her webbing, keeping the spider on her toes. "What's the matter? Can't take a little breeze?" She mused, seemingly unaware of Drago appearing on the house's rooftop above her, ready to attack her.
But Taranee noticed. 'Hay Lin! Behind you!' She warned her with psychic abilities, wanting to not warn Drago in the process. Acting quickly, Hay Lin turned invisible just as Drago jumped down, but was completely shocked to find that she was no longer there.
"What the…?"
Multiple vines then emerged from the ground, courtesy of Cornelia, and ensnared around Drago, causing him to trip up and fall into the empty pool. Miranda was about to leap and attack Cornelia in response, only to have Uncle quickly stand in her way and deliver a kick to her face to knock her into the pool along with Drago.
Scruffy barked and growled at the reforming Sandpit, already using the Monkey Talisman to turn into a wolf, ready to fight back. But when the sentient sand was about to strike the transformed dog, Cornelia was about to reach out and grab Scruffy, her protective instinct over their pet dog taking over.
But she unknowingly caused a nearby trashcan to fly on top of Sandpit, catching and trapping it inside.
"Thanks Hay Lin." Cornelia told the girl, who turned visible again.
"That wasn't me." She spoke.
"But that means…" Taranee came to the same realization Cornelia did.
"I have new powers, too!" Cornelia declared as she telekinetically grabbed the lid for the trashcan and forced it over the can. Tohru then quickly grabbed the can and kept the lid on as tight as he could, Sandpit was struggling hard to escape.
"Taranee! Seal it!" Tohru told her, the Fire Guardian quickly flying over and using her powers to weld the lid over the can, thoroughly trapping Sandpit.
"Telekinesis baby. Just when I thought I couldn't get any cooler." Cornelia said smugly as Tohru tossed the sealed can into the empty pool with Miranda and Drago just as the latter escaped from his bindings. He looked up to see that he was thoroughly surrounded by Cornelia, Uncle, Taranee, Hay Lin, Tohru, and Scruffy, still in the form of a growling wolf, all of whom were more than ready to keep the fight going.
"Tiny baby dragon defeated." Uncle proclaimed.
"For now." Drago growled as he used the ring his mother gave him to open a Fold.
"Enjoy this little victory… from your prison cells!" Miranda sneered as she pulled the trapped Sandpit into the fold with Drago moving in behind them just as the Fold closed.
"Drago does have a means to open Folds." Tohru noted.
"So, he and the Knights can cross between Earth and Meridian whenever they want." Taranee said. "Yeah, that's gonna be a real pain."
"You think we bought enough time for everyone to do their thing?" Hay Lin asked hopefully.
Cornelia pulled out her phone to see a series of confirming texts she had received during the fight. "Yep, we're good."
Tom, McTiennan and Medina had just arrived at Heatherfield's airport with Irma stepping out of the police car behind them.
"Uh… tell me again why we needed to get to the airport?" Tom asked in confusion.
Medina however spotted a certain someone in the crowd. "Look! It's Chan!" She pointed towards Jackie and Jade, both acting like they didn't even notice the police as they made their way inside.
The detectives tried to get to him, but it was hard for them and Tom to make their way through the dense crowd. Irma simply followed from behind, a triumphant smile on her face. She knew they had already won by this point.
It was hard, but the three were able to get through the crowded entrance and toward one of the terminals where Jackie and Jade both appeared to be waiting.
"That's it! You're coming with us!" McTiennan told him.
"And what exactly am I being charged with?" Jackie questioned.
McTiennan struggled to give a solid answer. "I… um… you…"
"What are you doing here at the airport?" Medina questioned. "And give us a straight answer."
"We're here to meet up with Elyon. Duh." Jade answered.
"Wait… what?!" McTiennan questioned.
"Jade! Irma!" They all heard Elyon's voice as the group turned to see Elyon, her parents, and even Caleb with a load of luggage, appearing to have gotten back form a flight.
"Elyon?!" Tom looked in absolute surprise along with the detectives.
"She's here?!" Medina exclaimed.
"Speak of the devil…. Hey, girl! How ya been?" Jade greeted Elyon as the pair shard a high-five with Jackie to greet the Browns with handshakes.
"Oh, you would not believe how much you've been missed!" Irma walked up to give the girl a hug.
"I'm so glad you guys came to meet me." Elyon smiled. "Allow me to introduce… my cousin Caleb and my new… Puppy." She gestured to Caleb who carried a pet-carrier in his hand.
"Uh… Blunk barks! Bark, bark!" The 'puppy' inside barked for emphasis.
"Okay, can someone explain to me what the hell is going on here?!" McTiennan questioned.
"Allow me." Captain Black stepped up, showing them his badge. "August Black, Section 13. Due to the professions of Mr. and Mrs. Brown, we had evidence and reason to believe that they, and potentially their daughter, would become targets for the international crime syndicate known as the Dark Hand. For their own safety, they had to leave the country under my agency's observations until the matter was settled."
"The Dark Hand…? That does sound familiar…" Medina recalled. "But I thought all their resources were spent and their leader was missing."
"Exactly." Captain Black confirmed. "Though Valmont remains at large, we have confirmation that the Dark Hand is officially neutralized. All its assets have been seized, its agents detained, and its operations crippled. Now the Browns can return to their home in safety."
"Did you know about this?" McTiennan questioned to Jackie.
"Mr. Chan has done some side-work for my agency during some of his archeological digs." Captain Black answered for him. "We're acquainted with one another."
"Irma… did… did you know about this too…?" Tom looked to his daughter in surprise.
"That was kinda my fault." Elyon 'confessed'. "I invited all my friends over to my house one time and they… kinda overheard Captain Black talking with my parents. So… they were kinda sworn to secrecy too… Sorry." She tried to put on a guilty expression.
"Oh geeze…" Tom was instantly hit with a truckload's worth of guilt. "Sorry girls." He apologized to Jade and Irma, rubbing the back of his neck. "You too… Jackie." He said to the man.
"It's alright." Jackie assured that there were no hard feelings. "These were unusual circumstances. As a police officer you were concerned for your community, so do not worry about it." He offered his hand to Tom, who shook it with a smile.
"As for you two…" Captain Black approached McTiennan and Medina, who couldn't help but look nervous at his stern glare. "I'm aware you've taken a rather intense approach in the form of interrogating minors with little-to-no evidence to suggest they were involved in any sort of crime."
"Oh… Um… see…" McTiennan tried to come up with an excuse.
"We… were just…" Medina stuttered the same way.
"If it were up to me, I'd have both your badges for acting in such an unprofessional manner." Captain Black scolded. "Now you better get back to your station before I contact your supervisors about your behavior."
"Y-yes sir!" McTiennan straightened up, sweat pouring from his face.
"It won't happen again, sir!" Medina also sweated before the pair left.
Jade, Irma, and Elyon shared knowing grins with one another, glad that their plan worked. After learning Drago was involved, and contacting Jackie about it, Will came up with the plan to travel to Meridian via Folding and tell Elyon and her adoptive parents about the situation before returning to Earth in her room, where she spent the entire night, to make it look as if she never left in the first place. After getting their plan to Captain Black; Jackie and Jade went to the airport while the rest of their friends dealt with Drago and his forces just as Elyon used her own powers to create a Fold to allow herself, her adoptive family, and Caleb to cross over and make it look like they just got back from a flight.
Their plan was a complete success.
The Next Day - Sheffield Institute
"So, Will and I convinced Alborn and Miriadel, I mean the Browns, that I need to finish the school year." Elyon finished explaining to Jade, Alchemy, Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Cornelia as the seven girls stood together outside the main gate of the school with Jackie, Caleb, and the Enforcers all on the sidewalk beside them. "I'll be commuting to and from Meridian every day."
"So will I." Caleb revealed. "I'm enrolling to make sure Elyon stays safe."
"Bet you're happy to hear that, eh Corny?" Jade teased the blonde with an elbow to her side, earning an eyeroll from her.
"But won't classes be boring for the queen of the castle?" Cornelia asked.
"Give me schoolbooks over sewage projects any day." Elyon replied.
"We also know about all this Demon Chi stuff that's been going on." Finn put in. "So, if you need any help…"
"Oh, thank you." Jackie smiled. "I'm certain we can handle it, but I do appreciate the offer."
"Oh and speaking of demons…" Elyon began as her smile faded. "A couple days ago, I talked with Shendu…"
"What?!" Cornelia exclaimed as the girls and even Jackie all looked in shock. "Why they hell would you do that?!"
"I wanted to see if it was true that Drago was his son." Elyon replied. "And… turns out… he is."
"Are you certain?" Jackie asked with a serious expression.
"Absolutely." Elyon confirmed in the same serious tone of voice.
That's when it all began to sink in for them. The fire-breathing humanoid demon that has been giving them trouble for the past couple of weeks really was the offspring of the Ultimate Evil. They thought he may have been bluffing at first, but to hear it confirmed was something else altogether.
"That's… that's really disturbing." Taranee commented.
"Well… hey, we kicked junior's butt before, we can do it again." Jade said to add some positivity and confidence.
"Yeah, we know he's not invincible. He's nowhere near Papa's level." Irma added.
"And our powers are getting way stronger, plus we got all that new power stuff going on too!" Hay Lin also said.
"And we totally sent him and his pals running last night." Cornelia said as well.
"That's right." Will stated with determination. "It doesn't matter that he's Shendu's son, we're going to stop him no matter what."
"And I got your guys' back." Elyon stepped up. "Show dragon-boy why he should not mess with my friends."
"That's the spirit." Jackie nodded with approval.
"Yeah… Little E's so strong she could probably wipe the floor and ceiling with Junior." Finn added.
"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Alchemy asked the Enforcers.
"Yeah, no offense, but you're a little too old to be going to this school." Taranee added. "Unless you're substitute teachers or something."
"That I'd actually pay to see." Irma snarked.
"Nah, we're just here to see the boys off." Ratso added.
"Boys…?" Will looked in surprise. "Wait… you guys have kids?!"
"I got a nephew." Finn replied.
"Same here." Chow added.
"My sister's got a kid too." Ratso put in.
"I actually talked with them and Captain Black about this." Jackie revealed to the girls. "Their nephews are going to be attending this school with you."
The girls all looked toward each other in surprise, even Elyon didn't expect this. "Okay… but why?" Cornelia asked.
"Well Elyon's a good kid and you guys are all good too, figured the nephews would keep good company here." Chow answered.
"Yeah, give em some positive influence." Finn added.
"So, they don't end up bums, like us." Ratso added with some guilt evident in his voice.
Jackie couldn't help but smile with pride at his former enemies' attempt at giving their nephews better lives than the ones they led, even Caleb had to silently admit that was very honorable. The girls were surprised at first, before smiles formed on each of their faces.
"Wow… that's… that's really cool of you guys." Hay Lin smiled.
"You turned three crooks into loving uncles? I'm impressed." Jade smirked to Elyon.
"That's our Elyon!" Alchemy threw her arms around her, causing them both to laugh.
"Look who's coming." Finn pointed toward an incoming school bus, which pulled over and allowed three boys to step off, three boys that bore a strong resemblance to said Enforcers. One was Caucasian with dark red hair, the second was of Chinese ethnicity with spikey blue hair, the third was larger than the other two with heavy clothing and orange hair underneath a cap.
"Frank."
"Charlie."
"Uh… Rocko."
"Yeah, I can definitely see the resemblance." Jade commented.
"Your nephews… don't know about all this magic stuff that's been going on, right?" Caleb asked Ratso.
"No, we didn't tell em." He shook his head.
"Well, no time like the present, let's introduce ourselves." Will volunteered as the girls walked up to get acquainted with their new classmates.
Lair Residence
Irma laid on her bed, listening to music on her personal radio, when her father came in with an ashamed expression, and sat down on her bed next to her.
"What I do now? Steal the last ice cream bar?" She questioned rhetorically.
"I deserved that." Tom said. "I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time."
"Oh, it's okay." Irma smiled as she sat up. "I have been acting… weird lately. I don't know… maybe I'm just… growing up?"
"Well, I'm awfully proud of who you're growing up to be." Tom smiled back as they shared a hug. "But there is still one thing that doesn't make sense. Why did that Melinda girl say all that stuff?"
"Yeah… her name isn't Melinda, it's Miranda." Irma revealed. "She doesn't even go to our school. She's… kinda something of a bully. I didn't say anything about her because I didn't think she was worth mentioning."
"But still, lying to the police about something like that… all just to get to you? That's serious." Her father said with a serious expression of his own. "I think I'm gonna have a nice long chat with this girl."
"I wouldn't stress." Irma assured. "Captain Black already did so… I don't think you'll have to worry about her anymore."
"Well, if she does try to mess with you again, just let me know." Tom said with a smirk that matched his daughter's. "Nobody screws with my little girl and gets away with it."
"Awe, I love you too, Dad." She shared another hug with her father.
Vandom Residence
"And that's pretty much the whole story, Mom." Will explained to Susan the story that she, Jackie, the other girls, and Captain Black all came up with to explain Elyon's disappearance. "I'm sorry I didn't say anyting to you, it's just…"
"Will, it's okay." Her mother assured. "I understand. And I know it's not your fault, but please try to stay away from stuff like that. Crime syndicates and government work? You're way too young to be worrying about stuff like that."
"I know. Don't worry, it won't happen again." Will promised. "But, thanks for believing in me. I really needed that."
"I'm your mother, Will. I said it before, and I'll say it again as many times I'd like; I'll always be here for you, even when you're forty years old." Susan said in a joking sense.
"Ew! Do I really look forty?!" Will joked back as they shared a laugh and a hug.
"But seriously, I am very proud of how grown up you've been since we came here." Susan tightened her hug. "And I'm so happy you've made such wonderful friends."
"So am I, Mom. So am I."
However, unbeknownst to them; the mother-daughter pair were being watched from the roof of the building across from the street by another mother and her son.
"Awe that's sweet." Drago grinned as he stood alongside Nerissa. "Want me to go ruin it for them? Expose some identities since Miranda's plan failed?"
"No, let these Guardians savor their small and empty victory." The old sorceress replied. "It'll be all the more satisfying when they ultimately lose the war."
"The next Demon Chi should be awakening soon." Drago said to his mother. "You sure you really don't want to get your hands on any of it? That's some serious power right there."
"It's fine." Nerissa confirmed. "This little quest for the Demon Chi is but a distraction for our so-called heroes while our real strategy is in play. But be certain that it doesn't fall into unworthy hands. It could be quite the dangerous wild card if we just ignore it."
"Speaking of wild cards, what do we do about little Jade?" Drago asked. "You didn't have any Shadow Guardians on your team."
"Yes… that was unexpected." Nerissa said as her smile faded only briefly before her grin reformed. "But a problem is really just a misunderstood opportunity. We'll find a way to make it work for us in the long run. But for now, my boy, keep them occupied. They can't stop what we've set into motion."
"Alright, catch ya later, Mom." Drago used his ring to open a Fold and disappear from the rooftop.
Nerissa paid one last glance at the Vandom family, her eyes setting on Will briefly and even Susan and how well they seemed to be getting along.
"You seem like such a proud and happy mother. I imagine the two of us would get along quite well." Nerissa said. "Perhaps someday, we can have a chat ourselves… mother-to-mother." Nerissa cackled before disappearing in the night.
Done.
So that all happened. Like in canon; we had Drago and Miranda working together to try and frame the Guardians for Elyon's disappearance, and like the canon, they were soundly defeated, and Elyon's cover is still intact, thanks to Captain Black who gave those pretty bad detectives a nice little tongue-lashing. I mean seriously, they interrogated kids and treated them like criminals with little-to-no evidence! That was incredibly unprofessional, even in the canon show!
We also got to meet the Enforcers' nephews; Frank, Charlie, and Rocko, who are now attending Sheffield with the girls, and they will be getting a semi-major role in this series as opposed to appearing in one episode. I like the potential those three have and I can't wait to write them.
Also, unlike in the canon, Will's mom won't attempt to have them move because of how much better Will has been doing in school. Jackie is making sure that all the girls have a proper balance with school and their magical duties (because he's Jackie) and we know how much of a positive influence he's had on the girls already. So that's good. You'll see how things go for the episode that deals with that in the canon, as well as the fight in the dreamscape.
Will is also now aware of her own power over Quintessence as opposed till finding out about it later in the show. Yan Lin and Uncle want to make sure things don't end up like how they did with Nerissa, so the'll be working closely with Will to help her in mastering her powers without being overwhelmed by them. We also saw a glimpse of Jade's additional powers, which includes the ability to nullify and even extinguish light, handy for a quick escape. But there's way more to it than just that. Let me put it like this; Jade's powers will grow to the point they can be considered equal to Will's own element of Quintessence. And that is why their friendship is so important, because the two balance each other out and help to bring out the best in one another. I'm really looking forward to writing more on the growth of both their powers and their friendship.
Speaking of Nerissa, we know now that she really doesn't care for the Demon Chi. If Drago and the Knights do manage to get some, then of course she'll find a way to use it to her advantage. But in the long run, it's not really crucial to her plan. She and Drago are just having the Knights seek it out because the Demon Chi could be a real wild card if left unchecked, and she knows that her former friend Jin (Uncle) will find a way to contain it and keep it from being used, which will only work to her own advantage in the end. She is truly a chess master and I love that in her as a villain.
We'll get back into the hunt for the Demon Chi in the next chapter as Uncle has already built the Chi-omatic to find and contain the evil power for when it awakens. Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there. Love you guys.
