A/N: Before I begin, let me answer a question that everyone reading this fic will be asking. NO, this is not the conclusion to "Say Uncle". It's a fact that many of the other writers are finishing up their stories at the speed of might. Well, not Tajeri Lynn.
My website is up. Click on my name and then to homepage to find it. Little updates are the least I can do with every month.
Saw the movie "XXX" with Vin Diesel. Who says this is the worst movie of the year? This one rocks. I wish Ratso would look at Captain Black and say, "Hey, it's the guy from 'XXX'." That'd be funny.
Jackie Chan Adventures are from Sony TV and Jackie Chan, who's still trying to find his own little blockbuster without the aid of Chris Tucker.
Chapter 7: Misgivings
"Hey, Jackie, is that your Uncle's store?" Angus exclaimed to his hour-old friend.
Uncle's 8-Trax was at the forefront of a disaster. Columns of smoke were pouring from out of its foundations, and flickers of unstable orange flame crept out of the rooftop.
A wide-eyed Jackie squinted at the intense heat and began running in before a scorching timber collapsed right beside his feet. Angus barely got a fistful of Jackie's shoulder to make the save. But Jackie's hesitation had nothing to thank of Black.
"Don't do it, Jackie!" Angus called at him. "You're going to die!"
"And Uncle won't?" Jackie glanced hard at his friend. "Call the fire station to save the shop. I'll save Uncle!" He pulled off the grip.
"Wha-what...Jackie, this is suicide!" Angus frowned as Jackie immediately dashed inside the woodwork, disappearing through the fallen timber of fire. Angus looked on helplessly and ran to a payphone with a quarter change from his lunch money. "Uh! He's a braver soul than I am. Wasn't for the fact that he'd kill himself, I'd be proud of him!"
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A coat of strong fibrous material was thrown onto the lap of a rested Jackie, who was awaiting the execution of Captain Black's rescue mission. "Huh" he stared.
Captain Black muffled Jackie's raven hair. "You're stressed out, Jackie, relax. Tohru's chi spell won't go away long as you're around. And this jacket, well, nothing like it to warm you up when you got cold shoulders."
"How much longer till we make our way to Tibet?"
"3 hours, tops. Tohru's whipping up several bottles of chi power in case Daolan tries to get the upper hand....which he won't."
"Black, do you remember how we were back in the 4th grade?"
"Yes, you had the same hair and I had a mohawk. Testosterone made me do some crazy things back then."
"No, not that. I mean....the incident at the shop?"
"Jackie, I thought we agreed never to talk about that again. Your Uncle fervently refused to tell you what happened so don't expect him to tell it again either. I don't know if he can even remember-"
Jackie glared at Captain Black. It sounded like he was addressing the amnesia as permanent.
"Um, not in THAT way," Black corrected himself. "Look, Jackie, you almost lost your Uncle before but it doesn't mean you have to go back thinking that moment over. We've got to save your Uncle now, so let's get a move on it and think over the geography until then."
"Right...." Jackie sighed as he moved out of his seat.
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"What do you mean you want back in?" Kenzo talked to the cellular phone in the midst of the dark, dank castle of Daolan Wong. His one free hand was whipping the air around him, as if he yearned to reprimand the caller face to face. His hand plopped to his side. "You did? How did you-? All the time Wong spent on negotiations, and you managed to do so in a week?!"
"Who speaks of me?" Daolan turned, disturbed that his name would be mentioned by one of his lowers and an as-yet anonymous speaker. "What is it that you're agreeing upon?" the dark chi wizard spoke alertly, his staff tapping the ground at the same time carrying him toward his henchman.
"It's Portia," Kenzo muffled the speaking end of his phone. "She wants another bonus to our shares. Considering where she went all this time, it's enigmatic. She says she went over to our map man, talked him over with the sum you gave her. He took the bait."
"What bait?"
"The reward YOU gave her SHE'll give to HIM, and now HE wants to give YOU what YOU want," Kenzo spoke, aggravated of the senior's stubborn lack of next-generation grammar.
"He wants to give the map just like that? If only I had considered that sooner...." Daolan mumbled. "Give the phone to me, I must speak to Portia."
"You know how to work a phone?"
"I know how to speak and listen!" the wizard irately shouted as Kenzo gave the phone to his clammy hands. Kenzo actually let go of the phone the moment Daolan's fingertips brushed it. There was something criminal about touching his long, ugly fingers. "I underestimated you, Portia. I never thought you came up with so wise a strategy."
"No need to flatter me, Mr. Wong. Our map man always had a love for gold."
Daolan closed his eyes. "Sigh...Why do mortals always settle for coins?"
"In case you don't notice, Wong," spoke Vanessa Barone, using her whip at basically nothing, "we ARE working for you to get paid." She walked out of the way.
The dark chi wizard scowled. "Silence! I shall not be upstaged by a pitiful lot of human mortals!"
Portia chuckled. "Now, calm down, Mr. Wong. I haven't got the details yet."
"Of course. The location of where the agreement shall be made!" he realized. "Where will I be?"
"You will be at Las Vegas, the city of sin. Our man's secured a motel room. I think he's hoping to kill some of the money off with the slots after the deal's been settled. Tomorrow at 9 in the evening."
After a few exchange of words, Daolan handed the phone back to Kenzo. "Then we should be off to Las Vegas steadfast, but what's this I hear? An iron bird?"
"It's called an airplane, and it's coming toward us most uninvitingly," Vanessa frowned. "Archaeologists scouring your prehistoric household? Or perhaps it's just government agents coming to strangle us?"
"Never mind that. This castle will be vacant as we speak. Kenzo, speak with the map man while we come to the destination. I must know if what Portia speaks of is true. Vanessa, you and the Gloves handle Kirishima. He's a decrepit creature, but he remains the only one who can use the sword, and the key. I must be off to conjure the relocation spell." He walked up the gray stairs leading to his boiling gold cauldron. Kenzo disappeared to start dialing the map man.
"Ur. Just when I think I'm free from one senior, I have to go and fetch another!" complained Vanessa out loud.
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The lavatory of the Section 13's official craft was the sight of a chi laboratory constructed by Tohru. Captain Black made it clear that everyone present was to have gone to a lavatory right before getting aboard. Regulations were made even to fit the most official of friends.
Tohru held up a jar of what resembled greenish lemonade, but sparkles of luminescent colors revealed its magical nature as he shook the jar to check its potency for his and Jackie's viewing. "This jar of chi is a very important spell. Daolan Wong has magical spells allowing him to move from place to place. However, these and many other of his strongest spells can only be made possible if he's able to speak them. This silencing charm will last up to a few days. If only I wasn't still an apprentice, I'd have found a way to prolong it."
"You're doing what you can, Tohru, and it's very good. What about Uncle?" Jackie asked. "Have you found anything to help him?"
Tohru regrettably shook his head. "I'm afraid the curse of Kirishima is far too legendary for a counter-spell to found. We can only hope the Horse Talisman will do its job."
BOOM!
"What was that?" Jackie asked.
"Stormy weather up ahead, Jackie, and it's coming from down below. Looks like Dim Sum Wong's got some heat-packing cavalry of his own," called Captain Black.
"Unfortunately, the spells can only work up close to Wong," Tohru said.
"Not to worry, Tohru, Jackie," Black threw a shiny suitcase towards Chan and the sumo, and Jackie caught it. "Those men may have the guns, but you guys got something better."
Jackie and Sumo traded inquisitive glances, and opened up the suitcase to reveal.... "The talismans!" Jackie exclaimed. He stared up at his American friend. "Why did you bring these with us? Daolan Wong could steal these things!"
"Not if you can help it. They're the best means of offense against the fireworks....though I have to admit, the show's been stopping quite recently." Indeed, the night sky was unoccupied save for tropical birds fluttering from neighboring forests.
"Wong may be trying to escape. We must act quickly," Jackie spoke. "Tell the pilot to take us down."
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The dark spiraling columns leading down to the main room of the castle were as dizzying an ordeal as when Jackie and Black had first experienced them before, only now Tohru and several armed elites of Section 13 shared in the tumult as well. Black led the way if because he claimed this required sharp eagle eyes. Jackie still had the location charm with him though so the majority of the gang kept following the sumo while Black disappeared and got lost amidst the chambers. He finally came running back from behind them. Daolan Wong must've changed the architecture, the agent put it succinctly....
"He's here," Tohru pointed to an open door that was glowing flashing white. He slowly lifted the vial of greenish liquid from his black overalls.
Jackie then felt a tinge of relief within him, but he knew what this meant. "Uncle's locator spell has ended. We can not lose him." He clutched the Dog Talisman and Rabbit Talisman in one hand, and the Horse Talisman, for Uncle obviously, in the other. He nodded, Tohru nodded and they both ran in.
"Stay back, men," said Captain Black, rubbing an itchy thumb over his life-ender's metal sheen. "We'll leave the experts, er, magical experts, at it."
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The flashing white was the frame of a portal that Daolan made possible by his incessant mumbling.
"Vanessa's in, and so is Kirishima," Kenzo replied, swinging a shotgun. "We're the only two le- Them!"
"What?" Daolan turned and eyed the charging invaders in the castle. "Foolish pests!" He swung his crooked cane, glowing dangerously blue. "I shall destroy them-"
WHACK!
Like a human lightning bolt, Jackie came charging, clouds of dust erupting like mushrooms behind his shoes. His right shoulder tackled the sternum area of Daolan Wong, getting numbed for but half a moment. Now normally, Chan wouldn't condone the physical impairment of an old man, but a dangerous, maniacal and worse magical old man was not someone to feel hospitable over. Staff still in hand, Daolan Wong bumped into a table of old books, launching a rain of yellowed pages pouring over the scene.
Kenzo pointed his sawed-off shotgun haphazardly, whipping flying pages as he circled around for his targets. A weighty hand nabbed the shotgun in front of him and a second hand of equal mass came to snap the weapon as if it were a twig. The image of Tohru emerged as he grabbed Kenzo's shoulder, levitating him by about three feet. "Where's Kirishima, Yokanawa?"
"You're wasting your time, mama's boy," Kenzo sneered, his hands digging his purple pants pocket. "We're getting along quite nicely and are out to have a picnic." With precision, Kenzo catapulted a flash grenade off his palm, and before Tohru could make out what popped up, a seemingly instantaneous asteroid beamed at his eyes. Kenzo shied his face away from the blast, and to sufficient effect, as he can feel himself dropped and ran forward while the sumo was moaning, roaring even, at his temporary blindness.
"Tohru!" shouted Jackie, but a ghostly spirit crashed into his chest and he coiled backward, rolling like a fish thrown out of his river.
"I never thought I'd see the day that I will control both the Good Chi Wizard and his treasured nephew," smiled Daolan, but those would be the last words he'd speak of for some time, as a greenish beam emitting from Tohru's vial of chi came to zip his shocked maw shut.
"Impossible!" Kenzo grumbled.
"I may not see, but not all spells need eyes!" Tohru murmured as he held the active vial, spouting his sensei's treasured magic words, "Gyu Mo Gue Guai Fai Dei Tzao", rhythmically.
Daolan cursed aloud, or so his eyes would tell.
Kenzo loaded a fist-sized shell into a makeshift flare gun. "See if you can see this!" He pointed the gun to turn Tohru's brain into spaghetti and meatballs. "Uh!" He missed sight of a swift sweep across his ankles as the gun clattered until a 12-size sole pressed over it.
"Mind if I butt in?" said Captain Black, raising his gun. Agents were scouring the area like bugs, though the kind meant to take out the pests. Black apparently had been the fastest.
Kenzo saw the gun and grabbed the arm holding it. He looked to catch Black by surprise by rolling the cop over the gangster's back, but Black thought this would come and retaliated with a patella to the gut. Kenzo drew his breath and waddled, arms still around Black, but then the portal behind him saved his day as he had tipped into it and would not be let go.
"What the-" Black said as the force pulled him inside as well!
"Black!" shouted Jackie. "Daolan!" he shouted as he saw Daolan vying to rescue himself through the portal. Jackie clenched his fists and became dismayed that the talismans had been knocked far from his reach, inches too far for the blinded sumo to even grab. "Tohru!" he shouted. "Oh, it's no use, saying names won't help me!" He came to and cried out like a brazen warrior, as he clutched the running Daolan's shoulders by the tip of his palms.
And he too ran into the portal.....
TO BE CONTINUED...
There, my first update since...November? I actually kept this new chapter out for some time. I really missed writing this one up and hope to finish it before the end of this year. Well, amigos, go off now and do somethin' else. Adios, and I'll be continuing to write when I go to summer school!
TLEL