Dark Hand, Dark Heart
Part III
Brenna "Snakelady" Dawkins
A Jackie Chan Adventures Fanfic

Rating: R Disclaimer: Jackie Chan and subsequent characters belong to Jackie Chan and associates. It'd be pretty useless to sue me since I have nothing! I've made no profit nor will see any from this fic.

Summary: Finn contemplates leaving the Dark Hand for good. Chow presses him for a reason why. Rape, yaoi, violence, language. Not for kiddies! F/V, F/C

Author's Note: Yes, I realize that there is a continuity flaw here. This is an alternative universe JCA. Our boys are back with Valmont who got repossessed by Shendu--- you know how crafty Shendu is, if he can talk his brethren into sending him back to possess Jackie, then he can do it again. This is after the Daolon Wong/Dark Chi Warrior saga but just before Oni and it was Valmont who got our boys out of jail in my version. Our poor boys have been through a lot, haven't they!

"Where do we find half of these ingredients?" Ratso complained.

Back at the hide out, they had poured over the spell book they had 'acquired' from the old Chan uncle's antique shop. And when the spell referenced a few other books, they had gone five finger discount shopping for the others. They knew they had to get the spell right. Chi spells were tricky and could be dangerous. Several years of experience taught them all that.

"How the Hell should I know?" Chow asked feeling uptight. He didn't like messing with this stuff. It spooked him. After the whole Chi Warrior mess, he really just wanted to try to forget all that magic. But this was for Finn. He wouldn't be willing to do this for anyone else, except for maybe Ratso. "Just--- let's just get it done."

Ratso nodded, while Finn just stared off into the distance lost in thought. Chow didn't want to know what sort of things his Irish friend might have on his mind. Whenever he tried to envision him and Shendu in Valmont's body doing the things Finn said the demon did--- it just freaked him out all the more. He was amazed at how calm Finn was, despite it all. He knew if it had been him, he'd be a total basket case after the first time. He had to admire Finn for keeping such a brave front. Of course, if pressed, Finn blew up at them, but Chow couldn't blame him for that either. Finn hadn't told them any real details and for that, Chow was glad. The Chinaman shook his head when he found himself dwelling too much on the subject.

Why did it bother him so much? He shrugged it off and continued to read through the spell and accompanying instructions. Ratso wrote down the list of ingredients and tools Chow called out that were needed to complete the incantation as he read. It was a long list and a complex spell. It would require all three of them to cast, but luckily, Shendu was not needed. But they did have to be in the spot where Shendu hung out most, and lately, that was Valmont's office. Where the rapes took place, Chow found himself thinking again uncomfortably.

"Chow?" Ratso noted that the smallest Enforcer hadn't called out anything in a while and looked like he was just staring into the book blankly.

"What?" Chow muttered angrily as he came back to his senses.

"Just--- checking." Ratso sighed. He wasn't sure what to think about all this. He felt bad for Finn, but was afraid of going against Shendu. "Is this really going to be a good idea?"

Chow glared at the lumpy Enforcer. "We have to get rid of Shendu--- for good this time. We have to make sure that the damn demon can never come back to this side of existence! All he's ever done is create chaos."

"We helped him do it." Ratso fingered his lower lip thoughtfully.

Chow refused to acknowledge that disturbing bit of truth. The fact that Shendu was back at all this third time WAS their fault. Technically, the first time was their fault as well. And they bowed and scraped to his twisted will, just so they wouldn't end up getting hurt or worse and maybe even rewarded in the end. Yes, sad but true. And it was rare when Chow even dwelled that far into the facts. He didn't like thinking about it. He was just doing his job. Yeah, and look where THAT got them? He cast a sympathetic eye Finn's way but the Irishman still wasn't paying attention.

"Why did we have to have that stupid diamond?" Ratso brooded. "We coulda gotten it without havin to free Shendude."

"It was Valmont's choice. The dude needed it for his laser. We'd have had the best bargaining tool ever. And if the jerk didn't pay us what we asked, well, we'd still have the diamond." Chow reminded the lug.

"But we don't got the diamond, or the ransom. All we got is Shendude- -- again. And worse then ever." Ratso continued to complain.

"I know that!" Chow exploded. "What do you think we're doing here now?"

"I know." And this time Ratso spared Finn a questioning look. "Will this work?"

Chow just shrugged and continued to read. Ratso decided to shut up. Chow was not in a good mood, and Ratso noticed he was acting a bit more high strung then usual.

"I think that's all we need. Let's go shopping." Chow commanded.

"Now? No place is open this time of night." Ratso reminded him.

To which Chow replied, "So?"

Ratso understood. "Hey, Finn, you gonna come with?"

Finn finally seemed to come around to this side of reality. "What?" His tone indicted he hadn't heard a thing that was said the whole time.

"Wanna go shopping for supplies?" Ratso tried to smile.

Finn didn't want to do anything. Except leave. "No."

"Come on, Finn. This is all for you anyway." Ratso pleaded.

"This isn't going to work. You know it, I know it, even Chow knows it." Finn said.

Chow glowered at his Finn then called. "Ratso!"

Ratso nodded and proceeded to lumber over to where Finn was seated. Finn rolled his eyes up at the slow-witted thug.

"This again?" Finn grumbled.

"Sorry, Finn." And Ratso grabbed the Irishman by the shoulders and squeezed, then hoisted the disco dude up into the air and forced him to stand beside the chair. "Come on."

So off they went. Chow, feeling paranoid, took the book with the spell with them. He didn't want it out of his site. Finn was compelled to go with them, with Ratso ushering him along again. He felt hollow inside. And chilled. It wasn't a chill that could be warmed by any fire, not even dragonfire. He wanted to just wither away and die. It was as if Shendu had sucked the life from him. He didn't know how to get it back.

They walked down the waterfront. By this time, they could see the first hints of an early dawn. Chow had the book hidden in his jacket and had the list of items out. He hoped that they could get everything that was needed. They didn't have much time. They had to do this now. If they didn't Finn was going to leave and Chow wasn't about to let that happen.

"So, let's get this done." Chow said distractedly.

"Ain't we goin' to the Farmer's Market? For the--- whatever maize is?" Ratso did his best to recite what he could remember from the list.

"That's wild corn." Chow enlightened the slow-wit. "And we need a mortar and pestle, but it's gotta be granite, not marble."

"Why?" Ratso wondered.

Chow was none too gentle, "Cause that's what the spell requires!"

"What's an athema?" Ratso continued.

"It draws a protective circle around the caster." Chow recalled from his research.

"Um, do we got one of them?"

Chow was uncertain, "I don't know."

"What does one look like?"

Chow looked over his notes again, "Um, I don't know. I don't have it written here." He wanted to kick himself. He'd been so busy worrying over Finn, he hadn't done quite as detailed a job as he should have.

"What happens if we can't find everything we need for the spell?" Ratso voiced the very thing that Chow kept worrying about.

"We will find everything we need." Chow growled. "Stop trying to put a hex on the whole damn thing!"

"Sorry."

Finn was quiet through the whole thing. He really wasn't paying attention. He didn't want to be there. He let Ratso continue to lead him down the street. Finn was operating on automatic.

"Come on, Finn." Ratso encouraged his friend, "We're helpin' you out!"

"Yeah, great." Finn was less then enthusiastic.

"Here we are!" Chow figured that a magic shop, not some dump like Chan's uncle's, but a real one, would be a good place to start. He'd chosen a place they passed by almost every day, but normally didn't give two second thoughts about it. It was an upper scale place, from a few looks through the darkened windows. And best of all, empty. The lock was a bit more of a challenge then the one on Uncle's Rare Finds shop. But Chow wasn't phased. The lock opened before him as easily as any other lock in his past. He was the first to enter the shop, followed by a morose Finn with Ratso at his back. "Okay, Rat--- here's half the list--- let's get this done."

They split up and began to search for the items they were certain they could find in that particular shop. Finn didn't bother. He just stood in place, staring at a rack of books dedicated to Alistair Crowley. Finn could hear the others rummaging about the place in the dark, and every once in a while could see the cast off glow of a tiny pin light both Chow and Ratso had. His heart just wasn't into the effort, even though it was all in order to help him.

Ratso came bustling up to him excitedly, "Look! I got the special mortar and pestle! And the essential oils!"

"Whoopy." Finn replied stoically, eyeing the giant Italian.

Ratso's face fell. "Aw, c'mon Finn." His voice pleaded, "Don't you want this--- thing to stop?" He was reluctant to actually say the word rape. The whole situation just appalled him.

Finn snorted, "I want it all to stop, Ratso. Aren't you tired of being ordered around like a dog? Being treated like we're just worthless mounds of flesh? Fetch, boy! Heel, boy!"

Ratso fingered his lip as he thought about that. Sure it bothered him, but that's the way things were when you were a henchman. "What else can we do?" He asked.

Finn stared at Ratso. "Strike out on our own."

Ratso hung his head a little, "But--- you and Chow are my friends."

"Look, even if we get Shendude out of Valmont's body, there's still Valmont there. And even though it wasn't HIM--- well, I'll always be reminded that it was. Understand?"

Ratso didn't and Finn saw the blank look staring back and knew that he'd never understand. "I just don't know if I could stand being around Valmont no matter what." He concluded.

"So you are going to leave, even if this works. I wish you wouldn't."

Finn heard the sorrow in his friends voice and wished this thing had never happened. "I have to, Ratso. Don't make it harder for me then it already is."

"I'm sorry, Finn." Ratso's shoulders sagged in answer.

Finn sighed. Was he just being a chicken shit? Running like that? Leaving his friends because it would be the easy way out? Or was he running for the right reasons? His head spun with the conflict and he turned away from Ratso, finding his eyes wanting to mist up with a few backwater tears and feeling angry that he was driven to this kind of emotional state by no fault of his own.

He saw Chow return to them walking stiffly from an adjunct room in the place. "Let's get out of here." His voice was forced and he kept looking over his shoulder.

"What, you got all your stuff too?" Ratso asked.

"Let's go!" Chow hissed again and breezed past them, making a beeline to the door.

Finn and Ratso glanced at each other puzzled and then hurriedly followed their friend. They caught up to him outside on the sidewalk.

"Hey, Chow." Ratso stopped the clearly agitated Chinese man by putting a halt to his movement with a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Look, maybe robbing a magic shop just wasn't the best plan we came up with." Chow said.

"WE planned?" Ratso asked incredulous which only won him an annoyed look from Chow.

"Okay, Chow. What is it?" Finn decided to join the conversation. "You look freaked. Spill it. I had to."

Chow hugged his chest. "I met--- someone. In the shop."

"I didn't hear anything." Ratso said puzzled.

Chow ignored him, "Look, we just shouldn't have robbed the place."

"WHY?" Finn wanted to know, curious now.

"We were given a warning. I--- I think we were just cursed." Chow didn't look happy.

"You THINK? You mean you aren't sure?" Ratso asked, still not certain that there could have been another person in the place without either him or Finn knowing about it. "What did they say?"

Chow hopped from one foot to the other in place anxiously, "Can we get some distance from the place first?"

They decided to humor him and they made for their next target on the shopping list. Once they covered a few blocks, Ratso pressed him again.

"So, what happened in there?"

"Some chick in a robe came out of friggen no where. Said she wouldn't stop us from stealing from her, but that all things cost something in the end. And the way she looked straight at me--- it freaked me out, man! Like she wasn't looking at me, but through me. She told me to 'heal him'." Chow looked pointedly at Finn who shifted uncomfortably. "She said for neither of us to fear, but the final price will be met. I don't know what the Hell that means, but it was just freaky!" He shivered.

"Did you get the stuff on your list?" Ratso wanted to know.

"Yeah." Chow mumbled and continued to walk briskly. Finn and Ratso followed.

Luckily, the gathering of the rest of the ingredients went without much incident and the group made it back to the hideout within the next hour.

"So, are we ready?" An anxious Ratso asked.

Chow, surrounded by books and spell ingredients, looking confused and somewhat frightened, did something he knew best--- lie. "Yeah. I think we're ready."

To be continued---