I don't own Jackie Chan Adventurs and no money is being made with this story.
Please keep one thing in mind: since the characters have been split in groups I can not follow all of them in the same chapter, even though most of these things happen at the same time. The time line will start working again once I get all of them back together.
"I don't like England," Hsi Wu stated as they left the airport.
"Why not? I think it's a very beautiful place," Viper said. The demon glanced at the woman.
"England is not my country. Too cold and rainy," he said.
The flight from San Francisco to Liverpool had taken long. The Dark Hand jet had been fast and cost Valmont a lot, but one still couldn't fly over the Atlantic Ocean in a few hours.
Hsi Wu stretched his sore muscles. He would have liked to fly with his own wings instead of sitting in a metal bird built by humans. Airplanes made many things easier, but he still thought that mortals weren't meant to fly.
"What do you think, do these Brits still remember us?" he asked from Origami.
"Who knows?" the thief replied.
"Why do I get the feeling that not many in this group like England?" Viper asked.
"Probably because no one does. I don't," Necrosis pointed out.
"I thought you were born here," the female thief replied. The doctor glanced at him.
"So what? One doesn't have to like his home country. Those who live elsewhere usually feel contempt towards it," he said.
"Jackie doesn't hate China," Viper said.
"Neither do I," Hsi Wu cut in. "But we are not here to talk about our homes. We have to save Jade."
"You are right, batboy. Better start now, eh?" Viper said.
"True. I hope you are in shape," the sky demon said. "I don't want to deal with stupid mistakes because you can't do your job."
"My job is to prevent thefts now. Are you sure you want to take me with you?" Viper asked. Hsi Wu glared at him.
"Don't you realise the seriousness of this situation? I have no time to listen to you!" the demon snapped.
Viper frowned angrily.
"I care about Jade too. I have known her longer than you have, and she is like a daughter to me. Don't even think that I take this lightly," she said slowly and stared Hsi Wu in the eyes. The sky demon nodded slowly.
"Good. Nothing can ruin this. If the situation demands it, I will sacrifice everything for Jade," he said.
He didn't notice how all the others glanced at each other.
They took a train north. Necrosis said that if nothing dramatic had happened his family was still living in a small village called Wholefield.
"They have been there for centuries and ruled the country side as nobles. Everybody thinks they are slightly odd, but no one has ever accused them of anything magical. Not even in the Dark Age," the man had said.
Viper had listened to it in interest. She had always been fascinated by magic, though she hadn't really believed in it before meeting Jackie. After that she had started to pay more attention to it.
And now that she was part of this magical mystery she really wanted to know everything she could.
Hsi Wu sat in front of her legs crossed and stared out of the window. Viper tried not to stare at the demon, but it was surprisingly difficult. He was in the form of a young man and though he was handsome there was still something malicious and demonic in him.
That wasn't the reason why Viper looked at him, though. She tried hard to find at least one emotion on the demon's face.
Hsi Wu said he was doing all this for Jade and Viper had seen how devastated he had been after her death. But she hadn't been there when everything had happened, and hadn't seen the demons tears herself.
And Hsi Wu had never said he loved Jade.
Viper couldn't help it, but the demon's motives intrigued her. She had decided to keep her eyes open and see what would happen.
"When will we be there?" she heard Hoyle ask.
"Some time after midnight. The train won't take us there, and we need to take a bus to Wholefield," Necrosis said.
"As if this wasn't slow enough already..." Hsi Wu muttered.
"What kind of place are we going to? I have no idea how to work there," Viper said.
"When I saw it last time it was an ordinary mansion. Everything secret was in the underground tunnels though," Necrosis explained.
"Hmm. That could be complicated. I am surprised that you are willing to share this information with us," Viper stated.
Necrosis didn't seem to think there was anything strange in what the woman had said.
"I have no reason to protect my family. I don't really want to be in touch with them, but this time I have no option," Necrosis said and cast a long look at Hsi Wu.
"I know others with no options as well, but they complain and argue all the time with each other," Viper pointed out.
"I adjust fast."
Apart from Viper and Necrosis no one said anything. Hsi Wu continued staring out and talked no more than three more words during the train ride. Origami spoke even less, but Viper was already used to it. If she remembered right he had never spoken without having to.
But the one who no one seemed notice was Hoyle. He didn't talk either, but Viper suspected it was only because of his confusion. She thought he was quite talkative in normal circumstances. She decided to have a word or two with him once she got the chance.
They arrived in Wholefield some time after midnight. The sky was clear and the moon controlled it with stars. The air was cold and wet, and the ground was depressingly gray.
"Shouldn't it be winter in Europe? It's almost December," Viper stated.
"It is, but it rarely snows here. It's because of the coast," Necrosis explained. He looked around and tried to recognise places without really noticing it himself. He had never liked his home village or its old-fashioned inhabitants, and he had always told himself that they meant nothing to him.
Maybe they did. Maybe he was just curious to see how the place had changed in years.
"We can stay in the inn. If it's standing anymore, that is," he said. "It's no use trying anything tonight."
Hsi Wu nodded.
"Unfortunately," he admitted. "Show the way."
They had to be a somewhat strange sight in a small village like Wholefield. In a big city no one might have paid any attention them, but a group of an old man, a woman and three young men rarely walked through villages. Most of the villagers were asleep or locked in their homes, so no one saw them though.
The inn Necrosis had mentioned was an old and homey looking building some way from the centre of the village. It was built of wood and gray stones and looked like it had been stolen from a fairytale. It also hadn't changed at all since Necrosis had last seen it, and he found it slightly odd. Maybe a bit comforting too.
There was light in the windows which told them that someone was still awake. Necrosis had no idea who owned the inn now. When he had left it had been taken care of by an old couple with no children. Maybe they had sold it before their death or given it to some friends of theirs.
Hsi Wu stepped in first and the others followed him. The room they found themselves in was a small lobby with a way upstairs and to a kitchen that Necrosis remembered better than well. He had had the habit of snatching something there every time he managed to avoid the stern eye of his father.
There was a young man with dark hair behind a wooden desk, and he lifted his eyes when he heard them come.
"We don't usually have guests at this time of the night," he stated.
"And we don't usually visit anyone this late," Hsi Wu replied. "We need a couple of rooms for two nights, nothing else."
The man nodded.
"We always have free rooms," he said and his gaze touched them all. Necrosis thought the man looked at him the longest, but he suspected it was because of his clothes. It was probably odd to see someone dressed like him in this village.
"Good, we want three rooms," Hsi Wu said. The man gave them an odd look and Necrosis believed he had suspected the oldest of them to be in charge.
"As you wish," the man said and offered Hsi Wu his hand, "My name is Bob Westlake."
Necrosis flinched. He knew the name better than well. He remembered the old Bob Westlake who had owned the inn with his wife. It felt spooky to find out that it was now run by a person with the exactly same name...
Westlake glanced at Necrosis looking interested.
"Everything alright, sir?" he asked.
"I am fine," Necrosis replied. He decided he wanted to know more about this. "Your name, didn't the inn once belong to someone with the same name?"
For a moment Westlake looked at him with a thoughtful expression, but then his face melted into a smile.
"Ah, you must mean my grandfather," he said.
"Your grandfather?" Necrosis repeated. The Westlake couple had been too old to have children when he had left.
"Yes, the old Bob Westlake really wanted children with his wife, but they were too old. There was a fire in the country side several decades ago. It destroyed a farm, and everyone with the exception of my eight-year-old father died. The Westlakes took him as their own and he inherited their name and this inn. Now I continue their work," Westlake explained.
"I see," Necrosis said. He thought there was nothing wrong with the man's story, but he still found it a bit odd. Maybe he was just surprised.
"You knew my grandfather. What did you have to do with him?" Westlake asked while he led them upstairs. There were no numbers in the doors so he had to show them all to them personally. Necrosis had a suspicion that all rooms were empty, so the man wouldn't have had to do it.
Hsi Wu shot him a sharp glance, but Necrosis already knew better than well that it wouldn't be good to talk too much.
"I traveled through your village when I was young, and he offered me a room without asking for a payment because I had no money. He was the only one who did it so I still remember him. I noticed that the inn hasn't changed at all," Necrosis said.
Westlake showed them the rooms and nodded.
"Grandfather was always so generous," he said.
"How can you remember him? If your father was eight when they took him in you must have been born years after your grandfather's death," Viper pointed out.
"Of course I never met him, but father and others have told me much about him." Westlake turned around to return downstairs. "Tell me if you need anything."
Hsi Wu stared after the man.
"I don't like him. There is something strange in him..." he said.
"I agree, but I can't say what it is," Necrosis said.
The sky demon shrugged.
"We can think about it later." He turned to face the others. "We have three rooms and we will share them the way I say. Necrosis and Hoyle get along so they take this. I am not going to share a room with a mortal so I will have a room for myself, and you to will have to take this," he said pointing at Viper and Origami.
"I somehow feel that I have experienced something like this before..." the Japanese thief muttered.
"You are going to make me share with a man? That tells something about your morality," Viper said lifting a brow.
"I think it's you who has problems with that. If you think you are not able to keep your hands off him I can get you your own room," the sky demon said with dark amusement. Viper frowned and glared at him.
Hoyle collapsed on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't believe it. Only a moment ago everything had been horrible and now it was the same. Maybe the situation was a bit more complicated, but still.
Shin was away from their lives, but he had been replaced with a whole family of demons and other people. On top of that Chan was involved again and Hoyle knew better than well what the man thought of them.
It wouldn't matter what they did. Chan disliked them because of who they were and that they had been part of Jade's fate. Or maybe disliked was a wrong word, he probably felt contempt. And it wouldn't change even if Necrosis would be able to bring Jade back.
He couldn't say he was alright with Necrosis's past or necromancy. He had always thought that dead were supposed to stay dead. What use was it to kill them if they came back?
Not that he would ever judge his employer and friend. He himself had strange powers as well, so...
"You don't like this," Necrosis said when the silence had lasted for quite a while. Hoyle lifted a brow.
"Definitely not. This is too complicated and difficult. Dangerous as well. I also don't like the idea of endangering ourselves for Chan, or anyone else for that matter," he said.
"You may leave when you want to."
Hoyle blinked.
"You are going to stay?" he asked in surprise. He had never thought Necrosis was a man of honor or justice, and this simple acceptance bothered him.
"What else can I do? If I do my job well they might let me go. You must understand what happens if I refuse. I am important to them, but the world is filled with necromancers and most of them even have experience. In order to survive I must play their game for a while," Necrosis said.
Hoyle frowned and levitated his hat on the table.
"Chan will not let us go. Once this is over he will put us in prison," he said.
"He can try. If he thinks I am on their side because I help them now..." Necrosis glanced around. "We are beaten now, but in the end we will stand among the winners. No matter what side that is."
Hoyle accepted that. It was just what he had been thinking. He felt good when he knew that they weren't willingly on the side of the man who had destroyed everything they had had.
"Good night," he said.
It was dark outside and Jackie could see nothing. Lights had been switched off in the bus so that those who wanted to sleep could do so. He was tired as well, but he had promised himself he wouldn't sleep before they got out.
Xu Lin was asleep and leaned against Jackie's shoulder. The girl had fallen asleep some time ago and Jackie was pleased. He thought it was good if the girl rested as much as possible. In his opinion she shouldn't even have come with them.
Viper has to be in England already, he thought to himself. It was shorter to fly to UK than to Sweden, but thankfully the difference wasn't very great. A couple of hours, perhaps. It had to be about midnight in England, and a very early morning in Sweden.
Jackie was worried about Viper and the others with her. Jade's survival depended on them and nothing mattered to him as much as she did. He hoped he could have been there to help.
But no, here he was; sitting in a bus and on his way to the northern parts of Sweden. Not a trip of his dreams. Xiao Fung sat some benches away and snored loudly. The wind demon had tried to talk with other travelers, but they had thought he was a bit weird. Or so Jackie suspected, he couldn't understand a word of Swedish.
Shendu was near as well, but Jackie couldn't tell if the fire demon was awake or asleep. He suspected the demon didn't sleep because he believed Shendu wouldn't want to do that in his presence. Shendu neither said nor did anything though, so Jackie had no way of telling what his condition was.
But Valmont was awake. The man sat and stared out of the window yawning every now and then. Jackie suspected the Brit was fighting against sleep for the same reason he was; neither of them wanted to fall asleep while Shendu was awake.
It was dim in the bus and Valmont's form wasn't that clear. Jackie frowned. The Brit looked different now when they had little light. The difference wasn't big, but Jackie could still see it. He couldn't say what was different, but he thought he could almost see Ni Tang in front of himself. If Valmont just had red eyes...
He shook his head. It wasn't his job to think about the demons. Shendu was along to take care of Ni Tang and Jackie's task was to make sure that nothing went too far and that they were safe.
The quiet hum of the bus lulled him into half sleep and he woke from it only when the bus stopped. He blinked and noticed that they had arrived in front of a motel. All travelers had been told that the bus wouldn't take them around the whole night, and that they would have to stay in a motel for a while.
"Wake up, Xu Lin," Jackie said and shook the girl's shoulder. She made a small sound, blinked and looked around not really realising where she was.
"What?" she asked.
"We won't drive any longer tonight," Jackie explained. Xu Lin suppressed a yawn and stood up. She and Jackie were the last ones to leave the bus.
It was cold outside. A lonely lamp brought them some light in front of the motel, and its dim light made snow twinkle.
"Let's go inside," Shendu said. His breath steamed in the cold air and to Jackie thought it looked like had had been breathing fire.
"Mm..." Xiao Fung muttered and looked like he hadn't woken up at all. Shendu slapped his brother, but there was no improvement. The wind demon was able to follow then inside though.
Shendu got rooms for them not knowing that Hsi Wu had done the exactly same thing some time ago. Just like the sky demon's group, Shendu's one wasn't very pleased with the way the demon organised things. Valmont and Xiao Fung were forced to share, Shendu didn't even think about sleeping with anyone else and Jackie and Xu Lin got one room.
Valmont couldn't sleep. He lay eyes open in the dark room and listened to Xiao Fung's snoring. He was tired, but sleeping didn't feel like an option.
It's too close, he thought. I can feel it.
He wanted to tell himself that he didn't like Sweden. A language not familiar to him was spoken in the country and he knew nothing about it or Swedish people.
But it was the end of November and a polar night in the northernmost parts of Europe.
Valmont couldn't help it that the continuous dim and coldness fascinated him. He hadn't really thought of them in San Francisco, but now on his way towards north he seemed to be paying more and more attention to it.
And he was enjoying himself.
It sounded ridiculous and it was, but he didn't have the strength to deny it anymore. He liked the winter of Sweden, how there was snow everywhere and so little daylight. When they reached the other side of the Arctic Circle the sun wouldn't rise above horizon at all.
Fascinating.
Valmont turned on his side. It was no easier to sleep in that position and he gave up with a sigh. This won't do, he thought and sat up in his bed. Maybe he'd be able to fall asleep if he had a walk first.
Though there was dark in the room he could still see clearly where his clothes were. He wasn't surprised. Shendu had said that the norther they traveled the more power Ni Tang would have. Valmont licked his lips as he dressed up. The thought didn't please him very much.
He got dressed quickly, walked to the door and stepped out. Xiao Fung didn't wake up and Valmont closed the door in relief. He didn't like it that he had to share a room with the wind demon. The demon was so different from him. On top of that his taste of lovers was quite disturbing. Thankfully Xiao Fung seemed to think Valmont was his brother, otherwise the Brit wouldn't have spent a second alone with him.
There was a lamp in the corridor, but it flashed every now and then, so it probably wouldn't last for very long. It didn't really bother him.
No one else was around and even the lobby was empty. The air smelled of cigarettes, the benches were dirty and all magazines he saw were Swedish, so Valmont didn't want to stay there. He stared out of the window that was dark with dirt. The lonely street lamp was still casting its light on the snow and it looked like it was snowing outside.
I think I will go out. I'll catch some fresh air, and that will do it, he thought.
The door wasn't locked and he stepped out in the cold air. Snowflakes fell on his cheeks, but he barely felt them. There was no wind, otherwise it would have been colder.
I shouldn't be out in these clothes, he thought. Winter nights were cold in Sweden and it was stupid to be outside in a suit.
But the freeze didn't bother him, and he felt surprisingly nice. Of course his cheeks stung and the air was uncomfortably cold in his lungs, but he didn't notice it without concentrating in it. It felt like he had to put up a fight to keep his humanity together.
There was a wooden bench under the street lamp. Valmont brushed snow from its surface and sat down. He believed he was a strange sight, a man sitting on a bench in the middle of the night with no proper winter clothing.
But it didn't matter. He somehow thought this was the first moment in a while when he could think clearly.
He felt different somehow. He thought he wasn't quite his own self, and to his surprise he was only barely worried. Maybe he had already got used to the thought of not necessarily being himself after this trip.
Everybody kept telling him that he would have to give Ni Tang room and let him exist. The thought disgusted him more than anything because he was unable to think of the polar demon as nothing else but an unfamiliar being that wanted to take him over.
The others said the demon was part of him, and that he would have to accept him despite that they hadn't been together since birth. To him Ni Tang was like an illness or a injury that would never heal, and that he would have to learn to live with.
He hoped he would be able to be humble enough. It would be difficult, he hated the thought of someone stepping on him.
Snow covered him in white and Valmont didn't feel cold.
Xu Lin yawned and opened her eyes. It was still dark in the room, but she suspected it was already morning. Xiao Fung had said that the sun rose at about nine o'clock when it was winter in Sweden.
She lay there for a while and tried to fall asleep again, but it was no use. She had slept in the bus the previous evening and she wasn't tired at all anymore.
Jackie was still asleep though and Xu Lin didn't want to wake him. The man had suffered enough and deserved his rest. The girl collected her clothes, crept in the small bathroom and got dressed.
Then she left the room and headed for downstairs. Xu Lin didn't know if they served breakfast in the motel or not, but she decided to go and see.
She didn't meet anyone on her way and even the lobby was empty. She thought it was a bit odd, she had suspected at least one staff member to be around at all times. Her hopes of getting something to eat were crushed.
Suddenly she blinked. She thought she had seen someone outside, but... She walked to the window and pressed her palms on it.
There really was someone!
Xu Lin rushed to the door, opened it and ran out. She hurried to the figure sitting on the bench and shook him hard.
"Mister Valmont!" she called and tried to get the man awake. He was cold and didn't react at all.
Xu Lin drew her hand back and looked around. It was still dim and she saw no one outside. She would have to run back in and get Jackie.
"Jackie!" she called as she ran in.
"Still asleep, I think," a voice said and Xu Lin turned to look. It was Shendu who seemed to be trying to get something out of a chocolate bar automate. The demon had had no success yet.
The dragon glanced at the machine angrily.
"These cursed are the same in every country," he muttered. Then he tilted his head and turned to look at Xu Lin. Shendu slit his eyes.
"What is wrong with you?" he asked contempt in his voice. Xu Lin pointed out.
"Mister Valmont is there! He could be dead!" she said.
Shendu turned to look.
"Dead? And I didn't even get to torture him yet!" he exclaimed and rushed out. Xu Lin hesitated for a moment, but followed the demon then. Getting Jackie would have taken too long and she wanted to be some use.
Shendu had stopped next to Valmont and had his fingers on the man's neck before Xu Lin even got to them.
"Stupid human!" Shendu cursed and kicked Valmont in the knee.
"Is he dead?" Xu Lin asked. Shendu turned to look at her.
"No, but in a trance of some sort," he muttered and slit his eyes. "If this slows us down... he will not like it."
"Strange that no one saw him until now," Xu Lin stated. She watched as Shendu tried to get Valmont awake with no real success.
"If the man who was supposed to work in the lobby had taken care of his responsibilities we wouldn't be here wasting our time," Shendu said. "It would be very nice to meet even one mortal who respects me and does as I say with no objections..."
Xu Lin was silent.
"We better get him inside," Shendu decided sounding very annoyed and fed up with the whole human race. Xu Lin didn't really understand why the demon was mad, but she didn't dare to ask.
Now that she thought of it, she didn't think she had ever seen Shendu happy.
Time flew and day turned to night in England. Hsi Wu and the others were not aware of that Shendu's group had continued their journey towards north right after the demon had hit Valmont in the face and got the man awake. That bit of information wouldn't have meant much to them anyway.
Viper climbed out of the window and landed softly on her legs behind the inn. She looked around herself. The night was clear.
"I think this is going to work," Hsi Wu said as he appeared next to the woman. Viper turned around.
"Better should. Too many things depend on this."
They had all got out of the inn without Westlake noticing anything. It hadn't been that difficult, the man was by no means interested in them. He had kept to himself the whole day and they hadn't even seen him around that much.
Not that it bothered them. It was just good that no curious people were there to disturb them.
Viper had watched Hsi Wu the whole day. They had had a tour in the village and eaten in a small local pub. The sky demon had been quiet and thoughtful the whole time. Viper didn't understand it.
Of course she was worried about Jade as well and the girl was in her thoughts all the time, but she didn't think she had changed her behaviour that much. She was the same Viper as before, but Hsi Wu had become different.
She hoped the sky demon still had his powers when they broke into the mansion of Necrosis's family. She had a feeling that she wouldn't have to worry though. If Hsi Wu's words were even near the truth he wouldn't let anything go wrong.
Origami looked determined as well and Viper had to be surprised. She knew the man didn't care about Jade at all, and would probably be even happy if she stayed dead. The ex-thief suspected the Japanese was ready to roll mainly because of the adventure and change it brought in his life.
"Let's go," Hsi Wu said quietly and took the lead. He led his group in silence outside of the village. No one was allowed to talk and they didn't even have anything to say.
The moon was almost whole and gave them light. There was no one anywhere, everything was deserted. Viper was on guard though, one could never be too sure of anything. Especially when one was doing something forbidden.
She was slightly worried about Necrosis. The woman knew they would never make it without him, but she thought the old man would be a burden as well. The others were physically strong and could take care of themselves if something happened, but she doubted Necrosis would be able to do it. She could only hope that nothing happened.
The air was cold and wet. An owl hooted somewhere and Viper almost dared to say she had seen it or another bird against the moon. She felt surprisingly tense, but not in a negative way. It was time since she had last been part of an adventure.
Viper didn't know how long they were supposed to walk on the dark road, but she didn't think it would be too long. She glanced at her partners in crime and tried to come to some conclusions.
She didn't really look at the sky demon. She had kept an eye on Hsi Wu for long enough lately. Origami might have been more interesting, but the man was completely expressionless again and Viper didn't feel like concentrating on it. And since there were only two options left she paid some attention to Hoyle.
Something in the way the man moved made Viper think the he probably wasn't too pleased with the situation. The man's face told her nothing, but his steps were stiff and somehow unstable. He kept glancing around himself and seemed to be ready for anything. It was sensible of course, but Viper decided to trust her instincts anyway.
Yes, Hoyle definitely didn't like the mission.
Viper didn't want to start speculating and making up ridiculous theories, but decided that the man didn't want to endanger himself for Jade. It wasn't that surprising.
A dark spot appeared in the horizon, but it grew soon and Viper realised it was the form of a mansion.
Here we are, she thought.
Necrosis couldn't help, but flinch when the mansion became bigger and bigger. He was starting to feel that it had been a very bad idea to come.
He coughed.
"If we turn to the moor now we should be able to find the ruins of an old church. There is a tunnel that is the shortest way to the library," he said.
"It has been long since you last were here. Can we be sure that everything is still the way it was?" Origami asked opening his mouth for the first time during the whole night.
"My family is very similar to the art they perform. They never want anything to change," Necrosis replied.
"We must still be careful. We can not trust in that you remember everything," Hsi Wu stated.
They left the road and headed for the moor. It was more difficult to walk because they had to be more careful in order to not twist their ankles in rabbit holes.
Though it had been at least fifty years since he had last played on the moor Necrosis was still able to lead them in the right place. The ruins were still there where he remembered them to be and they hadn't changed at all. Even the forgotten shrine of some long dead priest was still there.
Necrosis bent down in the middle of the destroyed stone floor and brushed it with his fingers.
"This is the way to the underground parts of the mansion," he said. Hsi Wu didn't need to be told twice, and he knelt next to the man. He could see in the dark better than anyone else in his group and he immediately saw how he would have to open the tunnel.
Hsi Wu opened the trapdoor and revealed a dark hole.
To be continued...