Depression Kills

Disclamer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown

Okay how come no one told me chapter 2 is missing and that I posted 3 twice! Don't worry I'll fix it I just can't fix it right now. I don't have my discs with me. I just thought people reading my story should know. I have no idea how that happened.

Chapter 5: The Tangled Web Unraveled

After that day in the hospital they took Jack back to the the temple. He barely said anything to them and they surely couldn't think of anything to say to him, and that's how the days went by.

They still went after shen-gong-wu and Katnappe still tried her hardest to beat them.

Kimiko desperately wanted to help Jack. A lot the she was found just sitting with Jack, neither saying a word. This particular Kimiko had brought Jack outside and they were sitting out basking in the sun. Well, at least Kimiko was. This day Raimundo also chose to sit with them. Sometimes he just did Omi and Clay never got why the two would want to spend so much time with Jack.

Jack stared at them from where he was laying.

"You wanna talk?" Kimiko asked, seeing him staring.

Jack bit his lip and turned back to the clouds his hands crossed over his chest.

Neither of the two Dragons said anything to this but also turned their attention to the sky.

"Sometimes I..." Jack started weakly, but couldn't manage to say anything else.

Kimiko and Raimundo didn't push it.

"My dad he was a real bastard," Jack told them still looking up at the sky, "he always hated me. I ruined things for him when I was born. I took away all his time and he hated me for it. He told me that every chance he could get, he said I was useless and stupid."

"You're not worthless or stupid," Raimundo told him, tearing some blades of grass by their roots.

"Really," Jack sighed, "Everyone tells me that."

"No," Kimiko objected, turning to face him, "We don't think that and we like you."

"Yeah, you're actually not that bad a guy," Raimundo said, trying not to screw it up, "I'm mean I can tell."

"Thanks," Jack sighed, turned away from them, "my dad he really hated me, so much he hurt me sometimes."

FLASHBACK:
A little Jack, about eight, was walking around looking for his mother.

"Mommy!" he whimpered wandering around the house, his was now in an upstairs hallway, "Mommy!"

"She's not home!" A voice growled and stepped in front of him from what seemed like out nowhere.

Little Jack gulped and turned to get away but one of the big muscular hands crashed down on him and picked him up by the shirt collar until he was face to face with the man.

His breath smelled heavily of alcohol. Jack gulped again knowing that the beatings were worse when his dad had been drinking.

"Daddy, no!" Jack whimpered, knowing the attempt was futile but still trying it anyway.
The big man laughed a loud hateful laugh.

"You think you can get away with that?" He shot and threw Jack down the hall. Jack skidded and landed hard on his face. Jack whimpered again but stood up to face his dad.

"Please!" Jack cried. He knew it wouldn't help, he had almost always known, but he was eight and was still very naive.

In response Jack's dad grabbed by his red hair and pulled. He pulled him all the way into his bedroom and shut the door. By this time Jack was crying rivers. The large man grabbed a large belt and then came back over to Jack.

Jack's dad towered over him a little evil grin on his face. In one swift movement he flicked the belt across Jack's face. So the beating had started.
END FLASHBACK

Jack shivered at the memory.

"Jack, are you alright?" Kimiko said worriedly. She and Raimundo were standing over him.

Jack nodded feebly and stared off to where Clay and Omi were sparring.

"Don't scare us like that man," Raimundo sighed as he and Kimiko sat back down.

"Yeah, you zoned out or something," Kimiko agreed.

"Sorry," Jack sighed, "I was just thinking."

"It's okay," Raimundo told him, "We were just worried."

"He did awful things to me," Jack started up again.

"What about your mom?" Kimiko asked, returning her gaze to the sky.

"Oh, she was beautiful and she loved me," Jack sighed, "But she was always working and was hardly ever around. Still I would do anything for her."

"Really?" Kimiko asked.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Jack stated and closed his eyes, "I'm tired."

"Oh, Jacky!" she laughed as he thought about her.

He remembered her well. She was always so beautiful and kind and caring and loving. How she had ever wound up with Dad was a mystery. She once told him that his father used to be a different person but things had changed and she still loved him. But that had been her undoing.

Jack growled at the thought and pushed it from his mind. At that another thought came to mind would Kimiko and Raimundo actually still think he was good if they knew what he had done

He grew angry at himself and pushed the thoughts from his mind.

Most of the day was spent just as the morning lazing about. Kimiko and Raimundo still had practice but Jack just laid nearby and watched them.

It was night and they were eating dinner before Jack said another word. It was just him, Kimiko, and Rai left.

"Do you guys truly like me?" Jack asked staring at Kimiko and then Raimundo.

"Of course," they both agreed.

"Are we..." Jack bit his bottom lip. "Friends?"

"Yes," Kimiko replied.

"I guess," Raimundo told him,as he ate more rice, "Why?"

"Would you still be my friends if I had done something," Jack said, and stirred his rice up, "Very bad?"

"Like what?" Kimiko asked him very curiously.

"Something very bad," Jack sighed glancing up at them from his bowl and then quickly back down.

"Like stealing or something?" Kimiko asked.

"Sure," Jack sighed and put down his fork.

"It's something worse than that, right?" Raimudo asked, getting Jack's drift.
"Would you?" Jack said, stealing a glance back at them.

"Jack, what you did in the past is exactly that," Kimiko sighed, "In the past. You can't change the past."

"She's right," Raimundo said.

"So would you still like me?" He stared at them, this time not looking away.

They were silent for a moment.

"Yes," they both agreed.

"I'm going to bed now," Jack sighed and got up from the table.

"Good night," Kimiko said.

Raimundo followed as they all went to bed.

Late thatnight Raimundo found himself unable to sleep; Jack's words
were tumbling around in his head.

What had Jack done that was so horrible? That he could never repay? That he thought his death would render a little bit of solitude? Finally he fell into an uneasy sleep. It didn't last long though,

Raimundo awoke with a start just as the dawn was breaking. He had an awful answer to all his questions: Jack had murdered someone. He didn't know who but it was the only obvious answer to his questions that made sense.

Raimundo couldn't make himself to go back to sleep and so went into the kitchen to eat breakfast. As he arrived he saw Master Fung.

"Is something troubling you young monk?" He asked turning to Raimundo.

"Master Fung," Raimundo said slowly, "Is killing someone ever alright?"

"No," Master Fung told him.

"And what about those who commit it," Raimudo asked as he grabbed a random box of cereal and a bowl and spoon, "Are they evil?"

Master Fung didn't reply at first.

"Raimundo," he started out, "No, it doesn't necessarily have to mean that. Specifically

if it was in the past. The person could have been lost then."

Raimundo nodded as he poured the cereal into his bowl.

Raimundo's mind was made up, he had to confront Jack.It was hours before the Dragons finally had all come into the kitchen to eat. Raimundo waited as patiently and silently as possible as Kimiko ate her breakfast.

"Okay, what's up, Rai?" she asked once she was finished.

"I need to speak with you privately," Raimundo said, giviing a short glance at the other two monks and getting up to leave.

"Sure," Kimiko said and started to get up to follow.

"What's up?" Kimiko asked him seriously, as soon as they were alone.

"I've been thinking about everything Jack has said," Raimundo said quietly staring at the ground, "and have come to the conclusion that the horrible thing Jack did... was... murder."

Kimiko mouth dropped open, "Who?"

"I don't know," Raimundo said glancing around, "Maybe his father."

"It would make sense," Kimiko said.

"I'm going to talk to him about it," Raimundo said staring at her, "Whether you like it or not."

"Rai," Kimiko protested biting her lip.

"I have to know," Raimundo said with firm resolve.

"All right," Kimiko sighed.

It was a long while longer before Jack woke up and when he did he found Raimundo and Kimiko waiting for him in the kitchen.

They let him eat some food before Raimundo asked his question.

Jack was staring at the ground.

"Jack," Raimundo said quietly.

Jack slowly looked up at him.

"The horrible thing you did, what was it?" Raimundo asked before Jack could stop him.

"I don't want to talk about it," Jack said, avoiding their gaze.

"Did you kill someone?" Raimundo almost spat out the question, it felt like a bad taste in his mouth.

Jack head snapped to face his, "is that obvious?"

"Just... I was thinking about the things you said," Raimundo said avoiding his gaze now, "It kept me up half the night."

"Yes, I killed someone," Jack said, he felt like he was going to throw up.

"Your dad?" Kimiko asked.

"No, but sometimes I wish I had," Jack said.

"Who?" Raimundo asked in surprise.

"I said I'd do anything for my mom," Jack told them, "she didn't ask me to though."

"Who?" Raimundo repeated.

"A guy," Jack sighed, "some cheap bastard. He was my mom's co-worker and he raped her. Got away with it too. So, I took a gun and shot him the head."