Chapter 3: A Gathering of Shadows
The sun was setting, and the sky was cast with a playful cotton candy swirl of purples and reds. Lightning bugs were beginning to appear in the courtyard, the flying ones signaling to possible future mates below, who signaled back like a couple kids playing Marco-Polo. The air had cooled, leaving a perfect night to kick back and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere, and although a certain number of Xiaolin Monks were kicking back, none of them were doing any enjoying. Kimiko had called a meeting, that evening, and these meetings were never a time for joy.
Omi had brought along one of Kimiko's game systems he had nicked from her room and was playing merrily with it, oblivious of the tense mood around him. Clay had come to the circle with some widdling he was working on and began to carve out a shape with a sigh. Raimundo had come bearing his MP3 player and was listening to it with his arms crossed and his disposition moody. Kimiko brought only herself and her determined attitude. They sat in their favorite corner, the one to the north where a couple stone benches and rocks had been conveniently placed for them. A lantern hung suspended from a wooden pole stuck in the ground, casting an eerie shadow over the four teens. They all waited in silence for a while until Kimiko took the initiative, standing up and addressing them.
"We need to talk." Was her blatant comment, and when everyone ignored her, each wrapped up in their own activities, she snatched the devices away with an angry growl of frustration. "Listen to me. This is serious stuff!"
"If it has anything to do with Jack Spicer and how nice we're supposed to be to him, then I don't want any part of it," Raimundo said, his arms remaining crossed.
Glowering, Kimiko pretended she had not heard him while she placed their stuff aside. Omi and Clay looked slightly ashamed, but Raimundo just appeared angry. "Listen guys, there's something weird happening with Jack-"
"Like there wasn't anything weird about him before…" Raimundo said with a chuckle.
"-and," Kimiko continued, ignoring Raimundo once more. "I think it's our duty as Xiaolin monks to help him out. And yes, Raimundo, helping him out also means being nice to him while doing so."
"Kimiko? Why should we trust him now?" Clay asked, rubbing his chin. "He's only ever been a slippery little bastard before, and there's nothing to suggest that he's changed at all."
Kimiko sighed. "He's no threat to us anymore, Clay. He's injured and homeless, and just needs our help. And, I truly believe, our friendship." She rubbed her temples. "Anyway, my whole point for this meeting is to tell you guys that, although you may not like it, Jack will be staying with us until he can compose himself. Master Fung has agreed to let him stay, and that should be good enough for you."
Omi and Clay smiled at Kimiko and gave her nods of reassurance. Raimundo on the other hand did not seem happy.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Jack had always known he was different. Too smart for school, he'd dropped out in his sophomore year to pursue world conquest, much to the disappointment of his parents, who had hoped for a normal child. He'd found a small peace of mind in his hobby; robotics. He moved into his parent's basement when he'd found his room too small and fragile to handle his massive and dangerous creations. He'd almost blown himself to pieces a number of different times. Once completely happy with the markings around his eyes, he'd actually gotten tattoos of them for a more permanent effect. He'd made robotic cheerleaders…
But despite all this, Jack had never considered himself insane. Everyone had always told him he was crazy. But he could never see what was so crazy about him… and weird.
Until a number of months ago when he discovered that he was seeing things that others couldn't.
Perhaps others couldn't see it... but he knew damn well that it was real.
And when he'd spotted it outside his screen the night Kimiko had shown him to his room, he'd known right then that he couldn't stay at the Xiaolin temple any longer than a couple of days. It became particularly irritated when he stayed in one place for too long.
He had to keep moving… it was the only way.
So that night, he found himself packing up his meager belongings, all of which included his coat, heli-pack, and goggles, and prepared himself mentally for another agonizing trip. It was three in the morning when he slipped on his coat and heli-pack, and tenderly, his goggles, to avoid the bandages Kimiko had so caringly applied to his head. It was three fifteen when he ransacked the Xiaolin kitchen, stealing almost a month's worth of food and stuffing it into a sack he'd found. It was three thirty when he filled a number of water bottles up from the fountain out in the courtyard. It was three forty five when he peeked into Kimiko's little cubical to look at her one last time, nodding a small goodbye, and it was three fifty when he sat upon the bench outside the temple, his head buried in his hands and his sack of stolen food lying on the ground next to him.
'I don't want to leave…'
His time at the Xiaolin temple was the first time in months he'd actually felt safe… protected. He ran his hands through his hair. 'But I have to. I can't stay here and…'
'Jack… you can't be trying to-'
'Shut up. I don't need this right now.'
'Oh, but you do need me, Jack. Without me, you're nothing.'
Around him, the shadows flickered and danced.
'I don't need anybody.'
A slowly dieing lantern by the entryway to the kitchen was suddenly extinguished completely. Jack's heart began to race.
'You need me more than you realize, Jack Spicer.'
The shadows that had not disappeared as a result of the burnt out lantern were slithering to a spot right in the middle of the courtyard, as the night around Jack became thick with a claustrophobic aura he couldn't seem to shake. Any light the shadows writhed over was instantly snuffed out, and soon, no lights were left on at all. Only the light of the slivered moon shown upon the suddenly cramped and horrifying place, and even that was limited. Terrified, Jack could only sit and stare as the shadows took form, merging into one being, a being that looked increasingly familiar. A being that looked like-
"Jack?"
Instantly everything was reversed. The shadows swooped back into their original positions, the lanterns exploded into life, and from the slowly waning darkness emerged Kimiko, her face full of concern.
"Are you-?"
"I'm leaving." He stated bluntly, but continued to stare in vacant horror at the spot the shadows had gathered to. Only when Kimiko came nearer to him did he jump up from his spot, sling the sack of food over his shoulder and engage his heli-pack. A hand on the sleeve of his coat stopped him from taking off.
"Jack, you really should stay."
"No, I really shouldn't."
"Please… just one more day?"
'You should stay, Jack…' Inside his head, a bout of maniacal laughter started and grew, and he suddenly found himself mindlessly agreeing to stay, saying with a casual shrug "Sure, why not."
Kimiko smiled at him. "Thank you. Oh, and Jack."
"What?"
With a deep frown, she pointed towards the kitchen. "Put our food back."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
After she'd seen all the food back to its proper place, and Jack himself, back to his room, Kimiko retreated to her own cubical, her mind a mess of thoughts. When Jack had agreed to stay there for another day, his eyes had glazed over and his determined frown had faded, leaving only a neutral straight line. It seemed to her that Jack had not agreed to stay, but that someone else had done it for him.
She had a strange dream that night. Jack was in it, of course, but there was two of him. Each stood at a fork in a road, one attempting to convince her to go down the left road while another tried to get her to travel the right one. Kimiko could see nothing down the left path, it was so dark, but the right one led to a clear blue sky and bright sunshine. But just as she was about to choose, Kimiko found herself being shaken awake roughly by Raimundo. His face was grim.
"It's Jack."
………………………………………………………………………………………………
A/N- I would like to apologize for the extended amount of time between chapters two and three… I've been very busy lately with work, and school starts back up on Wednesday, which isn't fun.
I know this chapter doesn't open up the plot like I'd said it would… but chapter 4 will, and I mean it this time Don't question me!
I'd like to thank all of my reviewers! You guys rock. As soon as I figure out how to navigate this new format completely, I'll begin answering you with proper E-mails and such.
Happy reading! Please review.