Authors note: Hey all! Umm… sorry I didn't update sooner hehe. I actually didn't notice I'd left it for so long. Thanks to those who reviewed and got me back on track! Oh and to answer Mako-Magic questions: he hasn't asked her yet because he wants her to tell him rather than have her write it down, and the lights are important :) after all they nearly created a new shen-gon-wu oh, and hope you still like Jade once she's able to talk again To Ronin-N-Gang, for your question on ch4 she's scared of all guy's period, yes except for Jack :) though it is for the reason you gave and for the fact that he saved her. As for the rest of your question, it gets answered in this chapter. Again thanks go to everyone for their reviews you all rock! Warning for blood and violence…and with that, chapter 6!
----The key to the past----
Jack wasn't too suspicious about having the majority of the shen-gon-wu randomly appear in his cupboard, Wuya on the other hand was suspicious. She continually hovered around the cupboard where Jack kept the shen-gon-wu. She wasn't sure how they got there; neither Jack nor Jade were capable of pulling off such a feat. Jack simply because he was incompetent and Jade because she had been completely exhausted that day. She hid herself in the cupboard at night suspecting the one who left them there to return for them, but no one did. True she was happy they had so many Wu now, but that didn't stop her from being suspicious of the sudden convenience and as a result kept her watch for three days before she decided to simply trust the cameras Jack had set on the cupboard.
The third day was when Jade had to go back to the hospital for her checkup. The doctor stated that she was recovering faster than they expected and could try talking now but to keep it short if possible and not to shout.
"So how do you feel?" Jack asked as they were walking out of the hospital. Jade had been humming softly as the doctor suggested to get her voice box used to working again.
"Thank you." She whispered softly but loud enough for him to hear. That didn't answer his question but he couldn't help but blush slightly, he still didn't like the idea that he did something good and helped someone. But thinking back on it he knew he wouldn't have done otherwise. Perhaps that's what they meant when they say there's a difference between being evil and cruel. He wasn't exactly sure who 'they' were, perhaps Chase had said it at one point… he was all about being fair and such.
Back in his lair he got his cough drop bird to follow Jade around before he pulled out all the shen-gon-wu to make a list of all the ones they had. It took most of the afternoon, and rather than trying to make something for dinner or order his jack-bots to attempt to make something, he ordered pizza while looking over the list. By the looks of it, other than the few that Chase had, they were only short four Shen-Gon-Wu. As he was looking over the list a thought began to form in his mind. Pushing out from his computer desk he got up and looked at the Wu that were spread out on the floor and picked up the Reversing Mirror and the Crystal Glasses. He looked from the Wu he held to Jade then back to the Wu. He decided to simply try to see if his idea would work, after all there was no point in thinking of trying if it wasn't going to work. Placing on the crystal glasses he held up the reversing mirror in front of him.
"Crystal Glasses Reversing Mirror!" he said focusing on his past. A few moments later Jack lifted up the Crystal Glasses and grinned. He was right; future seeing shen-gon-wu plus reversing Wu equaled a view into the past. Jack gave one last glance at Jade who was still tweaking one of his Jack-bots. He wasn't prying really… he just didn't want her to recall what must have been a horrible event. That was his reasoning anyway. That resolved he activated the Wu and focused his mind on Jade and where her house had been. Immediately his basement disappeared and he found himself looking up at a house that must have been Jade's. Grinning to himself he focused on moving his vision to the inside of the house. His surroundings blurred then solidified. Looking around he found himself standing in a kitchen. He looked around himself and listened but didn't see anything out of the ordinary or hear anything. Jack sighed to himself; he knew this plan had too many holes in it to work… the main one being he didn't really know what he was doing exactly. He had merely guessed that Jade had been attacked in her house; he knew the date was right because she had told him she had been in the alley for three days… but he figured he had to be doing something wrong. He was about to take off the Crystal Glasses when he heard a door open.
"Mom I'm home!" Jack grinned as Jade walked in the kitchen door slipping off her sandals at the door. "Mom?" she called out a second time. As Jack looked around a feeling of anticipation grew inside of him. He knew something was going to happen, but didn't know what or when. Well he knew there was supposed to be fire involved at some point, and something for Jade to end up all beat up, but other than that. Jack moved his vision behind Jade looking around as she did while she placed the groceries on the kitchen counter and walked around to an archway in the wall which lead to another room. Jack glanced around first to see if there was anything visibly noticeable that could start a fire. Jade's scream caused him to jump then to move his vision to behind her again. He felt his stomach lurch as he quickly looked away. He had no idea that blood was such a bright red, perhaps it was simply the white walls and pale carpet that it was splattered across making it stand out even more. The fact that he had never seen a dead body before didn't help his stomach either. Jade shook her mother's disfigured form before scrambling for the phone lifting it up of the receiver Jack cried out to her to watch out but of course she couldn't hear him. The frying pan connected with the side of her head causing her to drop the phone and fall to the ground, placing a hand on the side of her head dazed. Jack glared at the man and clenched his hands as if intending to take him on. The man was of a heavy muscular build, he had blood splattered over himself obviously from Jade's mom. In one hand he held a slightly dented frying pan and in the other a carving knife. The color drained from Jades face as she looked up at the man and struggled to her feet. She spun her head around quickly hoping to find some means of escape away from the man only to find that she was trapped with walls on all sides the only doors or means of exit behind the man.
"Don't be afraid, you'll be with your mommy soon." Jades breathing faltered and Jack took a swing at the mans face, his hand passed right through leaving Jack frustrated not pausing for a moment where his sudden courage to take on the larger man came from.
"Get out of the way!" He yelled at the man and attempted to shove him out of the way only for it to have the same effect as his punch. Jade looked to either side of the man then ran to the side with the frying pan. The man stood still grinning like a Cheshire cat. The moment she was close enough he swung the frying pan towards her head. At the last second she dropped and rolled to the other side with just enough momentum to come up behind him. As she got to her feet ready to bolt the knife came up the tip making a line from the left side of her waist to her right shoulder blade. Jade gave a small cry of pain but continued to move ignoring the pain. The man dropped the frying pan and lunged for her grabbing her arm he threw her down on her back causing her to cry out in pain. Jack shouted as she struggled to her feet but not fast enough. Jack screamed out as the man swung the knife at Jade tearing through flesh and fabric. Jade cried out in pain and tried to move out of the way but the man wouldn't allow it and pressed her back further. She then tried fighting back by kicking him in the stomach then swinging her elbow hard to his temple when he leaned over to hold his stomach. However the man just laughed and came up and struck her with such force on the side of her face that her head hit the wall beside her. He dropped the knife and continued to land blow after blow with hand or foot after she collapsed on the ground never once giving her an opportunity to escape only stopping when she finally lay unmoving on the ground. Carefully he wrapped the fingers of one hand around her neck and lifted her off the ground.
"Hush little baby don't say a word…" Jade's legs swung back and forth in the air while her hands tried to pry his hands from her neck. Again Jack forgot he was nothing but a spectator and began trying to help Jade get free. In only a few moments her eyes began to drift shut and her efforts to get free slowed.
"Don't give up come on!" Jack yelled. As her eyes shut and her arms fell to her sides and the man began singing 'hush little baby' again. He hadn't even finished the first line Jade's hand moved up to grab his arm. The moment her hand touched the fabric of the sleeve a black fire burst forth causing the man to drop Jade. The fire snaked around him and onto the floor surrounding Jade almost like a protective circle. No matter how he struck or how he tried to smother the flames they wouldn't go out. Jade continued to lay still, unmoving on the floor without drawing a breath. The arm that had moved to grab the man tried to push on the ground in an effort to move Jade as if it moved on its own accord like a puppet on a string; the puppet trying to control the puppeteer. As the limb continued to try and lift the girl on its own Jade started to cough and seemed to regain control of the limb to push herself up as she forced her lungs to inhale. The yells and shouts of the man reached her ears. Looking around she noticed the fire which had spread from the black fire. Staggering to her feet she wavered as if she were incapable of holding herself up. She then staggered forward as if something pulled at her limbs causing her to move. Seeing her get up the man moved as if to try and grab her. The fire erupted turning the inside of the house into a raging inferno. Looking up at the man thrashing and screaming out in pain seemed to give Jade the motivation she needed. Pushing herself forward ignoring the flames she sped past the man down a corridor. The flames seemed to pull themselves out of Jades path allowing her to pass before moving back blocking the mans way. Jack followed her down the corridor and through a door which lead to a backyard. Jade jumped down the steps and ran to the fence. It was only waist high mesh but as Jade hoisted herself over it one of her feet snagged on some protruding metal causing her to loose her balance and crash into the ground. Again she moved as if something was trying to pull her up. Finally on her feet again she ran down the alleyway with Jack still right behind her. She continued to run as if trying to get as far away from her house as possible; she ran until she fell forward her legs splaying awkwardly out behind her as if she were unable to move them from how they had collapsed beneath her unable to carry her anymore. This time she didn't move at all, she only lay there breath coming out in short ragged gasps. Looking around Jack saw she was at the end of the alleyway where he had found her.
Jack felt the reversing mirror fall from his hands, in the back of his mind he barely registered the sound of it clattering to the floor. Feeling his face he found the crystal glasses and yanked them off his face letting them drop to the floor.
"Jack?" Looking up he saw Jade had gotten up from the work station and was now standing a few feet in front of him with a worried look on her face. The scars were all gone, she had new clothes without ash or slash marks, but as he looked at her his mind seemed to draw lines of blood across her face where they had been, adding bruises, the blood… all that blood and fire… blood… Jack felt his stomach lurch. Pressing his hand tightly to his mouth he ran to the downstairs bathroom not even hearing Jade call out and follow behind him. He reached the bathroom just in time for him to violently throw up while he gave a thankful thought to his decision to install a downstairs bathroom. He remained crouched heaving heavily as sweat trickled over his face. Jack didn't even feel like he had the energy to turn his head when he felt a hand rest gently on his shoulder. When he didn't move he felt his goggles removed from his forehead which was replaced by a cool feeling that seemed to trickle through his skull down his spine. He shivered slightly and turned his head. Jade knelt next to him carefully wiping a damp cloth to his forehead.
"Are you ok?" she asked softly. She's asking if I'm ok? I should be asking her if she's ok…but then Jack mentally shook his head how could anyone be ok after that…
"Jack?" He gave a faint nod and tried to haul himself to his feet. Jade grabbed his arm and flushed the toilet with the other. Once steady on his feet he walked over to the sink and splashed cold water over his face not caring how wet the rest of him got in the process. Once he didn't feel like he was going to throw up again or anything he dried his face off then tossed it to the side not caring too much were it felt.
"Is something bad going to happen?" Jack looked at Jade surprised at the question. It took him a moment to register the question before he realized that she thought he had seen into the future not the past as he had done.
"No." His voice was low but he held his tone steady almost to the point that it seemed like he snapped. He looked at her his eyes determined and focused.
"Nothing bad is going to happen you hear me?" He asked resting his hands on her shoulders as if it would help her believe him; he hoped it was true… he wanted it to be true. After finding out what happened he somehow felt it necessary to make sure that nothing like that ever happened to her again. Jade wasn't sure whether or not to believe him. She had heard him shout and scream, she saw him thrash out against the things he had seen in the crystal glasses. A part of her mind whispered to her telling her that since he knew what was coming he could change it so that whatever he had seen he could stop from happening. So Jade gave a small smile and nodded.
"I trust you." Jack felt himself relax slightly as he returned the smile not knowing how relieved he looked just then. Just then the alarms in his lab screamed loudly causing them both to jump. Running out to his computer with Jade right behind him he quickly brought up his Wu detector program to see which Wu it was.
"It seems the key of Akuyo has chosen to reveal itself." Wuya said as she drifted through the computer screen.
"The what?" Jack asked raising a confused brow.
"The key of Akuyo." She repeated more slowly as if she was talking to someone stupid. "Not much is known about this Wu, other than that Dashi never used it… ever. I believe he was afraid of its evil powers if I remember right; something about granting one the power and strength of an army."
"Yeah, sounds like my kind of Wu." Jack said grinning as he reached a hand at the picture on the screen and clenched it making a fist as if he had just caught something in his hand. "Let's go!" He ignored any remaining queasiness he felt as he ran over to the vault to grab a bunch of Wu tossing half of what he threw to Jade. One was thrown a little too far from its mark and ended up landing on the couch behind Jade. Running over to retrieve the orb of tornami she saw something sticking out from beneath one of the couch cushions. Tugging it free she saw it was some strange gauntlet or perhaps an arm guard. Take it with you… it's a Shen-Gonwu… it will be helpful. The thoughts echoed through her mind as she traced her fingers over the snakes. Was it a Shen-Gon-Wu? She didn't know if it was or it wasn't, but she found herself slipping it on her arm anyway before she threw on her black trench coat. It was one of the many clothe items Jack had gotten for her since she had no money to buy them herself and she couldn't exactly get any from home. It hung barely past her ankles, lacking the trailing torn fabric that Jacks had. It didn't have a collar either, but Jack thought the different style suited her better, and since they were apparently heading to a much colder climate it was excellent for keeping her warm. Once they got the Wu they needed and the Jack-bots were loaded into the jet they took off for Greenland.
It wasn't until they landed that Jack started whining about how Greenland was lacking in Green; and why couldn't the Shen-Gon-Wu have been placed somewhere warmer. Jade simply tried to huddle down further into her trench coat as Jack ordered his robots to begin the search while she kept her eye on the device she held which would apparently tell her when and where the Xiaolin monks were.
"Ok I really need to add 'eliminate all chances of temperature dropping below…' I don't even KNOW how cold it is!" he whined through chattering teeth. "I just need to add to my 'things to do when I take over the world' list to stop it from being so cold! Or just set up my main lair in the tropics somewhere…" he added as an afterthought. As he stayed thinking about warmer locations and what his evil palace would look like Wuya ended up shouting at him trying to bring him back to the current mission. As Jack went off to sulk following the flashing arrow on his evil Shen-Gon-Wu detect-o bot Wuya floated over to Jade.
"Now my dear, why don't you stop worrying about the monks and come with me to find the Shen-Gon-Wu, I'm sure Jack will be happy if you find it for him." The reply formed in her mind and fell from her lips before Jade even had a chance to think about it.
"No." Wuya was surprised at the quick answer but she didn't let it faze her.
"Come now, you and Jack both have that radio thing so you can tell him when the Xiaolin warriors get here or when you find the Wu, what do you say?"
"Is Jack going the wrong way?" The question came in the same way her last answer did, formed before she could think it almost as if her voice had a mind of its own and was speaking for her.
"Well not really…"
"Then what is the point in following him if I will not be needed?" She asked looking up at the floating ghost witch.
"What if there's a showdown, won't he need your help? You won that showdown against Omi brilliantly; you're quite good at this you know." Wuya said trying to pour on the flattery as much as she could without going overboard.
"If Jack wins, he wins. If he looses… he was meant to loose." The silence stretched between them for a moment as Wuya tried to think of something to reply to that. It sounded like she knew what was going to happen… but that couldn't be possible, she had never used the crystal glasses so how could she know the future? Jade sneezed loudly; rubbing her nose her eyes blinked rapidly as she shook her head. She glanced around as if reorienting herself with her surroundings. Jade began walking forward away from the ship in the opposite direction Jack went moving the radar around from side to side to give it a bit more range around her. As Wuya watched her go still wondering what happened she saw Jades shadow stretch behind reaching towards the sun instead of being cast away from it as with any shadow. Wuya looked at the distorted shadow that did not even resemble the shape of the girl it was attached to. At that point Wuya decided to turn around and follow Jack, just in case the girl's 'foresight' had some accuracy to it.
----
It was basic physics; there was no possible way for a girl to outrun a flying dragon. She radioed Jack the moment they registered and immediately turned around to run as her legs would carry her. Jade made it there just in time to hear Jack and Clay shout "GON YI TEMPAI!" The ground shook and shifted turning the land into what looked like a jungle gym made out of bars of ice. It was a shen-yi-bu dare, Jacks sword of the storm and star of hanabi against Clay's mind reader conch and serpent's tail. Omi had apparently lent the serpents tail as the others only had the heart of Jhong and shadow of fear. Jade didn't know why, but apparently everyone had been happy not to use that one.
The showdown lasted perhaps five minutes at most, Jade cheered as loudly as she could trying to drown out Wuya's yelling and screaming which clearly wasn't helping. But in the end nothing did. Clay held all five Shen-Gon-Wu grinning proudly as the other monks, his friends, ran over to congratulate him. Jack walked past Jade as she ran over to him then fell into pace beside him as he continued to walk eyes downcast. He could hear the monks laughing as they climbed onto Dojo's back and took off; he knew they were laughing at him, laughing at his inability to do anything right, laughing at how he screwed up the showdown. Jade stayed quiet not able to think of anything to say and thinking that perhaps it was best not to say anything at all. The trip back to Jack's house continued in silence, the laughter still ringing in Jack's ears grinding on his nerves. He could almost feel his mind collapsing in on itself as he started to formulate, to put together a plan completely and totally different from anything he had ever thought of or even tried before.
Chase Young grinned as he watched the monks fly off with the Shen-Gon-Wu. He had been ready to intervene if Jack had won the showdown, but it seemed like he wouldn't have to worry about Jack accidentally dooming the world this time around. The Wu would be safe with the monks, even if he was the only one who knew what it did, it didn't matter. The Wu would go into the vault at the temple and the end of the world would be postponed for another day. Though Chase couldn't help but wonder about the girl. She seemed completely different from the girl who had raided the temple and gave Jack all the credit. The darkness that had covered her almost like a cloak was gone, buried inside her. This is proving to be quite interesting… Chase thought to himself with a grin before flying back to his lair.
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Authors note: Whew! That was NOT an easy chapter to write. Hope you're all still with me :) and that I didn't just give you all a reason to find another fic to read. Well with this the fic and I are back, don't expect to wait that long for another update again p and thanks to reviewers again bringing me back to this story