K I'm finally back! Thanks to everyone who reviewed me last chapter, you guys are the best! Alrighty where were we... Oh yes! Shen Gong Wu time! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Xiaolin Showdown... But I do own the muffin man song! Oh no wait, I don't own that either... aw, oh well. Onward to storyness!

Just Shadows

chapter 2: Croc Showdown!

The large green dragon shrunk down to his portable size as he and his four passengers descended along the bank of a section of a river in Beerwah, Australia. Dojo slithered up Clay's arm to sling himself around the cowboy's shoulders. Kimiko took the Shen Gong Wu scroll out of her green and purple backpack and the others gathered around her to see.

"So what does this Wu do anyway?" Raimundo asked as the animation on the scroll began to move.

"The Tanyai Shoes allow the user to momentarily switch bodies with another person. And the best part is that when you switch, the person you switched with and is then wearing the shoes cant activate them to make the person switch back." Dojo explained as the cartoon figure in the scroll crossed over to another person's body and that person into his. "It's one of those 'wait 'till it wears off' kind of Wu. Could come in handy." Dojo finished.

"It is much like stepping in another's feet." Omi said.

"I think you mean walking in someone else's shoes." Kimiko corrected him as the group broke up to find the Wu.

"I don't see how he could have possibly messed that one up..." Raimundo said and then lifted a rock up to look under.

"Well lets just round this Wu up before Jack show's up for it." Clay mused while looking through a bush. "Dojo, any idea where it is pardner?"

"I know its somewhere around this bank... uh, over there! Or maybe... over there?" he said, pointing in different directions with an unsure face.

"Well that sure helps a lot." Rai said sarcastically and continued searching. He looked down at his hands while he searched the rocks, and just as he was about to flip another over he noticed another hand was under his on the rock. He looked up into her piercing blue eyes and immediately blushed and got up.

"Sorry Rai, I wasn't watching what rock I was turning over." she apologized sheepishly as she looked up at him. His face was covered by his hair with his head tilted downward to the ground a bit. He lifted his head to see her looking back at him with a faint smile gracing her lips. He almost got lost in staring from her delicate pink lips to her pure blue eyes, but quickly caught him self and turned the other way to keep searching.

"It's okay, y-you take that rock." he said a little nervously, which left Kimiko staring at his retreating form with a confused expression. Raimundo mentally scolded himself.

'That was just great. Real smooth Raimundo...'

Oblivious to anything except his job to locate the Shen Gong Wu, Omi was zipping all around the muddy banks for the Tanyai Shoes. He stopped again to look into the shallow water from the bank and saw a few bubbles emerge. He peered into the murky water with curious eyes. A small crocodile slowly surfaced it's eyes and nostrils above the water to stare at the monk hungrily.

Omi quickly retreated from his spot, backing away until his feet were back on the part of the ground that was green and not coated in mud. From the corner of his eye he saw a crocodile sliding off the bank into the water, and a glint of something coming from where it had been sunning itself.

"The Tanyai Shoes!" Omi called and pointed, causing the others to all look toward the half buried Wu in the mud.

"Are all mine!" The warriors all looked up at Jack hovering from his helibot. "Jack Spicer Evil Boy Genius has arrived!"

"Ugh Jack, how do you always know when to come at the perfectly wrong time?" Kimiko groaned in annoyance.

"Meh, it's a gift I guess." he shrugged and dived out of the sky for the Shen Gong Wu. " The Wu is mine!"

"Not so fast Jack Spicer!" Omi called and also dived for the blue and gold object sticking out of the ground. Both of their hands landed on the shoes and it began to glow yellowish white.

"Jack, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! My Orb of Tornami for your Reversing Mirror. The challenge is race to the opposite bank!" Omi said as he and Jack stared each other down.

"And I'm calling a Shen Yi Bu dare! My Silk Spitter for your Shadow of Fear, winner takes all." Jack challenged. Omi narrowed his eyes at his opponent and excepted. The Tanyai Shoes came loose from the ground and started floating into the air to signal for the showdown to begin.

"Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"

There were bright flashes of light and the earth rumbled under everyone's feet as the scenery morphed around them. Jack and Omi were soon standing at one bank, looking out across a long stretch of water filled with abnormally large crocodiles and stepping stones for them to travel across. Dojo and the remaining three warriors were watching from a rock pillar that had rose high up out of the water off to the side. They had all switched to their blue battle armor just as Omi had.

Everything was silent for a moment as the river fog set in. Omi and Jack glanced at each other, and then they were off.

"Gong Yi Tanpai!"

Omi immediately took the lead with Jack close behind, jumping from stone to stone. Omi looked back over his shoulder as he ran and saw Jack running not to far behind with the Silk Spitter raised up.

"Silk Spitter!" Jack yelled and the sticky webbing shot out from the Wu. Omi jumped over it and dodged, giving Jack a chance to catch up with him.

They were each running on the side rocks that were close to the water, and closer to the crocodiles. Before Jack could hold up the Silk Spitter again, one of the large reptiles snapped at him from the water and tore a nice sized hole out of the back of his pants. Not to mention that was right after he screamed his lungs out like a little girl.

Everyone from the sidelines were having a laughing fit at the degraded "boy genius".

"Hey Jack, nice undies!" Raimundo called in between his laughter.

"Yeah, especially... hah the printed- HAHAH heart designs!" Kimiko said and burst into even more laughter, if that was possible.

Jack scowled and tried to block out the taunting. He got himself level with Omi again and was begining to inch his way to the lead. Omi continued running and jumping while shifting his arms towards Jack, making the water rise up behind them in a wave.

"Wudai Neptune Water!" he called and sent the wave at Jack. The water soaked Jack's back side, but didn't fully come down on him enough to slow him down. Although, his now wet boxers were beginning to feel uncomfortable...

The opposite bank was coming into view now for the two. The crocs were contantly snapping at them as they went, causing Jack to scream bloody murder every time.

"Yeah go Omi!"

"C'mon, show that no good snake in the grass who's boss!"

"Keep go'in little dude!"

Omi turned his head back to his opponent and held up the Orb of Tornami, but he wasn't expecting Jack's surprisingly smart for a change move.

"Orb of Tornami!"

"Reversing Mirror!"

The water shot right back at Omi and knocked him off balance into the water. Jack was just as surprised as Omi was, but just for a second before he moved ahead to cross the bank. Before the crocs could use Omi has their lunch for the day ,there were bright flashes of white light like there was from the start of the showdown, and everyone was back on the bank in their normal clothes. Except for Jack's torn pants that is.

Jack stood triumphant with the Tanyai Shoes, Orb of Tornami, Silk Spitter, Reversing Mirror, and the Shadow of Fear which Omi had not used in the showdown. He took off into the air with his helibot and newly acquired Shen Gong Wu to head home.

"So long Xiaolin Losers!" he called and cackled before flying off. Everyone looked down at the depressed looking yellow monk, knowing how he was feeling at this point.

"Aw it's okay Omi, we'll get those Wu back." Kimiko comforted and patted him on his sulking head.

"But I was mooost disgraceful with my performance in the showdown. I should have expected Jack Spicer to use the Reversing Mirror to counter the Orb of Tornami..." Omi said sadly.

"Don't worry pardner, we'll get that no good rustler and those Wu back. Then you can feel even better when you kick some Spicer butt and pay'em back for it." Clay reassured his freind.

"C'mon guys, we need to get back to the Temple before it gets late." Dojo said and grew to his forty foot form. Everyone climbed on and the dragon took off for China.

MEANWHILE AT CHASE'S MOUNTAIN PALACE...

Everything in the main room where Chase was meditating was quiet until the sound of footsteps began to pat across the floor. Wuya walked in and her gaze fell upon Chase in his meditative state again. He'd been meditating a lot lately, but she figured she'd best not disturb him or ask questions. But this time she decided to take a chance and walked over to his side.

He didn't move at all at her presence, like she wasn't even there. She looked down at him with questioning swirled green eyes and hands on her hips. She moved her face down next to his and studied the look of absolute concentration in his features. Still he did not budge, so she moved in from of him and squinted her eyes, as if trying to find an answer to her question by just looking at his face.

Wuya put a hand to her chin in a thoughtful gesture and squinted a little more, just staring hard into his unmoving face.

"Is there something you wish to ask, Wuya?" Chase's sudden and slightly annoyed voice jolted her back to reality and she fell backward in surprise. Wuya quickly stood back up and regained her composure.

"Huh, and I thought you were asleep." She said with annoyed sarcasm. "May I ask why you have been meditating more than usual lately?" she asked and folded her arms across her chest.

"All an essential part of my plan. But for the time being, you do not need to know about it." Chase said and stood up, making his way for the door.

"Going to get more of that Lao Mane Lone soup of yours?" Wuya asked dully, not really caring about the answer.

"Actually, I think I will pay a little visit to Spicer. I will be back shorty." he said.

"Jack Spicer? What do you need him for? That insolent boy is only good for disposing of 'pudding cups' and losing Shen Gong Wu." Wuya scoffed but was actually intrested in hearing the reason.

"I have already told you Wuya, for now you do not need to know." And with that he walked through the door and down the corridors of his home. Wearing his dark evil grin with each step.

Okay at this point some of you may be like "so what's the point of the showdown?". Trust me, theres a part here thats gonna play a role in the next chapter concerning the point of the showdown. But anyway, question time...

What is Chase's evil plan? Why is he going to Jack's house? Why is the authoress asking questions in bold print? Oh whoops, that one was supposed to stay in a thought bubble.

Hope you liked the chapter! Stay tuned to find out what Chase is up to soon! Oh, and R&R's are very much appreciated! Thanks!

-Ash