Hate the Game
Chapter 2
Jack repeats the conversation in his head over and over again until he has analyzed every detail and continued to overthink every one of Chase's words. The young man curses as he can't find what the warlord wants hiding in their conversation.
The goth sits on his bed and starts undressing while he tries to think what the man wants. He had been clear, well as clear as Chase Young could be -or wants to be.
Chase hadn't given Jack a time limit, for all the albino understood the challenge started today, and it would end when it would end -which was indefinite.
The warlord hadn't specified if anything was off limits: no warnings like 'don't blow up my lair,' or 'no kidnapping my minions.'
Jack takes off his boots and throws them towards the pile of dirty clothes; he enjoys the relief of having his toes free and naked. The young man's brain reminds him that Chase hadn't promised his freedom and well-being. If Jack does a great job, like a miraculously good job at trying to dethrone Chase, and he destroys something precious to the dragon; would it be forgiven because it was a game or would he be held accountable? If one of Chase's cat thinks he is an intruder planning something, then is he dead or would the cat only 'pretend' to attack him for intruding the palace and plotting against its master?
"Fuck" Jack curses and lets his weight fall on his bed.
He wants to sleep, but his brain won't let him. The only one in real danger with this game is him, the very human, fragile, albino genius.
And all those are details.
He still has to come up with a plan that won't be detected and immediately dismantled by an expert strategist with a millennium's worth of experience, a plan to attempt murder - kill- on an all-powerful dark mage, legendary warrior, an immortal monster.
"Fuck it!" Jack struggles with his covers. He'll sleep because he is tired and he won't spend a perfectly good sleeping-time on a fool's errand with no benefits only because it is a fool's errand from Chase Young.
The young man decides this, and he closes his eyes, but his exhausted brain no longer wants to sleep.
He twists in his bed as he tries to talk himself out of it, but explaining to Chase that he is chickening out after accepting ...whatever Jack agreed to. It sounds like absolute danger.
He can't use the air, at least not as his primary field. Chase already called it 'predictable, ' and 'disappointing' and 'boring' and how real is Jack supposed to take this game?
Jack breathes in; he holds the air trapped in his lungs for five seconds and then exhales.
An aerial attack was a 'no.' But using land seemed like a bad idea, most of the wars and battles Chase had fought had been on the ground. Chase already has too many points in his favor, no reason to give him more.
The sea is too much of a mystery. Maybe Chase knows less, but even though Jack is proud of his swimming skills, he just doesn't believe the ocean would be a smart choice for him. And Chase could make his cats into fishes, Maybe.
Plus Omi would be pissed if Jack goes to the sea, the kid is weirdly possessive of the strangest things.
The yin-yang world is a pretty neutral zome; He can't go there again.
Space sounded nice. Jack stops and thinks of outer space; the infinitum cold and mysterious outer space. Jack has a small satellite just outside the earth's orbit; he could use it, but he would risk being found out by other countries' governments and then having to explain that 'yes, that is his working satellite stealing big companies' information.' 'Oh, but I'm only spying a little on your government…'
How would Jack even take Chase to outer space?
Possible ways to attack or defend from possible attacks keep being formulated by Jack's brain as he remembers that Chase didn't say if he would strike back, but Jack has a strong feeling that he will.
The goth gets out of bed; the sun would come up for a few hours, and he has nothing.
The only thing he knows is where not to attack, which is most of the world.
The young man moves to his kitchen and looks for something to eat. He evaluates his options and starts to wish he could get out of doing this. But he said he would, and Chase would hold him to his word, only death would be a credible enough excuse to stop him from performing his fanboy duty of entertaining the prince of darkness Chase Young.
Jack lets out a dry laugh.
"I'm gonna die." The albino says as he picks a banana pudding from the fridge, no surprise on his selection. He turns and closes the door with his hip.
There is movement in the house, but Jack would recognize the silhouette of his robots or the soft noise of them rolling over the carpet any given day or night.
"Turn on the T.V," Jack says, and when he makes it to the sofa, the T.V. is on on the Channel he likes.
Jack sighs.
He can't-do it; he needs someone else to do it.
The goth stops to consider if getting someone to help is against the rules, but Chase didn't give him any rules. Pretty much anything as long as the master plan is Jack's and it entertains Chase. Jack groans and decides that if after this he still has an okay relationship with Chase, he'll buy the guy a T.V.
Everyone's life might become so much more comfortable.
And everyone would owe a favor to Jack.
Colorful rude cartoons play in front of him, and a persistent thought takes the form of an idea.
'What if I die?' His mom would cry, Chase would be partially displeased with an unfinished game, Wuya… she might react, the monks would feel guilty since they were always crueler than they needed to be. Omi might have a harsher time; they were somewhat closer.
The scenarios play in his brain like a little movie cinema.
'Why would he die?" To get it over with it or to make everyone think it was over. Jack plays with the idea. Chase had said that he looks at his enemies and allies possible plans, but no point in persecuting the dead, except for Wuya, but Jack wasn't a witch strong enough to hold to the realm of the living after his death. Jack would be out of the game…
"How would he die?" Jack stops and sighs, he opens his banana pudding -all this thinking is making it melt, and a different show is playing.
Jack doesn't want to die. He has issues, big 'go to therapy and stay there' issues, but he wants to live. Jack enjoys living, so the genius would have to fake his death. A believable end that he could survive.
It shouldn't be too hard, he has plenty of opportunities to possibly die, but it can't be noticeable.
Jack cannot be fighting and trip on someone's weapon, and if he fails people might become suspicious. He could just not avoid a piece of debris from a fight; there are always big boulders or large objects falling during and after the showdowns, and, well, accidents happen. Jack tries to imagine the scene taking place, but in his mind, one of his robots save him or a monk or even Chase. They are all too fast, it could happen -an accident that could end his life- but he knows to never root for the odds.
He could do it himself. Jack rapidly considers it, but he quickly discarded the idea. People might believe it, and his psychologist might give reasons, his mother won't doubt it, the monks would feel guilty because they didn't see it, but they did, Wuya… might react, but Chase would know better.
Jack has a schedule to visit the man. Jack tells Chase all about his new and upcoming project, and the centuries-old warlord is always interested in expanding his knowledge, so he listens. Jack just said to Chase that he would try to kill him, but Jack dies instead; Chase would see through that in a second.
No. If Jack wants to disappear, then he has to make it believable.
If Jack wants to be killed and make it believable for Chase, then Chase Young has to kill him.
Jack smiles as he feels his plan taking shape and finally starts eating his pudding, little kids cartoons are playing.
It's morning already.
The albino looks for the control, and when he can't find it, he just leaves the T.V. on and goes to his lab.
Jack drops his empty cup on the floor when he hears the T.V. being turned off. He smiles as he looks at his lab, it has grown in size and projects, but it wasn't enough.
Everywhere he looks at his lab he feels a mixture of pride and hunger. He wants more, he wants a challenge, but maybe he is in front of a challenge, Jack has merely to rise to the occasion. To build something, to create a plan, to impress Chase Young, and, more importantly, to prove the boundaries of his genius.
"It can't be a robot…" Jack says out loud and immediately covers his mouth. No one can know what he is planning, but it can't be a robot.
It can't be magic, a powerful mage like Chase would see through it before fake Jack can even say 'hi.'
Chase needs to believe that the imposter is Jack, which means it has to be alive, and it has to be the closest Jack can make to a human -not human looking but an actual human being.
And then Jack has to send it to die.
The young man feels sick. He doesn't like this challenge; he doesn't want any of it.
Jack moves through his lab picking up pieces he can use, pointing others for his Jack-bots to dismantle for later use.
He needs to make a clone, then teaches him to be him, and then sent it to die.
There are plenty of materials to make the machines he needs but not the biological component he will need.
Jack massages his head in the same way he sees Chase do to keep headaches away and tries to think how to get the materials without looking strange.
Jack can get anything he wants, he had been buying and selling on the black market for quite some time, but he knows how rumors work. And if he doesn't buy his usual and instead buys stem cells in bulk, then people will talk...and Chase might hear the rumors which would make his plan useless.
With that thought, Jack drops everything as an alarming thought overtook him, Chase knows everything, he has a real all-seeing eye, he doesn't need rumors, and Jack needs to talk to that man now.
"I'm leaving!" Jack informs his minions who hurry to offer their master breakfast, clean clothes instead of pajamas, goggles, his jacket, his helipad, boots and more. Jack picks what he can and rushes out.
He takes no time on fixing his helipad over his long coat. He carries his boots in one hand and a protein bar in his mouth.
Jack leaves through a window, and Jack-bot, who carries a large black summer hat, follows its master. It's master happily takes it, since he forgot sunscreen (and doesn't have the time to go back), and he doesn't want to look like a ready to eat lobster in twenty minutes.
Jack needs to use the momentum of his ideas before he loses all motivation.
Jack finishes his protein bar, rescues his hat twice, puts on his boots, and finishes the outline for his master plan. The goth gracefully lands at the entrance of Chase's lair, but he doesn't turn off the helipad.
The door opens faster than Jack expected it to, and he hurries entering right before the door could squeeze him. He looks back and smiles, enjoying his little triumph and softly lands a second time.
"The hat is new." Chase points out, and Jack, surprised, steps back and trips over his own feet.
"The tripping is old," Chase smirks and slowly walks towards Jack, curious about what the young man has to say. Chase stops as he sees Jack's face cover in different shades of pink and red; it looks like when Jack was a teen and became embarrassed beyond all possible points.
Jack sometimes visits unannounced and without thinking (he says thinking gets in the way of inspiration). He would come in his pajamas, and with his hair, unbrushed-like Jack wears at the moment. Usually, because he has something to say too important to wait and he needs someone to listen, but Chase had never seen Jack in such a hurry that he neglects to protect himself from the sun adequately.
Maybe the only real act of self-care his little fanboy indulges on.
"The hat is new," Chase repeats because he believes it is a detail worth mentioning twice.
"I got it for Christmas," Jack says as he stands and fixes his clothes, feeling strangely self-conscious. Chase had seen him in pajamas before, not with the hat, but that wasn't that important.
Jack was shocked that Chase was at the entrance. Which could only mean one out of two things: one, Chase was waiting for him -not anyone more significant because Chase would not allow him to enter if he was expecting someone- or two, Chase was 'pacing' which means moving around and checking everything is at its best. Either possibility was incredibly flattering.
"I didn't think you would come today," Chase says, and Jack blushes under his sunburns. Most people wouldn't feel complimented by the commentary, but Chase was thinking about him and was preparing.
Jack felt honored.
"Really? Considering our last talk, you should have expected me earlier." Jack smiles.
"It's not even nine. For you, that is around six AM." Chase reaches a respectable distance between Jack and him.
"You should have expected me three minutes after I left yesterday! So I can tell you how wrong this is! And stupid." Jack crosses his arms feeling like that was an insult.
"I wouldn't have opened the door," Chase says in a matter of fact way and moves away. Jack follows him and continues to speak.
"I went home, ate some pudding, and watched T.V. Then when the T.V. got bad I thought 'there are zero rules for this stupid game of the great and powerful Chase Young?'" Jack explains a
little too fast.
"Oh. You don't have rules." Chase answers and feels a little disappointed that Jack was still stuck on 'how do you play this game?' mindset.
"Oh. I know! I guess that much. What is the point of letting me do my stuff if you are going to decide what I can do for me? I know. But I mean you. What rules you have." Jack blurs out and sees the little head tilt Chase does.
"I have no rules," Chase answers with a tone that sounds like he could laugh at the implications of him being grounded by rules.
"That. That's going to be a problem." Jack says, and Chase turns, not surprised or worried.
"Is it?" He mocks Jack like the young man had any power or saying.
"Fuck Y-. Game. Yeah, fuck this game!" Jack exclaim and prays that Chase is in a good mood.
"I didn't realize you wanted to die, but since you so gracefully hid -so well- your misdirect anger I'll let it pass," Chase says not bothering to hide his laughter.
The young man has a way to heighten his mood.
They reach the dining room. The table holds with breakfast food. Jack knows that Chase already had breakfast, and he smiles at the gesture. The young man looks down feeling, even more, worn out by the situation -or the lack of sleep and food.
"I'm human." Jack blurs out, and he can feel the atmosphere change around his idol.
"I know," Chase says softly before understanding what Jack means. The immortal tries to find the right words to assure Jack, but Jack had always had the faster mouth.
"I don't want to die okay. I just don't want to. I don't want to live to one hundred Chase, but I don't want to die. Not now. Not yet. Not. Not like this." Jack starts, and he can't make his mouth stop or his eyes not sting from tears that are always ready to burst. "I won't die like this! I have" survived so much. "Everyone! Everyone thought I would be dead by now!" I don't want them to be right! "Chase-" Jack's throat feels hot.
"You won't." 'die' Chase wanted to finish, but it would be a lie, Jack would eventually die.
"I don't want you to kill me." Jack finally says, and he feels like he has said it all that he could ever say. Jack looks at the table feeling too exposed, and he doesn't turn to see Chase. He doesn't know what would it be worst, Chase somewhat affected by his words and pity him even more or if Chase doesn't care at all.
"I won't. I promised you that is not how you'll die." The immortal knows better than to make that type of promises, but he is surprised how sure he feels when he says it.
Jack lets his worry out with his breath and sits on the table. He tries to breathe; he is a grown man he can't just tear up every two days like a child.
"Thanks… for everything." Jack says and starts stuffing thing in his mouth. He only wanted to make sure Chase wouldn't use the magical eye. Instead, he just made his plan harder.
And, he just shared a little too much with the man. He knows how Chase feels about intimacy and quote in quote emotional leverage.
The only thing that Jack could think was that Chase had promised him his life.
A tiger pushes a plate of pancakes away from Chase and closer to Jack. Chase knew that Jack is beloved by his warriors, and even those who dislike Jack did not want to see the young man so exposed.
"You knew," Chase speaks, and Jack brings more pancakes to his plate and mouth. Chase waits, and he knows his servants didn't randomly decide that the floor was dirty and it needs it to be clean that moment. Jack doesn't answer, but Chase needs to know that Jack feels somewhat safe with Chase, alike the millennium-old warrior feels near the youth.
True the potential harm that they could bring to each other was exponentially different, but Chase likes to think that they have built some trust.
"How do your cats even cook?" Jack tries to change the subject before he cries because that is what he does. He is an angry crier, a happy crier; he is just a crier.
"You knew I wouldn't kill you." Chase had to admit that a long time ago he might have, only for the fun of it. No, just five or six years had passed since then, but that time had brought noticeable change. Chase shifts feeling more uncomfortable as Jack's big rubies eyes begin to blur by his crocodile tears. He only knows two ways to deal with Jack's cries, ignore him or mock him, and he feels both options are slightly inappropriate.
"I. I didn't, and the breakfast is great. Now I know. Thanks for the food." Jack says between breaths, and Chase nods and ignores the fact that tears roll down of Jack's sunburnt cheeks.
The warrior has seen Jack cry so many times. This time it felt so out of place.
Jack cried once because he was startled at his own home by the microwave.
Chase tells himself that those dramatic tears are details on Jack's face, like dimples on smiles, and that Jack would cry when he assured him he wouldn't hurt him means nothing.
"The game." Jack continues because he would stop when his eyes are dry.
"Yes." Chase answers and he can feel the closest to a stink eye from his warriors.
"I can't surprise you if you spy on me! You can't use your eye thing."
"Understandable" Chase agrees.
"Is not fair if you prepare. You need to act like you didn't ask me. If I don't act weird no reason for you to react." Jack continues, and Chase takes a moment to think before nodding.
"It seems fair." He had to agree even though it would be hard not to prepare.
"I won't touch dragons or any of the soup that is left. I know, no rules for me, but just in case. When you are wondering 'what had crossed the mind of the mad genius Jack Spicer?' You don't have to worry about dragons." Jack says and Chase nods.
"So consider it." Chase mocks, but there was a little too much truth in those words.
"Pull back your punches. Not on my army or plans but me. Just don't push me. I'm fragile!" Jack says again, and he hopes he sounds reasonable and mature regardless of his teary eyes.
"I know. Spicer. You were right. This is a game. I'm going to had fun, you'll have stress but try to have fun too." Chase admits, and he can see Jack relaxing.
"Wow. That's the nicest you had been to me ever. I should cry more often!" Jack chuckles and giggles somehow at the same time.
"It is not humanly possible for you to cry 'more often.'" Chase mocks.
"I would need to drink more water." Jack ponders on the science. On how often does he cries, his clone needs to cry just as often.
"You look like you need water now," Chase says with a smirk, and Jack remembers that he is very sunburn. He hasn't seen his face yet, but he can feel his skin burning.
"I need a new face," Jack says as he tries to touch his nose with his index finger, but the contact proves too much.
"I would pay for it. Since I had to look at you so often."
"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Jack says, and a lioness brings Jack a bowl full of a yellowish clear gelatin.
"Make everyone a favor and apply that on your face. It's somehow getting redder." Chase tells him, and Jack does it without asking what it is. The albino feels the cooling relief touching his skin, and he smiles.
The tension disappears like it was never there. The cats finish with they redundant tasks, and Jack and Chase talk until the sun is low enough for the albino to return to his home.
Everything feels normal again.
Jack leaves his hat even though Chase warns him that the cats would destroy it, but Jack only struggles his shoulders and says that the wind of the night would steal it anyway.
The fly back home is silence and slow.
Jack knew had taken more than he could handle when he accepted the challenge Chase offer him, but now that the dragon had referred to it as a game. Now, Jack could look at his situation with a different perspective.
If this is a game, then Jack could win.