The Loyalty of a Liar
Chapter 14
Chase was on the floor. He felt unbalance and he couldn't hear Jack jumping off his robot.
Jack felt sick.
He carefully tried to step of his machine but he tripped and ended up falling face first. Once down his stomach gave up and spilled all its contents.
"That was overdue." Jack jokes and searches for Chase's reaction. But the man has barely sat up.
"Chase?" Jack tries again but there is no answer. The young man becomes worry, he cleans his face with his sleeve leaving blood all over his mouth. 'What if Chase had it under control? What if I messed up his plan?' Jack tries to walk towards Chase, but the pain on his shoulder, hips and his left leg makes him reconsider. "Chase?" He tries a third time to get Chase's attention but it doesn't work.
Jack works through the pain. He was only a few meters away from Chase but each step was worth a tiny trophy.
"Chase. Are you okay?" Jack puts his hand on Chase's shoulder, and it is immediately captured, twisted and restrained.
Chase felt something on his shoulder, he knew that Jack was the only creature in the mansion but his first instinct was to capture the intruder.
He knew no one in the house could hurt him but he felt panic, a desperate need to take control over-
"You are hurting me?!" Jack screams and tries to break free, his eyes were wild. The warlord was sweating and Jack knew it wasn't because of the fight. The grip lessens a little but the tension stays. There was an emotion Jack has never seen on Chase.
It didn't look right. It didn't felt right.
Chase stares at Jack. The young man says nothing and he moves very slowly, obviously to not startle Chase. Jack, very slowly, turns his captived hand inside the grip until both palms are touching. Then he gives the tiniest of squeezes.
"Is going to be okay very soon." Jack spoke slowly and clearly while facing Chase so he could see the movement. They stay like that standing.
Chase would hold his breath minutes at the time and Jack would rub with his free hand over Chase's arm.
"Breath."
They stay standing on that place over an hour. That's how shock works somethings.
Chase didn't know he was in shock, he won't know or accept it for years.
"Breath." Jack's big ruby eyes offered all the love they could. Jack was like a well towards Chase, he was willing to give everything he has and everything he is to Chase, and Chase is scare he will take it and leave Jack empty.
"Breath."
Exactly one hour and twenty-three minutes later, Chase's hearing starting to come back.
He couldn't hear Jack's heartbeat or the hum of machinery, but he heard like a faint whisper Jack's voice. Breath.
"You think I want to die?" Chase answers like he hasn't been frozen in place for 85 minutes. The way Jack flinched leted Chase know that he was screaming, he made sure to lower his voice for the next sentence. "What. Was. That?"
Jack explains his latest weapon -a reused design really, but it didn't made the attack any less dangerous.
"I -I needed to find -" a weakness. Jack feels his mouth go dry, maybe was the numb pain on his chest or the way his legs felt heavy or that he found what he didn't want to find in his idol.
Slowly Jack guides Chase outside the wreckage. The warlord could see, but the gun has also screwed with his balance. Chase silently supports Jack through their small walk to a safer room. The fight left the albino weak and tired, barely responsive enough to know where he is going.
They walked over the wreckage, down what was left of the stair.
"You needed to find a weakness to attack me, an opening for your plan to work." Chase supplies.
Jack-bots and doc-bots rush to their master, Chase flinches to their sudden appearance. It was weird to not hear them, to somewhat accept that temporarily even Jack's non-combat minions could hide from his senses.
The robots cut Jack's sweater, he wouldn't let go of Chase and the machines needed to work as quickly as possible.
It was odd to not hear.
It felt like being engulfed by nothing. He could still see them and smell their metallic aroma but his brain keep whispering that his other senses were wrong -he couldn't trust his own senses. It made the warlord frustrated, he could tell there was movement but he couldn't hear it. There wasn't even a ring, there was nothing. Chase has been partially unable to hear in the past. But he has never felt a sense completely rob from him. Not even when he was human.
It made him feel.
Weak.
Jack has done that to him.
By accident.
Jack has taken his hearing away.
It made him feel weak.
He felt weaker than when he was human.
Last time he felt weak he was human.
Chase didn't want to be weak.
Chase didn't want to be human.
There was a squeeze on his hand.
"Breath." The faintest of whispers, Chase didn't hear it but he was aware Jack was talking.
The doc-bots make sure to only work in angles where Chase can see them at all times. They clean their wounds, offered Jack some painkillers and Chase some dragon-proteins gummies. Chase looks over Jack as the robots sew the white and purple skin and muscles back together. The anesthetic prevents Jack from feeling it, but to be aware of the possible pain was enough for Jack.
Chase has never accepted anesthetic, he needs to feel the pain to access the damage -he needs to trust his senses.
Chase felt every feeling of weakness boil into anger.
The rage in his glare could only be rivaled by the remorse in Jack's eyes. For a moment Jack feared for his life, but Chase's touch was still gentle.
Chase didn't let go of his hand, he didn't tighten his grip or sank his claws.
"Burn it." The demand was absolute and left no room for arguments or pleas. The voice of the dragon could be heard in the will of the man. Chase could have order him to burn the world and Jack would had happily follow command.
Any other thinking creature would had felt a new level of fear, but Jack smiles and nods confidently as pink colors his cheeks.
"Yes, my warlord."
"Tsk. Don't try to be cute." Chase says and throws Jack's hand back to him.
The young man pouts but he knows better than to test the dragon. Chase was being very lenient as it is.
Jack instead calls a jack-bot and orders them to start disarming the 25-c weapon A.K.A supersonic transformer.
"You haven't explain yourself yet." Chase remains Jack. The young man looks worry, a new layer of dreadful over he already beaten face.
"I -I. There isn't much to explain really. I. You see. The -" Jack tries to find a full sentence but his brain didn't want to form it.
"Not now. We must go now."
He feels the wound on his back, a present from Hannibal, but at least the fight ended against Hannibal. The old monster had an ordeal of injuries to attend before they meet again.
"Perhalfs Master Spicer should rest here." A robot suggests.
"And rely on Jack's toys to keep him safe if Hannibal decides to returns looking for an easy kill? No. He will not leave my side until -" Chase stops. He couldn't longer be sure when or how would this end, he needs to reconsider everything. He has upset the monster, lost sight of the witch, Jack has shown a new edge and a level of partnership or friendship with Omi, and there are new weapons to take into account. Jack made more than one plan to kill the warlord.
"Where are we going?" Jack asks but when he look around they have already arrived.
The room they arrived at was new to Jack but he could recognize the palace even with only half of his wits.
A small yellow and black polka-dot cat walks towards them.
"Is that Yat? Is that you Yat?" Jack asks.
"My general has prepared us a room to rest while we receive medical attention." Chase walks ahead. Jack becomes a little unbalance but Noah rushes to aid the other. The human falls over Noah and he grips the tiger like his life depends on it. Noah feels the oddest deja vu, and he tells himself that Jack is alive and well (well, relatively).
"Thank you kitty." Jack says and looks up, he then sees the hole on Chase's armor and the slit in the curve of his back. It was a dark purple and the edges of the wound were black.
"OH shit! Chase! Shit, Chase I think -You are dying!" Jack tries to stand up but he seems unable to make his legs work. Chase' wound looks infected, Jack wasn't a doctor but he could tell that flesh isn't suppose to look like that. "You are dying. Oh, oh my god."
"Don't be dramatic Spicer." Chase says barely turning to look at Jack, he knows how his injury looks. "Hannibal can't kill me with his poison."
Noah hurries to catch up with his master.
"Are you. Are you okay?" Jack asks.
"Dramatic and stupid. No, Jack. I have been wounded, but it looks far worse that it is." Chase says without slowing down.
"When? I- Shit! Did I do that?" Jack asks know standing, walking at the same velocity than Chase was a challenge but Noah stays by his side incase he needs support. Jack wanted to impressed Chase; it was suppose to be a game. Jack was suppose to attempt to kill the warlord, Jack never except for his plan to work, he didn't even imagine he would be able to hurt him.
"No. You did far more damage. This was a little reminder from Hannibal, I know his poison and I have an antidote. The affected tissue will be remove. But I'm a reptile, I will recover in an afternoon." The wound was nothing compare to what Spicer has done to him.
"'The affected tissue' has to go? 'The affected tissue will be remove!' That is your back Chase! How are you gonna cut your back?!" Jack pulls on Chase's arm and he turns and stares at him. The silence between them grew a little louder. "The wound is superficial." Jack concludes.
"Wow. What a genius." Chase continues walking and let's Jack hold to his arm.
"Okay. You haven't seen your back. And I have lost a lot of blood-"
"People donate more blood than what you have lost today Jack." Chase fills in between sentences.
"I have lost so much Blood Chase. And. It look like an alien burnt. Or plain out death tissue. Or-"
"Some of it is death."
"Oh my- Shit. Chase why didn't- this should have been a priority."
"It isn't life-threatening Jack. I mean, it isn't as terrible - Almost as terrible as getting shot." Chase says and Jack glares a little.
"We have to put things into perspective; proportional. I could die from getting shot-"
"You are fine." Chase says and Jack stays quiet. No his 'I'm mad and I don't want to argue quiet it' quiet, but a more 'something is not right' quiet.
It was appropriate, since there were many things that weren't right.
The were medics inside the room, warriors in their human shape, they help undress their master and clean the wound. Chase kneels on a bamboo mat set near a large pot of water and other smaller containers, there was contain fire and multiple surgical knifes.
The old man lays without instruction on his stomach; experience of many past battles.
He has upseted Hannibal with their little fight but it could make the monster hasty with his next attack, hungry for revenge or wary of being surprise. Hannibal was surprised by the power of Jack's weapon.
Jack was stronger than he gave him credit for, Jack could be a threat.
Wuya was near, but Chase didn't know where.
Jack kneels next to Chase and he tries to offer some comfort to the dragon by placing his good hand over Chase's hand. It was repayment for the comfort Chase provided Jack during his surgery. Jack's hands were sweaty and Chase could feel him tremble, he keeps trying to not cry but the fat crocodile tears still break free, the young man didn't have the stomach to be present during the procedure but he insisted. Jack keeps looking over the area the medics were working on and gasping, then pretending everything was fine.
Chase wasn't worry, he has spelt during this procedure on the past but Jack stare at every little moment the scalpel did.
It took less than ten minutes for the medics to finished their job, at the end they offered Jack a tea to calm his nerves and an elixir to help him sleep.
Chase stay laying on his stomach and Jack adjusted his position next to him. The albino sidled his hand under Chase's so slowly that Chase almost believed he wasn't suppose to notice.
They stay on silence for three minutes.
Jack could be a threat. But Jack has proved multiple times that he was willing to sacrifice himself for Chase, to trust him, to be his ally.
Chase simply needs to to trust Jack.
The warlord rubs Jack's hand with his thumb and lets out a little hum. Chase wants to trust Jack.
Chase couldn't hear Jack's heartbeat slowing down but he could feel the tension lessen and disappear from the young genius hands. Until Jack was drag into a deep sleep by the elixer.
Chase dislike the medicine, it force the user to sleep but it was always a restless type of sleep. But he knew Jack would have simply worry and cry, and then fall asleep crying like he usually does in stressful situations.
Chase turned to look at Jack, he has grown -almost mature, a lot but he was still so inexperienced and he was very aware of the fact.
Jack knew he was over his head and the fear if not control will consume him before the actual conflict starts.
Unable to sleep Chase stands and moves to the library in search of old fights with Hannibal and Wuya, hoping to find a new pattern or a clear motive.
Chase spends the rest of the afternoon researching, the night reading over old strategies, and early morning he meditates until Jack wakes up.
Hannibal spended his night and most of the morning dragging himself across the country to a tiny meaningless peach farm.
Hannibal had been caught unprepared.
He was ready to fight Chase if needed, and take the damage that it meant. He didn't expect for weak cowardly Jack to even try to aid his new master, much less for the boy to introduced such a wary weapon. Now the old Heylin king was dragging himself across the land like a insect. The dirt was getting in his cuts mixing into a disgusting muddy mess, it smells like acid and it feels like acid. Though it was poison. It didn't slow him down, Hannibal knew where he was going and who he was tracking. A few more hundreds of miles and he could stop.
He knew he was close when he smelled the peaches.
The wooden fence folded under his roots like paper, and the trail of his prey was heavily laced with the smell unripe fruit. It definitely suited it Omi.
Hannibal was almost curious for Omi's stopping place -a peach farm of all places, but it was most likely the closest relatively inhabitat place around.
The young monk didn't hurry to meet Hannibal or try to hide, he simply waits in place.
The monster reaches the lonely hill Omi has chosen to hide, there was shade and plenty of grass -a tree has grown crook from the side of the hill and then up, it made a strange visual. Omi tried not to react at Hannibal's state but it was hard to pretend those ugly cuts weren't oozing pus.
Hannibal found it to be almost comical. It wasn't as if by not acknowledging his state it would make it go away. The monster inched closer until he could almost feel Omi's body heat, close enough to inspect the young man's wounds.
"Can you smell it?" Hannibal smiles wide, Omi hesitantly nods.
"What. What is it?" Omi asks and Hannibal stops. He thought it was obvious, but Omi has never seen him bleed and blood isn't usually a dark yellow and acidic.
"A very powerful poison. I would keep my distance, but you don't have anything to worry about; we are allies." Hannibal hums. "But a drop of this" Hannibal brought a twist root closer to Omi so he could inspect the thick liquid. "Is enough to burn you to whatever center you have." He laughs.
"...does it hurt?" Omi asks like a reflex. It looks like it hurts.
"You care? So considerate." Hannibal mocks. "Where is Wuya?" He hopes that the witch knows something about Jack's new toys -no, they were weapons. Hannibal can't allow himself to underestimate that little desperate scum again.
"...I hope you could tell me." Omi answers and Hannibal tilts his head in a way that would have been charming from a pup.
"She can't be far." He states sure that Omi is lying, but Xiaolin monks don't tend to lie.
"I hope so." Omi breaths out, and then he stays quiet.
They don't have nothing else to talk about so they don't. They are, or were, from opposite sides, their values and priorities are extremely differences, and they don't like each other.
Hannibal closes his eyes and tries to rest, he doesn't want to meet the witch looking utterly beat up. He hears Omi slowly take a knife out, small and unimportant. Omi wasn't trying to hide his weapon, his slow and precise moments were simply a shadow of his years of training.
Even though a weapon so insignificant could never cause a real damage, Hannibal was still uneasy about Omi sitting less than two meters away from him holding a knife, even a small one.
"I need to feed." Hannibal breaks the silence, "to recover of course." The monster dips his roots into the ground and digs deeper. Omi nods trying to act tough. "I need blood." Hannibal says and the news shower Omi like a summer rizzle. He expected to be ask to give parts of himself, he told himself he was ready.
Omi extends his left arm and pulls back the white sleeve from the hoodie he borrowed from Jack, the little knife on his right hand presses over the soft space between his arm and forearm.
"No, no, no~ Thank you, I like the commitment." Hannibal grims and Omi tries to not look bother. Was that a test? It felt like game. "I need you alive. But the farmer who lives in that tiny run-down cottage, he has a pretty young daughter. She feeds mostly on dandelion soup, bread and peach marmalade. Go fetch her."
Omi felt the tips of his finger turned cold, his head felt empty and his stomach heavy. He promised Wuya he will act the part, he said he was willing to become Heylin. Omi meant he would offer himself, no one else should get hurt. The young man fidgets with his hands, he couldn't do this but he has already promise. He needs to gain Hannibal's trust or everything he has gone would be meaningless.
Hannibal's crude laugh made everything feel surreal. This is what Omi agreed to. Attack, kill, take. Omi told Wuya he wanted this.
"Don't be so serious. I don't even know if there is a farmer or a daughter, much less her diet. I just got here kid." Hannibal lays back and digs deeper into the dirt, all evil came from the ground and he just has to find it. "Learn to take a joke."
The monster closes his eyes and finds the roots of the tree.
"It was not funny." Omi fidgets with his knife. The young man picks up a peach, the best one between the green yellowish fruit and cuts a slide. The taste was still more acid than sweet, unlike anything he eat at Jack's. Omi left without warning Jack of the attack, he also took something from the lab. It was small controler, Omi hoped it wasn't important but Wuya wanted it.
Jack woke up feeling tire. This body felt heavy and numb a direct effect from whatever those doc-cats gave him, but he prefered the odd feeling to the pain. Jack pushes the blankets off him and attends to sit up, he was immediately stop by a large tiger.
"Noah? Get off!" He hisses to the feline who hesitantly moves out of the way. Jack doesn't said much after. He stands and walks out of the room, he knew Noah was following him but he didn't have time to acknowledge him.
He felt his body grow more alert of his injuries but Jack continued until he had reach the library. Chase was dress with his usual armor sitting calmly while reading a large dome. There was at least a dozen of books scattered over the blue tiles, and at least two burning in the fireplace.
Noah waits outside and Jack enters the library.
Chase doesn't look up as Jack limps his way to his desk. He feels the eyes of the albino roam over the room, the young man open and close his mouth a few times before finally choosing something to say.
"I'm sorry." Jack's voice sounded broken.
"I don't blame you." Chase answers.
Chase wasn't sure if Jack meant - 'Sorry for hitting you with an ultrasonic ray and taking your hearing away.' Or 'Sorry, I let my guard down around Omi and bring a new variable.' Or 'Sorry. This kinda sucks.' Whatever it was, it wasn't Jack's fault.
"What are you sorry about?" Chase looks up from his book and see those rubies eyes already glossy with tears.
"I'm sorry I got shot." Jack sounded so small.
Chase knew those words were heavy with fear, he could almost taste it.
"You were wounded during battle -it happens. No reason to be a shame." Chase knew it was more than that but he didn't know how to address-
"No. I- I. You told me not to go because you knew something was happening. I should have noticed or figured it out on my own or listen! Or at least I should have been better prepared. I should- I shouldn't be this - I need to be stronger if I want to be your apprentice. I'm saying. I have always wanted this, to be your ally, but I'm weak. Its finally happening and I'm scare." Jack clears his throat, like the first time he confessed the true to Chase, he felt unprepared. "I don't want to die. I won't live to one hundred Chase, but I don't want to die. Not yet. No. Not like this." Jack stops after that.
"Of course." Chase agrees. He wanted to promised Jack his life, he wanted to promise to protect him. But he already did that once and he failed him. "Jack, you are not an oracle to predict what would have happen. It already happened. Next time you will be better inform, prepare, and more experience. Until then and after, I'll aid you."
Chase wanted to soothe Jack.
It didn't work.
Chase puts down his book, he wasn't getting anything out of it anyways, and stands up. Chase moves closer to Jack.
"Spicer."
Jack tries to swallows the whimpers building in his throat.
"I need you to trust me, Jack." That at least yield a reaction; a smile and a forced laugh.
"I trust you. I trust you more than I should-" Jack tries to laugh. He knew that if Chase were to ask him to bet his life he would, and he already has. He did, and he already die for it.
"No. I need you to trust me to care for you. Just as much as-" Chase looks at Jack, he has a lot of growing to do and he will change into a completely different person. And against every single instinct Chase has, every paranoid thought that has kept him alive throughout centuries, Chase wants to trust Jack. "I already decided to trust you Jack."
Jack felt his chest burn, the responsibility and privilege were like literal weights keeping his lungs tightly squeezed. Jack had many allies in the past; a shame of partnership and sportsmanship every time -an unbalance power play in which Jack always found himself in the losing end. Jack has friends, no one he could call to just talk to. He pays people to hear him talk with no judgement or a little of judgement. Omi was the closest person of his age that truly likes him, five years his junior and seven years more experienced. Jack has one true constant in his life; his robots. He made them, they don't have an option. Jack knew that if it was optional, they would leave him too. Like people usually do. He loves his mother but she would still only come on certain special occasions. Everyone leaves him or they come for him in rare occasions when he has something they want.
Except Chase. The warlord played him in the past but he was usually sincere of what he wanted. Chase always told him that he hasn't finish growing, he told him he will become someone fearsome and extraordinary. Chase likes to hear his new designs, he likes to hear the gossip that travels through ranks, Chase listens quietly about his visits to his therapists and always told Jack to demand care 'If you pay for a service, then it should be deliver.' Jack likes to think of Chase as a friend. A much stronger, smarter, wiser friend who could end him but wouldn't.
Chase lifts his hand in an odd gesture to comfort Jack.
"Thank you." Jack says and he takes it. Slowly his brain recognizes that was an alliance. An actual ally that won't betray you at their best convenience: wow, mutual trust.
"What are we reading?" Jack tries to act normal.
"An anthology of a particularly old evil." Chase picks the book and offers it to Jack. The young man looks at the old book, it was an ugly faded yellow-green color, the words were hard to see but Jack recognized traditional chinese. The letters were far older than anything Jack has read before, that book must be older than Chase.
The only character Jack could identify meant 'body' or 'corpse.' Jack picks the book which was oddly light for its size.
"Are you trying to find some - uh? Dirt in Hannibal?" Jack looks at the barely readable character at the start of the title it means 'crime' or 'un-virtues?'
Chase considers how to answer that question. Neither 'yes' or 'no' would be correct.
"That would be useful, but I'm trying to find Wuya's source of power." Chase decides that he most trust Jack with sensitive information if he wants Jack to feel taken seriously. The young man will notice if Chase were to keep things from him, and working around the true will be too tiresome in the future -especially if their alliance proves fruitful.
"Wuya's power? I always thought that it came from her or something like that? -you know inner strength." Jack stops trying to translate the book and looks at Chase.
"At some extend you are correct. Wuya uses her life essence, her soul, to power her magic but that is not enough for great spell or curses." Chase pulls Jack towards the small table near the fire, he kicks a few books in the way. "All witches must ask for power to a source to perform spells that other wise would cost their life or their souls." Chase sits on the larger red sofa and Jack follows. His left hand tightens around the old book and his right hand was being held but Chase's unnatural warm hands. "They powers, expertise and limitations will be dictated by the source of their power."
"That's why she is always looking for magical items? -But Wuya doesn't have a body or power at the moment so why even bother?" Jack looks at the old book and he places it on his lap. "Is Wuya older than Hannibal?" It felt like an odd question.
"Yes." Chase takes the book from Jack and places on the table. "Even if Wuya doesn't have a body at the moment we must still prepare; she is hiding a trick. And no, she is young than the bean -not that is a hard accomplishment. But I believe the source of her power is."
"Oh. Do you-? How?" Jack wants to be useful but he can't read that book -in the last ten minutes he has the meaning of maybe two words, maybe. And he doesn't longer know how to research without internet.
"I need your help with these reports." A few familiar yellow folders appeared on Jack's lap, each was label '25' but distinguish with a letter.
"Oh. Sure." Jack nods and picks the first folder. "You know 25-a." Jack turns to see if Chase needs a further explaining.
"I'll like a rerun of it, but some other day. I'm more interest it in the other weapons, and which ones can be use against us specifically."
"OH. Okay. 25-b is a super cool armor with artificial intelligence pilots. I built two but they can only be drive manually by me. So I think that one is out, I kinda messed up on that one." Jack puts the two first folders out of the way.
"You got to see 25-c at a personal level." Jack smiles and Chase glares and slips his hand away from Jack's.
"Hey- I destroyed it as you asked. Prototypes and blueprints; all of it." Jack says. "25-d was a bust; a bioweapon that was suppose to attack your proteins but I.. I couldn't make it work."
"Drop that one."
"Yeah, it felt wrong working on that one. 25-e was a submarine. I didn't even start construction for that one. 25-f…" Jack stops. Chase stares at Jack and prepares.
"What was 25-f plan?"
"It was an old abandoned project. I have a satellite near our orbit, remember?"
"Yes, you promised me a space diamond. I hadn't forgotten."
"The crew disappeared. I'm working on it. I was sure I would have found one by now- But the important part is that there is no crew within the station. Which means a cannon can't be construct." Jack smiles.
"Cannon. Space cannon?" Chase has heard Jack mention how useful a weapon position in space would be, but the young man never had the man-power to continue the construction. "Explain." Chase says and Jack frowns. The main reason why he chose not to continue the project was how hard was to sent a crew -he could easily be discovered by a government or a nerd with a cool telescope.
But Wuya didn't care about being caught. She could send a crew and carefully build the cannon from recycle non-essential parts of the satellite; life support and the communication system could be easily sacrifice.
At the end of the explanation it was concluded that Wuya could make the weapon. It was a long shot in every scenario but it remain a possibility.
Chase knows Wuya. If Wuya has her way then she will pour all resources into the making of the space cannon and attack the second said weapon is ready. The witch has always been rash and she uses the simply strategy of overpower/overwhelm her enemies. Which means Chase and Jack can't stay on one position for long or they become easy targets; if Wuya leads the attack, then they most hurry and leave at once.
"We will cut her resources." Chase declares and then he looks at Jack.
It takes a moment for the self proclaimed genius to understand that Chase was waiting for his input.
"Ah. Yes. I." Jack mumbles and looks at his shoes, well feet since he isn't wearing any shoes. He looks at the old chipped black nail polish. He needs to be useful -he has to think. "Hannibal, would he be with Omi?" He asks as he tries to recall the vague memory of Hannibal looking for Omi.
"Yes." Chase tries to consider their situation more closely.
Chase has fought many times with the old evil and he is much more experience than anyone in the Heylin and Xiaolin. Hannibal likes to play with his enemies. If Hannibal leads the attack he will offer hope to his foes, he knows how to play a bluff and how to play people. Which means Chase and Jack most carefully consider each movement; If Hannibal leads the attack, then they most stay put and wait for the other to make the first move.
"Is Omi going to become…" Jack didn't know how to ask if Omi would become immortal like Chase.
"Mm." Chase hums to the idea. He doesn't believe Omi would sell his soul for power, but Chase is sure someone might have thought something similar about the warlord himself when he was still a young idealist Xiaolin monk. "I can't tell for sure."
Jack nods and thinks of Omi sitting between Hannibal and Wuya. Jack knew Wuya, he couldn't control her but he knew her. But he couldn't even start to decode the old evil bean.
After all, not a single book in the warlord's extensive collection could tell the pair how Hannibal came to be.
The monster ponders the same predicament. He has fought Chase and Wuya multiples of times, getting rid of Wuya has become with time ridiculously easy but Chase won't die. It annoyed Hannibal the irony that he made his most formidable enemy. He knew when he saw the young monk more than a millennia ago that he had enough ambition in him to fuel him and burn the world, so Hannibal offered him power beyond his imagination. He didn't know back then he was making his most powerful enemy. Now all that Hannibal wants is to kill Chase Young, because otherwise Chase will kill him.
Is his own feared prophecy.
Hannibal hears a leaf unnaturally being drag over the grass, he opens his eyes and sees 12 peach slices.
"You need to eat something." Omi says and humbly offers the fruit.
Hannibal looks at the peaches suspiciously and then he looks at the young monk. Omi has been a xiaolin all his life, his body and mind were train to be focus and strong; Omi was good. Omi has never been caught on a lie. Omi was the first person to offered something without further expectations.
A root picks a slice and he looks at it closer.
"So considerate." Hannibal mocks and eats the peach, it was still unripe but it was sweet.
Omi was still young and untouched, and with the right guidance Hannibal could make him grow into an ally he could relay.
Hannibal picks the leaf with the rest of the fruit and eats it. "Thank you."
Omi didn't know what to said, so he continues cutting peaches.
"I have a question Omi, would you help me?" Hannibal's tone naturally mocks the monk.
Omi frowns at the lack of respect but he nods.
"If you were to fight what be your last fight or your…" There was silence that couldn't be fill. " Would you wait or would you attack?" Hannibal asks.
Omi knew it was a test, but he found himself answering honestly.
"Neither." Omi puts down his knife and he looks at his hands one more time before wiping them on the sides of his pants. "I'll demand to be face."
AN2: I have to redo this chapter.
AN old: Sorry this one took longer. I was having a little block -but the story is finally moving. Kinda, this plot seems slower than I planned but mm. Also, I'm so proud of the tittle. And sorry this one is so long, the next one will be short and fluffy.