HEY! Wasup everyone? Sorry for the slow update... things have gone a bit topsy turvy since my mum's friend died from ovarian cancer. Everyone went depressed including me. So be glad that you are living and don't even start thinking of slitting your wrist! My mum's friend died suffering and that amounts far beyond than any family problem. If there is an organisation that helps ovarian cancer sufferers or any kind of cancer sufferer, go give a donation. It would make my day a whole lot better than any review. So this chapter is dedicated to Gloria, thanks for being among us.
Jack went through the rules of the game quite quickly. Doctor Octavius looked at the boy with a bored look even when the smart arms absorbed the information with enthusiasm. Well with as much enthusiasm a machine could give.
"And do you think that I'll believe you?" interrupted Doctor Octavius as Jack talked about the origins of the game. Jack gave him a puzzled look which transformed into a maniacal grin.
"Well you never know until you've tried!" answered Jack. Jumping down from the crate again, he held out a hand. "I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! If I win, you are my slave and visa versa. The challenge is whoever can take off the other guy's goggles or glasses within ten minutes wins!"
Doctor Octavius looked at the hand and a cruel grin spread on his face. He enjoyed breaking other peoples dreams and hopes (except his own) and Jack was no exception. He grabbed Jack's outstretched hand and shook it. It had a strange feeling since he had no human contact for months.
"I accept your challenge." Doctor Octavius immediately regretted this decision. It turned out that this game was no laughing matter. The crates, although before were piled quite high, in a flash of light, were now to an enormous scale, one he thought not even Spider man could clamber upon. A huge timer was perched on the warehouse walls already starting to count down.
"Believe me now?" sneered Jack. The boy lunged towards a large crate, hiding so he could perform a sneak attack. Unfortunately, those damn smart arms had heat sensors.
"I can always find you!" taunted Octavius, sending one of his metallic arms in what he thought was Jack's direction. Bad mistake. The arm hit the crate but since they all looked the same, he hadn't noticed that the room had SPUN. Splinters rained down on him before a huge crate came falling from the sky making Octavius jump aside. Angry, he activated the heat sensors again and was proved right. Jack's heat waves were no where to be seen, unless... Octavius looked up just in time for Jack's black boot to smash neatly on his nose. Blood started to flow freely but fortunately hadn't smashed the glasses Jack was seeking. Jack jumped back behind the crates as the room spun again.
"You little son of a ..." swore the doctor, stopping only when Jack's fist connected with his cheek.
Is this kid on steroids?! Octavius thought inside his head. The arms clicked with agitation and anger. The teenager was again no where to be seen. Jack's laughter was heard throughout the maze so Doctor Octavius set out to find him. He clambered up the crates walls listening carefully for Jack's give away sounds. Which he gave away. Jack had been dangling from a crate, two meters away from Octavius. His upper left tentacle strike and hit Jack's ankle, getting a yelp as metal hit flesh. Jack plummeted downwards and as always his brain came up with some good solutions
a) Keep on falling
b) Do a complicated twist that could involve breaking bones
c) Scream like the little wuss you are
Stupid brain, but Jack still trusted it and chose selection b. Like a cat, he twisted himself into an awkward position but one that saved his life. He rolled to the side as he hit the floor, resulting in only getting a bruise on his knee. Octavius dropped from the crate's walls, using his two lower left tentacles as his legs. He landed with a crash, shaking the floor. Jack gulped and ran into the complex maze again. As he ran, he listened intently for the doctor's footsteps as well as checking his pockets for something.
"Where is it..." mumbled Jack, ducking a surprise tentacle attack from nowhere. He cursed to himself and continued checking his pockets. His hands suddenly closed around a small round object, its coldness biting his fingers. He drew out the object before shouting...
"Mantis Flip Coin!" yelled Jack and immediately he was flung into the air as the metallic arms of horror appeared out of nowhere and smashed the place where Jack had previously stood. Octavius looked incredulously as he followed Jack's flight pattern that would put an eagle to shame. Jack landed, if shakily, on the highest crate, looking down at the amazed doctor. He quickly checked the timer and gave a small groan as the timer just marked that three minutes had passed. Seven more minutes of hell playing with this guy...
"You are certainly full of surprises," commented Octavius, jumping on the walls, clambering up at high speed, despite the clumsy look of the claws. Jack gaped at the doctor then spun on his heel and ran. As soon as Octavius had reached the same level of height as Jack, the boy in question was already at the edge.
"Nowhere to run now!" Octavius said, grinning. Jack had officially decided that the grin was worse than the laugh. But now was not the time for that. He froze as Octavius calmly walked up to Jack, with a hand outstretched to grab his yellow swirl goggles. But before Octavius's hand was even an inch near them, Jack jumped of the side of the building. The doctor was quite amazed but quickly snapped out of it as he realised that this time the boy wouldn't survive if he didn't do something.
Let him die, Father. He is worthless
No one is worthless!
And with the end of the conversation between him and his tentacles fused to his body, he too jumped off the building, in streamline position. The arms had of course disagreed to this. They had been built to assist their creator and further all of his projects and no 'rat' would stand in their way. So they had found it utterly baffling when their Father calmly set the shaking Jack down on his two feet after what had seemed like an eternity falling down and miraculously grabbed him by the scruff of his black trench coat. The arms couldn't understand why their Father would risk his own life to save another but it would be discussed later. Octavius looked down at the teen-aged youth, who wore a very puzzled look, with a mixture of relief and shock. And before Octavius could blink, Jack had once again hidden himself in the maze.
"Stupid boy, not even stopping to thank me..." grumbled Octavius, cursing today's youth. As if reading his mind, Jack answered back.
"Thank you! But the game is still on for another five minutes!" Jack yelled gleefully.
See Father? He thinks that life is a game. Why do you not wish us to kill him?
Octavius ignored his smart arms cold, metallic words and hunted down the boy again. This time he had been easier to find. Behind a crate, Jack had jumped out again, summoning the power of the shen-gun-wu, aimed straight at Octavius's glasses. But the smart arms were much quicker than any human action and curled around their host, like a cocoon. Jack's hand smashed into it, bringing out a small scream. He jumped away, shaking his bruised hand lightly.
"Now you are done for..." hissed Doctor Octavius. Advancing with predatory intent, the man walked slowly to Jack, who had frozen on the spot. When are the high edges when you need them?! Stupid corners...
"How do you know that I'm done for?" asked Jack, trying to buy some time. "Also your nose is still bleeding." Doctor Octavius raised a hand to his nose.
"No thanks to you!" he growled. Jack grinned the maniacal grin and darted forward. The tentacles, caught off guard, tried attacking but Jack was too close for them to grab. But Jack didn't bother to think about Octavius's own hands until one of them delivered a punch to his gut. Jack became winded, unable to catch his breath. A smart arm grabbed him by the leg and flung him into the crate walls. Jack hit the wall, causing a certain crack to be heard. Jack prayed it wasn't his back, No, it was his wrist. He had tried to get up but pain raced up his arm. He tried again but he was this time stopped by a claw, pushing on his back.
"It seems I have myself a new slave..." Doctor Octavius said, his turn to grin. The grin quickly fell as Jack mouthed 'Mantis Flip Coin' propelling both of them into the air (WHEEEE!!!!). Jack grabbed a nearby edge with his good arm and painfully hauled himself up. Doctor Octavius though hit a wall and fell very quickly to the floor.
"Damn you!!" yelled the doctor and quickly picked himself up when the room became blindingly light and everything returned to normal. Doctor Octavius looked around with surprise to the small crates. Jack sat on one nursing his broken wrist.
"What just happened?" asked Doctor Octavius. Jack looked up.
"The ten minutes must have been used up, leaving us at a draw," he answered. He groaned in pain and heaved off the crate. One of the smart arms screeched as Jack walked past Octavius. The boy stopped, alarmed.
"You're not going ANYWHERE," said Octavius, stooping down to Jack's level.
"My wrist is broken," Jack said through gritted teeth. Bystanders would have taken this as a warning and would have alerted Octavius and his metallic assistants on his back to keep clear of the enraged teenager for Jack didn't look like he was about to grin like a maniac anytime soon. "Let me go to a hospital!"
"And let you escape?"
"You know this city better than I do. You could find me easily if I ever tried to escape."
Doctor Octavius thought about this. He consulted his tentacles for advise.
Do not trust him Father. said the four voices in unison
He would try anything as soon as he is out of our sight.
When were you ever right? Octavius thought back. This made the arms silent. He turned back to Jack, who was still cradling his broken wrist.
"You may go, but remember I'm watching you..." warned the Doctor. The tentacles flared around him, one producing a metal dagger out of its claws. Jack gulped and nodded. "Good boy..." smiled Octavius. He stepped aside and let Jack leave the building.
You humans are strange creatures. May you please tell us why you did not let us kill him?
Search me. You know my mind better than myself.
Suddenly realisation dawned on him. As Jack had walked past him a bit of his wrist was shown. Usually when a wrist is broken, bone sticks out or the area is inflamed red. Jack had none of those. He had been tricked. Anger crossed the Doctor's face and sped out the door just in time to hear Jack's laughter echo through the streets were the rising sun had hit with its early rays.
"You are going to pay for what you've done!!!!" yelled Octavius, and, throwing caution to the wind, went after Jack, ignoring the tentacles protests and ignoring the fact that Spider man still didn't know he was alive.
Meh, not the best chapter but I'm depressed. That counts as an excuse... does it?
On a brighter note I've done two pages of this story, should be updated soon I'll tell you when...