I was so happy with the reviews I got, I decided to update straight away!
Kimiko, Raimundo, Clay and Omi were training in the temple yard.
"Fellow warriors!" Cried Omi, "Prepare yourselves for a most humiliating defeat!"
"Oh yeah?" Retorted Kimiko, "We'll see who's talking after I kick your butt!"
"Yeah?" Yelled Raimundo, shifting into attack position, "Right after I kick all your butts!"
"We'll just have to see about that partner!" Clay held his hands up in front of his face defensively.
The Xiaolin Dragons looked from one to the other, mentally probing for the weakest link.
Just then, Dojo shot around the corner at top speed. "We got a hot new Shen Gong Wu alert everybody!" He yelled.
Omi shook his head, disappointed. "But I was just about to kick the butt of Kimiko and triumph over her puny girl muscles!" He said, walking over to Dojo.
Kimiko's eyes spat flame and she grabbed the front of Omi's robe. "You wanna rethink that sentence Crome-Dome?" She growled threateningly.
"Not now kids!" Exclaimed Dojo impatiently. He opened the sacred scroll and the Dragons crowded around.
"The Paw of Yang is a complicated Wu," Explained Dojo, "Responds to your inner animal. If you can control your thoughts and have inner focus and serenity, you can control the Wu. If not, it turns you into a creature of instincts and base emotions. Few people can control this thing." He went on with trepidation, "Even Grand Master Dashi could rarely control it, and he only used it in extreme emergencies. It's one of the most dangerous Shen Gong Wu there is."
The four young Dragons looked at each other worriedly; if this Shen Gong Wu was this bad, what would happen if someone like Chase Young, Wuya or Jack Spicer got there first?
"Come on Dojo," Said Kimiko determinedly, "We can't let anyone else get their hands on it now that we know how dangerous it is!"
Dojo transformed and they set off – for the Paw of Lang.
"JACK!"
"WHAT?"
"I SENSE A NEW SHEN GONG WU!"
"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!"
"JACK! THIS IS THE PAW OF LANG! THIS CANNOT WAIT!"
Jack sighed angrily. A new Shen Gong Wu. Great. He shrugged and went to find Tala. She should be there for her first Shen Gong Wu.
He found her by the rocket ship, ready to go, with Wuya hovering beside her. The two had really hit it off after the initial period of distrust.
"Hurry up Jack!" Grinned Tala, jumping into the cockpit.
"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Grumbled Jack as he clambered in after her and initiated the launch sequence.
Ten minutes later, the rocket ship was soaring gracefully over the Yangtze River in China. Tala initiated the landing sequence and as they circled the top of a nearby hill, she asked Wuya about the Paw of Lang.
As Wuya explained, Jack noticed a frown on Tala's face. "What's up?" He asked.
Tala looked up and smiled. "Nothing serious," She said, "Just trying to remember what the word 'lang' means, that's all."
Jack nodded and typed something into the computer database. He read for a few seconds before looking up at Tala with satisfaction. "Lang," He said, "Is the Chinese word for wolf. The same as your name right?"
"Right!" Laughed Tala as they landed.
They parked the ship behind some trees.
"You stay here for a second," Said Jack, walking into the trees in front to look for the Shen Gong Wu.
"Right," Muttered Tala, rolling her eyes. "I'll just wait here then shall I?"
Jack wandered through the trees into a wide clearing. He looked around and listened closely. Not far away he could hear voices. Damn! He thought, The Xiaolin Losers got here first!
Suddenly, out on the grass, something began to glow. Jack could have danced for joy! The Wu had fallen right into his lap! He ran into the clearing, making a beeline for the glowing Paw of Lang.
Suddenly-"Big Bang Meteorang!"
Jack screamed and threw himself to the ground to avoid being shredded.
Rai laughed and pushed Clay out of the way. "My turn!" He declared, unsheathing his sword.
"Crest of the Condor Blade of the Nebular!" He yelled, pointing the blade in Jack's direction.
Jack pulled himself to his feet to find himself knocked backwards through the trees by a powerful blast of wind. He came to a stop right in front of Tala, who looked down at him with one eyebrow raised.
A voice floated through the trees; "Arrow Sparrow!"
Jack's eyes widened in horror and he leapt to his feet and pulled Tala out of the way of the jets of flame that suddenly poured through the bush.
Tala was in shock. "What was that?" She managed to get out.
"Arrow Sparrow," Panted Jack, "Kimiko's thing, remember?"
"Arrow Sparrow!" Was heard again over the snapping crackle of burning bush.
Tala felt herself being pulled to the ground.
"Get down!" Snarled Jack, covering her body with his as he activated the shield device on his backpack.
Tala's eyes screwed shut as she saw the flames lick around them, yet she felt…nothing. Apart from a light heat on her face, she couldn't feel anything at all.
As the fire died down, Jack deactivated the shield device. As he did, a wave of blasting hot air hit them, making Tala gasp beneath him. Jack got to his feet and brushed himself off. He looked down and saw Tala was still on the ground, panting as if she'd run a marathon.
He shuffled his feet, and offered his hand. She looked up in surprise, and then grabbed it. He pulled, and she, underestimating his strength, was pulled right up to his face.
They stayed like that for a few seconds, foreheads resting, noses and mouths less than inches away from each other, clasping oneanothers hands like nothing else mattered…
Then the moment ended and they both drew apart, blushing and muttering to themselves.
"We'd better um, get the Shen Gong Wu, then, right?" Muttered Tala, her face flushed.
"Yeah," Jack hastily agreed, still very much embarrassed himself.
They ran into what was left of the smouldering bushes and into the untouched clearing.
"Come back for more have ya?" Mocked Kimiko; none of the Dragons had seen Tala yet.
"Come on now Kimiko," Said Raimundo, hanging his head, as if in remorse. He looked up suddenly, a glint of mischief in his eye, "It's not like Jack has any friends to back him up!"
"Nope!" Laughed Clay in his Texan accent, "Jack's so annoying he couldn't get a friend if he tried!"
"Most certainly," Chuckled Omi, "That must be the reason why Jack builds so many robots! Because no real person would tolerate him!" He rolled on the floor, consumed by laughter.
Tala watched from the cover of the scorched tree line and her hands balled into fists. What would they know!? They had no idea of what Jack was capable of! They had no idea of the time and dedication he poured into his robots! Or of the rejection he suffered from his parents! What right did they have to judge him!?
Raimundo pointed his finger at Jack, still standing in the middle of the clearing, face impassive. "At least we're a team!" He snorted, "You're all on your own!"
"Awww!" Pouted Kimiko, "Poor Jack, all alone with no one else!" The Dragons giggled, they loved making fun of Jack! He was such an easy target!
Suddenly they fell silent. Jack felt a hand on his shoulder.
"He has me." Declared Tala, glaring at the Dragons, radiating hatetread and disgust.
She suddenly ran down the hill towards them, eyes fixed on something in the grass. Clay saw what she was doing and grabbed the Paw of Lang at the same time as Tala.
"Friend of Jack Spicer," He yelled, "I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown!"
"The name's Tala!" Spat Tala, "And I accept! Name the game cowboy!"
"The game is Xiaolin runners!" Shouted Clay. "The first one to grab the Paw of Lang wins!"
"Perfect." Purred Tala and Clay detected something dangerous in her voice as she accepted.
A bolt of lightning shot down from the blue, and the ground began to shudder and crack. Everyone was lifted into the sky on chunks of rock.
In front of Tala and Clay, lay two narrow paths of rock, that twisted and curved over and below each other before coming to a halt at an alter, on which the glowing Paw of Lang shone like a beacon.
Clay glared at Tala and they shouted together, "Gong Ye Tampai!"
Clay ran as fast as he could. The path seemed to stretch out in front of him forever, and he was soon puffing and panting.
Tala ran at a fast pace, but didn't sprint. Her breath came at a steady rate in short, fast bursts, and she knew that she could keep up this pace for an hour at least, while the cowboy was already tiring.
Still, She smirked to herself, No harm in letting my inner wolf take over. Tala's eyes sparked, and as she looked at Clay, puffing beside her, she saw red, and felt an old, primeval feeling wake within her; the joy of the hunt!
She let Clay run ahead, staring at his broad back, and calculating.
For the spectators, it was a shock when Tala suddenly leapt at Clay, teeth bared in an adrenaline-fuelled grin exhileration.
Clay, who by now was realising he should have never challenged the girl to a race, was terrified when he felt sharp nails, more like claws, digging into his back, and razor-like teeth scrabbling for a firm purchase on his neck.
In his fright, he veered off-course, and with nothing to stop him, tumbled with a cry over the edge of the rock path. Tala, leaping off at the last moment, snarled with joy at his falling body.
As her head snapped up, she saw a strange glow on an alter ahead, and felt compelled to run towards it. Her hair came undone, and streamed out behind her. She had discarded her sandals at the beginning of the race, and with her dirt-streaked bare feet, Tala looked like something out of a fairy-tale, some sort of ancient creature that could kill or cure at a whim.
As she ran, she looked strangely magnificent, head uplifted, pure exhilaration written clearly on her pale face. As she reached the Paw of Lang, the Xiaolin Showdown ended, and Jack grabbed her and activated his Heli-bot, laughing his rehearsed evil laugh as they sped away.
"Well I'll be a polar bear in the Sahara dessert," Exclaimed Clay as he picked himself off the ground, "That girl is one heck of an animal!"
"We don't even know who she is!" Kimiko turned to Raimundo. "All we know is her name – Tala."
Omi gazed sadly at the retreating figures of Jack Spicer and Tala, and predicted grave trouble in the future.
So, you like? Reviews please!