Omi held on to the Knight of Jade Shen Gong Wu tightly, despite the fact there was no great urgency or danger about his situation. He walked quietly through the dark tunnel, deep underneath the Xiaolin Temple, holding a candle in his free hand.
Eventually, he came to the large round door of the secret secondary vault that held the most dangerous Shen Gong Wu they had collected. By entering the correct number combination into the keypad installed on one of the giant monkey statues flanking the door, Omi managed to open the vault and place the Knight of Jade inside.
Afterwards, Omi climbed up a small ladder and emerged from underneath a rock in the Temple's garden. As he ran to join his friends for the day, the Shoku Warrior of water bumped into the trainee Willow. "I've been wondering why you keep disappearing. You've been visiting that secret vault, haven't you?" she asked him.
"I will not say the answer," Omi answered with a chuckle. "Words are not birds, but they can fly many miles! Jack Spicer, Hannibal Bean or Chase Young could be listening!" He looked left to right cautiously before facing her and nodding. "So I just told you the answer without using words!"
"You're a wise one, Omi," Willow giggled. "Maybe a bit later we could continue our tiger instincts guessing training."
"We could devise ways in which we can make you become a better guesser!" added Omi excitedly.
Omi quickly stopped in his tracks when he noticed Raimundo leaning against a nearby wall, folding his arms and frowning at him. Willow quietly slinked away as the Xiaolin Leader approached the warrior of water, looking stern.
"Careful, Omi," said the warrior of wind, "Don't go sharing any Xiaolin secrets before she even becomes an apprentice. Kimiko gave that secret to you only."
"Do not be so alarmed!" Omi said with a grin, before whispering. "I change the combination twice a week! Willow will be guessing forever, but this will help her tiger instincts!"
Raimundo smiled back. "Okay, I understand. I'm glad to see you're getting on so well with her and Ping Pong, but remember, they'll soon be put to the test."
As Raimundo walked away, Ping Pong approached the warrior of water. "Lo siento, brother Omi! I was helping Kimiko scrub the kitchen floors! I am ready for today's training now!"
"Why were you doing Kimiko's chores? We could have started your training earlier!" Omi said, sounding a little exasperated.
"I do not mind," Ping Pong said, "It's an honour to serve my fellow monks and the Temple. Master Fung said that it is good to put the needs of others before your own!"
Omi sighed loudly. "I am afraid that it is already lunchtime! You will have to start later."
"I am okay to skip lunch!" Ping Pong chirped. "My appetite is very small, and I am still satisfied from breakfast! I shall begin training by myself so you have plenty of time to digest!"
Jack Spicer was toiling away in his evil basement lair, attaching his Reversing Mirror Shen Gong Wu to a bizarre contraption. The machine possessed a driver's seat and tank treads, and was about the size of a small car. Katnappé entered the room, kicking away his jacket that he had left on the floor.
She turned her nose up at the sight of Jack's buttock cleavage as he bent over to fine-tune the engine. "Thinking of inventive ways to repel more girls?"
The boy genius stood up straight and pulled his pants up before turning to face her, frowning. "For your information, I'm testing out a state-of-the-art fusion of magic and machine. I'm staying original, while cat themed villainesses are a dime a dozen."
Katnappé snarled, making Jack shriek and knock his back against his new contraption. "Is this machine that Doomsday project you keep mumbling about?" she questioned after she quickly calmed down.
Jack grinned and gave the machine's chassis an affectionate rub. "It's just a test bed! If this thing works, I'll incorporate it into the final product!" Jack suddenly realized that Katnappé had exited the room, and then looked dejectedly back at his invention. "I just know Project Doomsday will attract lots of chicks. I'm a nice guy…"
The four Xiaolin Warriors were sitting at the table. "Willow's still going for a jog," Kimiko said as she sat down, "It'd be a good idea to discuss what we're gonna do next now that she and Ping Pong are out of the way."
"It'll be as tough as trying to choose between honey barbecue sauce and spicy barbeque sauce. I normally pick both." Clay promptly produced two different sauce bottles and used them to drench the plate of ribs he was eating.
"If only I could bend the rules to allow them both to join us as apprentices," Raimundo said with a sigh. "But a tree bent too far will grow up crooked."
Master Fung walked into the dining area with a smile. "I was about to say the same thing, Raimundo. Whoever you choose as apprentice will grow strong under the tutelage of such a sensible team leader."
Raimundo gave Kimiko a small nudge. "My parents happened to get me the same desk calendar as his for my birthday," he whispered to her.
"I believe that Willow will make a fine addition to the team," Omi said. "Another female would increase the diversity of our team, as well as the fact that she possesses unique talents! In diversity there is strength and beauty." Omi seemed to gaze off into space as he thought about the blonde young woman.
"That's really sweet of you, Omi," Kimiko said sincerely.
"But Ping Pong is young, which would allow us to easily shape him into a strong Xiaolin Warrior! And what could be better than another monk as handsome as me?" Omi asked with pride.
"And now the moment's ruined," mumbled the warrior of fire, accompanied by Raimundo's sniggering.
Dojo suddenly slithered onto the table in a panic. Before the little green dragon could open his mouth, Master Fung held it shut. "Do not fear, Dojo. I was just about to tell them about the latest Shen Gong Wu."
Raimundo quickly thumped his palms on the table as if excited, ready to stand up. "Someone should fetch our two trainees!" he said.
Master Fung pulled the mystic scroll of the Shen Gong Wu from out of one of his long sleeves, opening it up for the four warriors to see. Clay hastily finished eating his ribs and charged out of the room before quickly re-entering, holding Ping Pong and Willow by their arms.
"The Shrieking Skull is a most alarming Shen Gong Wu. It gives the user the power to instantly startle their opponent without fail, leaving them momentarily helpless," the wise master explained, showing them the moving image on the scroll. The image depicted a figure holding a skull outwards, causing an opposing figure to jump. The startled figure put their hand to their chest as the figure holding the skull appeared to laugh.
"I'd say let Jack have it," mumbled Dojo, "Or else you kids are gonna be using it on me all the time! A scare from that thing could shorten my lifespan by centuries!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure none of us would be that cruel to such a cute dragon," Willow chuckled as the rest of the heroes exited the dining area. "Besides, I can think of things that are a lot scarier," she mumbled once they were out of earshot.
Dojo was soon flying towards the Shrieking Skull's location, an ancient looking mangrove swamp. The dragon had to shrink down as soon as possible to allow them through the densely packed trees, landing them safely on a small island in the middle of the muddy bog.
Shortly after the party touched down, the waters around the island they stood on began to bubble and boil, and dark shadows began to rise to the surface. All of a sudden, a purple creature burst out from the muddy water and clambered towards them, followed by several more creatures. They were eyeless leech like creatures about the size of lions, standing on four legs. More and more were appearing by the second, surrounding the party.
"What's with the sudden influx of weird creatures we've been encountering lately?" asked Kimiko, assuming a fighting position with the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors.
"They're just pond suckers. Their bite isn't as bad as their stink," Clay replied calmly.
Raimundo looked beyond the horde of snarling creatures and saw the glimmer of the Shen Gong Wu they were searching for in the branches of the mangroves ahead. "We'll strike down the ones that matter and continue forward! Are you ready, team?"
The warriors of wind, water, earth and fire led the charge through the shallowest area of the water while Willow and Ping Pong followed behind. When Raimundo saw how affective Clay was at ploughing through the monsters and throwing them aside, he allowed him to overtake and lead the attack. Willow and Ping Pong had few dangers to face as they kept running, but the occasional pond sucker dropped down from the branches above. The creatures were easily avoided by the two trainees; Willow used her flexibility to dodge the monsters while Ping Pong used his rapid running to zigzag to safety.
Soon enough, the pond suckers were far behind the team, but they were still coming after them. The Xiaolin Warriors looked up at the Shrieking Skull as Ping Pong eagerly pointed upwards. The mystical object resembled a bronze skull, with red gemstones for eyes and silver teeth. The Shen Gong Wu was hanging from a branch by its handle, which resembled that of a lantern's.
"The Shrieking Skull!" Ping Pong exclaimed, bouncing up and down.
"And it's mine, mini chrome dome!" laughed Jack.
The Xiaolin Warriors were startled as Jack's strange vehicle charged towards them from out of a nearby bush, seemingly presenting the Reversing Mirror to them. The boy genius was accompanied by a dozen or so of his new and improved Jack-bots. As Jack pointed at his adversaries, his robots immediately swooped down to attack.
"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko proclaimed, forming a tornado of flame around her body and leaping through it. Kimiko soared past the Jack-bots that were concentrating their fire on her, but as she flew by, the flames followed. The machines were roasted by the inferno, but the fire disappeared before it could cause any harm to the mangroves.
Ping Pong was getting chased by a single Jack-bot as he ran across the thick mangrove roots, but then the tiny monk turned abruptly and faced the robot with a grin. "Rod of Shiitake!" he cried, holding the sceptre like Shen Gong Wu in front of him. The Jack-bot shuddered, and then suddenly fell apart as mushrooms grew explosively from within its body.
The bespectacled warrior stood over the wreckage of the robot proudly while the battle raged on behind him. While the others were busy fighting off the swarm of Jack-bots, Jack Spicer pressed a button on the dashboard of his machine. The vehicle's body began to extend upwards on an extending mechanical arm while its tank treads remained on the ground. Jack chuckled as he reached for the Shrieking Skull, but Ping Pong prepared to stop him.
"Prepare to get hiccups, evil Jack! Fleur De Hoquet!" he yelled, pointing the flower like Shen Gong Wu in Jack's direction.
The petals of the flower opened, and a large stream of bubbles shot out from its centre. Jack noticed the bubble stream immediately, pulling a lever that swivelled the Reversing Mirror towards the attack. With the press of a button, the mirror Shen Gong Wu began to glow strangely, and the bubbles stuck its reflective surface. The villain laughed and turned a knob on the dashboard, sending an even larger stream of bubbles back at Ping Pong. The bubbles appeared much bigger, and seemed to glow with a sinister red light.
Clay had just finished smashing two Jack-bots together with his bare hands, but quickly noticed that Ping Pong was in danger. The tiny monk seemed frozen on the spot, unsure of how to react to the sight of his own attack being reflected towards him.
"I'm coming, little hombre!" Clay yelled, diving towards Ping Pong.
The warrior of earth pushed the trainee out of the way just in time, but then Clay was showered with the magical bubbles. As Ping Pong got to his feet, he was relieved to see that Clay was shaking the bubbles off his body. However, Jack quickly grabbed the Shrieking Skull as they were distracted, and made a hasty retreat. Willow, Raimundo, Kimiko and Omi were too late finishing off the remaining Jack-bots to chase after the evil genius. The four of them ran towards Ping Pong and Clay, who seemed crestfallen that Jack had fled.
"Ping Pong, the Fleur De Hoquet is a most tricky Shen Gong Wu to master!" Omi snapped at his lookalike. "I would have expected you to use a Shen Gong Wu you were more familiar with when trying to face Jack Spicer."
Ping Pong looked at his feet in disgrace, but then the firm but gentle hand of the warrior of earth rested on his shoulder. "Don't be so hard on the little guy, Omi," Clay said, his body now free of bubbles. "I can't feel the hiccups yet."
The party quickly turned their attention to the pond suckers that had finally managed to catch up to them, snarling and hissing ferociously. The Xiaolin Warriors were too weary to fight the horde of creatures after dealing with the Jack-bot swarm, but Dojo grew to his full size and encircled the team.
"We'd better hightail it out of here!" Willow exclaimed as she climbed swiftly onto the dragon's back.
The other warriors followed her example, but Clay stood behind, rubbing his stomach as though it was in pain. The warrior of earth suddenly let out a deafening hiccup that shook the earth, sending out fissures in all directions from where Clay stood. The swamp water and mud was drawn into these cracks, pulling the pond suckers with it. The water eroded the fissures even further, making them wide enough for the helpless creatures to fall in.
Dojo quickly scooped Clay up with his hand and placed him on his back. "Wow, I'm pretty sure that the Fleur De Hoquet isn't supposed to give you hiccups that strong," said the dragon as he made his way back to the Temple.
"It must've been that weird machine the Reversing Mirror was attached to!" said a worried Raimundo. "Jack used it to amplify the mirror's powers somehow! It sent the bubbles from the Wu back towards their target, but even stronger!"
"We are sure to have some ancient remedies for hiccups stored in the Temple's archives!" Omi proclaimed. "It shall be Ping Pong's job to research them for us."
Ping Pong gave a small sad groan, but Clay patted him on the shoulder once again. "Hiccups aren't that hard to get rid of," he said to the young monk reassuringly.
As soon as he finished speaking, Clay let out another enormous hiccup. Its force caused Dojo to shake violently, and the Xiaolin Warriors screamed and held on for their lives. "The Shrieking Skull would probably be less nerve-wracking than this," mumbled Dojo, recovering from his fright.
When the Xiaolin Warriors returned to the Temple, Clay hiccupped once again. The ground shook so vigorously that they could hear a few tiles drop off the roofs and shatter on the ground. "I'm sorry y'all!" Clay mumbled sheepishly, fearful of both the damage he was unintentionally causing and when the next hiccup would spring up on him.
"I am the one who should be sorry, big brother Clay," Ping Pong said with a frown. "Je suis désolé."
"Don't feel down, little partner!" Clay exclaimed cheerfully, trying to raise the tiny monk's spirits. However, he suddenly hiccupped again, making everyone jump off the ground by an inch as it shook. "It's that darn Spicer's fault!"
"We've gotta get you a remedy!" Raimundo exclaimed. The Xiaolin Leader pulled Clay's hand towards him and placed an object into it. "One time I heard you can get rid of hiccups by biting into one of these!"
The warrior of earth looked at the half a lemon in his palm, turning his nose up at it in distaste. Clay sighed and held the fruit to his mouth, taking a bite. His face immediately screwed up, as though shrinking to a small point. Before Raimundo could ask if it had worked, Clay's face suddenly expanded again and he let out a mighty hiccup, blowing the warrior of wind off his feet and creating another tremor.
"Okay, stop everything!" Dojo proclaimed, holding a paper bag. "Have a go at breathing into this!"
Clay sighed again and took the brown bag from the little dragon, placing it over his mouth. The bag deflated and inflated as Clay quietly inhaled and exhaled, but his comrades were watching in anticipation. After a few moments of puffing in and out, Clay hiccupped again. The shockwave caused the bag to explode, plastering the dazed Dojo with its remains.
Kimiko sniggered and crept up behind Clay, abruptly giving a loud yell and clapping her hands. The rest of the group were startled by her outburst, but Clay remained still. "Sorry Kimiko," he said, turning towards the warrior of fire. "Jump scares don't work on me."
"Orb of Tornami!" yelled Omi, releasing a stream of water from the mystical sphere towards Clay.
Clay was too slow to block the stream with his hands and found the icy water forcing itself into his mouth. The warrior of earth waved his arms in a panic and tried to tell Omi to stop, but his voice had been reduced to a noisy gargle. After a few seconds, the stream from the orb ceased, and the drenched cowboy was left clutching his painfully swollen stomach.
However, as Clay caught his breath, he smiled. "Thanks Omi, I'm feeling winsome already! I think you just managed to cure me!" The warrior of earth sounded elated.
"There will be no need for Ping Pong to find a cure now!" Omi chirped. Ping Pong cheered up as well.
The warrior of water and his lookalike were knocked off their feet by another sudden hiccup induced quake. This time the tremor broke a few windows and caused cracks in the ground. "If these hiccups don't go away, I'm gonna really pitch a fit!" Clay exclaimed.
"I thought he said he liked hiccups once," Kimiko mumbled to Raimundo.
Master Fung approached the group, remaining calm even as Clay continued to hiccup and cause more and more tremors. "I'm afraid that this is a most unfortunate situation indeed, young monks. These hiccups are causing Clay to lose control of his elemental powers over earth."
"I'm sure we can fix things after the hiccups stop," Raimundo said in between Clay's hiccups.
"I am afraid that we may not have a chance to repair the Temple if these hiccups persist," Master Fung said gravely. "Clay is afflicted with mystical hiccups; they will never stop and will grow stronger as time goes by. Clay's hiccups may eventually cause the world to break apart if you do not find a solution soon."
"The Shrieking Skull!" Omi exclaimed angrily, smacking his forehead. "It scares someone without fail, even a man as brave as Clay! Someone should have swiped it from Jack's clutches when they had the chance!" The warrior of water briefly glanced at Ping Pong irritably.
"How about we go into Jack's lair and take it from him?" Willow asked. "That boy doesn't seem too strong, or bright."
Raimundo nodded in agreement. "Good idea, Willow, but you should stay behind. Jack could've updated his security systems and built stronger guard-bots, so Kimiko and I should go. You all stay here and do something to hold off Clay's hiccups, since they can't be cured."
Omi turned to Ping Pong and snapped his fingers. "You heard leader Raimundo! Search the Temple archives and find the best way to comfort someone with a case of the incurable hiccups!" Ping Pong groaned and slowly sauntered indoors.
Later that day, the Silver Manta Ray touched down silently outside the towering brick wall that surrounded the gardens of the Spicer household. The warriors of fire and wind exited the mystical vehicle and shrank it back down to its Shen Gong Wu form, leaping into a bush when a patrolling Jack-bot flew overhead.
The robot remained hovering above them, scanning the area. Raimundo briefly popped his head out of the bush when it turned away, and ducked back inside when it began to look towards him to quietly discuss his plan to Kimiko.
A few seconds later, Raimundo leapt out of the bush and managed to clear the wall effortlessly, shattering the Jack-bot to pieces with a mighty kick. Kimiko followed closely behind, and the two Shoku Warriors crept towards the house, staying close to the wall. There were few bushes to hide behind, but when a Jack-bot came looking, Kimiko used the Shroud of Shadows to become invisible while Raimundo used the Moby Morpher to take the shape of an innocuous planter.
Kimiko used her handheld computer to hack into the house's security systems, scoffing quietly about how easy it was. The two of them shortly slipped into a vent that led to Jack's basement lair, finding the room dimly lit. There were sticky notes placed on all the machinery, each with 'intruders: do not touch' scrawled upon them.
"Wow, Jack sure has improved his security," Raimundo mumbled.
The two of them heard the sound of someone entering the basement, and quickly hid using the Moby Morpher and Shroud of Shadows once again. It was Vlad, wearing a silk bathrobe and humming Tchaikovsky. He placed some food in a laboratory microwave oven sitting on Jack's table.
Kimiko crept up behind him and removed the Shroud of Shadows before using the Tangle Web Comb to bind him. Vlad panicked and squealed as he fell over; witnessing what had looked like a pile of scrap metal transform into Raimundo. "I am sorry! I will not use Jack's science oven for my food ever again!"
"We don't care what toys of his you mess with," Kimiko said sternly, looking the helpless henchman in the eyes. "Where's the Shrieking Skull?"
Vlad spluttered. "I don't know what you are speaking of!"
Raimundo showed Vlad the Ants in the Pants Shen Gong Wu. "Don't make us have to use this! Our friend is in trouble, and the whole world could be as well if you don't hand over the Wu!"
"The Shrieking Skull is long gone!" Vlad chuckled, "Jack took it with him!"
Raimundo briefly looked at Kimiko, who nodded at him. The warrior of wind smiled deviously and activated the Shen Gong Wu in his hand, releasing ants all over the squealing Vlad's body. "We'll let you go if you tell us where he is!" snapped Kimiko.
"Da, da!" Vlad shrieked, unable to squirm free, "I will help! Take map on table; Jack gave it to me in case I needed to make contact! Don't tell him I used his oven!"
"Alright, alright," Kimiko groaned, releasing the brute from the bindings of the Tangle Web Comb.
Vlad hurried out of the basement screaming, trying to shake off the ants. Kimiko laughed while Raimundo picked up the piece of paper sitting by the microwave oven. "We've gotta take this back to the Temple and bring the others with us! Let's see if either Ping Pong or Willow will help us get the skull back!"
Back at the Temple, Clay had managed to find a way to suppress his hiccups, although he still caused accidental earthquakes every couple of minutes. He was trying to refrain from talking; putting his mind off things by tossing horseshoes at some short sticks of bamboo he had set out in the sand garden.
"Howdy," Willow said, approaching the warrior of earth from behind. Clay gave her a small smile and nodded at her, resisting the urge to greet her in return. "What a shame it has to be you suffering from these horrible hiccups," she continued, "It's a shame you can't speak no more; you're the finest and most articulate cowboy I've ever met."
Ping Pong arrived to see Willow and Clay, who was beginning to blush from the compliments she gave him. "Do you mind if I join you in your game of horseshoes, Clay?" he questioned.
Clay was about to nod at the tiny monk, but Willow sat down beside him on the rock. "Mind if I join you too? I could watch you playing forever," she said sensuously.
Ping Pong picked up a horseshoe and aimed at the furthest bamboo stick, knowing that he was a good aim and was likely to score. However, Clay's increasing nerviness about the flirtatious Willow caused him to lose his cool and hiccup.
The ground shook violently just as Ping Pong was tossing the horseshoe, causing it to smash through a window. Omi's face peered through the shattered glass, glaring at Ping Pong. A comically mountainous bump had appeared on Omi's head, and the horseshoe that Ping Pong had tossed through the window was encircling it.
"You must improve your aim if you are to be a Xiaolin apprentice, Ping Pong," Omi mumbled, removing the horseshoe from his head and rubbing the painful swelling.
The four of them were alerted by the sound of the Silver Manta ray touching down in the courtyard. Clay grinned, believing that Kimiko and Raimundo had bought the Shrieking Skull back with them. Willow, Omi and Ping Pong followed him to greet the warriors of fire and wind. The four of them were dismayed to see that their friends had bought nothing back, but a serious looking Raimundo presented the map from Jack Spicer's lair to them.
"The Wu wasn't at Jack's house," the Xiaolin Leader explained, "He's taken it somewhere else! It says on the map that Jack's heading towards some supernatural ley line or something. He might have a secret base."
Dojo slithered onto Omi's shoulder. "That sounds like trouble! Maybe the dumb kid's meddling with mystical energy now!"
"We better get him before he hurts himself," Kimiko said with a sigh.
Clay closed his left palm around his right fist, and then spoke for the first time in an hour. "I'll be pretty happy to let these hiccups loose on Jack's turf as opposed to ours."
The Shen-Ga-Roo was bouncing along a winding mountain road, carrying Jack Spicer and three of his accomplices. The self proclaimed boy genius had attached a navigation computer to the ancient transportation Shen Gong Wu, guiding them to their destination.
"Do you honestly believe about this imaginary magical line?" Katnappé asked Jack, looking over the shoulders of Tubbimura and the Chameleon-bot.
"Look, this project is one of my first proper forays into the world of mysticism since my Shen Gong Wu detector, and I'm still finding some things hard to believe," Jack replied. "I'm building it in an area where multiple ley lines converge! It's like a jackpot of magical energy! Hannibal Bean told me this was a good spot!"
"They're here!" yelled Tubbimura, pointing up at the sky.
Jack followed where the ninja's finger was pointing to see Dojo pursuing their vehicle. "Hey, they must've nabbed my spare map!" Jack exclaimed, "Didn't they see the sticky notes I left all over my lair?"
"You've got our bag of Wu, genius," Katnappé snapped, "Use one to get them off our tail already!"
Jack pulled the large sack from behind him onto his lap and rummaged through it, pulling out the Shrieking Skull and presenting it to the dragon's face. By shouting its name, Jack caused the skull to let out an unearthly scream followed by ghoulish laughter, its teeth chattering.
Dojo squealed and froze in midair before falling to the ground. The dragon tumbled along the road as the Shen-Ga-Roo disappeared into the distance, but the Xiaolin Warriors could still hear the laughter of the villains. Dojo shrank back to his original size, shivering in Raimundo's hands.
"C'mon Dojo," Raimundo groaned, cradling the spooked dragon, "It's only supposed to be scary for a second."
Dojo looked like he was about to recover from his shock, but then Clay let out another thunderous hiccup. The earthquake that resulted caused the road to crack, and an enormous fissure followed the road to where Jack and his henchmen were. The Shen-Ga-Roo fell into the crevice, and the Xiaolin Warriors heard the villains screaming. Dojo had been spooked yet again.
"Nice work, Clay," Kimiko said to the weary looking cowboy.
"Clay's hiccups are becoming worse!" Omi exclaimed. "We must venture into the crack and confront Jack Spicer immediately!
The six of them leapt into the dark fissure, encountering a series of tunnels beneath the earth. The tunnels were useful for carrying the squabbling voices of the villains towards the monks, so Raimundo led the group in the direction the sound was coming from.
"Watch out guys, I hear trouble!" the warrior of wind announced to his companions.
A swarm of Jack-bots flew from the tunnel openings that surrounded them, cramming themselves into the chamber that the warriors occupied. The small space would prevent the Xiaolin Warriors from fighting efficiently, so they ran instead, each taking a different tunnel.
"Orb of Tornami!" Omi cried, flooding the tunnel behind him with high pressure water from the Shen Gong Wu that blasted the robots pursuing him to pieces.
"Serpent's Tail!" yelled Ping Pong, using the Shen Gong Wu to take a shortcut through the winding tunnels. Some of the Jack-bots following him ended up destroying themselves by colliding with the walls at high velocity, trying to capture him as he phased through the solid rock.
"Shoku Mars, Fire!" Kimiko shouted, surrounding herself in flame and shooting through the passageway ahead, scorching any robot in her way.
Clay hiccupped before he could finish calling out his Wudai Weapon's name as he threw it at the robots ahead of him. The Big Bang Meteorang split into five separate boomerangs, but each of them missed their targets. However, the earthquake that the hiccup had started caused the tunnel to collapse, crushing the Jack-bots.
The other heroes had to escape the tunnels too, or risk being buried under rubble. The six warriors exited into a large underground chamber just as the cave system behind them collapsed completely. Ahead they saw Jack Spicer and his three cronies, dashing towards the openings of several more tunnels up ahead with their sack of Shen Gong Wu.
"Stay away from my Wu!" Jack yelled at them, "Why don't you just wait for another one to activate?"
Omi pointed an accusing finger at the villain. "Your strange invention has given Clay the worst case of hiccups! They will not go away until we take the Shrieking Skull from you!"
"My mystical amplifier worked?" Jack muttered to himself before grinning excitedly.
"This varmint's mine," Clay mumbled, cracking his knuckles.
"You should stay out of this battle, Clay," Ping Pong said to the warrior of earth, "Your hiccups are a danger to yourself as well." The tiny monk looked at Jack with determination in his eyes. "It's my fault you have those hiccups, so I will kick Jack's buttocks for you."
"I'd say ladies first," Willow said, holding Clay's hand tightly, "You'll pay for what you did to poor Clay, Spicer boy." Clay pulled his hand away from hers and smiled nervously, blushing brightly.
Jack summoned another swarm of Jack-bots that was hiding out of sight, waiting for an ambush. However, Clay hiccupped and loosened some stalactites that were hanging from the ceiling. The robots were crushed by the falling stalactites and boulders while Jack and his henchmen yelled and panicked, avoiding the debris.
Using his wind powers, Raimundo glided around the falling rocks, while Kimiko used her superior leaping skills to utilize the debris as platforms. Omi deflected stones with his Shimo Staff, while Willow leapt forward and used the Wyrm's Whisker, binding Jack's legs as he carried his sack away. The boy genius fell flat on his face, allowing the bag of Shen Gong Wu to fall to the ground.
Jack felt his henchmen trample over him, trying to get to the Shen Gong Wu sack. The Shrieking Skull had fallen out and was the closest Shen Gong Wu to the four heroes and four villains ready for battle. Jack managed to crawl forwards and touched the skull with his nose just as the seven other people piled on top of him, touching the skull themselves.
"Oh boy, another eight way Xiaolin Showdown!" Dojo exclaimed. The dragon, Clay and Ping Pong were standing a few metres behind them. "I'll try and write things faster this time!" Dojo continued, pulling out a notebook.
"You will not need to write down any Shen Gong Wu, Dojo," Omi said, "I am making this showdown a Wei Zhi Surprise!"
Jack, Katnappé, Chameleon-bot and Tubbimura stared down Raimundo, Omi, Willow and Kimiko. Before anyone could name the challenge, Raimundo stepped forward. "I'm gonna swap out with Ping Pong," he said.
Omi's eyes widened. "You cannot stand aside, Raimundo! This showdown may be most challenging, and we may need a leader to aid us in our victory!"
"Ping Pong needs to prove himself, along with Willow. We should let them both in the showdown," Raimundo explained firmly. "I need to stay back and watch how they perform."
"It's a risky situation," Kimiko added, "But it's a perfect chance for them to prove themselves."
"I'm not sure if that's in the rulebook, but we are deep underground," said Dojo as Ping Pong eagerly ran forward to take Raimundo's position, "I doubt anyone will be judging us."
Jack watched Ping Pong jump up and give a smiling Raimundo a high five as the tiny monk took the leader's place. The villain was revolted by their charming interactions while his henchmen seemed to be getting rather impatient. "The game is a race to the Shrieking Skull; first to grab it wins!"
Omi looked at Ping Pong, who smiled back. "I have faith in you, little gecko," Omi muttered before turning to face the four villains. "Let's go, Xiaolin Showdown!"
The underground chamber vanished in a flash, and Raimundo found himself, Clay and Dojo standing on a rock floating in a dark green void. He gazed upwards to see a miniature planet hovering overhead, its surface riddled with maze like passageways. Each of the eight competitors was standing in a separate dead end, isolated from their teammates. The Shrieking Skull circled the planet several times like a tiny comet, allowing the competitors to see it. The skull lowered its speed and was drawn towards the planet, landing in one of the maze's dead ends.
"Gong Yi Yan Pai!"
Kimiko found the Shrieking Skull quickly, but was shocked to see it suddenly fly away from her. The warrior of fire witnessed Jack trying to chase after it and immediately pursued him, but Jack slowed down as the passage ahead appeared to narrow. It became apparent that the maze had a mind of its own, altering its layout to stop either team from reaching the Shen Gong Wu.
The Shrieking Skull flew through the gap before it closed, but Jack used the Manchurian Musca to transform himself into a tiny fly and pass through the diminishing opening as well. Kimiko pounded the wall in frustration, and could hear Jack's laughter on the other side as he continued to chase the skull unhindered.
Jack was suddenly knocked over by Tubbimura, who had been sent flying from a westerly passageway by Omi using the Mikado Arm to enhance his strength. Ping Pong was standing by Omi as well, and the two nearly identical monks continued to pursue the Shrieking Skull themselves.
In another part of the maze, Willow was running away from the Chameleon-bot, who had transformed itself into a charging bull. Willow was yelling and panting as she sprinted through the winding passageways, trying to fool the shape changing robot into thinking that she was afraid.
She disappeared around a corner and the Chameleon-bot followed, but it quickly transformed back into its humanoid form and skidded to a halt when it found a dead end. The blonde young woman was nowhere to be seen, but the confused robot did not notice the dark shadow that slithered across the floor and between its legs.
Omi and Ping Pong ran together, avoiding the walls that sprang up from the ground as the maze altered its shape. It appeared that the maze was struggling to keep up with the two speedy monks, but when Katnappé leapt in front of them, they stopped in their tracks.
The two little monks exchanged glances before leaping forward, striking the feline villainess with two flying kicks and knocking her to the floor. Omi and Ping Pong continued forward, but Katnappé used the Monsoon Sandals she was wearing to extend her leg and trip the warrior of water up.
Ping Pong looked away from the Shrieking Skull to face Omi briefly. "Ping Pong, continue your pursuit! I shall take care of this fiendish feline!"
The bespectacled monk nodded and continued to follow the Shrieking Skull, while Omi managed to outmuscle Katnappé. Ping Pong was only a few feet away from the Shen Gong Wu, but when he turned a corner, he was struck with a kick from a leg that seemed to sprout from the shadows. The leg retracted back into the darkness as Ping Pong collided with Omi, who had been a few metres behind.
"Sorry, brother Omi!" Ping Pong cried.
Omi was knocked over, but Ping Pong used the Lotus Twister to grab onto Chameleon-bot, who had overtaken them. Like a slingshot, Ping Pong catapulted forwards and left the robot in the dust. The little monk was pleased to find that Kimiko had caught up with him, and was now running beside him as they chased the Shrieking Skull.
Ping Pong suddenly felt like someone had seized him by the wrist, and was hurled into Kimiko. Both of them tumbled to the ground, and Ping Pong looked back at where he had been. He gasped and saw what appeared to be an enormous shadow on the wall, taking on a vaguely feminine shape with long hair. The monstrous shadow slithered along the wall before Ping Pong's very eyes, but quickly disappeared around a corner.
Jack Spicer laughed and overtook the two of them lying in a heap on the floor, noticing that the Shrieking Skull was ahead. His villainous henchmen joined his pursuit, and it did not take long for them to grab the Shen Gong Wu. Omi and Willow arrived just in time to see Ping Pong sitting on top of Kimiko, looking ashamed as the villains celebrated their success.
The maze transformed back into the underground chamber as the world returned to normal. Omi looked at Jack and his accomplices in dismay, standing around the Shrieking Skull, each with two Shen Gong Wu from their victory. Jack held the Manchurian Musca and Falcon's Eye, Katnappé held the Monsoon Sandals and Lotus Twister, Chameleon-bot held the Shadow Slicer and Denshi Bunny while Tubbimura held the Mantis Flip Coin and Mikado Arm.
"I did it! I did it!" Jack cheered, before turning to sneer at the Xiaolin Warriors. "That's what you get for having two newbie losers on your team!"
"I do not believe my eyes," Omi sighed, watching the villains run off with the Shen Gong Wu. The four of them were two tired from the Xiaolin Showdown to pursue their adversaries.
Raimundo, Clay and Dojo approached Omi, Kimiko, Willow and Ping Pong. The Xiaolin Leader was clearly disappointed, and Ping Pong bowed his head in shame. "Ping Pong, what happened?" Raimundo asked the diminutive warrior.
"Ping Pong was bouncing all around!" Omi exclaimed, throwing his arms upwards, "He was knocking us out of his way so he could claim the Shrieking Skull!"
"No!" cried Ping Pong, "It was not entirely my fault! I was confronted by something lurking in the maze!"
"There were no other opponents besides Jack and his disgraceful henchmen!" Omi snapped.
"No!" Ping Pong cried again, this time his voice sounded weaker. However, as he remembered what he witnessed in the showdown, he began to feel more energetic. "It was a ghost, une phantome! A creature of darkness creeping along the walls, like a shadow!"
The chamber shook with another one of Clay's hiccups, but Raimundo produced the Chrome Copycat. Before their eyes, the silvery cat statue transformed into a replica of the Shrieking Skull. "I secretly used the Chrome Copycat to replicate the skull as I swapped out with Ping Pong. It was just in case things went bad."
Raimundo presented the skull to Clay, which let out a horrific shriek right in his face. Clay was clearly startled, shivering for a few seconds and blinking his eyes rapidly. A few moments passed, and when no hiccups came, Clay cheered and threw his hat in the air.
"Don't feel bad little partner," he said to Ping Pong, "Things worked out okay in the end, see?"
Omi turned to Willow and asked her a question. "Did you see the mysterious shadow?"
"I didn't see anything," Willow replied, sounding somewhat hesitant. "Poor Ping Pong must've just been scared of the darkness in that maze."
Ping Pong sighed as he followed his companions back to the surface. "There is nothing to fear in a Xiaolin Showdown, Ping Pong," Omi said to his doppelganger sternly. "Your only concern should have been making sure we did not lose."
Later that day, the Xiaolin Warriors returned home, sitting at the entrance to the Temple grounds. Raimundo, Kimiko, Clay and Omi were observing the sunset to clear their minds of the sadness that resulted from losing four of their Shen Gong Wu to Jack.
"So Raimundo, who do you think should be the new apprentice?" Clay asked the team leader. "Today's showdown didn't go so well, but let's look back on how Ping Pong and Willow did in other things. Everyone has an off day."
"I do not think that Ping Pong is Xiaolin Dragon material," Omi said, butting in before Raimundo could speak. "He is brave, but also young and vulnerable. There are a thousand lessons in defeat, but Ping Pong made an excuse for his loss in today's showdown. If he refuses to acknowledge his defeats, how will he grow?"
"Now's not the time to make fun of his height, kid," Dojo mumbled, slithering to Omi's side.
"Maybe Ping Pong really did see a ghost," Kimiko added, "It could've been one of Jack's gizmos."
Kimiko, Clay, Omi and Dojo looked towards Raimundo. The warrior of wind was about to voice his opinion, but he stopped when he saw Ping Pong walking towards them. "Leader Raimundo, I am sorry for what has happened," the little monk said sorrowfully.
"It's nobody's fault, Ping Pong," Raimundo said, kneeling down so he was at his level.
"We're always winning and losing Shen Gong Wu," Clay added, "It's been happening even before you came to the Temple."
"I agree with all the points you have made," Ping Pong continued, "I offer my resignation, but it has been an honour to fight side by side with you." He forced a small smile before continuing again. "These past few days have been wonderful. Even though I am not worthy of being a Xiaolin apprentice, I am happy to have made friends with all of you."
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Raimundo asked, "I'm happy to extend the trial if you want. We can start again tomorrow."
"No," Ping Pong replied, "I failed all of you, and I do not wish to disrupt you any longer." He approached Omi and smiled softly, "I am glad that I could be your little gecko, brother Omi."
"We've gotta throw you a goodbye party," Dojo said, looking teary eyed.
Ping Pong smiled again and patted the little dragon on the head. "Throw a party for Willow instead," he explained, "She deserves to be Xiaolin apprentice. It is a joyous occasion. The party could also be for Clay no longer having hiccups!"
Kimiko knelt down to Ping Pong's level and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll help you get your things together. We're not gonna make you join us, but you've gotta keep in touch!"
"That's a mighty nice idea, little partner! Willow said she needed to go pick up some stuff from the market," Clay added, "We could see you off and set up a surprise party for her while she's away!"
Omi tried to smile, but despite the frequency of times he had criticized his little doppelganger, he was the most upset by Ping Pong's announcement. "A true warrior chooses their own destiny; they do not let others choose their destiny for them. Maybe your own destiny will let you look for new evildoers and adventures!" The two little monks bowed to one another and smiled, fighting back the tears in their eyes.
That night, Ping Pong walked home alongside a quiet road. The little monk had insisted that he could travel home by himself, as he had claimed to have walked to Master Monk Guan's temple all by himself with no difficulties. He was carrying an oversized backpack as his only luggage.
"You shouldn't have given up so easily," said a deep southern accented voice. Ping Pong looked around frantically to see where the voice had come from, but he was all alone. "Relax, boy. I'm just your conscience."
Ping Pong was no longer scared, and somehow found the rather fiendish voice reassuring. "What do you mean?" he asked aloud.
"Your pals are being hornswoggled; there's a traitor in their midst. You can't leave them at the mercy of such a fiend, can you?" the voice replied. "That shadow you saw was no ghost."
Ping Pong thought about the showdown he had participated in alongside Kimiko, Omi and Willow. He remembered that the warriors of water and fire had not seen the ghost, and that Willow sounded hesitant when she denied its existence. "Sacré bleu! Le grande ombre was sister Willow?"
The little monk immediately turned back the way he came and trotted back towards the Xiaolin Temple, but he had already walked many miles. Ping Pong's conscience chuckled. "Well done, son! You really do have instincts worthy of a Xiaolin Dragon. Always let your conscience be your guide."