The Xiaolin Warriors, on their long trip to their new destination, settled down on the floor of a peaceful valley containing an orchard. The five heroes and their dragon sat in a clearing, some of them taking the time to relax.
Clay sat against a tree with Kimiko; the warrior of earth had his hat over his eyes and was enjoying a snooze, while the warrior of fire was playing a game on her handheld console that she wanted to complete before they settled down in their Temple to be. Omi was perched on a rock, meditating.
Raimundo and Ping Pong, however, were analyzing the Shen Gong Wu they possessed. The Xiaolin Leader was tutoring the Xiaolin Apprentice with advanced combat techniques. A weary Dojo sat on the warrior of wind's shoulder, making sure Raimundo taught his lesson well.
"Alright Ping Pong, it's about time you mastered the Xiaolin Apprentice level," Raimundo explained. He handed a Shen Gong Wu to the bespectacled little monk; the Gift of Green Thumb.
Ping Pong took the green and bronze armband from his leader's hand. "So all I have to do is say the name of this Shen Gong Wu and then my dragon element?" he asked timidly.
"I wouldn't ask Raimundo what to do," Dojo answered with a chuckle. "When the rest of the warriors learnt to combine Wu with their elements, he ran away!"
Raimundo scowled at the dragon and clamped his jaws shut with his hand. "Zip it, lizard lips; if the Silver Manta Ray wasn't one of the Wu that Chase Young stole, we'd have left you at Guan's place."
"I guess Guan does kind of remind me of Master Fung," Dojo said huffily. "And I could make sure that Chuck doesn't abuse the mystic powers I shared with him. For all we know, he could've gambled them away with his buddies."
"Don't worry Dojo," Kimiko said from under the tree, checking her mobile phone. "Jermaine just messaged me saying that the three Wu that were revealed earlier are in the bag!"
Ping Pong had placed the Gift of Green Thumb on his arm, but still looked unsure. "Brother Raimundo; can you show me how to use the technique first, s'il vous plaît?"
The warrior of wind smiled and held up a Shen Gong Wu. "Denshi Bunny, Wind!" In a flash of light, Raimundo was transformed into a bolt of lightning inside a miniature tornado.
The living lightning danced around in the sky in a spiral, summoning a windstorm that woke Clay up and forced him to hold onto his hat. Omi, however, was left completely undisturbed by the tremendous gales as they raged around him. Raimundo transformed back into his normal self and landed gently on his feet. Dojo, who had been transformed into electricity and taken on the ride with him, slithered off his shoulder to be sick behind a bush.
Ping Pong applauded him. "Magnifique, leader Raimundo! Your performance has inspired me; I am full of confidence!" The apprentice's Shen Gong Wu extended all the way down his arm before he placed his palm on the ground. "Gift of Green Thumb, Wood!"
The Gift of Green Thumb, which usually made lush green plants grow, caused the ground to shake. A few seconds later, massive tree roots erupted from the ground. Ping Pong was knocked off his feet, while Raimundo, Clay and Kimiko ducked for cover. Omi was catapulted into the air with a scream, but was caught by Clay using the Lasso Boa Boa.
"He's gonna need more practice," Kimiko said, brushing herself off.
The newbie warrior of wood got to his feet and adjusted his green tinted glasses, looking ashamed of himself. Raimundo placed a reassuring hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Don't feel bad, little dude. I know how it feels to be behind. I'm sure you'll be able to master the apprentice level pretty soon."
Dojo emerged from a pile of dirt that had been tossed up by the eruption of roots and Omi picked him up. "I have heard that the Gift of Green Thumb was the elemental Shen Gong Wu of Barkey Le Bois. Perhaps Ping Pong would do better at using one of the Shen Gong Wu that does not bear such a lofty distinction," explained the warrior of water.
The Xiaolin Warriors all turned their heads in the direction of the orchard's entrance. The caretaker of the orchard had returned, and he was shouting angrily at them. Dojo panicked and expanded to his full size, hurriedly scooping up all their belongings and carrying the heroes into the sky.
"Well, that little stop ended sooner than I expected," Raimundo mumbled as he watched the orchard disappear below them. The man was still screaming at them, but his voice faded away as they flew higher and higher.
"We must continue the search for the second song!" Omi exclaimed. "Kimiko; play the Song of Wisdom!"
Kimiko played the music from her laptop while Omi exposed himself to the sense scrambling powers of the Chaos Spiral. His head spinning, Omi pointed at the colourful notes that only he could see emerging from the clouds in the distance.
"We'd better get there soon, or all these uses of the Chaos Spiral are going to drive us insane," Kimiko added.
"Almost done," Jack Spicer said, putting up the final banner with the help of his Heli-bot.
The boy genius had decorated the abandoned warehouse he had set up home in with ribbons and banners, welcoming potential new members to join his team of evildoers. Vlad and Tubbimura had finished positioning the comfortable leather chairs and sofas around the dingy lair, while the army of Jack-bots tried to tidy away every piece of litter that was still lying around. Any messes that were too tough to clear up were polished until they shone brightly.
"I'm honestly surprised you have a guest list," mumbled Katnappé, holding a piece of paper with names scrawled across it in her hand.
Jack landed beside her, retracting his Heli-bot's blades. "Seems like there was a void for evil masterminds in this town before I showed up to fill it," he said smugly. "I didn't ask any of the guests if they had feline allergies, so you'd better hide before they come."
Vlad finished placing various snacks on a table. "Evil finger food is ready."
The evil genius clapped his hands and grinned at how well the warehouse had been prepared. "I'm starting to warm up to this place now! It still has squalor, but it's an evil sort of atmospheric squalor. My parent's basement was too clean and tidy to attract any sociopaths."
Wuya drifted into the room. "Back in my day, we used fear and intimidation to gain loyal minions."
"Oh, I'm still using intimidation," Jack said with a grin, removing his usual getup to reveal a red smart suit underneath. A Jack-bot came and combed his hair and placed a pair of smart glasses on his nose after removing his goggles. "In this day and age, we call it villainous charisma."
Suddenly, sirens sounded and warning lights flashed. "Intruder alert!" droned the security robots.
Jack waved his hands frantically and yelled at Tubbimura. "I told you to disable the intruder warning systems and replace them with ambient jazz! This is no way to treat our new guests!"
Tubbimura hurried to a computer console and hit a few buttons, silencing the sirens and causing smooth background music to play. The warehouse's large roller shutter door gradually opened and a crowd of evildoers wandered in, ranging from simple thugs to strange mutants. Jack hastily placed a cardboard box over Katnappé's head and sent her wandering away blindly.
"Villain auditions will begin in a minute! Make yourself comfortable, everyone!" Jack announced with a grin.
As Jack stepped back, he toppled over a desk as Vlad put it into place. He managed to land and sit on the chair, as though it was not an accident. He briefly glared angrily at his bumbling Russian lackey, who shyly shuffled away.
"How are you supposed to conduct interviews in the middle of a party?" Wuya asked.
"Villains are about anarchy," Jack replied. "Besides, it'll make everyone a lot more relaxed."
The first villain ready to be interviewed approached the desk. What appeared to be a single dark blue ninja turned out to be five, all standing in a line until they moved out of formation sneakily. Jack was visibly pleased by their stealthy approach.
"We are the Lightning Ninja Five," whispered the centremost ninja. "For centuries, our order has ensured that unwanted people disappear for good. We are now offering you that power, for we are short on money and have a lot of subscriptions."
Jack placed a hand on his chin, leaning in to whisper to Wuya. "Tubbimura is one ninja who's about as large as five ninjas, but these guys are five ninjas who're about as large as one ninja. Do I prefer quality over quantity, or quantity over quality?" Jack leant away from the disinterested ghost and continued to speak to the ninjas with an audible voice and a smile. "I'll consider your services."
Outside the warehouse, a red motorized scooter pulled up and stopped shortly away from the entrance. Tiny Sim, wearing a grubby blue hooded sweater, watched some of the hopeful villains walking inside. He looked down at the Majutsu Wand in his hand and gripped it tightly, while in his other hand he held a pad of paper. "Now's my chance," he muttered to himself. "I can finally meet with him face to face!"
Back inside, a bored Wuya murmured to Jack. "Evil really has gone downhill."
The boy genius was now interviewing a cyborg, dressed in brown armour with a coffee machine built into his chest. He made Jack a steaming cup of coffee, which seemed extremely tasty. "Wow Espressonator, I like your style, and your rich and velvety blend!" Jack spoke between sips. "This is a good cup of evil Joe."
The Espressonator did not speak a word, but seemed very eager to join Jack's side and was happy that the evildoer was impressed with him. However, Jack's eyes had shifted to the commotion that was happening at the back of the room where the entrance was. Pushing through the crowd of villains was Tiny Sim, smiling eagerly in Jack's direction.
"Hey, Jack Spicer!" he yelled.
Jack raised an eyebrow as the boy came closer. "And just who are you?"
"Everyone calls me Tiny Sim," replied the scruffy looking boy. "But you and I are going to make up a cool villain name for me!"
Tiny Sim produced some sheets of paper from his pockets and tossed them up in the air. Activating the Majutsu Wand Shen Gong Wu, the drawings upon them came to life. The boy stood proud, surrounded by several brightly coloured and poorly designed creatures. The living drawings could barely move, and made strange squawking noises.
Jack squealed and stood up on his table, making Espressonator fall off his chair in shock. "Where'd you get that Shen Gong Wu?"
"I'll tell you later; I've got something else planned for now," Tiny Sim answered sternly. All of a sudden, his serious facade faded away and was replaced by a look of timid adoration. "Can I get your autograph?" The boy drew even closer, handing Jack a notepad and pen.
Jack stood in silence before slowly climbing off the table, taking the notepad. "Did I hear you correctly?" he stuttered.
"I'm head of the Jack Spicer Online Fan Club," Tiny Sim said shyly. "Well, I'm the only member, so I'm automatically the head." The boy looked down at his feet and smiled bashfully.
Wuya appeared to turn a paler shade of purple. "This isn't possible," she muttered.
"Nobody's ever asked me for an autograph before!" Jack gasped, grinning and jittering madly. "An underling...joining my side voluntarily! I didn't even have to threaten your loved ones!"
Tiny Sim's smile faded for a second before reappearing again. "I was actually hoping to be your partner. You know, like equals."
Jack ceased his excited vibrating; the look of glee he had on his face seconds ago was gone. "You don't seem to understand how villains work, kid," he said indignantly. "The older, more experienced evildoers are supposed to lead the ones who aren't. You're at the bottom of the evil food chain."
The boy became glum, but tried to force a smile again. "I thought you needed partners."
"Uh, these are henchmen auditions," Jack snapped. "I'm not looking for equals; equality and teamwork are sissy good guy things! The only fan boys I want are the ones who'll worship the ground I walk on and draw pictures of me. They also have to be girls."
Jack snapped his fingers, causing a Jack-bot to rush to his aid. With a nod from the boy genius, the robot snatched the Majutsu Wand from the boy's hand. "Give it back!" yelled Tiny Sim. "I'm not just a kid! I almost destroyed the Xiaolin Warriors!"
"If you see Jack as an idol I doubt you can even squash an ant," Wuya said with a sneer. "It's reassuring to know that I could've been stuck with an even bigger disgrace."
Tiny Sim, on the verge of tears, began to make a break for the exit. Before leaving the warehouse, he turned back with tears streaming down his face. "I know what people mean when they say 'never meet your heroes'!"
As the boy left, Jack folded his arms smugly and swapped his smart glasses for shades. "I just made someone cry." A few tiny claps from some of the villainous patrons echoed throughout the warehouse.
"You dealt with that pipsqueak expertly," Wuya said. "For a villain of your level, anyway."
"Coffee is on the house!" Jack yelled as the Espressonator eagerly handed cups of coffee to everyone, while Tiny Sim's living drawings were mopped up by Vlad.
Meanwhile, the depressed Tiny Sim headed back home on his scooter. He had followed the adventures of the Xiaolin Warriors and Jack Spicer for a long time, and was finding it difficult to cope with the fact that his hero was not the person he thought he was.
The poor boy eventually arrived at his home; a rickety shack in the middle of the swamp outside the city. He was about to step off his scooter and head inside, but then shook his head. "I'm not giving up! I'll find a different villain to make friends with," he said to himself. "No more gruel for me."
Tiny Sim continued onwards, leaving his house behind. He eventually came to a deep, dark forest that came between the city and the next closest settlement. The boy's stomach began to growl; he was regretting not heading home when he had the chance. Distracted by his aching belly, Tiny Sim's scooter struck a rock and sent him tumbling onto the muddy road.
He got to his feet, wiping the mud off his chest and knees before seeing what his battered scooter had collided with. The rock, on closer inspection, appeared to have been carved into a square shape. Out of the corner of his eye, Tiny Sim noticed an ancient structure that was partially hidden by the bushes. It looked like the ruins of an ancient temple.
"Cool, an old abandoned ruin, untouched for centuries," Tiny Sim muttered to himself. "I bet there'll be some kind of snack machine in there."
Ascending the steps, Tiny Sim entered the dilapidated temple. In the centre of the dark room was a circular well of water, surrounded by four pillars. On the northern wall was a stone tablet with a series of simple symbols, arranged on rows. He stared at the hieroglyphics for a moment before turning his attention towards the water.
"I guess I'm kind of thirsty too," he mumbled, leaning over the dark but clean looking water. As he put his hands inside, Tiny Sim thought he briefly saw the water sparkle.
After he had drank the water held cupped in his palms, Tiny Sim noticed that his body was beginning to glow. Before he could ask aloud what was happening to him, the boy suddenly felt that he was growing. He tore out of his hooded sweater, but his jeans remained on. Towering over the well so that his head almost touched the ceiling, Tiny Sim peered at his reflection.
Looking back at him from his reflection was a muscular man with almost exaggeratedly broad shoulders. Tiny Sim's head had remained the same size, looking strangely disproportionate. However, the once puny villain was too pleased with his herculean physique to notice that he looked rather freakish.
"Wow, I'm big!" he gasped, still possessing his young voice, before rubbing his palms together fiendishly.
The large Tiny Sim flexed his muscles and growled; he became surrounded by an aura of blue energy that seemed to glow brighter and brighter with each second. With a mighty roar, the energy released from his body blasted the roof off the ruined temple.
A few miles away, Dojo woke up with a scream. Ping Pong was there to immediately comfort the restless reptile. "You were only having another nightmare, monsieur Dojo."
The dragon and the five Xiaolin Warriors had been camping out underneath a few trees on top of a hill overlooking the forest. Now Dojo had woken up, they decided that their downtime was over. "I've been having a lot more nightmares since we lost the Temple," Dojo said with a sigh.
"Do not fear, Dojo!" Omi said with a grin. "The second song is just around the corner! Then we will only have three more to find until we have a new Temple!" The Shoku Warrior of water gently patted the little green dragon on the head. "Then you will have pleasant dreams for the rest of your days!"
Raimundo was the first of the party to appear ready. "These songs might be closely guarded," said the team leader. "Someone needs to scout ahead and check if the coast's clear."
"I think Ping Pong would be best for this sort of situation," Clay added. "The song's in the middle of a big old forest."
Kimiko smiled and put a hand on the Xiaolin Apprentice's shoulder. "Clay's right; Ping Pong would be in his element!"
Topped off with a smile and reassuring nod from Omi, Ping Pong was invigorated by his friends confidence in him. "I will not let you down!" he squeaked, before utilizing his gift of speed to run down the hill and into the forest.
Once he was amongst the trees, Ping Pong used the Monkey Staff to gift himself with simian superpowers, swinging from tree to tree effortlessly. As he neared the approximate location of the second song, the warrior of wood heard a rumbling noise not unlike a stampede. Ping Pong stopped in his tracks, hanging upside down from a tree branch with his monkey tail.
The transformed Tiny Sim came charging through the forest, knocking down trees by swinging his powerful arms. "Outta the way; tough boy coming through!" he bellowed with glee.
Ping Pong shrieked and leapt to a more distant tree, just in time for Tiny Sim to ram down the one he had been perched on. The muscular brute continued to charge through the forest until his noise faded into the distance. When the coast was clear, Ping Pong made it a priority to return to the other Xiaolin Warriors.
"Mama mia!" he cried, "I must warn the others!"
Back at Jack Spicer's lair, the boy genius had bid farewell to the villains who had visited. He now had a new evildoer on his team; the Espressonator. "Of all the villains you could've chosen..." Wuya mumbled to herself.
"The other super villain teams are gonna be so jealous!" Jack said with a laugh. Supercharged on coffee, Jack gave Espressonator a high five.
"With this new warrior's mighty brew we shall become even more vigilant," Tubbimura said with a chuckle before taking a sip of coffee while turning away from the other evildoers, making sure they could not see him unmask.
Jack, Vlad, Katnappé and Tubbimura lapped up their coffee in a grotesque manner. Wuya cringed and slowly sank through the floor in disgust. Their enjoyment was short lived; something was pounding at the warehouse's roller shutter door.
"Open up!" grunted Tiny Sim's voice on the other side.
"Sounds like that pipsqueak's back for revenge," Jack said with a grin as his cohorts began to chuckle. "This should be good."
Suddenly, Tiny Sim forced himself through the entrance, tearing the door apart like tissue paper. As the muscular menace plodded towards the group of villains, Vlad spat his coffee all over Katnappé in alarm, making her run off screeching like a cat. Vlad then tried to run away, but he collided with Tubbimura, knocking both of them out. Jack and the Espressonator were left to confront the transformed Tiny Sim, who stood almost twice Jack's height.
The cup of coffee in the petrified boy genius's hand slipped out of his grip and fell to the floor, soaking his pants as it splashed everywhere. "Wish I bought my brown pants today," Jack whimpered.
"Aw, did the little man spill his big boy drink and make a mess?" Tiny Sim asked mockingly.
"Looks like you've been training up," Jack said nervously, trying to smile. "You look like a worthy henchman now!"
The Espressonator was trying to sneak away, but Tiny Sim caught him before he could. With a hand large enough to fit around Espressonator's waist, Tiny Sim lifted the helpless villain up above his head and squeezed him. The top of Espressonator's head opened up like a lid and coffee spilled out into the towering fiend's mouth.
Tiny Sim tossed Espressonator aside, now deflated like an empty balloon, and swallowed the coffee. Afterwards, he cringed as he thought how adults actually liked to drink what he thought was a foul tasting beverage. However, he kept face, continuing to glare at Jack Spicer fiendishly.
"I said I didn't want to be a lackey," he growled with a grin. "But now I don't want to be partners, either! Now I'm head honcho!"
"Okay boss!" Jack yelped. "Do you want me to think of an evil sounding name with you?"
"I've thought of one myself," Tiny Sim answered, cackling. "The people who pushed me around called me Tiny Sim, but now I'll go by a serious name that will remind them that they're the real weaklings! I shall become the Masculine Meany!"
The Masculine Meany roared with laughter again and began to emit his bright aura, making Jack cower in fear even more. However, the booming noise and blue light of the aura seemed to momentarily fade and flicker, leaving a worried look on the almighty villain's face. He realized he would need to drink the waters he found again in order to recharge his power.
"Something the matter, your manliness?" Jack asked hesitantly.
The Masculine Meany growled in response. "You stay here and get me some grown up toys and videogames for when I get back; I'm going to go out and stay up past nine...and watch an adult movie...and learn some bad words!"
He exited the warehouse hastily, leaving Jack curious. Now the coast was clear, Wuya emerged from the floor and hovered above Jack's shoulder. "It seems your number one fan has stumbled upon a source of great power," she said. "You don't want that immature imbecile bossing you around, do you? Stop being an embarrassment to evil and find that power before he can replenish it!"
Jack regained his composure and rushed to his wardrobe, putting on his iconic evildoer's outfit. "I'll show him who's the real adult around here!" Before he ran outside, Jack slipped in a puddle of coffee and fell on his backside. He left the warehouse in his UFO, rubbing his aching behind while holding back tears.
Back near the forest, Ping Pong returned to his friends on the hill with a desperate look on his face. "You came back faster than a sneeze through a screen door," Clay said to him as he caught his breath. "There must be something mighty dangerous in those woods."
"Oui!" Ping Pong panted. "I saw a mighty ogre, but it looked like he was leaving!"
"The second song is guarded by a fearsome beast! Let us make haste before the monster returns to guard his territory!" Omi announced.
The warrior of wood continued. "He was very fast; someone will need to fight him off while the others can get the song."
Ping Pong handed the Monkey Staff back to Raimundo, who smiled. "Me, Kimiko and Clay will take care of this monster. You and Omi can fetch the song."
The warriors of wood and water looked at each other and grinned. "Raimundo has given us the most important part of the mission, Ping Pong! This will earn valuable experience points for a Xiaolin Apprentice," Omi said, much to his little lookalike's delight.
Dojo enlarged himself and allowed the warriors of wind, fire and earth to jump onto his back. "Charging into a confrontation has never been my thing," he mumbled reluctantly.
Raimundo, who was sitting closest to Dojo's head, whispered in the dragon's ear. "Just imagine that Master Fung is cheering you on."
Dojo's three passengers were taken by surprise when Raimundo's words caused him to take off at lightning speed. At the same time, Ping Pong and Omi raced down the hill and into the dark woods. It did not take long for Dojo to spy the monster that the youngest Xiaolin Warrior had mentioned, although he looked more like a great dust cloud as he stampeded along the path through the hills that led to the swamp and the forest beyond it.
"On second thought, there's no way I'm going anywhere near that," Dojo mumbled, followed by a nervous chuckle. "Can you kids get down okay?"
Kimiko, Clay and Raimundo stood up on the dragon's scaly back. Summoning a mighty gust of wind, the Xiaolin team leader lifted himself and his two friends. Riding a miniature tornado, the three Shoku Warriors drifted down to meet the Masculine Meany face to face. The trio of heroes dropped down in front of the villain, assuming their battle stances. The Masculine Meany stopped in his tracks, looking equally surprised as they did when they recognized each other.
"Look who's puny now!" bellowed the overgrown boy.
Kimiko was slightly disturbed by the young villain's new appearance, as were her allies. "Tiny Sim?" she questioned as Raimundo began to chuckle at the menace's bizarre body.
"Don't say that name ever again; I'm the mighty Masculine Meany now!" answered their muscular adversary, burning with rage. He managed to momentarily control his anger as he realized he could get his revenge. "You're gonna pay for kicking me out and telling me to go home like a little boy!"
"Maybe he found his hero Jack Spicer and got experimented on," Raimundo muttered.
"It's getting late and this boy's in a horn tossing mood," Clay said. "We'd better find his ma and pa before he gets in trouble."
To the shock of his friends, the Masculine Meany punched him in the stomach with enough force to send him flying a few dozen metres backwards. As Clay lay dazed and confused, Kimiko and Raimundo leapt into action.
"Not even two of you kids can take me on!" the Masculine Meany guffawed. Hearing him say that in a voice that sounded far younger than theirs made the warriors of wind and fire slightly annoyed at his arrogance.
"Arrow Sparrow!" Kimiko cried, launching a handful of bird shaped projectiles from her bag like Wudai Weapon.
To her horror, the towering brute deflected them with a mighty swing of his arm and a haughty laugh. Kimiko found herself a target of her own weapon, but Raimundo luckily swooped in to protect her. "Shoku Astro Wind!" he yelled, projecting a wall of wind around them that enveloped the projectiles and flung them in all directions before they exploded.
After protecting Kimiko, Raimundo catapulted himself forwards with a gust of wind and charged at the Masculine Meany. Hoping to knock him out with the Fist of Tebigong, the mighty gauntlet Shen Gong Wu met with the fist of the muscular assailant. The collision released a mighty shockwave, sending pain throughout Raimundo's body. The Shoku Warrior had to take a leap backwards, shocked that the brute could match the strength of the Fist of Tebigong.
"Now I'll show you my real power level!" growl the Masculine Meany.
He took in a deep breath, generating such a powerful vacuum that Kimiko and Raimundo had to plant their feet firmly on the ground. Clay came to his senses and ran to his companions, holding them tight. It appeared that his muscles had grown even larger, and his messy brown hair was beginning to stand on end. Letting out an ear splitting roar, the Masculine Meany's aura transformed into a massive column of blue fire. Beneath his feet, a deep and wide crater formed, but the brute remained hovering in the air.
Dojo swooped down and curled around the three Xiaolin Warriors, covering his eyes and cowering. All of a sudden, the light began to flicker. The Masculine Meany paused from screaming and looked at his left arm; to his horror, it had deflated back to the size it had been when he was Tiny Sim.
The villain immediately stopped powering up and ran towards the swamp. "It's running out quicker than I thought! I've gotta have another drink, now!"
Dojo uncurled himself and shrank to his diminutive size, sitting limply in Clay's hands. "How much sugar did that guy eat?" he asked.
The Xiaolin Warriors watched the villain charge off into the wilderness behind them. "I don't know," Kimiko answered, sounding worried. "Something tells me he's going off to recharge somewhere; I bet that's where Omi and Ping Pong are!"
In the dark forest, Ping Pong and Omi leapt from tree to tree, feeling exhilarated. Their fun was interrupted by Jack Spicer, firing a laser beam from his UFO that required the two monks to use their quick reflexes and change trajectory.
"Follow the yellow head toads," Wuya said with a cackle.
"What are you doing here?" Jack yelled at the two monks below him. "Come to take the source of ultimate masculine power before I could, eh?"
Omi and Ping Pong exchanged curious glances before turning back to glare at the boy genius and his ghostly mentor. "Why are you after our song, Jack Spicer?" Omi asked back.
Jack shrugged and summoned a swarm of Jack-bots with a snap of his fingers. "Sounds like there are two valuable things in this forest! Jack-bots; melt these cheese balls!"
The robots were quick to swoop down on their targets, but the warriors of water and wood had prepared for a sudden ambush. "Shimo Staff!" Omi yelled, twirling the icy Wudai Weapon above his head while leaping into combat, cutting apart any Jack-bot that came near.
"Ping Pong Spinning Hurricane!" cried the tiny Xiaolin Apprentice, twirling around like a spinning top. The Jack-bots that tried to strike him were catapulted backwards into trees, smashing to pieces. After performing his technique, Omi's lookalike was disorientated.
The ones that missed the trees were finished off by Omi unleashing his elemental powers. "Shoku Neptune Water!" Omi proclaimed, summoning a stream of water that winded around the trees and battered the remaining robots.
It did not take long for Jack Spicer to spot the dizzy warrior of wood and exploit his moment of weakness. The evildoer laughed as his UFO swooped in, extending a mechanical arm from its underside. "Unidentified Flying Wedgie Attack!" Jack laughed.
The robotic claw possessed remarkable precision, grabbing Ping Pong by his underwear and pulling him upwards. The little monk squealed and frantically waved his arms and legs about, catching the attention of his big brother figure.
"Eye of Dashi!" Omi yelled, unleashing a stream of white lighting from the pendant shaped Shen Gong Wu. The energy surged into the UFO, giving Jack a nasty electrical shock and making him release the helpless monk. Overloaded with energy, the vehicle zoomed dozens of feet into the air as a frazzled haired Jack screamed.
"Well done, brother Omi!" Ping Pong said with a pained smile.
"That should purchase us some time to locate the song," Omi said as the two of them continued to run.
"I believe that the phrase is 'buy us some time', brother Omi," added the warrior of wood.
"You are my lookalike!" Omi snapped. "Not Raimundo's!"
Now back to his regular puny self, the shirtless Tiny Sim wearily climbed the steps of the ruined temple he discovered. Leaning over the well, he began to ingest the waters of power yet again. His body bulked up with muscle once more, regaining his Masculine Meany persona.
When the villain had finished replenishing his energy, he turned to the entrance of the ruins. "Well if it isn't Omi and...other Omi?"
The two Xiaolin monks had arrived at the ruins, prepared to face their gigantic adversary in battle. "We're too late; the monster has returned!" Ping Pong squeaked, letting his fear show.
Ping Pong tried to take his mind off his fear by looking away, but then he noticed the well of water behind the brute. He then noticed that the evildoer's hands and chin were wet, as though he had been drinking from it recently.
Omi dropped his fighting stance momentarily. "Raimundo and the others must have fallen..."
The Masculine Meany stamped his feet, making the ground quake. The sight of Ping Pong was apparently the source of his anger. "Who is this? Is this another chosen one? I could've drawn up a better fifth Xiaolin Warrior!"
The Shoku Warrior of water recognised the brute's voice and scowled. "Tiny Sim! We let you off too easy for toying with our minds and memories!" Omi had resumed his fighting stance. "Are you aiding Jack Spicer in halting our progress?"
"Don't mention his name again!" the Masculine Meany growled. He pushed his hand forward and emitted a wave of energy from his palm, knocking Ping Pong out of the temple entrance. "I thought he'd be awesome, but he's just like all the other jerks who pick on me! Now I'm a one man army, it's my turn to pick on little people!"
The shocked water warrior tried to see if Ping Pong was okay, but before he could act, the Masculine Meany thrust his arms upward. With a mighty roar of the earth, the temple ruins were lifted up above the forest by a massive column of stone that the muscular fiend had raised with his power.
"Ping Pong!" Omi cried out of the temple entrance, trying not to fall as he looked down at the forest below.
The Masculine Meany grabbed Omi by the collar and pulled him back inside. "You're not going anywhere! You ruined my plan that was the only way to make Jack Spicer respect me!"
Omi glanced at the stone tablet in the northern wall; he noticed how remarkably similar the glyphs upon it resembled musical notes. With a swift leap through the air, Omi landed on his adversary's shoulders and then hopped off onto the floor behind the well. Before the Masculine Meany could turn around, Omi had pulled the stone tablet from the wall and carried it under his arm.
"Stop treating me like I don't exist!" the brute yelled. "Look at me! I'm huge!"
He continued to roar, releasing a wave of force from his body that caused the ruined walls of the temple to disassemble, the bricks slowly levitating apart.
"You are extremely hard to ignore," Omi mumbled, trying to cover his ears to stop his eardrums from being split by the brute's constant yelling.
With a wave of his hands, the Masculine Meany caused the bricks to home in on Omi. The monk was nimble enough to dodge them, breaking some apart with well placed kicks and chops.
Meanwhile, back on the ground, Ping Pong had managed to protect himself from his fall by using the Two Ton Tunic. Deactivating the armour Shen Gong Wu and putting it back into his pocket, the warrior of wood was joined by the other Xiaolin Warriors.
"I'm so glad you're alright!" Kimiko exclaimed, hugging Ping Pong.
"And I am glad you're alright too, sister Kimiko," replied the tiny monk before pointing upwards. "Omi is fighting the giant up there!"
Clay looked up at the column of rock that neither he or the others had noticed before. "Looks like Tiny Terror managed to get to that power source of his," he said grimly. "Even I couldn't raise this much rock."
Ping Pong realized what he had seen in the ruins linked to what the Shoku Warrior of earth had just said. "The source of the monster's power is a well of water! Leader Raimundo; I require the Monkey Staff."
Raimundo tossed Ping Pong the Shen Gong Wu. "I'm not sure if this thing can help Omi by itself," he said.
The Xiaolin Apprentice smiled. "Oui, precisely! I shall succeed where I once failed and combine it's power with my dragon element. Monkey Staff, Wood!"
The warriors of wind, fire and earth recoiled as they imagined a repeat of Ping Pong's disastrous attempt to master his elemental abilities. Instead, the Monkey Staff began to sprout a few small leaves, before suddenly increasing greatly in length. Using his surprisingly strong monkey tail, Ping Pong seized Clay's wrist and pulled him up as the extending staff took them the full height of the column of earth.
"Hold your horses, little hombre!" Clay cried, looking up at his simian friend. "I didn't have this kind of monkey business in mind!"
Clay and Ping Pong landed safely on the ruins at the very top. The Xiaolin Apprentice of wood let the Monkey Staff shrink in his hand and transform back into its original form. They were met with the glare of an enraged Masculine Meany, frustrated from being unable to strike Omi, who was very pleased to see his two companions arrive.
"Oh, so you've all arrived to make fun of me?" the Masculine Meany asked. "I'll have the last laugh! First I'll destroy you, then I'll destroy my stupid school, then the house of Cindy who wouldn't go out with me, and then I'll destroy the universe!"
"When faced with rude behaviour, there are times a fella's gotta put his foot down," Clay said. Raising his foot in the air, the warrior of earth brought it down in front of the well of mystical water. "Shoku Jupiter Earth!"
Clay's elemental powers created a crack that extended all the way down through the column of stone. To the villain's horror, the water in the well was beginning to drain away. He was so frightened that his muscles deflated with a comical noise, transforming him back into Tiny Sim.
"My power!" he cried, climbing into the now empty well.
The tower began to split in half, both sides falling in opposite directions. Clay held Ping Pong under one arm, while Omi and the tablet were held under the other. The heroes looked back for Tiny Sim, but noticed the small menace had somehow vanished. Clay leapt off just as the rock came crashing down, managing to land on the back of Dojo, who had soared upwards just in time to catch them safely.
Ping Pong landed at the very front of the dragon, where Raimundo patted him on the back. "I think you've passed your exam," he said warmly.
Dojo carried the heroes towards the sun, not knowing that Jack Spicer's UFO was flying in the opposite direction. The UFO was holding Tiny Sim by the waist in its robotic claw; Jack had managed to catch the boy before the tower of stone collapsed.
"Alright down there, teeny tiny Meany?" Jack questioned with a chuckle. "You've got a lot of apologizing to do, short stuff!"
"I'm sorry!" Tiny Sim cried, trying to not look down as he dangled underneath the boy genius's vehicle. "I'll do whatever you say as long as you promise to put me down!"
Jack grinned. "Music to my ears! I've got uses for you."
As the sun began to set, the Xiaolin Warriors travelled to a quiet spot to recuperate before the next part of their great journey. Kimiko had managed to translate the hieroglyphics on the stone tablet that Omi had rescued from the ruins into musical notes, proceeding to play the tune using a music program on her laptop.
"It sounds like it's a continuation of the Song of Wisdom," Kimiko said, noting the similarities to the first song.
Dojo appeared to realize something. "I know why; the songs are in order of the Xiaolin Dragons who guarded the Thousand Layer Mountain! The Dragon of Wood was at the top of the mountain, so the Song of Wisdom comes first. This new song must be the Song of Strength, written by the Dragon of Thunder. Chucky filled me in on the mountain's history."
"Well, at least we know what order we'll find them in," Raimundo added.
Kimiko played the music again, this time using the Chaos Spiral Shen Gong Wu to see the musical notes they had to follow in the distance. As she pointed in the direction she could see them, Dojo enlarged himself and let the heroes take a seat on his back.
"Three more to go," Omi said triumphantly as they flew through the evening sky to their next destination. "Now that Ping Pong has mastered his power of wood, we are sure to overcome any obstacle!"
Back at Jack's lair, a pair of heavily armoured Jack-bots were overseeing Tiny Sim. He was being forced to clean up some of the debris he left in the warehouse, as well as some of the mess left by the large group of evildoers who had come to audition earlier.
"Since Espressonator's out of commission, and all the other villains went home, it looks like you're my only option for a new minion," Jack said. "What were your skills again?"
The Jack-bots allowed Tiny Sim to take a break from the bucket and mop and let him approach their creator. Tiny Sim held out a large pad of paper; each page had been drawn on. "I'm a pretty good artist," he said hesitantly.
Jack snatched the drawings from him and flicked through each one. Most were of nondescript monsters, but one caught Jack's eye immediately. It was a crudely drawn portrait of him and Tiny Sim together, holding hands. They had massive heads with huge twinkling eyes, but pencil thin limbs and bodies.
"I don't believe it," the boy genius stuttered, almost speechless. "I have fan art?"
Katnappé looked over Jack's shoulder and turned her nose up at the drawing. "Looks like someone just began reading a 'how to draw manga' book," she mumbled.
"I'm going to frame this!" Jack explained, leaning in to give Tiny Sim a hug.
The small scruffy boy seemed to brighten up. "You think it's good? I can draw lots more!"
Jack gave Tiny Sim a playful noogie. "You're alright, kid! You drew my first piece of fan art and you were the first person I made cry! Having you around will make me feel all warm inside!"
Tiny Sim broke free of Jack's grip. "Wait, I know something that can help you," he said, hastily drawing another picture. Tiny Sim managed to create a picture of Omi holding the stone tablet from the ruins; the tablet had an arrow pointing to it. "The Xiaolin losers wanted this thing."
Wuya appeared, floating beside Jack and startling Tiny Sim. "Excellent observational skills, little one," she said with a cackle. "It seems the monks have heard of the legend of the Thousand Layer Mountain. If they don't collect all the songs, the Temple they seek will be lost forever!"
Jack smiled fiendishly. "If we get our hands on that tablet, they'll be doomed!" He placed a hand on Tiny Sim's shoulder.
Tiny Sim looked up at Jack and smiled pleadingly. "Will you teach me how to be evil?"
"I've always wanted a minion who could get the dirt on my enemies. Plus, you're small enough to go into spaces I can't crawl into," Jack replied. "You've got the job, squirt!"
Jack began to laugh evilly, and Tiny Sim joined in. The boy continued to laugh long after Jack had finished, until the boy genius stopped him by slapping him on the back. Wuya shook her head in disgrace.
"I'm too old for this..." she grumbled.