You Remind Me
By: Bellaluna
Chapter Seven
Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown. Please do not copy this fanfic or steal it.
Author's Notes: Oh snap. I finally finished the next chapter. This one will probably be the angstiest of the whole fic, but the next chapter will probably be just as delightful. /Sarcasm. I'm terribly sorry for the wait, but I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Seven
Raimundo was ready to kick some butt. Over and over they had been beaten down by Jack, or rather by Kimiko with some help from Jack. With every showdown Raimundo's anger grew in leaps and bounds. He didn't know what Jack had done to Kimiko but he wasn't going to stand for it any longer. He was ready to confront Kimiko and figure things out once and for all and nothing and no one was going to stop him. Of course he hadn't exactly told this plan to Omi or Clay. He knew the other two dragons were concerned about Kimiko as well, but they were all for Master Fung's plan of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Raimundo was sick of waiting and was ready to do something about Kimiko.
Silently he sat near Dojo's head as they flew through the sky to the newly revealed Shen Gong Wu. Omi and Clay were sitting behind him idly chatting about what the new Wu was supposed to do. To be honest Raimundo didn't particularly care about the Wu for the moment Kimiko was the only thing on his mind now.
"Rai! Hey Rai!"
Raimundo snapped out of his thoughts and looked over his shoulder only to see Clay and Omi starring at him with concern.
"You alright there partner?" Clay was the first to voice his concerns.
"No," Raimundo replied rather bluntly. "How can you two be? Jack's still using Kimiko. Not only that but they keep winning the showdowns!"
"Rai, I know you're worried about Kimiko," the cowboy continued. "We're all worried about her, but if you're thinking of doing anything…well stupid…"
"Yes Raimundo," Omi piped up. "Being rash would be very unwise at this time!"
"Thanks a bunch guys," Raimundo seethed. His face was growing redder as his anger began to boil up. He was going to let have Spicer have it good time. He'd done enough waiting and it was time to make Jack pay. No matter what, he would pay.
It wasn't long after that when Dojo announced they were nearing the new Shen Gong Wu. They arrived in a huge rose garden at the exact same moment as Kimiko, Jack and his legion of Jackbots. Lying in the open grass just in between them was the new Wu in all its glory. In an instant both Raimundo and Jack leapt forward and grabbed the Wu. As usual it began to glow. The showdown would start.
"Alright loser," Jack began. "I challenge you…"
"No," Raimundo cut him off sternly. "I challenge you," he began. "to a Cosmic Clash Showdown."
"Fine, me and Kimiko against you and Opi," Jack agreed.
"Right."
"Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown! Gong Yi Tanpai!"
A rumble from the ground began and suddenly the rose bushes grew up all around the four of them, the Shen Gong Wu disappearing. Meanwhile Clay and Dojo were lifted up on a platform, allowing them to see above the rose bushes.
"Looks like a maze partners!" Clay called down to the other. "The Shen Gong Wu is at the end!"
And in that moment they were off, Jack and Omi dashing down one path, Kimiko and Raimundo down another.
"Kimiko!" Raimundo called once they had gotten far enough away from the other two.
"What!?" Kimiko replied rudely.
"We need to talk!"
"I don't need to talk to anyone, especially not you!"
"Kimiko, come on!" Raimundo cried and reached out to grab Kimiko's arm. Before he knew what he had done, Kimiko turned, swinging her fist right at his face. Raimundo let out a shout of pain as he stumbled back in pain.
"What are you doing Kimiko!?" he cried.
"Stopping you from ruining Jack's plan!" Kimiko replied angrily.
"Jack's plan? Jack's plan!?" Raimundo shouted. "Do you even hear yourself!? Can't you understand? Jack is using you!"
"He is not!" Kimiko responded, not even flinching. "Jack is taking care of me, not using me!"
"Geez," Raimundo snorted. "I didn't think you'd be stupid just because you lost your memory."
"Shut up," Kimiko seethed, the anger bubbling and boiling within her.
"Kimiko, you're one of us, not one of Jack's lackeys!"
"I am not his lackey!" Kimiko protested. "Jack cares about me!"
"Hah. He doesn't care about you!" Raimundo spat. "The only thing Jack Spicer cares about is himself."
"That's not true!" Kimiko exploded and released another punch on Raimundo's face.
Again she hit him.
Again.
Again.
Raimundo refused to fight back.
---
It was in sight. The Wu was there. Jack reached out ahead and snatched it before Omi had the chance. Laughing madly he turned around, lifting up into the air with his helipac.
"Too bad there Opi!" he called as the rose bushes around them began to shrink back to their normal size. "Look like I win again!"
"Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted angrily as his shook his fist up in the air. "This will be the last time you disgrace us!"
"Blah, blah," Jack teased. "That's what you say every…time…" his voice trailed off as his eyes picked up on the scene occurring not too far away from them. There he saw Kimiko in a terrible fit of rage, attacking Raimundo without batting an eye. Raimundo himself wasn't even fighting back or defending himself. In fact, he looked about ready to pass out from all of the blows he was receiving from Kimiko.
For the first time, Jack Spicer was shocked. It was one thing to see Kimiko fighting the rest of her team mates, but this wasn't fighting anymore. This was something entirely different. With a burst of speed Jack flew over to Raimundo and Kimiko.
"Kimiko!" he shouted, but she didn't hear him, didn't stop. It was almost as if she were not even there anymore. Instead it was as if one of his malfunctioning robots was beating Raimundo to a pulp.
"Hey! Cut it out!" Jack shouted even louder this time. He reached out and firmly grabbed Kimiko's arm, shaking her. She jerked back, finally releasing Raimundo who felt to the ground, moaning weakly in pain. Kimiko pulled her arm back, ready to launch a punch at Jack but she stopped herself just in time.
"J-Jack?" she said hoarsely, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she was just coming out of a daze.
"We're leaving," Jack said abruptly.
"But,"
"NOW."
Kimiko gasped at Jack's harsh shout. She couldn't understand why he was so angry. Had she done something wrong? She had just been trying to help him as she always had.
"Come on," Jack grumbled and began hovering, going higher and higher up in the air.
"Right," Kimiko muttered and hopped on to the nearest Jackbot. In silence, the two of them flew away.
---
"Just what happened out there today Jack?" Wuya's raspy voice demanded to know. "While I welcome the silence, it hasn't been this quiet since before that Xiaolin dragon came here!"
"Nothing happened Wuya!" Jack said in annoyance as he attempted to concentrate on a new experiment.
"Fine, fine, don't tell me," Wuya sighed and floated lazily around the lab. "Hopefully you'll be back to your normal, annoying self by the time the two of you go to get the next Shen Gong Wu."
"No."
"What?"
"She's not going to get the Shen Gong Wu anymore."
"W-WHAT!?" Wuya exclaimed. "You're not going to use this perfect gift that landed in our laps? Have you lost what little of the mind you have!?"
"I'm perfectly sane, thank you very much."
"Well then what is she still doing here!? She isn't good for anything else!"
"You know what Wuya?" Jack began. "You're right."
He stood up and quietly began to walk towards Kimiko's room. Once there he beat his hand rapidly against the door. Kimiko opened the door almost immediately, a confused look on her face.
"Jack?"
"I lied," he said bluntly, not flinching and inch.
"JACK!" Wuya screeched.
"What?" Kimiko asked, more confused than ever.
"You never worked for me. In fact, you are one of those stupid Xiaolin warriors."
"Y-you're kidding right?" Kimiko said, trying to choke out a laugh, but nothing came.
"Far from it. I want you to leave now. Go back where you belong."
B-but Jack!" Kimiko managed to sputter out. "I belong here."
"No you don't. Don't you get it Kimiko? I lied to you, used you!"
"I…"
"I don't need you anymore. Leave."
With those final harsh words Jack stiffly turned and walked away, Wuya following him and nagging at him for the rash release of their secret weapon.
Kimiko stood frozen in the doorframe as she starred at Jack's back until he disappeared down another hallway. Her throat grew dry and her eyes moist. Her chest tightened and everything around her felt like it was crumbling to pieces. Her world was shattered, and the only few precious memories she had were now slipping away from her grasp. They were all fake.
"Miss Kimiko?"
The maid, Sara, carefully approached Kimiko. "I'm sorry miss, but I've been told to escort you off of the premises."
Kimiko said nothing. She merely sobbed and fell against Sara, crying. She had nothing left to believe in anymore. Once again, she was nothing but an empty shell.
---
One final bandage around the arm and an ice pack on the eye.
"There you go partner," Clay announced as he tied off the bandage.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Raimundo moaned in pain.
"Raimundo!" Omi spoke up. "You look much like the mommy!"
Raimundo carefully stood up, covered in several bandages, not to mention bruises. He held the ice pack to his face and hobbled over to a seat near the open window.
"That's the Mummy," he corrected Omi.
"Ah yes, Mummy," Omi nodded.
Clay packed up the left over medical supplied and put it away in a cabinet. He then found a nice spot of floor and sat down.
"How are you doin' there Rai?" he asked.
"You mean aside from the fact that I got beat to a pulp?"
"I was thinking more about who did the beating."
Rai was silent for a few minutes as he starred down at a particularly colorful bruise on his arm. "I'm not mad at her," he finally replied. "She's only doing this because she doesn't know what else to do."
"Oh yes," Omi nodded wisely. "She is very confused to be fight for Jack Spicer!"
"Spicer…" Raimundo growled. "This is all his fault!" Angrily he balled his hand into a fist despite the pain.
"You got to admit, even for him this is pretty darn low," Clay noted.
"Low?" Rai snorted. "He's evil. Nothing's too low for him."
As he said this, Raimundo turned and glanced out the window just as the sun was setting for the night, off in the distance. He was surprised to see there was someone at the top of the temple steps, and even more surprised to see who it was.
"Kimiko!?" he gasped and leapt up, forgetting his injuries. He let out a cry of pain and held still to reduce the pain while Clay and Omi shot past him to look out the window. Sure enough Kimiko was weakly standing at the top of the steps.
"Well I'll be," Clay grinned. "It is her!"
"Do you think she has regained her memories?" Omi wondered.
Kimiko wobbled forward, and then suddenly she collapsed. Omi and Clay leapt out of the window, with Raimundo hobbling after them, hurrying to Kimiko's unmoving form on the ground.