Now, the Xiaolin Dragons were a group that watched horror movies. Though Omi had only been introduced to them after meeting his friends; they all enjoyed the occasional B-Horror night, poking fun at the classics or gripping the edges of their seats during a truly scary one.
However, it is different when the horror is real. Watching from the comfort of your seat, it is easy to say that you would be smart enough not to make those mistakes. That when the aliens land you would be able to keep your mouth shut until you have proof, otherwise risking a trip to the nuthouse. And when the old Gypsy fortuneteller warns you not to enter the haunted forest, you would listen and stay away.
From the safety of home, it is all too easy to criticize the plucky side-kick who gets eaten by a zombie.
Even now, it was somewhat tempting to blame Raimundo for his continued disbelief, for a drop of blood in a flask in Spicer's basement was hardly rock-solid evidence that the gothic geek had turned into a monster. Kimiko certainly wanted to blame him; wanted to about as much as she wanted to leave.
She truly believed what she saw was real. Any minute she was expecting him to jump out of nowhere and attack. She hid it of course, telling herself she had to get a grip. Monster or no, it was still iJack Spicer/i. The iidea/i that she could be scared of such a scrawny nerd was a blow to her pride; letting others, even friends, know was unthinkable.
Besides, even if she did admit that…No, she was only a little edgy…but still…they would iall/i want to leave with her, and nothing would get done.
No, it was better that she was here.
"Should we search upstairs?" Rai asked, looking at Kimiko.
He was asking her, but that did not stop Omi's input. "Most certainly. Our job is not yet complete!"
"Don't ya think that might be rude though?" Clay wondered, "It's one thing ter break into his lab, but what if his family's here? I wouldn't wanna burst in on his Mother changing ya know?"
Everyone grimaced at the metal image that went with the cowboy's statement.
"Hmm, you got a point there." Rai considered it for a moment. It iwould/i be rather awkward if Jack's mom called the cops on them. "Okay, how 'bout we avoid bedrooms, we'll just search main areas: the kitchen, living room, that kind thing."
Kimiko nodded, "Agreed."
With that, they made their way to the stairs.
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Little did the Xiaolin know, as soon as they had reached the top step they activated a laser trip-wire security device. It was a rather recent change that could have easily been stepped over had they noticed it, and was mostly there to keep guests of his parents from wandering into the lair and messing things up. It sent a message to his phone, his computer, and several hidden monitors throughout the large mansion. Though the Evil Boy Genius himself was currently snoring too loudly for the alert to be noticed by him; one of the aforementioned monitors happened to be in the kitchen.
Wuya had not spent this much time in Spicer's home in a long while, and was not up to date on his security changes. Not that it mattered much, no system could keep her out if she really needed in, and even Jack had once acknowledged to her that most of the house's security was for keeping petty thieves from stealing the TVs.
Therefore she was not sure what was going on when a flat screen monitor elegantly slid out of the counter. But she found out soon enough. Hannibal, who had been looking through the morning paper, glanced up for a moment before looking away with disinterest.
The monitor was a touch screen, an option popped up asking is she wanted to view the security cameras. She clicked yes.
"Well, would you look at that." The witch smiled.
Bean looked up again, a grin stretching his features, as footage of the four Xiaolin Dragons wandering through the house played on the high-def screen. "Looks like we aren't the only ones visiting lil' Jackie."
Something seemed off though, and it took Wuya a moment to catch it; she frowned suddenly. Hannibal noticed it too.
"Why are they invading the house?" Wuya looked closer at the image feed, "Jack doesn't keep 'wu in-" She stopped suddenly, realization spreading across her features. The monks were not looking for Shen-gong-wu.
Bean caught it. "I guess the secrets out."
"But that's impossible! How could they know!" iHow!/i Since this had started Jack only left the house once, for hunting, and she was only away from him for fifteen minutes. They did not even go after the Golden Orb-a particularly uninteresting 'wu-so there was no way.
"Nothing's impossible." Hannbal said.
Another look at the monitor showed the teens heading their way. Wuya would have to figure it out later. Right now she was not going to waste the element of surprise.
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In horror movies, there is usually that one moment that leaves you yelling at the screen "DO NOT GO IN THERE!" You beg and you plead just knowing that something is going to eat/main/kidnap/turn them into mindless slaves. But despite your efforts, the character(s) go in anyway.
The monks were currently in one of those moments.
One moment, they were searching the dining room, checking the corners and under the table-not finding anything of course-and the next they were facing two of their worst enemies.
With a sudden kick aimed at his head Raimundo just barely managed to duck to the ground. There was no time to process, so moving on instinct, the others rushed to back him up. However, when Clay and Kimiko tried to move forward, they tripped, and, looking back, saw a vine-like tentacle/arm wrapped around their ankles.
Omi managed to aim an attack at who they all could now see was Wuya, which she managed to deflect sending him flying backwards into Rai-who had only just managed to stand up-and both were knocked down in a pile on the tiled floor.
Hannibal, meanwhile, had let go of Kim and Clay, who were aiming their own attacks which were easily deflected by the bean. Raimundo and Omi had gotten back up by then and together the four assumed a defensive formation against Wuya and Bean, who now stood on the same side (Hannibal having hopped up to the marble counter).
Smirking callously, Wuya said, "My, what are the four Xiaolin Dragons doing here? Stealing Spicer's 'wu perhaps? How evil. Though you should know he doesn't keep them in the kitchen." This was ploy of course; she was just fishing for information. Just how much did they know?
Breathing hard and pouting at the 'evil' comment, Kimiko managed not to take the bait. Everything that had happened…Wuya being involved would make all-to-much sense. Though, if Wuya was involved, would not Jack have told her about seeing Kimiko in the forest? He would have told Wuya right? Why would he keep it a secret?
She forced her questions to the side and said, "It's none of iyour/i business; what we're here for has nothing to do with you."
"Oh? What could have a pathetic boy like Jack done that would have you here at,"-here she looked at the clock above the stove-"5:47 in the morning?"
"Why do you care?" Rai questioned, "You know something about it?"
"iWe know a lot of things/i," Hannibal grinned, "you tend to learn when you're immortal. It's just a matter of how you use it."
"Hannibal and Wuya, we are not here to fight with you," Omi tried to reason, "We are only here to speak with Jack."
"I'm afraid you can't." said Wuya
"And why not?"
"Because, he's asleep, and after our venture last night, he needs it."
That was it then. Her not-a-confession confession said so much. Last night. The very same night Kimiko had come out of the forest talking about blood and fangs. Clay, Omi, and even Rai, who still found the Jack-is-a-monster idea so hard to swallow, were accepting something very evil was going on. Why else would Hannibal and Wuya be here, at this moment, in Spicer's house? Why would they be hinting at some great secret?
Kimiko, who had already known, was now more determined than ever. Thoughts running wild, could see too easily the many scenarios that could have happened. After all, if Bean could make a soup that turns you into an evil dragon, what else could he have done? And Wuya, even without powers, she was still a witch, who knows what she might have done.
Jack…he does almost anything they ask him to. Talking him into…whatever they've done to him…would be all too easy. But what have they done?
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Jack ihad/i been asleep. And sleeping quite peacefully, that is, until he realized the loud banging and clanging and beeping noises were not a part of his dreams. Yawning and groaning, the Evil Boy Genius glanced at his clock, 5:44…AM. He had not even been asleep for half an hour! Ugh…
Ignoring the instinct to go back to sleep, he turned his attention to his wrist watch. It was more than a wrist watch though; it was a communicator, the control for his robots, and a computer. He had gotten the idea for from a movie he had seen as a kid; except, his watch could also tell time.
Sigh, a security breach. The trip wire from the lair's staircase had been activated. Great. Just great. Wuya probably tripped it by accident.
Yawning again, he stretched and put his yellow house shoes, the ones that were made to look like monsters, on. Vampires are inot/i supposed to be up this early. Grumbling and whining, he walked over to the monitor in his room, and accessing the cameras was instantly awake to see the fight going on in his kitchen.
Eyebrows hitting his hairline, he was suddenly afraid. The Xiaolin knew. Kimiko had seen him and she knew and now they knew and now they were here to drive a stake though his heart or light him on fire or any of the other ways you get rid of a vampire.
Normally, the non-vampire Jack would have been in a full blown panic by now. Yet, the vampire was unexpectedly calm. He did not notice his put of character behavior, and if you were to point it out to him he would whine it was not true.
He studied the video, the monks were not carrying steaks with them, and though it was possible for Kimiko to burn him alive she was not the type to do such a thing. And there was no guarantee they even knew he was a specifically a vampire. Besides, Wuya had his back.
That worry averted, he was suddenly angry, and the sudden urge to tear them all to sheds entered his mind. Wait. Tear them to sheds? But somehow, the surge of blood lust did not bother him. It felt natural even, so he embraced it. If fact, he had not felt this evil since that time he and his good side were separated. And he loved it. He was going to go up there and show them all just why they should be afraid of vampires. But first…it was sunny in the kitchen, he needed a hat.
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Any other time and Kimiko would have laughed at the way Jack looked. He was wearing black jeans, a belt with a skull for the buckle, a black, half tucked in shirt with a robot on it that had car for a head and a caption that read 'Chicks Dig Giant Robots', a black house coat, yellow fuzzy slippers, and-the real kicker-a fedora. It looked stupid quite frankly. But the un-Jack-like glare they were getting stifled any laughter.
Kim had frozen completely. He met her gaze and for a moment, he almost looked…guilty. But it disappeared as soon as she noticed it. Now he just looked pissed off, which iwas/i understandable she supposed.
"Okay," said Jack, breaking the silence, "so first, you break into my house iat five-whatever AM,/i you start a fight in my kitchen-"
"We didn't start it!" Rai defended, " Wuy-"
"iShut up./i"
Raimundo did, but only out of surprise. He heard a chuckle from Wuya begind him. Jack's tone when he said it; he did not sound like Jack at all. It was…creepy. Very, very creepy. He was too calm, too still. In fact, he was acting a lot like Chase Young.
"Jack Spicuh, why are you acting so strangely?" Jack turned his attention to Omi.
"Strange?" Was he acting differently? Well, he was sleep deprived. "I'm not the one breaking into houses early in the morning."
"Speaking of which," said Wuya, "you never explained why your even here."
Jack looked guilty again, and finally admitted, "I know why they're here."
"What!" Had the witch's eyebrow rose any further they would have disappeared into her hair.
"Uh, did you know how close that forest was to the Xiaolin temple?"
Wuya gave him a ilook/i, her mind filling in the blanks, and Jack grinned sheepishly.
"How 'bout that Wuya?" Hannibal grinned, thinking of their prior conversation, "I guess there's no reason to keep the secret anymore."
Wuya pouted, she had wanted it kept a secret, it had been a part of her plan that they would not know what hit them. Oh well, as long as they all knew…
"Alright, then I suppose it's time to show off." She smiled, an evil thing. The monks tensed, unsure of what to expect, but ready for an impending attack.
Jack smiled too, the odd blood lust rising again, and no one missed those two sharp fangs.