Chapter 6- Jack

"Omi, please!" she begged. "Please!" Blood began to seep from her broken wrist, covering the hard brown ground with red. She lay helpless on the pathway, her leg twisted and rendering her unable to move. She was cornered.

"Please Omi! Don't do this!" Unwilling tears streaked her dirty face as she struggled to move away.

The small teen stood over her, an emotionless expression on his face. He gripped the razor-sharp sword in his hand more tightly.

"Finish her!" shouted Chase from behind him.

"Omi, PLEASE!" she cried. "It's me! You don't have to do this!"

His eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Her scream filled the air as his sword struck her just below her ribs.

"NO!" someone screamed. "KIMIKO!"

Kimiko jolted awake with a small gasp. Instantly, her fingers went to the familiar scar on her side, but she couldn't reach it. She felt around for the tear in her robes, only to feel different material. Frowning, she struggled to sit up.

Her whole body felt heavy with exhaustion as she strained to move upright. Groaning from the dull pain in her head, Kimiko slowly open her eyes.

She was sitting on a cot, in a small white room. Rubbing her eyes, she peered around her surroundings and furrowed her eyebrows. There were no other furnishings except for a door and a chair next to it facing her.

Blinking heavily, she stared down at her body. Her eyes narrowed.

She was clean, she knew that much. Kimiko could barely make out the cuts and scrapes along her body. Her hair hung neatly on her back, combed and untangled. Putting her fingers to her face, she felt a small bandage under her eye.

Suppressing a shiver, Kimiko slowly looked down at the rest of herself. She was wearing a small black skirt and a white t-shirt that fit closely to her body. Running her fingers over the soft fabric, Kimiko's head began to spin. These aren't my clothes…

Kimiko shook her head, refusing to let her mind wander to places she didn't want to go. She took a deep breath and rested her head in her hands, trying to clear her mind.

She remembered being forced into that vile auction, and wanting to personally destroy every person she saw there. Then I was…Kimiko shivered. I am not property.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and strained to remember through the pain in her head. Slowly, images of the crowd came to her mind. And then it dawned on her.

Gasping, Kimiko jerked back to reality. The man in the cloak! Kimiko groaned and closed her eyes. He must have knocked me out and then…Her eyes flew open. She needed to escape now.

Shakily, she stood up. Her legs trembled underneath of her and she grimaced. All of a sudden, her body gave way. She collapsed to the floor and knelt there breathless.

Outside the door, Jack Spicer watched Kimiko through a camera. He had sat by his computer most of the night, waiting for when she would awake. When he knocked her out the day before, he knew she would be out for a couple hours. But knowing Kimiko…

Jack gripped the edge of his chair tighter as Kimiko rose from the cot. He knew he had to go in eventually, but he was still uncertain whether she might attack him or not. Jack smiled to himself; even after all these years, he was still almost afraid of a tiny Japanese girl two years younger than him, and a foot shorter.

Sighing, Jack grabbed his cloak and pulled it over his eyes. Kimiko didn't know who he was yet, and he wanted to keep it that way. Jack you idiot- you bought her; how long do you think you can hide from her? Shaking these thoughts from his head, he took one last look at the monitor, took a deep breath and activated the codes to let him in.

Frowning with confusion and taking another deep breath, Kimiko tried to stand up again. Her legs shook as she struggled to get on her feet. Her whole body seemed weak and refused to support her. Finally on her feet, she slowly took a small step, putting her arm out for balance.

Suddenly, the door opened. A man stood in the doorway, the same black cloak covering his eyes. Kimiko let out a small gasp and lost her balance.

He caught her silently in his arms as she fell. Immediately, she pushed herself away from him and staggered back to the cot. He calmly walked over to the chair facing her and sat down.

They stared each other for a minute, silence overtaking them. Kimiko glared daggers at him, her hands clenched into fists.

"Where am I?" she asked finally.

"My house," he replied, no emotion in his voice. Calmness filled around them, quieting the room once again. Kimiko took a deep breath.

"Why am I so weak?"

"Your body has been under continuous strain and pressure for practically the last three years; now it's starting to rest. You'll regain your strength after your body starts to slow down."

There was silence again. He sat uncomfortably facing her, wondering what to do next. Kimiko looked weak and somewhat vulnerable, but knowing her, he wasn't sure whether she was still capable of attacking him.

A minute passed in the awkward silence. Sighing, he stood up and strode to the door.

"Who are you?"

Jack froze. Why did she say my name when she was unconscious then? He sighed and shook his head. "Are you sure you want to know?"

He knew he couldn't hide his identity from Kimiko for any longer, yet somehow couldn't bring himself to face her.

"Yes." She sounded slightly annoyed.

Sighing, he slowly pulled down his hood and turned around. Crossing his arms, he faced her.

Kimiko recognized him at once.

"Jack?!" she exclaimed. Her eyes burned with fire as she stared fiercely at him with confusion. He stood there calmly watching Kimiko. She narrowed her eyes and angrily stood up, her hands clenched into fists in front of her.

"Where am I!? What am I doing here?! What did you do to-" she swayed on her feet as Jack came over and gently pushed her back down on to the cot.

"I bought you," he said simply. At once, the fire in her eyes disappeared. She stared at the wall in front of her almost defeated, grasping in her mind what had happened.

Jack bit his lip, unsure of what to do. Slowly, he turned around and walked towards the door.

"You didn't buy me; I belong to no one…" Kimiko said quietly. Jack turned around and stared at her. She looked at him intently, her eyes narrowed and a look of determination on her face. Jack turned to the door once more and opened it.

"Jack?" she said softly.

He turned back around and saw Kimiko looking defeated. Her eyes were wide and shining as Jack faced her. Instantly, her features hardened as she narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"Feed me you scum, or your money will have gone to waste!"

Jack smiled and walked out the door, reactivating all the locks.

This was Kimiko all right.

The room was quiet once again. Kimiko stared at the closed door, her head throbbing. Groaning, she slid off the cot onto the floor. Taking a deep breath she brought her knees up to her chest and put her head in her hands.

Jack, the little voice in her head said. Jack. Her heart pounded in her chest. Why him?

Kimiko knew that Jack had had a crush on her when they were both younger. Now she wondered if she was here for… any special purpose. Kimiko shivered. She needed to escape now.

Kimiko shakily grabbed the cot for support and pulled herself upright. Her legs shook underneath of her and within a second, she collapsed back to the floor. Cursing herself for being so weak, she sighed and pulled her knees back to her chest.

I have to wait, she said to herself. I'll get food and Jack's guard down. Once I'm stronger, I'll kick his ass and get out of here…She scowled at the three small, dark spheres in the corners of the room. He's watching my every move…

Silence erupted from around her. Kimiko silently stared at the wall ahead of her, her eyes downcast.

This never would have happened if you stayed with Rai. The voice returned. You could have fought them; you were stronger then. It was stupid to run. Because of you, Raimundo and Clay are dead

She bit her lip as small tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Forcing them back she swallowed and held her head high.

"They aren't dead because of me," she said slowly, her voice cracking. "Raimundo wanted me to go on. There was nothing I could do..." Her eyes glistening, Kimiko put her head in her hands. It's not your fault… But she wasn't so sure.

From outside the wall facing her, Kimiko suddenly heard a soft series of beeps. The door swung open. Jack stood in the doorway, carrying a tray. She didn't bother to look up.

Silently, he walked over to her and placed the tray on the cot. Jack crossed his arms and stood patiently before her. Kimiko lifted her head and gazed steadily at him.

"Spicer?" she asked wearily.

"Kimiko." There was silence.

"I brought you food," Jack said finally.

She raised her eyes to his and locked eye contact with him, her piercing blue eyes unwavering. He couldn't help but flinch. Kimiko smiled to herself. After all these years, she could still almost bring him down with a single look. Considering that he still looked as weak as the Jack Spicer she once knew, escaping would be easy.

Sighing, she took a deep breath and tried to stand up once more. Kimiko got on one knee, shakily brought her other leg up, and prepared to rise. Jack stooped to her level and stretched out his arm to help her up.

"Don't touch me," she whispered fiercely. Jack ignored her, and pulled Kimiko up onto the cot. He grabbed the tray and pushed it over to her.

"Eat," he said solidly. Kimiko blinked. It wasn't a request; it was a command. She eyed the food suspiciously, a sandwich and a glass of orange juice.

"I didn't do anything to it," Jack said, scattering her thoughts.

"How do I know that?"

Jack let out one of his half-way evil smirks. "Kimiko, believe me. If I was going to poison you, or do anything to you, I would have done it already."

Her stomach growled in protest. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Without a second thought, she quickly picked up the sandwich. Within a second, it was gone.

Jack stared at her with amazement. He didn't think that anyone could eat that fast. But here Kimiko was, sitting on the bed looking somewhat stronger already. He could tell that her guard was beginning to go down, voluntary or not. But knowing Kimiko, Jack still didn't trust her.

Once again, silence filled out in between them. But to his surprise, she was the one to speak first.

"Are you going to take me to Chase?"

Jack's eyes flickered. That would be the last thing he would ever consider of doing.

"No."

"Then why did you b- why did you take me here?"

"It's a long story."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowed determinedly. "It's not like I'm going anywhere. I've been out of touch with the world for a year- what's going on?"

Jack sighed, forgetting how stubborn Kimiko was.

"Well, Chase took over the world..." Like she doesn't know that…

Kimiko rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Jack. That explains why everything's been dark and I've been in hiding for the past year…"

Jack smirked sarcastically.

"Chase started the slave trade to put down the rebellions. You defy him, you're found hiding, you take part in a rebellion, or if you're just lucky and Chase comes to give your village a little visit- you become a slave. Actually, the lucky ones are condemned to a life of serving the honored Heylin members; Chase Young just usually kills the rest."

Kimiko's eyes had turned dark. Her shoulders were stiff against her torso as she clenched and unclenched her fists. Immediately, Jack realized that he had made a mistake of putting it this way, even though it was the truth.

"I don't support it," he said quietly. Kimiko turned and faced him, her expression cold. "I hate everything Chase is doing. He shouldn't have the power to destroy so many lives."

Kimiko stared at him, her expression unreadable. Her eyes staring past him, he couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Look," Jack said, running his fingers through his long red hair. "The only reason you're here is because…well, I bought you. I don't know if you remember anything about that horrible auction, but Tubbimura was there. He was going to buy you Kimiko; and I don't know why, or what he had planned for you. I just knew that it wouldn't be very good. You were hurt and…I don't know. It just happened so fast."

She gazed at him in disbelief. This was not the Jack Spicer she knew. Blinking heavily, she tried to follow what he had told her. Jack saved me…

"You've changed, Spicer," she said finally.

"You haven't."

But Jack was different. His hair had grown longer, so it hung down shaggy around his head. The marks under his eyes were still there, but they seemed…softer. They fit his face perfectly. Jack was wearing the long black cloak around his shoulders, but even so, black pants and a red shirt peaked through. And, Kimiko was amused to see the same spiral goggles perched within his hair.

"Your eyes…" she said slowly, touching her hand to her face. Subconsciously, he did the same and then smirked.

"I've always had them. Just when I was younger I… amped them up."

Silence filled in between them once again. Her strength was returning quickly. After so many months of fighting and hardships, her body had changed. Any food, any rest no matter how small gave her full energy so that she could go on. Resting for so long had put her body into a small shock, but now it was returning to what was normal.

"Tell me," Jack said, interrupting the silence. "You've asked your questions and now it's my turn. Where have you been? Why are you here now?"

Kimiko's face suddenly grew cold. She tossed her head to the side and looked down at her hands.

"I'm clean," she noted, her heart pounding. Jack turned bright red.

"Robots…" he mumbled. He looked at her straight in the eye. "Don't change the subject."

"That's none of your concern, Spicer."

"Kimiko, in your situation, I wouldn't be telling me what is and is not my concern."

She flinched. "You wouldn't…"

"Try me."

Snapping her head angrily, she faced him once again. "Mountains. Chase's warriors found us. I ran, got caught. Chase found me, but Omi helped me escape. They tortured me. You bought me and knocked me out. Now I'm here. End of story."

Kimiko took a breath as the fire within her eyes faded.

"What about the other Xiaolin losers?"

Her eyes flickered, and she quickly looked away. Jack caught on at once.

"Oh," he said softly. "What hap-?"

"They tried to protect me. His warriors killed them. And it was all for nothing."

"What do you mean?" Kimiko stared at him, her eyes cold and distant.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" More silence.

Jack wasn't sure how to respond. He felt his stomach slowly sinking as what had happened dawned on him. Who would defeat Chase now?

Unexpectedly, Kimiko stood up and walked slowly to the door. Jack jumped to his feet at once and grabbed her arms.

"Let me go, Spicer," she said threateningly.

"A minute ago you couldn't even stand; now you're about to attack me! How the hell do you-"

She smiled. "My element is fire, Jack, if you haven't noticed. Give it fuel and it will burn for days." Her legs were shaking furiously: Kimiko was using all of her strength to try and stand. She didn't even think she'd be able to take another step, but Jack didn't need to know that.

"You're not going anywhere."

Kimiko pulled away from him and prepared to fight him. She was still too weak to do much, but she was hoping that Jack wouldn't see through her bluff.

But she had no time to react as Jack pulled out two thick white bands and slapped them onto her wrists. Kimiko stared down at the small pieces of plastic that fit close to her skin.

"Completely water-proof, fire-proof; indestructible. I control them. You try to fight me, use your element or leave this house; I have complete control over you. Kimiko blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Jack, do you really think a strip of plastic will prevent me from using my element? I thank you for the food, but now, I really have to go."

She raised her hands and curled them into fists. Jack just stood there with his arms crossed, looking amused and a smirk on his face.

"Fire!"

As soon as she felt the warmth rush to her hands, icy energy flowed through her. It was exactly like what she had felt at Chase's castle, but a hundred times worse. Liquid fire flowed through her veins, burning like fire, but numbing her body. Kimiko cried out in pain and fell to her knees as she collapsed to the floor. She couldn't think or see; the pain was so intense.

Kimiko didn't know how long she lay, submerged in pain. The icy energy never stopped. Her whole body was numb; Kimiko couldn't move a single muscle. Time passed, but it made no concept to her. There was only the pain surrounding her. Subconsciously, she felt someone pick her up and place her back on the cot. And then, she fell into darkness.

Kimiko gasped and opened her eyes. The pain had faded away some. It was still intense, but not as extreme as before. Groaning, she tried to sit up, only to discover that her wrists were chained to the cot.

The door opening caught her eye; Jack had been watching her. Silently, he took out a key and unlocked the shackles on her wrists. Helping her to sit up, he handed her a cup of tea and sat down in the chair facing her.

"What…was….that?" she gasped after a few minutes, rubbing her wrists. Jack smiled.

"One of my own creations. It responds to body heat. If it senses extreme heat anywhere on your body, then it'll numb you with energy. I also can control them. And there are sensors everywhere. You try to leave my house, or go somewhere I don't want you to go, it'll numb your body until I can find you. And believe me; you won't get very far."

Kimiko stared at him in horror, her heart pounding.

"Why?" she asked in a small voice. "Why keep me here?"

Jack smiled. "I paid a lot of money for you, and I'm making sure I get my money's worth. You'll work for me now."

He turned and strode out the door before she could respond. From the other side, she could hear a complicated pattern of beeps as Jack put a security code on.

Kimiko's head was spinning. Her stomach dropped and she suddenly felt sick as she gazed with shock at the thick white bands, one on each wrist. Swaying back and forth on the cot, she suddenly collapsed back into darkness as her weakness overcame her.