"I accept your apology, Raimundo, but as you know I cannot tell you something so confidential."
"But, Master Fung, you told me a little bit before," Raimundo reasoned, moving to look his elder in the face.
They were outside near the training grounds, far enough from the other monks to allow privacy.
"I understand that I corrected your view on Jack's nightmares, but I am certain that he would not appreciate me revealing their true nature," M. Fung told him. "They are very...personal..."
"I know that, trust me I do! I just...it's..."
The old monk cocked a patient eyebrow at him.
"They're changing him, I think," Rai started, rubbing the back of his neck and watching Clay and Omi spar. "His whole demeanor now is really...dark."
"I see. And you don't believe this could be caused by something other than this nightmare?"
"Not if you don't."
"Hmmm," M. Fung murmured in understanding, a slight smile forming under his mustache. "I believe you have rediscovered the intellect that earned you Shoku Warrior, Raimundo."
His smile drooped.
"Yes, you are right to think that Jack's dreams are plaguing him, more so that's he would like to admit. And I fear that soon he will be devoured by them."
Raimundo studied the worry on his master's face and felt his stomach knot up.
"You should join your team, Raimundo," M. Fung said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I believe we've done enough anxious thinking for today."
With a reluctant bow, Raimundo raced over to his friends, sending a playful kick at Omi to start their sparring match. M. Fung shook his head at how easily the leader could hide his emotions, then turned and walked into the temple.
"M. Fung?" Dojo asked as the monk passed his tree. "What are you doing?"
He followed when he received no answer. M. Fung stopped at one of the muralled walls and touched the lightning blue dragon in the center. The painting glowed yellow in response, and Dojo's eyes widened when the wall disappeared to reveal a hidden room lit only by small candles that sat in a circle.
"You're not going to..." Dojo started, staring up at M. Fung in astonishment. "You don't actually think..."
"A situation so similar to this one happened in his time," M. Fung answered grimly. "It only makes sense that I entertain the idea."
Dojo shivered and followed M. Fung into the room, stopping beside him when he knelt at the center of the candles.
"Couldn't you have just asked me?" he asked quietly, darting worried eyes around the room. "I was around during his time too."
"You would not have seen this, Dojo," came the answer. "At least, I would hope you would not have."
The candles' flames grew brighter as M. Fung started chanting a strange language, his eyes closed tightly. Dojo drew near as a mystical breeze stirred about the corridor, swirling into a small tornado in front of the monk. The tornado spun round and around before settling into the ethereal form of a bald man, floating in a sitting cross-legged form. He and M. Fung opened their eyes and he smiled at him.
"Master Fung," he greeted. "It's been a long time. The years have been kind."
"Not always," M. Fung said, trying to smile at the old friend, but finding himself unable to. "Especially as of late. We have much to discuss, Grand Master Dashi."
"Really?" the happiness washed from the man's eyes. "I was afraid of that. What's happening?"
"What is happening, M. Fung?" Dojo questioned.
"I believe the prophecy you told of has begun to show itself." he said, ignoring Dojo.
"Which one?" Dashi sighed. "Unfortunately, I told of many."
"The one you told only me...the one involving Chase Young's descendents."
Dashi's eyes became dark.
"You're sure?" he asked.
"I wish I wasn't, but yes."
"I see...you remember then what I told you would happen? I assume you have convinced the one suspected to join you then? You were always very good at that."
M. Fung's shoulders drooped and he knit his brow. The ghost of Dashi rubbed a hand across his forehead.
"Oh boy oh boy," he groaned. "I will say, you monks always know how to make things interesting...interesting and complicated."
M. Fung nodded sadly. The men were silent for a long moment.
"Well then," Dashi started quietly, his form flickering slightly. "I can only give you two bits of advice: Keep trying...and pray."
**********JP**********
"Stryker, c'mon!"
"I'm serious, Jack, I...I want to go home."
"That's bull! You know it's bull, I can see it all over your face!"
Stryker turned away and bit his lip. He was trying so hard to keep everything that had happened inside him, but the minute Jack saw the markings on his neck and arms he'd known it was Chase's doing. Now Jack was looking at him with a mixture of concern and disbelief at the fact that Stryker wasn't telling the truth.
"I-It's not bull, Jack..." he stammered, turning back to his friend. "I...I just need to go home, okay? Maybe Uncle Chase will let me come back-"
"What do you take me for, Stryker, an idiot?" Jack roared, feeling his concern being overridden by anguish. "Is that it? Are you starting to think everyone else is right?"
"No! Of course not! It's just...you don't need to get in the middle of this, Jack, it's dangerous-"
"Oh so now it's dangerous! Who woulda thunk that harboring Chase Young's nephew would be dangerous! You think I didn't know that when you showed up in the warehouse?"
"Jack, please, I'm not saying your dumb!"
"Well you're not saying much of anything else!"
Stryker stammered in a fight to explain himself, but ended up only sighing helplessly and turning his eyes to the floor. Jack took a deep breath in, waited to see if he would say more, then let it out in a loud huff.
"Fine," he decided, his tone causing Stryker to look at him again. "Then I'll just see for myself."
He crossed the room to his workbench, and Stryker just watched in confusion as he dug into the Wu bag and pulled out a strange pair of glasses and a large shell.
"What do those do?" he asked, feeling a little uneasy.
"This is the Mind Reader Conch and the Crystal Glasses," Jack said, putting the odd glasses on his face. If they were in a different situation Stryker would have laughed at how silly he looked. "They've never been paired before, but I'm going to give it a try."
"...Why?"
"Because the Conch allows me to hear thoughts, and the Crystal Glasses lets me see into the future."
Stryker kept staring at him, then his eyes widened as he realized what Jack was trying to do.
"J-Jack, wait a second, please-" he started, coming towards him.
"Crystal Glasses!" Jack started, keeping Stryker away as he lunged to take the Wu from him. "Mind Reader Conch!"
Styker managed to rip the Conch away from him, but it was already glowing gold along with the glasses. Jack's eyes went wide as he watched the fight between Chase and Stryker, as if he was actually there.
"Unless you wish for your friend's death to be on your conscience," he heard Chase roar. "You will come home!"
Jack watched in shock as Chase threw Stryker across the room, then slowly removed the glasses from his face and stared at his friend. Stryker's eyes darted across his face, deducing that he'd seen what had happened after all.
"See why I gotta go home now?" he asked, looking down at the Conch. "If I'm not there by sundown...I don't know what he'll-"
"That is the cheesiest, stupidest reason in the world to go home!"
Stryker furrowed his brow at the frustration in Jack's eyes.
"What?" he asked.
"You can't seriously be telling me that just because Chase threatened to kill me, you're going home!" Jack shouted. "Gee, Stryke, thanks for believing I'm stronger than I look!"
"It...it...dude!" Stryker shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "It's got nothing to do with your strength!"
"Yes, it does! If you thought I could take Chase on, you would've just told him to shove off!"
"No I wouldn't! It's a rule friends have! When a jerk says he's going to slay your friends, you do what he wants!"
"Well it's a stupid rule!"
Stryker shook his head at Jack in disbelief.
"Why do you wanna fight me on this?" he asked. "I'm looking out for you. That's what friends do!"
"I don't need you to look out for me," Jack insisted, crossing his arms over his chest and giving him a sharp glare. "I've taken your uncle on before and won. And I'll tell you, there were multiple times when he tried to kill me."
"But-"
"No! No buts! If you go home because you think you're protecting me, then you never had any faith that everyone was wrong about me being weak."
He could do nothing but stare at his friend. How was it that what Jack was saying made sense! He should have been walking out the door. Instead, Stryker came over and set the Conch on the workbench next to the Glasses, and gave the tenacious redhead a smirk.
"You're something, Jack Spicer," he said for the second time that day.
Jack grinned.
"26% creativity, 15% smarts, and 59% insanity," he repeated, his grin turning mischievous. "Wanna taste of the insanity part?"
Stryker's eyes widened as he pulled out a tape recorder, then he too grinned with his friend.
"Hell yeah!"
*******JP*******
Chase watched the sun set with a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew he shouldn't have let his temper flare so destructively, now there was a chance that Stryker would never come home.
"Staring out a window never did anyone any good."
"Bother someone else, witch," Chase said tonelessly as Wuya walked up behind him.
"I don't care about anyone else enough to bother them," Wuya said quietly.
He didn't respond at all. She sighed and came closer.
"I won't tell you what you already know," she said. "But can you blame the boy for wanting to forge his own path?"
"When did you start caring about anything besides ruling the world?" Chase asked her, referring to her previous statement along with her new one.
"When you did."
"No, this is about Jack isn't it? You found what you were looking for in that temple."
"I didn't need to go very far. It's surprising how much that old monk will tell you if you ask nicely."
Chase let a small smirk touch his lips, if only for a second.
"I thought you didn't like the boy," he reminded her.
"I don't," Wuya assured him all too quickly, turning away and starting for her room. "He's an idiot."
Chase grunted in response, still looking out at the world. Not even a sparrow flew by, it was as if the world had isolated him. He shook the thought away and decided to go to his room as well.
A resounding boom sounded at the door.
He turned towards it quizzically. Some of his jungle cats stepped up beside him and followed him to the entrance, licking their lips hungrily. He opened the portal and stepped out, finding not a soul there.
"Hello?" Chase called out, stepping futher away from the corridor.
His foot hit something on the ground. He looked down to find a small tape recorder with a note reading "To My Dear Uncle" attached to it. He swooped it up and hit the PLAY button.
"You may be my uncle," Stryker's voice told him. "But don't think for a second you own me."
Chase stared at the recorder for a long moment, then scowled and crushed the device in his hand. He turned and saw Wuya standing nearby, confused when she turned hazy and undefined. She gave him a sad look and touched his shoulder before saying:
"I'll make you some more soup."
It was then that Chase felt the tears roll down his face.