A few weeks later, on October 15th of 1999, on a Friday, at the middle school in San Francisco, in the early afternoon:
The school, to mention, is located in San Francisco and appears to be of relatively small size. Its main building is made of brick and is two stories high, suggesting that the school is an older edifice. It has existed since at least 1976. The school's features include various classrooms and halls, a basketball court, a cafeteria, a theater, and other general facilities.
Though we took our gaze to the courtyard as the school bully, Maynard Munson was at it again and everyone was afraid, except for Jade as she came through the crowd and had enough of him bullying others, and stated firmly to him in determination, "Let go of him."
She has just enrolled a week ago and let's say she is well known by the school, of sorts.
Jade grew angry as he said then, "Beat it shrimp," and related the word, and calmed down by telling herself to let it go and watched as he dropped the boy, and began picking it up as she firmly told him, "Put the lunch money down, Maynard."
He ignored her as not known to him, Jade was charging behind, and stated to himself gleefully, "Hey! There is enough here for fish sticks and-" he then began to widen his eyes as Jade gave him a wedgie and revealed he had red polka dot underwear, turned and looked firmly at Jade, "My mom always told me not to hit girls, but in your case," here he made a punching motion with his fist as Jade backed up, "I'll make an exception."
Jade looked determined and stated to him and getting into a stance, "Fair warning, Maynard, I am trained on the ancient art of butt woop."
She ignored the taunt from one of her fellow students, as Maynard retorted back to her threat, "Go on, what are you going to do, shrimp?" That did it as she growled and shouted to startle the bully, kicked him in the face, and knocked him easily out.
"That would be miss shrimp to you!" Jade stated while standing on top of him and showing off, and the kids cheered at her until the teacher came into the area and asked firmly, "What is going on here?"
It was Miss Hartman, and Jade's unfortunate student, Drew, told her then to make the teacher narrow her eyes at Jade, "Jade just smacked Maynard Munson down."
Jade looked wary at the teacher as she tried to form an excuse, "Um, Miss Hartman… I can explain-" the teacher stopped her and made Jade gulp lightly, as, since a week after the events in February, she started to go here with Camelia being homeschooled until she was ready, "Perhaps it's time I had a chat with your guardian, young lady."
"Uh, Uncle Jackie's not reachable," Jade explained as the teacher began dragging her away to the school building, "He's on a business trip."
Hours later at Section 13, Camelia instructed Amelia that she could leave whenever she wanted to, and she said she would but would return as well back to her 'New Lair' this place made for her, as she was currently alone and waiting for Jade to get out of school, as despite learning from the agents and some teachers that agreed to be on the hush-hush, she wanted to go where Jade went to, at some point.
She did converse secretly with both Bai Tza and Tso Lan the most whenever she could, but she has yet to meet the others and did fascinate them at indeed sending extra leftovers due to her increased appetite from indeed boosting her magical reserves as suggested, by what they suggested on her doing: Yoga and Meditation.
Camelia soon blinked and turned her head from Deathwing stating it, as she saw Jackie and her cousin walking nearby and decided to listen in while heading over to them… Despite growing concern at seeing how Jackie looked like he escaped from a volcano, and wearing the archeological outfit he showed her before.
"And that's when Valmont's men escaped with the talisman." Jackie informed Captain Black as he agreed before stating to his friend, "If you didn't follow them, they could have led to Valmont himself."
"I was a little preoccupied," Jackie reminds him as Augustus hid a wince from seeing how badly burnt the soles of Jackie's shoes were and was wondering how he could survive that feat, "Captain Black, the Dark Hand has the Dragon Talisman. If they discover the magic it possesses-" seeing his firm gaze for using the 'M-Word', Jackie then said, "Uh, I said that word, didn't I?"
Before he could answer back, Jackie glanced down and wasn't surprised to see Camelia checking him all over in case he was hurt, and made the child blink and notify her then softly, and also hiding amusement from her recoiling in the odor he had, "I'm fine Camelia."
"Jackie!" A voice declared to perk Camelia up once again as Jade came out of nowhere and hugged him in a way she was skeptical of by asserting then to her uncle, "I missed you so much! You looked like you had a rough day? Can I get you a cup of tea, or maybe even some cookies?" She glanced down at his boots before expressing warily from his look to her of suspicion, "New shoes?"
"Jade… What did you do?" Jackie firmly enquired about her as Jade looked weary yet they turned to see Uncle show up and informed mainly Jackie to have Camelia look at her friend in half-surprise and expecting it, "Jade is in trouble at school." He paused before remarking in admittance at Jade, "A cup of tea sounds good, and one more thing…" Uncle turned to Captain Black, "Your place is too big! I have to walk very far to find a bathroom!"
Camelia that Jade saw, was amused like she was by Uncle's words at the end yet Jackie asked in bewilderment to him, "Uncle?! What are you doing here?"
"Landlord made me leave the shop for three or more days. Says it must be sprayed for bugs!" Uncle informs Jackie and states with a demonstration at the end of his words, "This is how I spray for bugs!" He stomped his foot and crossed his arms.
"Yessiree it's a real family affair here, at Section 13," Augustus sarcastically remarks to himself as Jackie shook his head at his friend before kneeling to Jade's level of height, and proceeding to question her, "Jade, what kind of trouble at school?"
"Miss Hartman just wants you to come to a parent-teacher conference… No biggie?" Jade tells him by handing a slip of folded paper to Jackie yet before he could grab it, an agent came to inform Captain Black at this unexpected time, "Sir! The US Mint is under siege."
Augustus narrowed his eyes and firmly ordered the agent, "Patch me into their surveillance." He then went with the agent, and Jackie, Jade, and Camelia followed as well with Uncle then complaining to them, "What about tea?!"
They came to the few main monitor rooms and saw the Dark Hand going into said place to rob it, and made Camelia wince at the damage like Jade did as they observed, like Jackie and the rest of Section 13 did, of Valmont using the Dragon Talisman to rob the place and even destroy a camera with a fiery blast that was more potent than her sneezes at times.
"Valmont… Mobilize!" Captain Black states with the agents rushing to do as ordered, and he saw Camelia's face for a moment and winced at forgetting he was going to hang out with her today, and kneeled in front of her and told her softly then, "I will make up for today at some point Cousin, just wait till later and you can choose the activity, alright?" Camelia wordlessly nodded as she made a face of him messing up her hair as he then took off quickly.
"Let's rock!" Jade states excitedly before she was nabbed by Jackie, and he explained to her then to make her lose her enthusiasm of going to beat the bad guys, "Jade. You are not a secret agent, and we have a previous engagement. Remember?"
Jade looked crossed at this before making the two gaze at Camelia as she hesitates but signed to them, curiously, "Can I see Jade's school? It's getting boring staying here without her?"
Jackie looked crossed at this but with both Jade and her giving pleading looks, sighed as he nodded to be half-amused as both Camelia and Jade high-fived each other at this, as Jade was hoping for her friend to eventually come to school, but was rather confused as Jackie asked an agent for sunglasses.
"Why would we need sunglasses?" Jade implored in being confused before she saw Jackie hand them to a perplexed Camelia to which she reluctantly placed the item on her face by his explanation, "Most people besides us are not used to the abnormal, and would most likely be scared of her eyes. A precaution."
As they got around in their room to get ready for her meeting, Jade noticed the hesitation from Camelia as she asked her then in concern and made the girl blink, "What is it?"
"I'm not sure… I just have a bad feeling something bad is going to happen." Camelia states with Jade nodding in understanding as the last few times she was warned by her friend, they end up happening in weird or bad ways, and tried soothing her of that burden, not realizing Jackie was watching secretly from the doorway, "Well, as long as Jackie's there we be good, ok? After all, he is the master of butt woop."
Jackie mouthed those two words to himself in amusement as they were soon, later on, at the school with Jade impressing Camelia and even Jackie as she already knew the places the school had during her short time here, until they came into the office room with Miss Hartman.
"Mr. Chan, this is not the first time we've had a problem with Jade." The teacher began as she added to the list of things Camelia gave an impressed look for, "Swinging from gym lamps, still walking on ladders, scaling the building with a fire hose-" they turned to Uncle as he divulges to the teacher to have Camelia and Jade gaze at the mentioned man then, "Just like Jackie. He reminds me of a chimpanzee." At the end of the old man's words, he pointed a thumb at him.
"Uncle," Jackie firmly said as the teacher wasn't phased by this and told the two adults, as she was rather hiding her curiosity about Camelia for later, "Now I don't know where Jade learned to fight-" Uncle interrupts again by stating proudly, "From Jackie! He's a good teacher." Jackie shushed him after he spoke.
Jackie then looked at the teacher then, "Miss Hartman, I assure you the martial arts are meant to discipline Jade, not teach her to-" Jade looked solemn as Miss Hartman then stopped him right there, "Martial arts, like karate?"
Uncle glared at Jackie before correcting her then and saw her blink to the old man, "Kung-Fu. Best self-defense. Whole-body becomes a secret weapon." Though when he spoke, to make Jade hide the urge to facepalm, he got up and did the Mantis Style.
"Well you don't provide Jade with enough discipline, Mr. Chan," Miss Hartman began as he looked mixed, that Camelia and Jade easily seen, "So I will have to." The teacher then finally asked to make the three blink as Camelia tinted from the attention now aimed at her, "Perhaps you could explain who she is?"
"This is Camelia Potter, and, well…" Jackie commenced to try and explain to the teacher who crossed her arms and a pointed raised eyebrow to him, before turning to Jade as she hastily started to make her teacher blink at this unexpected outcome, "She came by to see if she can join my school, hehe." At the end of Jade's words, she gave a nervous smile.
The teacher looked at the child before making them wary of her firm words, "Then take off those glasses as sunglasses are not allowed on school grounds."
Before they could make an excuse, they saw her hesitate yet obliged the teacher and saw her eyes… And nearly face-planted from her response, "Nothing wrong with her at all. If she wants, she can begin in three days." She handed Jackie a slip of documents to which he may have to tell his friend this excuse before sighing as Jade looked outraged, but kept her temper hidden by her response to Jade, then, "And Miss Chan gets one week's worth of detention."
Later on with the four coming out of the building, Jade disagreed largely to herself, "A whole week's detention?! What a rip," she had a hand to her face to hide her anger from Jackie as Camelia looked worried for her yet glanced at Uncle to see that he wasn't worried, and that relieved her, as he was like a grandfather to her ever since she met the man.
"Jade. Maybe now that you remember that the greatest victory is the battle not fought, unless-" Jackie started to explain before Uncle stopped him, and told Jade then, "Unless it is fought against bugs." At that, he stomped his foot to prove a point.
"Uh, yes, and in your case, that means watching your temper." Jackie advised Jade then before she expressed her words, and Camelia knew she was sensitive for her height and briefly frowned as not known to her, Mike may have read her thoughts to amuse the dragon within her, and gave said child a wedgie without notice, "But Maynard called me a shrimp."
It was at this time that Jackie's cell phone rang, and he answered it by declaring his name.
Jackie looked shocked by whatever was being said as he briefly gazed at Camelia to perplex her before expressing the word, no, and she was having that gut-like feeling once again with Jade looking at her friend, anger lost, in concern, alongside Uncle.
Later on, the group was now at the hospital, and she was told to stay back until Jackie was informed, and Jade awkwardly got hugged by Camelia with Uncle understanding from recognizing how upset the child was.
To her, they and Section 13's Leader, Captain Black, were all the family she knew from a confession, who treated her better than anyone, besides her friend within her over the years as they thought he was imaginary. And learning of his state of health brought up many emotions she cannot handle in one go.
"The doctors say he's lucky to be alive. Valmont used some sort of advanced explosive device. Powerful stuff." The agent informed Jackie with the man mentioned for once, feeling true anger by what the agent meant as he softly noted to himself while trying to restrain his rage, "The Dragon Talisman."
It was then with utter confusion with tears easily showing from Camelia's face alongside the confusion of his Clan, at a mixed assortment of flowers with the agent soon inquiring the nurse who came into the room with the cart, "Who sent these?"
Once he nabbed the blue card, he noted firmly to Jackie to make his anger more at this mockery, "Valmont."
Jackie startled Camelia as he shouted randomly and nearly broke the vase the flowers were in with the agent soon telling him in a calming voice, "Settle down Jackie."
"I'm sorry. It's just, I saw red," he confided him as he left the room and glanced at Camelia in the hallway feeling the rage at catching sight of her state, and the nurse did allow the child to enter with Uncle looking worried at Jackie as if he sensed the growing anger within, and Jade confused as he excused himself… Though, they didn't see the vase shatter after he did leave though.
Jade blinked at Uncle as he confided in her in advice, "Your friend is hurting. Best try and soothe her before we eventually leave the hospital from visiting hours almost over."
Jade glanced into the room, and back to him with her nodding in agreement, and soon saw the state her friend was in to break her heart, as Camelia's head was on top of her arms and saw she was silently crying on top of Captain Black, to his left with a spare chair given to her.
Jade came over and placed a hand on her shoulders to see she didn't even register she was there, but glanced at her in sadness and other emotions, and anger also hinted as well from what she saw within her eyes.
"I know, Amy. It's hard to see him like this. But at least he survived to maybe make it?" Jade attempted to cheer her up to which she saw Camelia nod sadly with Jade watching her place her head back down and cried more, and she simply patted her friend's back gently and didn't see the bracelet on her wrist shake for a few moments.
Next day, October 16th of 1999, Friday, within Jade's Middle School in the late afternoon:
Jade sighed to herself as she hoped Camelia was alright, as she shut everyone out once she went back to the room they shared with Jackie within Section 13, and she was told that she needed some space to soothe her thoughts.
She was, at the moment, in her first of her seven detentions to which she was mixed with being worried about her friend, and being bored until the bell rang to dismiss them.
Once she was in the halls, she stopped and turned to see it was Maynard himself calling her out, "Hey Jade." She did see his face and grew weary, and began to hastily move with her bag strapped further to her back.
"Greatest victory, battle not fought," she recited to herself as she hastened her steps, before running and turning to her left and coming to the stairs. She slid on the rail, landed on her feet, and turned to see he had just arrived as she took off, and kept running until she somehow bumped into him, and got into a defending stance in case he tried to do something.
He responded fearfully to her then, "Don't hurt me!" Jade stilled before losing her stance as she asked him in confusion, "You're not looking for revenge?"
Seeing she was not going to hurt him, she blinked at his honest question, "I want you to teach me the ancient art of butt woop."
"Psh, so you can be a better bully? Dream on, Maynard." Jade states at not believing him with her crossing her arms, "Martial arts are, uh, about finding the strength within to discipline oneself." Jade was taken aback by him placing his hands on his chest and admitted to her, "That's me. Oh, I lack discipline. Really."
Jade gazed at the bully and saw the sincerity in his eyes and debated, as later on, she was practicing with Jackie and with Camelia still sad, watching the two practicing breathing exercises and poses, and was eating some food given to her by a rather new agent.
"Free your mind of all thoughts." Jackie told Jade before Uncle barged into the room and stated, "Ah-Ya! There is no privacy here! I put my bowl in the refrigerator and somebody ate it."
Camelia gazed sheepishly at Uncle without words as she was the one to do so earlier, and he took off in a huff, and she glanced back to both Jackie and Jade as Jackie resumed his lesson with his niece, "Focus only on your breathing. Your breathing is slow. Deep-" Uncle came back to stop the duo and stated to them, "One more thing. How is your friend, Captain Black doing? Uncle has yet to revisit."
Camelia looked scared from seeing the sudden rage from Jackie as he kicked at a random bookshelf and saw it collapse onto itself, and with the books falling over themselves, the stand became useless. Even Jade was uncertain of Jackie's actions with Uncle holding his words at them.
"Oh… I, I need some air," Jackie told them as he left the room before Uncle and Jade glanced at each other worriedly, Camelia got up and went over to the shelf to try and fix it, but it was no use.
With Jackie, he was taking a breath like he said he would on some rails nearby some agents, with Jade coming out of the room alongside Camelia before beeping was heard on the monitor with the agent stating to them, "A big rig was just blown to bits by a well-dressed gentleman, route 64. Outside Corydon, Indiana."
Jade and Camelia saw Jackie's face once again showing anger, and expressed to mainly himself, "Spitting distance from Fort Knox, Kentucky." The agent nodded and added, "The US Gold Reservation… Mobilize."
"I'm going with you." Jackie declared before he could leave, he was stopped by both Jade and Camelia as Jade spoke for them both, "Uh, Jackie… You're not a secret agent, you're an archeologist. Right?"
Jackie understood what Jade meant, but he kneeled to their heights and spoke more to Jade than Camelia of his reasons, "I know that Jade. I'm just going to retrieve a talisman." He got up and soon left with Jade glancing and then glancing at Camelia as she signed to her, "I have another bad feeling of sorts… Will he be ok?"
Before she could reply, Uncle came over to the two with him explaining to them what was wrong, and crossing his arms from watching Jackie leave, "His anger clouds his judgement."
"I noticed." Jade tells the old man with her eyes narrowed and turned as she saw Camelia shaking as well in mixed emotions once again, and Uncle did see this and acknowledged Jade, "I escort her back to the room, you find and make tea."
Once he left, Jade didn't understand why, but she had a bad perception as well as moments later, she did come back with tea to only discover, to her panic, Uncle was pinned against a wall with her soon joining him as Camelia had dark-like energy with tears running down her face, and her eyes glowing an eerie green color to realize whatever was wrong with her, she was upset and more.
"She needs to calm down! Uncle cannot perform anything at this state!" Uncle exclaimed to Jade noticing sparks of energy coursing around Camelia's bodily frame to realize she was also under pain as well, and she winced from being confused as Jade tried yet failed to grab her heart at feeling fake sensations of pain there.
"Amy! Calm down!" Jade grits out with Camelia not heeding her and observing the objects within the room begin to rise and move erratically around the room with Uncle going wide-eyed and struggling but managing to move to a few feet, otherwise he would have been truly impaled by practice knives that were lent to the child, by Amelia, as her servant wanted her to try and find weapons to be prepared to defend herself by any means.
"Ah-Ya! Child's emotions with her brand of magic, causing destruction and chaos!" Uncle exclaimed to Jade with them blinking at beholding a book that was part of her book project, shaking and shivering with energy until an octopus tentacle came out of its pages and tried grabbing things.
In manners… It was chaotic within the room until Camelia was unexpectedly chopped at the back of her neck by Mike, out of concern, to make her instantly stop and everything returned the way it was, and Uncle and Jade fell onto their faces before getting up.
"Thanks, Mike," Jade expressed in relief and wariness as the Shadowkhan bowed before leaving, and Uncle checked Camelia's vital signs to reassure him she was now fine.
It was at this point Amelia barged into the room from figuring she sensed things, and easily picked her up and placed her on her mattress with a sigh, and told them with making sure she was comfortable, "It comes across my Mistress is under stress, and her natural power and magic is showing from it."
"That is from her being stressed?!" Uncle exclaimed before Jade could, to Amelia as the shifter nodded while giving them a stare, "She has yet to go through her inheritance, as it would also affect her Alpha Soulmate as well. From what I understand of the bare knowledge you informed me of her previous welfare, this is the outcome of that. Her chaotic embodiment exhibited being both balanced and destructive to those or things. If she is to better control herself, she will need guidance and therapy on her mind, her soul, and her well-being alongside her heart."
"So is she ok right now?" Jade begged to make Amelia softly gaze at her and gave a short nod of 'Yes', "She is stable, but if it occurred once again of the feeling of those she cares for to be in harm's way or another, I or her servant from shadows may not be so lucky to prevent it the next time. It was a stroke of abrupt luck that she was not going in circles when under her power's influence."
Seeing Uncle's stare, Amelia gave him a look later as she figured he wanted to know what Camelia's inheritance was, and made them blink at watching her summoning a magical vortex that showed the outside of the place Jackie went to. "I sense your family is under rage as well, and if not cleared, damage may occur from his angered mind. I will watch over the child, go! Free her fellow member of her family from his rage."
Jade and Uncle glanced at each other before they did jump into it, as Amelia closed it up noticing Camelia looked feverish of sorts and sighed to herself.
With the duo, they saw Jackie was captured and Valmont was glowing from the power of the talisman and hid behind a target dummy that Jackie noticed was moving.
He decided to make a move from seeing both Jade and Uncle were here, and raised Valmont's eyebrow with his words, "You want the other talismans?"
"Continue." Valmont firmly states with Jackie telling him, "I will make you a deal, show you where Section 13 is." Jackie was worried for a moment though as Ratso asked his comrades, "Was that always there?" Jade was shaking in place because of that.
Jackie then ducked down and made both Ratso and Tohru head-butt each other as he was freed, and got into a stance with Valmont not believing this, soon narrowed his eyes as in the background, Jade was using the dummy to knock out some thugs that worked for the Dark Hand that was trying to nab her.
Valmont then was triggering the Dragon Talisman with Jackie leaping and managed to grab him, and the two commenced to try and get things done: Jackie to nab the talisman, and Valmont to get him off and away.
One of the thugs made Jade freeze in place after dropping the dummy to run, "Why you little shrimp," and infuriated her as she managed to successfully side-kick the thug's face before glimpsing Uncle with an eyebrow raised and arms crossed, "Psh, I'm working on it." She told him.
The duo though blinked at watching a vortex of sorts appear nearby the two males of both Valmont and Jackie, with the blonde male being enraged further and kicking Jackie into a wall, and saw a blur come out as he used a fully empowered blast to try and rid of Jackie, and the man bracing himself… To only freeze at beholding Camelia glancing at him and silently yelling in pain as she took the blast to horrify the three Chan Clan Members.
Camelia arrived from her emotions and will somehow sensing the dreaded outcome for Jackie, with her sharply waking up before Amelia could stop her and the child desiring to prevent that outcome, and appeared silently to take his spot of being harmed.
Once Valmont stopped, he froze at discovering he attacked a child of all things he wasn't aware of, yet the enforcers were, but blinked like everyone did, warily, as he took a few steps back from noticing her eyes soon immediately glowing fully green, once again, and her destroyed outfit fully repairing itself alongside the burn wounds as her gaze was firmly locked onto the blonde man.
Jackie shook his head and yelped as he was grabbed quickly by both Jade and Uncle, and hid behind some formations of golden bricks to watch in horrifying fascination as it was now looking to be a showdown between both Camelia and Valmont.
"Foolish blonde man tries to kill what the child sees as kin and detects the danger. Instincts are active and no longer controlled." Uncle warily informs them with Jade fearing for her friend as they saw Valmont glancing at his henchmen, with Camelia's full blank yet furious gaze was still right at the blonde, and they winced from her unusual movements with Ghost Rider himself from Ghost Rider 2, from the beginning of his introduction. "Well, she's just a child? Deal with her."
Tohru not being intimidated as Camelia sharply glanced at him for approaching, tried to grab her only to make him blink as he glowed an unexpected darkish-blue aura with her having her left hand fully out, and crazily grinned at him to make him gulp before yelling as she easily sent the large man into a few columns of gold bars they didn't nab.
Before anyone could flee from this, her eyes glowed even more as she crept the three members she called family out, as she raised all the henchmen but Valmont, into the air, and silently laughed in a crazy way with watching the golden bars remaining stacked, unexpectedly glowed and within moments, the hired henchmen were pelted by the bars themselves.
Jade Chan was never fearful of anything, but at this moment from Uncle's next set of warning words, she worried for her friend's life, "Camelia is exhibiting too much overwhelming power… I fear the longer she uses it, the more damage to her body."
Valmont backed up in astonishment and realizing what was about to go down, fled from her sight and sensing this, slowly turned to where the blonde man went and dropped most of the henchmen into a large pile before floating and going after him on his speedy truck filled with gold, and the enforcer's being on board alongside a wary Tohru.
Jade saw a cart and with Jackie calmed down, saw it as well with the three in agreement, got into it, and quickly pursued both the fleeing truck of gold and the power-controlled Camelia.
Meanwhile, within the Dark Hand Skytower Building, Shendu was growing impatient.
"Valmont. Where are you? Valmont! Something is amiss…" he states to himself after calling out the owner of this building's name before feeling a power unlike anything he felt before, was enraged by someone, and decided to summon his Shadowkhan and order them, "Find Valmont. Find my talisman! And if this power is what I think it is, calms her down!"
Eventually, as it was night now, at the location, Valmont blasted an opening to the quickest way to the docks in a hurry warily glancing to see the enraged child was still throwing those enchanted and exploding rocks, missing out of randomness, and managed to secure the load onto the boat with seeing outrage on the child's face as his henchmen gave her amused looks or even funny faces at beholding she cannot cross water.
After discovering she was pursuing Valmont, Jackie got out of the car and warned his two family members to wait there, and he quickly ran as fast as he could to try and get on the barge.
Jade tried to get out before Uncle called her name, and she exclaimed to him as he understood, "But Valmont's still dragon-powered, how's Jackie going to take him down while trying to avoid Camelia?"
"By not fighting, and attempting or trying to soothe our family members." Uncle confided in Jade to which she was surprised at Uncle, and he shrugged as with the barge ship, Valmont grinned wickedly and mock-waved at Camelia as he saw her wordlessly outraging her power, and was soon throwing random things that easily missed the barge.
Once he heard the splash of Ratso falling into the waters, and the other three soon joined him from being hit on the head by the random objects from Camelia, Jackie was on board.
"You really go for the gold, Mr. Chan… Fool's gold." Valmont firmly told him to which Jackie wasn't bothered as he decided to mind playing him, and grabbed a bar, "You know Valmont? I was wondering, what is one of these worth? An all-expenses-paid trip to Melvin Moose World?" He tossed it into the water.
"You'll pay for that." Valmont warned as Jackie got two bars this time, "What about these? A new Ferrari?" He tossed those out too.
"Chan!" Valmont threatens out as he grabs four bars this time, "A summer home?" And then he grabbed random bars as he continued taunting him, "Your private island to build it on? A robot butler? Your fast-food chain?" As he kept chucking the golden bars into the river, Valmont was enraged and then shot his ship as Jackie managed to avoid and jump off.
Realizing this, Valmont lost his anger in moments and stated to himself as he sank with the ship, "Blast."
On the docks, Jade was let go as she was concerned about Jackie and with Uncle right behind her in support before they were relieved as Jackie came up, spit out a thing of river water from his mouth, and sighed as they helped him up into the dock as they lost the Dragon Talisman, still.
Meanwhile offshore and further in, Valmont took gasping breaths and asked Ratso then, from seeing the child was rampaging elsewhere to try and find them, "A little help?"
"Uh, Boss? Visitors." Ratso stated with Valmont going wide-eyed as the Shadowkhan showed themselves and grabbed the talisman off him, and stiffened before Valmont was hastily helped by the Enforcer as Camelia was here with destroying some of the sides of the cliff, and sharply looked not at him, but at the one Shadowkhan that held the Dragon Talisman, back to him then, and at the Shadowkhan to even make the Ninja themselves wary from feeling the overwhelming power she gave off.
She then wordlessly yelled and an immense burst of power sent both Valmont and Ratso landing on top of the other three shakily and wary Enforcers yards away as they fled, and the burst of a beam of darkened light got the awareness of Jackie, Jade, and Uncle.
"Ah-Ya! The child is exhibiting too much energy! She will harm herself if her rage is not soothed!" Uncle explained in dire words with Jackie narrowing his eyes in her direction, and Jade felt her heart was in fake pain once again to realize that she was feeling Camelia's own, somehow.
"Uncle, is there a way we can try and reason with her?" Jackie pleaded to make the old man blink before doing a quick two-finger slap on his forehead when he asked him to come to him, "Uncle isn't prepared! He needs knowledge and ingredients to prepare for such a thing!"
"Then we need to get out of here while we still… Jade? Jade!" Jackie began to suggest before seeing Jade was gone and Jackie was about to leave after her but gave a perplexed look to Uncle as the old man confessed to him softly, as they both gazed to where the beam of darkened light was still going on, "She can try and soothe her, as they have a bond we cannot understand."
With Jade, she was inwardly cursing at not thinking about bringing any talismans to aid her and kept running as fast as she could to the spot where she knew her friend was harming herself.
Once she got there, she was baffled to see Camelia was being attacked by the Shadowkhan and with her sending beams of energy from her palms and was so focused on them that she didn't see Jade.
Jade dodged a few beams while observing the Shadowkhan were easily blasted into nothing, especially since she got lucky with her spotting to her determined gaze, the Dragon Talisman.
She picked it up and oddly enough, felt it vibrate within her hands as she peered at Camelia and saw she was trying to fight herself if the tears and the sparks of energized static pain were any show.
And she was the only one to see that the beam wasn't just energy… It was, to marvel, horrify, and startle her all at once of beholding her friend's memories hastily revealed in square images in rapid succession around her as the unusual beam was acting like a force field, of sorts.
Jade got up and was nearly there avoiding the Ninja and their shurikens until she saw the enraged version of her friend sharply look at her and with her tears still falling, as to make Jade feel worried more than fear, Camelia was shaking in place as her veins looked to be glowing like magma, and seeing her shirt rise by the wind she was chasing, saw a rather complicated seal reveal itself on her stomach and with her silently screaming in utter pain.
"Amy! You need to stop! You're hurting yourself!" Jade cries out over the immense enchanted wind as she saw Camelia was aware, but mouthed the words, help me, and shook in convulsions before bending back slightly with her head raised to the sky and making Jade get sent a few feet away from her into the ground and dispersing the Shadowkhan, as her mouth sent an immense beam of truly golden light upwards to the heavens.
The darkened beam of light vaporized and joined into the beam itself Jade was reluctant to do this, but she aimed the Dragon Talisman shakily at her friend before she let out a startled yelp, as the talisman was sucked out of her hands and right into the beam itself as it glowed, and sent a burst back directly to Camelia.
Jade was flown and landed on her behind once again several yards away from the explosion that occurred, and saw the energy Camelia was exhibiting, proceeded to fade away back into her, and saw she was fine but scorched, holding the talisman within her left hand.
Jade shakily got up, ran over to her, and flipped her friend over to realize one thing: She wasn't breathing.
It was at this point Jackie came with Uncle and saw the state Camelia was in and started to perform CPR on her friend, and Uncle held Jade's shaken form as Jackie kept at it until she let out a deep gasp of breath and collapsed to see she was alive, but breathing in a deep sleep.
"Child is safe, as it appears the Dragon Talisman is unique," Uncle noted before they blinked at seeing the image of the talisman itself let out a silent roar as it glowed within her hand, and to stun them, a dragon tattoo formed around her arm with the head being onto her hand, and with it spiraling around her arms in the barbershop pole style and upwards to her back, and to know, they easily saw this from her sleeves and parts of her outfit ruined.
Before Jackie could grab the item, a gloved black hand with blue skin shot out from the shadows closely from Camelia and took it, and made Jackie sigh to knowingly realize the Dark Hand now had two of the twelve Zodiac Talismans.
Few or so days later, on October 19th of 1999, on a Tuesday, within the hospital:
"Hey, take it, easy Boss," Jackie states to Captain Black and trying to place him back down, "The doctor says you can leave in a few days if you rest." At the end of his words, he covered him with a blanket.
An agent soon came into the room and started to Captain Black, "Good to see you up and atom. The salvage recovered the boat and the gold bars from the river bottom."
"Valmont?" He implored the agent to only see him wordlessly shake his head at him.
"Which means the Dark Hand still possesses the magic talisman." Jackie states to Augustus to which he raised an eyebrow and reminded Jackie then, "Jackie. The M-Word?" Jackie was stunned and began to rant to amuse the Leader of Section 13, "But you saw it?! The Dragon Talisman's power injured you!"
"I had Valmont in my sights… The rest is a blur," he tells Jackie to realize he didn't recall it and sighed before the agent seeing Jackie wanted to tell their leader something privately, nodded, and confused Captain Black as he left without a word.
"Jackie?" Augustus raised a question in concern before he stilled in utter disbelief, "Camelia was influenced by her emotions and we're lucky for those that used satellite and more clips and footage were taken by your agency. She was near to the point she harmed herself by her untrained power that was, well… Chaotic at best."
Jackie blinked now in disbelief as Captain Black then worded to himself with a wince of minor pain, "It seems that the diagnosis we got from her full-scan report was true then… Whatever power she has, she isn't ready for it."
"You knew?!" Jackie exclaimed with Augustus giving him a look, and surprised Jackie as he never learned this as of yet, "Recently people are being labeled as Mutants to the public, and with them having extraordinary abilities that our fellow Sector 14 houses, in Nevada." Glimpsing Jackie's look, he reassured him then to make the man sigh in half-wary relief, "They are well taken care of and even their families are allowed to stay there as the place is massive, and a hidden large city that Sector 14 is."
Augustus sighed as he laid back on the pillow and looked at Jackie, in concern, "How bad did she unleash herself?"
"Bad, but she is slowly recovering and has been sleeping now and then… Speaking of her," Jackie at the end was amused to confuse Captain Black until he saw the school admission, and raised an eyebrow with him understanding the one-worded name from him, "Jade. The teacher conceded she can start once she fully recovered, and to let her know ahead of time."
Seeing there was more Jackie was holding back, he gave him a pointed look and blinked at the next unexpected thing he was told, "She hosts something within her as well, from what Uncle said. At least it's friendly of sorts, but only considers her as its child or even a sibling, from how it kept her safe until she arrived."
"Well, I still plan to take her out when I recover as well. I know nothing of magic," a lie, "But as long as she's safe, then I hope she doesn't enrage once again without her powers harming her."
Meanwhile, within the Dark Hand Headquarters, Valmont was pleading to Shendu for forgiveness, "Shendu I beg your forgiveness."
"You may have it, Valmont," Shendu hissed out as he chuckled darkly to him, "Rumor has it there is a talisman in the North Pole… Dress warmly."
Shendu saw the anger the blonde mortal man had before he calmed himself down, and without a word, left.
Shendu then began to ponder and decided it was time to visit her once again, and activating the Sheep Talisman's power, became a spirit and headed directly to Section 13.
The demon knew he cannot interact with anything in his astral state, but he could at least visit the child that held his interest.
He then spotted the child herself, Camelia, that is, as he entered her dreams to see in moments she was in another nightmare… More so to a blocked memory being freed once again.
She looked to be around four and a half as she was strapped down to a table, and was being cut by what Shendu growled out lowly to himself, was a cursed dagger, by cloaked mortals taking her blood unwillingness to the core.
In hidden truth, the demon has been frequenting to visit the child whenever she dreams and recovers the lost energy she used up, and holds his tongue at times from what he witnessed either as a nightmare or what he was witnessing right now.
Before another cloaked mortal could cut her once again seeing she was already mute at this point, used a fraction of his Dragon Talisman to free her away from the memory, and saw she was as she was before, her nine-year-old self on what he figured was her sanctuary.
The scenery was changed into a beach of sorts, with the sun and moon coloring with each other as in the distance, he saw the sealed entity himself resting within those churning waters based on his demise, from where he once reigned.
He used his knowledge from his Sheep Talisman before she was woken from in her dream, to shift into a human male.
He was platinum-blonde around 6'7 with the hairstyle being straight yet wild, and he resembled an attractive version of his face as human yet has red glowing eyes to only tell the difference. He wore, although, a Chinese ruler's robes without the hat in mainly green and beige colors with a red sigil on the back, his name in kanji, alongside plain socks and wooden oak sandals.
The moment she saw him, she shakily stood up and he managed to grab her with him, stroking her hair wordlessly, and was amused with her purring into his hood in a secured way.
Over the few days, he came as this form of himself, and she knew that by the eyes of sorts, he could be trusted, and with knowing that at some point the Chinese New Year was slowly approaching, things were complicated.
To Camelia, she knew he was not part of her dreams at all, as Deathwing to his part, allowed them to bond at least as he takes a well-rested nap each time, as she recently began to see him as well, after her incident with her power nearly killed her.
After a few moments of stroking her hair and seeing she was calmed down, he made her look at him and asked softly as he could in his tone of voice, "Better?"
Seeing her nod he was satisfied, and forced her to stand up with him making her excited about her next lesson with him then, "Then I think it's time I let you read the next book to see at some point, and make excuses, to develop your versions of the Talismans."
Seeing her looking guilty, he sighed with an eye roll at her words though, "But… I don't like lying to them. They have treated me kindly ever since I came to America."
"True as it may be, you need to learn more about your heritage kept from you and possibly state you found out from a book within the secured part of Section 13, if you need to tell them as to how you learned to do so. You know what things could be contained there over the years it ran." Shendu decided to suggest to her that he saw her nod reluctantly and was hiding amusement from speaking to herself, "As long as I don't lie to them."
"Now, shall we begin?" He states as from his memory, he brought forth a book into existence which sadly amused him as she gently grabbed it, and she was reading in moments with him thinking at least she inherited her traits, and habits at times, and waited before seeing her snap her fingers as a shark came out of the water, and was flying to the maelstrom within her sanctuary and heard a roar of thanks from the dragon, and tinted at Shendu then.
"Did you want me to get tea here again?" She asked as he shrugged with her soon snapping as she got oolong tea and he got his preferred, and he gently sipped with a chair being summoned for him as well to sit on.
"Soon, you may be able to do that in the real world, Camelia." Shendu purred out to make her blink at him and rubbed her eyes for a second, and pointed to something that he understood as the book was mixed with his knowledge and what she would want to look into, as the book was endless.
"'Give and Take'? That is what I mean, Youngling. With great powers to oneself, comes great responsibility. You have that power as well, and can make anything your imagination can desire… But the price of consuming large amounts of food, blood, or even energy from anything." Shendu informed Camelia from innocently appearing cute with an awesome expression to which, hopefully from learning things about her more from Valmont, she didn't have one of two oblivious traits.
Either to attraction or her beauty. From that pathetic mortal's side of the family, recently he improved the so-called Potter Luck Curse by getting rid of the negative and keeping some of the positive to make her even better in competitions or games, but knew that rare times the bad side of outcomes might pop up from doing so.
"You, overusing your power was a risk to your ability, and as such, your body is recovering from it," Shendu added in clarification to make Camelia think on that and made her understand better as, after some time, Shendu made her playfully pout as she finished reading the whole section of how to make a talisman and how to make it work correctly, as he grabbed the book.
She looked saddened by his words then, "I will try and visit whenever I can. I will be busy for the next few weeks or so, so I won't visit as much as I have been. Rarely will I come back, due to… People that are not listening." He never revealed that said people were the Dark Hand, at all.
"Alright. Maybe we can try and play that game again, next time, Uncle Shenji?" Camelia asked as yes, he even lied to her about his true name, which was unfortunate due to her still being aligned with the Chan Clan.
"Without a doubt, Youngling… Now," he stood up like she did as he gently told her with seriousness, "I suggest that you talk to my Brother and Sister once again or whenever you want an open ear. They can aid you in recovering from your relapses."
Camelia sighed and nodded, and he stiffened as he wasn't still used to receiving hugs from anyone as he forced himself to relax, and gently patted her hair and soon he vanished from her Mindscape.
Shendu was about to return to his body before something intrigued him, as he recalled what he mentioned to the child, and went into the room and saw all the old artifacts and whatnot, and soon froze at seeing to his utter disbelief, a particular chest he knew would remain hidden here until she finally uncovered it, and scoped some more with not believing how this Leader of this Sector 13 kept his lies, and then he left.