"- -and after I called him out on it, the little runt decided that was worth debating me on! Out of all the other times he could've grown a backbone, too! Honestly, I will never understand that boy's unhealthy obsession with machines…"
Wuya was finally nearing the end of her miserable tirade. Up until now, my day had been relatively calm and peaceful in the absence of that witch: a balanced breakfast to start the morning, martial arts practice in the afternoon, and some light reading with a bowl of Lao Mang Lone Soup to pass the evening. All without the ringing shrills of the Heylin magic-user.
It was no secret she had snuck out of my liar last week to regain some sense of control; I have Wuya wrapped tightly around my finger, and she knows this uncomfortably well. However, I allowed it under the notion that she would be far too handicapped to be of any significant threat to my domain. When I revived her back into her physical body, I made sure to stunt her world-ending powers early on in the ritual. If I hadn't, she would be just as unstoppable as that damnable Hannibal Roy Bean (not to mention twice as annoying).
Besides, the moment I found out Wuya partnered with Spicer again, I anticipated her inevitable return. No one could stand being around him for very long.
However, much to my chagrin, I did not anticipate the exact time she would return. As such, what was supposed to be an hour long meditation before bed turned into an all night endurance test of listening to the witch rant while restraining myself from strangling her. Right now, meditating was the only thing standing between Wuya and my impatient beast form.
Although, I did take the time to listen carefully to her words (not that I had much of a choice). And in that time, I formulated all my thoughts and laid them out bare for Wuya. She held me verbally hostage, it was only fair that I returned the favor.
"If you are quite finished with your ramblings, I would say you yourself have an unhealthy obsession."
The witch groaned, "Oh goddammit Chase – if this is about my thing for Shen Gong Wu again, I'll have you know- -"
Having had enough of her words, I allowed myself a peek at Wuya with my reptilian eye, letting the prey know the apex predator was speaking now.
"That is not what I am referring to. I am referring to your disturbing fixation on that idiotic worm."
Naturally, Wuya was taken aback by the truth of my words; it was clear just how ill-equipped she was to face that accusation. Even so, in her arrogance, she tried to play dumb. "Who? Jack? Surely you don't mean Jack."
I pressed the issue further. It was high time for the Heylin witch to come back to her senses already. "As a matter of fact, I do. Don't think I haven't noticed how much time you've spent with the insect, I have eyes and ears everywhere. Not only that, but you talk about him at great lengths if your previous rant was anything to go by. Even if it's just to make a passing insult, you can't seem to go more than 24 hours without mentioning him in some capacity. Hell, you're beginning to chatter just as incessantly as the damn boy!"
Wuya predictably gawked and stuttered much in the same manner as Spicer himself. It's almost hard to believe this was the very same ungodly force who opposed Grand Master Dashi long ago.
"W-well, I…I only partner with the twerp because he's the easiest to manipulate! You and I both know how gullible he is!"
"True, but that contradicts what you said earlier about him challenging your authority before you came crawling back here in defeat."
"…Honestly, I never expected you to fully listen to all my harping."
I sighed, rubbing my mildly aching temples. "Believe me, I wish that were the case..."
Before the red-haired sorceress could defend herself with another poorly constructed argument, I cut her off with finality etched into my tone. "Regardless, that boy has made you soft, Wuya. You've grown sentimental over him and I will not allow this. Don't ever make contact with Spicer again unless it is under my orders."
Of course, as obstinate as ever, she resisted, "I am not some teenaged girl for you to ground, 'daddy'. If I want to visit Jack by my own volition, then I will!"
"But why?"
Wuya made a motion like she was going to snap back, but faltered. There was no chance for her to change the subject now, time to weed out what I suspected to be the root of the problem.
"If you detest him like I do, then why are you so fascinated with him?" I pressed.
"…Don't do this to me, Young."
"Why do you insist on checking up on him every other week?"
"I no longer wish to talk about this."
"And why does it seem as though you can never take your mind off of him!?"
The Heylin witch's sickly green eyes glowed vehemently as small but potent dark voids of energy manifested in her palms. A far cry from the fullest extent of her powers, but still nothing to scoff at. However, it wasn't enough for me to feel threatened despite the clear intention behind it. Wuya wouldn't dare be foolish enough to attack another immortal in her current state, especially not within the bowels of his inner sanctum.
"Instead of making vague accusations, how about you just tell me exactly what you think any of this means? Before I make you…"
Then again, she does have her foolish moments. The insect's influence must be rubbing off on her.
Might as well rip the band-aid off now.
"Is it because he reminds you of Ju-Long?"
As someone who has walked this Earth longer than he can remember, not much can get through to me these days. But even I admit to feeling a small chill run down my spine the moment that forbidden name slipped past my lips. Although, my reaction paled in comparison to the woman standing before me. Long gone was the malice in Wuya's eyes, and the vile spells contained in her hands dissipated as soon as I mentioned his name to her. Her complexion turned pale while her mouth tried to form any kind of sound it could.
Eventually, though, she managed to spit out, "My…my b-baby boy?"
I will have to tread lightly here. Saying the wrong thing now will trigger a violent reaction unlike any other. Hell hath no fury like an immortal, grieving mother.
"Wuya…It's been over 1,500 years…"
The conflicted woman physically backed off, eyes glowing and hardening once more. Her ginger hair also had a mind of its own as its tendrils rose behind her head like the very real Medusa herself. "Spare me your pity, reptile! You sided with those same Xiaolin dogs who killed my flesh and blood! How I failed to vaporize you along with Guan and Dashi both eludes and haunts me still!"
I took a bold step forward. "I told you, I had nothing to do with the accident! Master Monk Guan and Grand Master Dashi never told me what happened on the day they went to visit your village."
"Oh, 'visit'? Is that how they phrased their attempted kidnapping?" Wuya mocked hatefully. "How cute. Those lying bastards tried to take my son away from me so they could indoctrinate him into the Xiaolin Temple!"
They what!?
I blinked in surprise at her incriminating words. The Xiaolin Order…the sect I was once a proud member of…stooped as low as attempted kidnapping of Wuya's heir? That old village the witch conquered long ago may have been illegitimate, but its sole authority had been fair (if not cold) to her subjects and was amicable to the Xiaolin. So why would Guan and Dashi break the good relations built up with the pseudo-state over a radical decision? It doesn't make sense!
No, there is something being kept under wraps by the heads of Xiaolin, and I plan to get to the bottom of this.
Focus, Chase. Right now, you must attempt to console Wuya, as repulsive as that may sound. Granted, the both of us have lost our touch with our humanity over the eons, but she won't serve me any good in this state. The least I can do is explain myself.
"Wuya, as…disturbing as this revelation is, I can assure you that I had no involvement in that tragedy. To confess, I was beginning to question the Xiaolin for quite some time, and being left in the dark about this only furthered my suspicions. Then that accursed bean approached me and…well, you know the rest."
The initial hostility present within the spell-caster seemed to die down slightly after that. She even managed to regain some of her former sardonic attitude with her following response.
"You mean how you were doped by an evil legume to become his apprentice only to later betray him once you figured it out? Yeah, you practically sing it in the shower at this point."
Mildly undignified though it might've been, her sarcastic remark did earn a chuckle out of me. "I suppose it would be in my best interest to let go of what's already been done..."
Realizing the embedded truth within my own words, I decided to apply the same sentiment to Wuya in the hopes of getting her to move on from her turbulent past. "...And I believe you should as well."
Wuya was about to cut me off again, but I held up my hand as I continued, "That is not to say you should ever forget about Ju-Long entirely or pretend the incident never happened. Repressing those memories will only lead you down the path of self-destruction. All I ask is that you practice letting go of the pain and turmoil of that day so you can further better yourself in the future. We may live until Sol consumes this miserable rock, but I'd say it's about time we start living our unending lives to the fullest."
Confident of my speech's impact, I placed a hand on the sorceress' shoulder as a means of affirming my words. "And that shall begin with the fall of the Xiaolin Order as the forces of Heylin become the dominating superpower of the world!"
As I had calculated, my little pep talk had reached through to Wuya, and an internal crisis was swiftly averted. While I do stand by what I said to her, I never did it out of genuine care for the witch, but rather to reinforce her loyalty to me. I've about had it with her habitual conspiracy over those she allies herself with. This will be the first step in reconditioning her to put me before herself.
"Hmmm...Yes, well, I suppose a broken clock is right twice a day," Wuya lightly joked at my expense. I'd allow it for now. "It won't be easy, but, then again, when is losing your one and only son ever easy?"
"So long as you keep him close in your sick and twisted heart, you'll always have him," I reassured. "No sense in forsaking your past, but if it only causes you strife, then it's best to move on rather than let it shackle you forever."
"Which in our case is quite literal."
"…Indeed."
For once, the universe offered us a blissful distraction from the omnipresent, existential awareness of our situation as a crow flew into my private chambers. However, this was no ordinary species of avian, for as soon as it landed, it shapeshifted into one of the many fallen warriors I have bested over the course of human history. He kneeled before addressing me.
"Mighty warlord, Chase Young, I bring to you an urgent report from the Xiaolin temple."
"What have you discovered, Alexander the Great?"
The former king of Macedon faltered for a moment, likely not expecting me to address him by his legendary title. Despite asserting my dominance over him in the final days of his military campaign through Western Asia, he still proved to be a worthy opponent. It was only customary to at least honor his legacy by indulging in him a little.
"Ah, yes! I was spying on the temple as you requested when I spotted one of the minions of Spicer approaching the entrance."
"One of Jack's robots?" Wuya inquired.
"Quite. It resembled a man with shiny hair, golden like the sun, and it wore black clothing befitting of royalty."
Wuya and I looked to each blankly. "YesBot.."
Alexander faltered again, "Err, yes, well, I overhead it conversing with the four Xiaolin Monks and their master. It informed them that its own master had been killed while saving a life. Jack Spicer is among the dead now."
All the color from Wuya's face drained in an instant. She had to sit down on the foot of my bed to prevent herself from stumbling backwards. I let it slide.
"So, natural selection has finally run its course then," I commented idly. "Anything else?"
"The Monks' master announced that their training would be put off until further notice," Alexander relayed. "If I may add my own thoughts onto the matter, I would say he is giving his pupils time to grieve and mourn."
Satisfied with the report, I dismissed the fallen king as he morphed back into his original lion form and returned to rest with the other cats in my lair.
Glancing back at Wuya, I silently cursed to myself. As soon as I pull her out one slump, something else comes along to put her right back at square one. And it just so happens to involve the death of the boy she projects her son onto. Damn it all!
While I care not for Jack's short end, I must admit that the news of his passing did come off as somewhat of a surprise for me. Even still, however, the fact that he died committing a heroic deed doesn't shock me in the slightest. As much as the idiot liked to brag, he was never evil; he wouldn't know evil if it had enslaved his entire family and tortured him without reason. I am relieved to finally see the pest gone.
And yet…in a cruel twist of irony, I find myself envious of him. He was able to achieve the sweet freedom I and many other immortals crave. As his very essence departs from this plane of existence, I will remain stranded until the end of time.
As for his one-sided affections towards me...Even if I were to somehow find his repulsive advances inviting, it would never have worked out. The love shared between mortals and immortals is a romanticized impossibility. Only heartbreak awaits for the ones who cannot die…I should know.
Get it together, warrior. There are more important things to focus on than gross hypotheticals with horny adolescents. There's still the matter of the Heylin witch sitting on my bed, holding back a torrent of emotions. I need to find a way to get her out of this depression and move on already.
"Prepare yourself. We're heading for the temple," I declared. "Our enemies are in a vulnerable state, it would be foolish to pass on this opportunity."
Wuya bolted straight up, "You CAN'T be serious! We're attacking NOW!?"
Before exiting my room to ready myself for combat, I left Wuya with only a question for her to ponder:
"What would Ju-Long want?"
Whether she comes or not is all dependent on her. Whatever she chooses, she will have to stand by it no matter what. And with that, I left her to her thoughts.
I was off to get some answers.
Writer's block may have kicked my ass, but I kicked its ass right back with perseverance and dedication!
Given where the last chapter ended off, I figured an intermission would be appropriate. And I guess I did kinda tease who would be next to hear the news of Jack's death last intermission, huh? I just hope I did a serviceable job with Chase and Wuya while adding something new to their characters. As always, let me know what you guys think in the reviews. Either way, once we reach the end of Season 1, I'll be taking an extended hiatus to work out both the main storyline as well as this side plot (I don't want to go knee-deep into something I haven't fully figured out just yet).
Anyway, next chapter will be Jack and the gang getting a mansion, so that should be fun to write. See ya then!
