Hello everyone! Welcome back to another exciting chapter of Chan in Bellwood! Today things are really firing up as we enter the dragon… the dragon talisman that is! Things will surely be wild this time around! Before we do anything with that, however, let's answer some reviews.

The_Literary_Lord: Indeed she is. I'm happy you like my idea for how to buff up the villains. Here's the next chapter so hopefully it's great.

Reader: I'm glad that you like it. What parent wouldn't want to meet their child's crush? He kind of scared her so it's understandable that she'd embrace him. Jackie is starting to put the pieces together, but he doesn't have the full idea yet. Jade will definitely defend Ben if it comes to it, seeing as they've become so close. Rojo felt like a logical choice for a villain from the Ben 10 side of things to liven up the villains a bit. Here's the next chapter so don't die, lol!

Lincolnronnie94: Yup. Valmont tried to target the Tennyson family, but it didn't turn out so well. He does know though, and Jackie is now beginning to suspect some things.

ArguableReader: I'm glad that you liked it so much! Rojo really did make Ben think about the whole hero thing. I figured she'd be a good counter to what Ben brings to the table. Yeah I couldn't resist the Mr. Baumann joke. Lucy indeed exists in the universe so we'll see if she makes any appearances.

With all of that out of the way, let's get this chapter started. I don't own Jackie Chan Adventures, Ben 10, or any other series that may appear here. I do own OC characters, species, objects, and concepts unless stated otherwise.

Voices

"Talking."

'Thinking.'

"YELLING!"

"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity talking. Also, big twist at the end of a section."

"AUTHOR/GUEST/HIGH OR DEMONIC ENTITY YELLING!"

"Whispering."

"Author/Guest/High or demonic entity whispering."

Bellwood, Pennsylvania

The sun shined brightly on this day in Bellwood, the clouds parting perfectly over Bellwood Middle School. The students were having fun out on the sports field, getting in much needed exercise from the stuffiness of their classrooms. Two children sat together at the basketball court, watching over the game their friends were playing. A shadow soon covered them, however, causing them to turn towards the caster. The children's faces twisted in fear at the sight of the individual, one of them running away.

The kid was the tallest of their grade, being a bit on the chubby side. He had messy black hair, buckteeth, and dark brown eyes. He wore a green t-shirt, brown shorts, and yellow sneakers. This was Maynard Munson, the biggest kid and biggest bully in school. He pounded his palm as he glared down at the nerdy kid.

"Cough up some cash, twerp," demanded the big kid. The way he kept his eyes on his victim made the other kids in the yard very uncomfortable. The poor smaller kid put his finger to his finger to his chin as he had to find a way out of it.

"B-but there's fish sticks in the cafeteria today," pleaded the nerd. "My mom says I need the protein." He suddenly found himself lifted into the air by his shirt as Maynard's glare looked like that of a raging bull.

"Can't eat if you don't have a face!" The big kid then spun the smaller boy until he was holding him by his ankles. The nerd was shook violently as his money began to fall out of his pocket, along with other odds and ends. The other kids could only watch on in terror, even Cash and JT steering clear of the mess. Drew winced as he tried not to look at the scene.

"Be afraid," stated the boy. "Megabully strikes again." The sound of two feet stepping forward at the same time changed the tension in the atmosphere.

"Hey Maynard!" cried a familiar voice. Drew and the other kids near him suddenly moved to the side, turning to see that Ben and Jade were standing together. The duo nearly walked in sync as they glared at the big kid. "Let go of him." Maynard paused his shaking of his victim to look back at the duo, sending them an intimidating growl.

"Beat it, Shrimp!" roared the bully. He then proceeded to shake his target harder, earning a yelp from the poor redhead boy. Jade growled as she clenched her fists, a vein nearly threatening to burst from her head.

"Shrimp!? Why I oughta…!" Ben quickly put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to look his way. He gestured to his chest while shaking his head "no", earning a deep breath from her in response. He smiled as he nodded his head before turning his attention to the big bully.

"Maynard, do as she says or else," threatened the Omnitrix hero. Maynard looked back at him, looking him over before laughing. He turned his head forward again.

"Or else what, loser?" questioned the bully. "What're you gonna do?" He couldn't see how Ben crossed his arms, his smirk still present on his face.

"Or else we'll tell a teacher." The other kids in the area let loose gasps as no one ever dared to bring an adult into the equation when it comes to this particular bully. The victim was dropped on the ground, allowing him to run to another group of kids that were nearby. Maynard suddenly turned on his heels, leveling a glare at the duo as he stomped towards him. The kids behind them quickly moved a good few feet back as the big bully got up in Ben's face.

"You ain't got the nerve, twerp! You better stay quiet, or else I'll clobber ya!" The big kid pounded his palm as a display of said clobbering, only for Ben to glare back at him.

"You're nothing but a big bully, Maynard. If you don't shape up, you'll always be one just like Cash and JT. You can't keep picking on others just because you feel like it. Do this again and I'm telling." He thought he was prepared for anything, only for Maynard to rear back a fist.

"SHUT UP!" Ben tried to dodge out of the way, but the bully proved to be a surprisingly fast puncher. With a hit to the face, the watch boy was sent sprawling onto the ground.

"BEN!" cried both Jade and Gwen. Having been ready to call a teacher over at a nearby door, the redhead Tennyson quickly rushed over to check on her cousin. She helped him to sit up, revealing that his nose was bleeding and his eye was beginning to swell. He moaned as he put his hand over the offended side of his face, earning a short laugh from Cash who was sitting on one of the nearby bleachers. Maynard stood over the duo as he pointed at Ben.

"Next time I'll hit you more, Tenny-sucker! You're nothing!" Behind him, Jade was shaking as her bangs covered her face. The attack on Ben replayed several times in her head, along with insults and teases in Chinese. She lifted her head, a furious snarl on her face.

"THAT DOES IT!" roared the young Chan. She suddenly leapt at Maynard, her foot outstretched in a flying kick. The bully turned around to face her, only for his face to turn into a horrified look of shock as her foot connected with his head. She used his head as a springboard to jump off of, spinning in the air before landing feet first on the ground. The bully fell backwards onto the ground, moaning from the attack.

Jade looked back at him, the fire of vengeance still burning in her eyes. "Next time you hurt my friends, I'm unleashing the Ancient Art of Buttwhoop on you." She ignored the cheers of other kids as she ran over to the Tennyson cousins, getting down on one knee as she held Ben's good cheek in the palm of her hand. "You alright, Mr. Omnitrix." Ben chuckled as he leaned into her hand a bit.

"Pretty girl hand feel nice," mumbled the boy, a little out of it. Jade blushed a bit at the comment of her appearance, mentally whooping and cheering in excitement. The excitement died off when her teacher ran out onto the yard.

"What is happening out here!?" cried the woman. "Well!?" Drew decided to tell her as he pointed to Jade.

"Maynard Munson laid Ben Tennyson out, so Jade smacked him down," tattled the boy. The teacher gasped at the news, especially the scene before her. She turned to the trio in question, watching as Gwen helped Ben up while Jade waved her hands in defense.

"Mrs. Hardman, please let me explain!" cried the young Chan. "Ben and I were trying to tell Maynard to leave Nelson alone when Ben brought up telling his mom and…" The woman quickly moved past Jade to get a better look at Ben.

"I'll deal with you in a moment, Jade." The young Chan looked flabbergasted by the woman's words, only to watch as she looked over Ben's face. "That is a pretty bad hit. Gwen, please take him straight to the school nurse." Gwen hesitantly nodded her head as she helped Ben along, unsure what was going to happen with Jade.

Mrs. Hardman turned towards Jade with a disappointed frown. "Now, young lady, hitting people is not how we solve our problems." Jade gestured to Maynard, the boy still reeling from the attack she unleashed upon him.

"He hurt Ben first! We tried to settle things with words but…" Mrs. Hardman snapped her fingers, interrupting the girl's words.

"Don't raise your voice at me, Jade. Maybe it's time that I had a talk with your guardian." She suddenly grabbed Jade by the arm, pulling her towards the school building. "Immediately." Jade's eyes widened as she tried to gather her words together.

"Uncle Jackie is not reachable right now. He's on a business trip." The teacher looked back at her, visibly unhappy about this news.

Volcano, Location Unknown

Jackie screamed as he ran through a cave, map in hand as he avoided a swarm of bats. Section 13 had heard that there was a talisman somewhere on the Island, the cave beneath the volcano being the last location he had yet to search. He looked down at the map in his hands as he tried to look over the information on it. He looked ahead to see a large amount of separate tunnels in the cave, furling it up in his other hand before leaping into the one right in front of him. He cried out in fear once again as he slid down the equivalent of the bumpiest slide he had ever been on.

He soon entered a rather hot part of the cave, having to grab onto a stalactite to keep from falling too hard on the ground below. He sighed in relief, only for the part of the stone he was holding to break within a second. He fell to the cave floor, groaning as he rubbed his butt. He began to get up, only for small spurts of lava and steam to jut out from some of the nearby stones. He dodged the molten rock projectiles, sighing as he wiped his brow from the heat.

"Good for the pores," huffed Jackie. He looked at the map once again before taking a look around. He finally looked up to the area in front of him, noticing a familiar shaped stone sticking out from one of the natural supports of the cave. It was the talisman, the symbol of a dragon etched in red on the face of it. He quickly climbed the structure, reaching the level where the relic rested.

He used a pair of pliers to gently pull the stone out of the cave wall, getting it half way. He then swapped to use his hand, gently wiggling it out from its socket before finally breaking it free. He hugged the stone structure with his legs as he moved the talisman to his other hand, preparing to take the climb down. He was shocked when a claw swiped the talisman out of his hand, rapidly reeling back towards its origin. He looked to the ground, finding the enforcers standing close together.

He groaned as he watched the wire pull the talisman into Finn's hand, the fancy goon closing it before the claw could open. "I hate grappling claws." Hearing his displeasure, Finn looked at the device on his wrist.

"Like it, Chan?" questioned the redheaded goon. "Our new associate gave me the idea when she was showing off the gear she took to that junk shop of yours." He opened his hand, humming as he looked at the talisman. "Enter the dragon…" Ratso suddenly aimed a rocket launcher at Jackie, a scowl on his face.

"Exit Jackie Chan," added the olive skinned goon. He fired the weapon at Jackie, forcing the martial artist to leap down to the ground below. Instead of exploding immediately, however, the rocket burrowed into the stone a bit. It began to beep rapidly as a light glowed brighter and brighter. Jackie looked back for a split second, only to start running as the rocket exploded.

Lava began to pour out from the hole made, filling the cave behind the martial artist. In front of him, the Enforcers were being hoisted up by a ladder attached to a helicopter. Finn looked back at Jackie with an evil smirk.

"Stay cool, hot stuff!" cried the villain with a laugh. Jackie continued to huff as he tried to escape the lava. It was quickly hot on his heels, however, forcing him to begin running up stalagmites that were conveniently organized in ascending order.

"BAD-DAY-BAD-DAY-BAD-DAY!" cried Jackie as the lava quickly rose below him. He leapt for a stalactite, taking a moment to make sure he had a good grip. He then began to climb quickly as the lava was extremely close, the heat blackening the bottom of his pants a bit. He hopped out of the hole in the cave roof that the Enforcers were extracted from, crouching as he tried to gain his bearings. The heat on his rear caused him to pat at his pants, hoping to stop any flames before they could form.

He heard the sound of helicopter blades as he looked up, watching helplessly as the villains got away with the talisman. "Very bad day." With nothing left he could do, the man decided to return to his hotel room and prepare for the flight home. This marked the second loss in the hunt for the talismans. He could only hope that the Dragon Talisman was not as harmful as its name would suggest.

Xiaoling Industries

Valmont stood before Shendu, something he had annoyingly grown accustomed to. The dragon was clearly not pleased with their recent performance, only one talisman placed in a slot upon his stone form. It was already hard enough retrieving the talismans before Jackie Chan ended up finding them, not to mention their little alien problem. Sometimes he wished that he would have just sold the demon instead of keeping him in the family. Shendu's eyes glowed red as he huffed in annoyance, breaking Valmont from his thought process.

"Valmont," hissed the demon. "Where is the dragon talisman?" The business man leaned on his cane a bit in an attempt to calm his nerves.

"My men are on it, Shendu," reassured Valmont. "You will have your talisman soon." The dragon did not seem pleased by this answer as his eyes glowed brighter.

"Your men could not find their own shadows. Not to mention your incompetence stupefies me." Valmont growled in fury as he tossed his cane up into a bludgeoning hold.

"Oh? I'll stupefy you!" He prepared to strike the statue with his cane, only for Shadowkhan to appear all around him. One even grabbed his cane, keeping him from using it as a weapon. Shendu seemed to take delight in his rage, white smoke puffing from his nose.

"Temper, Valmont." The head of the Dark Hand audibly growled at Shendu pulling his cane away from the Shadowkhan before stomping out of the room. He soon found himself in the commons room, his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth.

"The arrogance of that oversized lawn ornament." He walked back towards the entrance of the room, only to stop as the door opened wide. Rojo entered the room with the Enforcers behind her, Finn having one of his hands closed.

"Hola, Valmont!" greeted the woman. "The niños actually pulled it off for a change." Finn pushed past her, clearly egotistical as he presented the Dragon Talisman to his boss.

"Check it out!" cheered the redheaded man. "One Dragon Talisman, hot and ready!" Valmont smirked sarcastically as he walked forward.

"You actually did your job!?" questioned the boss. "Imagine that!" He immediately took the talisman from Finn, earning a confused look from his subordinates as he tightly squeezed the talisman.

"You're not stoked? We swiped it from Chan and everything." Valmont quickly wound up the arm holding the talisman, preparing to toss it.

"I am absolutely GIDDY!" The man threw the stone at the wall, causing the symbol on the front to light up upon contact. It blasted a huge amount of fire towards the ceiling, blowing a hole in it before powering down and clattering on the floor. The villains, who had all jumped to the ground, looked up to see the damage that was done. Ratso whistled as Chow nodded his head.

"Now that's what I call power," stated the Asian man. Valmont knelt down to pick up the talisman as the others began to rise. He looked at the stone in the palm of his left hand, only to watch as it glowed all over. It fused to his palm causing him to hiss for a moment. He smirked as he stood up, the talisman glowing with power.

"Puff the Magic Dragon." He turned to his underlings, displaying the glowing talisman to them. The Enforcers looked upon the sight in awe. Meanwhile, Rojo grinned evilly at the look in Valmont's eyes. One thing was assured in her head: this was going to be fun.

Section 13

Jackie walked alongside Captain Black, explaining the results of his recent trip. To say that the head agent shared his displeasure at the Dark Hand's latest success was an understatement. Max had joined their walk some time along the way, being subject to the same report. The men soon found their way into the main area, a few agents working on various cases around the globe. Jackie looked at the two men as he nodded his head.

"And that's when Valmont's men took off with the Talisman," stated the martial artist. "I looked all over the island for them just to be sure, but there was no trace of them." Max nodded as he stopped, causing the others to stop as well.

"So the Dark Hand now has two talismans," sighed the Plumber. "We can't let them close the distance like this." Jackie nodded his head in agreement as he turned to Captain Black.

"It is already dangerous for them to have the Sheep Talisman. If they learn of the Dragon Talisman's magic, who knows what…" He stopped when he noticed the glare the head of Section 13 was giving him. "I said the 'M' word, didn't I?" Max chuckled at the duo as he shook his head, only for the sound of running footsteps to catch their attention.

"JACKIE!" cried Jade. The martial artist turned towards his niece, only for her to hug his legs as she buried her face into his knees. "You have to help me! My teacher's crazy!" He quickly pushed Jade off of his legs as he gave her a concerned, confused look.

"Slow down, Jade. What is this all about?" The girl was about to answer when a loud huff was heard.

"Uncle agrees with Jade on teacher being crazy bat!" cried the old man. "Jade is in trouble for doing good thing at school." Uncle then turned towards Captain Black, his expression still sour. "One more thing. Your place is too big!"

The old wizard stretched out his arms as he continued with his complaint. "I have to walk very far to find a bathroom!" Jackie looked between Captain Black and Max, earning confused shrugs before turning back towards the chi wizard.

"Uncle, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the shop." He watched as the old man turned towards him with an angry frown.

"Landlord made me leave the shop for three days. Says it must be sprayed for bugs. This is how I spray for bugs!" Uncle then stomped his foot with a battle cry, crossing his arms as his demonstration was complete. Captain Black rolled his eyes in response to all of the drama.

"Yes siree," groaned the agent. "A real family affair here at Section 13." Jackie ignored the jab at the situation as he knelt down to Jade's level.

"Jade, what kind of trouble at school?" questioned the martial artist. "Tell me what happened." Jade took a deep breath as she nodded her head.

"A bully at school named Maynard was shaking a kid to make his lunch money fall out of his pockets," began the young Chan. She ignored Jackie's questioning face as she looked him in the eye. "Ben and I tried to get him to stop, Ben going as far as to threaten to tell on him. When he wouldn't back down, Maynard punched his face so hard that he landed on his back with a bleeding nose and a swollen eye." Max suddenly cut in as he suddenly walked towards the duo.

"I'm sorry WHAT!?" cried the elder Tennyson. "Is Ben okay?" Jade quickly shook her head in denial.

"He was talking nonsense last I saw, but he was taken immediately to the nurse and I didn't see him for the rest of the day. Anyway, Maynard continued to talk down to Ben and threatened to hurt him more and I kinda saw red. I knocked him out with a kick before going to check on Ben, which I know wasn't entirely right of me to do!" The girl's outcry and hand waving stopped Jackie from interrupting her. "I promise you can get onto me but I need to finish, please."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Jackie decided to grant her request. Jade nodded her head in thanks as she took another breath. "After Mrs. Hardman sent Ben to the nurse, she went straight to lecturing me about hitting people. I tried to explain what happened, but she wouldn't hear it and got onto me for raising my voice before pulling me away. She wants to see you for a parent-teacher conference immediately."

She produced a paper with the order for her uncle, the man immediately taking it. "I know it wasn't right for me to use what you taught me that way, but she wouldn't listen to anything I had to say after Drew gave her the short version." Max let loose a sigh as he shook his head.

"It's always Hardman," groaned the Plumber. "She's a great teacher, but she tends to leap before she has the full situation." Jackie sent a frown back towards Max, finding his grumbling to be unhelpful at the moment. All he received was a shrug in response, his eyes narrowing in displeasure. An agent suddenly ran over, a serious scowl on his face.

"Sir!" cried the man. "The US Mint is under siege!" Captain Black turned towards the agent, sharing his scowl.

"Patch me into their surveillance," ordered the head of Section 13. The group ran over to a collection of monitors, each one assigned to a camera at the Mint. One showed a small group walking towards the actual building, another showing the inside of the vault. The wall of the vault exploded, the armed guards moving for cover as the Dark Hand waltzed in. Valmont was amongst them while wearing a dragon mask, black gloves also on his hands.

This did not stop Captain Black from identifying him, however, as his eyes narrowed. "Valmont. Mobilize!" Every agent around scrambled to get to the scene, Max pulling out his communicator as he made a call. Jade looked up at Jackie with a small frown.

"So I'm guessing you aren't going with the whole parent-teacher conference thing going on," stated the young Chan. She watched as her uncle turned towards her, looking down at her feet to avoid his eyes. "I'm grounded, aren't I?" She felt a hand on her chin, her head being tilted upwards. She watched as Jackie sent her a soft frown.

"From now on, make sure that there is an actual threat of bodily harm before you ever think of doing something like this again," scolded the archeologist. "Martial arts are about finding the strength within in order to discipline oneself, not for picking fights. Sometimes the greatest victory is the one achieved without fighting. If someone is being bullied again and there is no continued violence, please seek out an adult. Promise me this, Jade."

Jackie released his niece's chin, earning a small nod. "I will let you off with a warning this time since it is only the first time, but next time I will have to punish you. Now, we're going to talk with Mrs. Hardman. Unless some serious damage was done, I do not think she'd call me in for just one situation." Jade looked away as she sighed, pleased that her uncle was at least listening to her.

U.S. Mint

Valmont smiled as the Dark Hand went to work, bagging anything valuable they could find. This was the kind of work the Dark Hand excelled at. Rojo was left behind for the fitting into a bodysuit for her new arsenal, though with the talisman he didn't feel the need for her assistance this time. He grabbed a small stack of cash from one of the pallets, holding it close to his face. He took a deep breath through the mask before sighing.

"Hot off the press," stated the criminal mastermind in delight. Behind him, Ratso was shoving a bunch of coins into his shirt pockets. The olive skinned man turned towards Chow, feeling like he was being judged.

"What?" questioned Ratso. "It's laundry money. Laundromats ain't getting cheaper." Chow rolled his eyes as he prepared to move along, only for a rapid beeping to pause the gang's progress. Finn quickly pulled out a device, looking at it before displaying a screen with multiple moving triangles on it.

"Company," warned the redhead. Valmont looked towards the hole they made, growling in annoyance. Outside, Captain Black and his men were approaching the damaged wall, guns at the ready. The head agent waved for his men to wait before going inside. He ran into the surprisingly empty room, only to trust his sixth sense as he pointed his gun to the left towards Valmont.

"Valmont," growled Captain Black. "This ends now." He only just then noticed how the head of the Dark Hand was glowing rather ominously. He could only watch as Valmont pointed the Dragon Talisman at him with a growl, a ball of burning energy quickly forming. The villain fired the blast at him, leaving him severely burned and separating him from his agents with a huge pile of rubble.

"The Dark Hand waves bye-bye, Captain Black," quipped the villain as he waved his hand. He blew magic smoke off of the empowered hand, an evil smirk hidden under his mask. He turned to his men, walking past Ratso as he looked his way. "Make sure he stays dead." He earned a nod in response as the olive skinned goon prepared to fire his gun.

Before any more damage could be done to the burnt agent, a hole was busted through the ceiling. The Plumber mech landed in front of the villains, a black glass hiding the identity of the pilot. Valmont tried to blast the machine, only for a laser shield to block the attack. Valmont's surprise was hidden rather well by the mask as he took a few steps back. Finn gulped as he also took a few steps back.

"Force field?" questioned the redhead. "How come we don't get force fields?" Realizing that the situation was no longer in his favor, Valmont turned back towards his minions.

"We have the money! Let's go!" The Dark Hand quickly scrambled to some trucks with their stolen goods, starting up the engines. The mech fired stun rounds at two of the goons, shocking them as they fell to the ground. The rest of the Dark Hand escaped with the money, the sound of police sirens forcing the mech to withdraw.

Bellwood Middle School

Jade sat in a chair with her hands in her lap, looking down to avoid eye contact with her teacher. She and Jackie had just sat down for the parent-teacher conference, Uncle deciding to tag along due to being unable to be at his shop. This whole situation was already causing bad memories to pop up in her mind, having experienced this kind of thing before back home. She just hoped that things would be better than what happened there. Her hopes were about to be put to the test as Mrs. Hardman cleared her throat.

"This is not the first time that we've had a problem with Jade, Mr. Chan," informed the woman. She looked at a small folder in her hand as she began to read over Jade's record. "Being involved in a food fight in the cafeteria, getting into shouting matches with other students, being too rough in gym activities, triggering the fire alarm without an actual fire…" Jade immediately raised her hand, earning Mrs. Hardman's attention. "Yes, Jade?" The girl quickly lowered her hand as she returned to looking at the floor.

"In my defense, Cash started most of those," informed Jade. "I don't really have an excuse for being rough in gym class, at least when Cash isn't being a jerk, but the fire alarm was a genuine concern. Someone yelled 'fire' and I reacted on instinct." She actually looked Mrs. Hardman in the eye in order to get the point across that she was telling the truth, the woman showing no reaction. Uncle suddenly harrumphed as he crossed his arms, grabbing the group's attention.

"Sounds to me like money boy is major issue, not Jade," grumbled the old man. "She is just like Jackie, always looking out for others and reacting first when something good needs to be done." Jade smiled at the chi wizard, blushing from embarrassment at being likened to her guardian. In spite of her griping about him, she tended to place Jackie as a high standard in some aspects of her life. Mrs. Hardman adjusted her glasses as she shook her head.

"The comment about the fire alarm incident will be taken into consideration," informed the woman. "Regardless, her attitude has been a problem as of late. I am afraid that she is picking up bad habits due to a lack of proper discipline. I do not know where Jade learned to fight but…" The woman was cut off as Uncle looked towards Jackie.

"Jackie has disciplined her plenty. Otherwise, he would not be teaching her to fight at all." The old man would have continued, only for Jackie to hold up his hand to silence him.

"Mrs. Hardman, I assure you that Jade is only taught self-defense," reassured the archeologist. "The martial arts are meant to teach her humility and…" The woman's eyes widened in response to the man's prepared speech.

"Martial arts?" questioned the teacher. "Like karate?" Jackie was about to answer her when Uncle raised his pointer finger.

"Kung Fu and Tai Chi," corrected the antique dealer. "Tai Chi teaches proper breathing and peaceful thoughts. Kung Fu is the best self-defense as whole body becomes a secret weapon." Jackie and Jade both facepalmed in response to the old man's words. The glare they received from Mrs. Hardman as she closed the file told them that she would hear none of what they had to say.

"It seems obvious to me that you do not teach Jade enough discipline, Mr. Chan," stated the teacher. "So I will have to. If she attacks a student again, I will directly contact her parents." Jackie paled at the thought, only to watch Jade look away with a huff.

"A lot of good that'll do," grumbled the girl under her breath. Jackie was the only one to catch this, a small frown forming on his face. A few minutes later Jade violently pushed the front of the school open, stomping as the adults followed behind her. "Thanks a lot, Uncle!" Sensing her hostility, the old man put his hands on his hips.

"What?" questioned the chi wizard. "What did I do?" Jade turned towards him, a glare on her face.

"Are you serious!? You made the whole situation worse! Now Maynard will get nothing more than a scolding while I have a whole week's detention! He basically gets away with hurting Ben!" Jackie stood between the duo as he held up his hands.

"That's ridiculous, Jade," reassured the archeologist. "I'm sure he has detention as well for his actions. Just take this as time to work on your homework and think about watching your temper. Regardless of whether Ben was hurt or not, you could have told a teacher." He watched as the girl harrumphed while looking away. He was about to inquire about her earlier comment about her parents when his phone rang.

He pulled it out, noticing that it was a number he did not recognize. He answered it as he cleared his throat. "Jackie speaking. How can I help you?" He heard a rough sigh on the other end of the line, something that would not make his day any better.

"It's Max," informed the elder Tennyson. "There's been an incident. Augustus is down."

Bellwood Hospital, Intensive Care Unit

Heart monitors beeped in the midst of the hospital room, Captain Black hooked up to a fair amount of machinery. Max stood to one side of him while Jackie and the agent who pointed out the Mint attack stood on the other. His left arm and the left side of his face were badly burnt, the hair on those parts of his body now nothing more than ash. A tense atmosphere hung in the room as the heart monitor began to beep. The Section 13 agent in the room looked between the other conscious men as he sighed.

"The doctors say that he's lucky to be alive," revealed the man. "If whatever broke through the ceiling didn't intervene, they could have shot him to death. Valmont apparently used some form of explosive device. From the damage it did, I say it was pretty powerful." Jackie's eyes narrowed as he clenched his fists.

"The dragon talisman," growled the martial artist. Max quickly noticed the change in the archeologist's mood. He was about to say something about it when the door to the room opened. A nurse pushed a vase full of flowers into the room, surprising the group as she left. The unnamed agent walked over to the apparent gift as he raised one of his brows.

"Who sent these?" He found a card in the midst of the petals, gently pulling it out. He flipped it over, his frown returning to its prior state due to the name signed on it. "Valmont." Veins threatened to burst from Jackie's head as he began to see red.

He let loose a battle cry as he threw a punch. He stopped himself as he missed the vase holding the flowers, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. Max was quickly on the other side of the cart with a concerned look on his face.

"Simmer down, Jackie," requested the old man. "Just breathe." The martial artist finally caught his breath as he looked away from the others with his eyes closed.

"I'm sorry. I just… saw red. I need fresh air." He walked out of the room, leaving both Max and the agent concerned for him. Their looks of concern turned to shock as the vase cracked down the middle, quickly breaking into pieces as flowers went everywhere.

Warehouse, Undisclosed Location

Valmont leaned against the side of one of the trucks, looking at the dragon talisman fused to his hand. He had so much power in the palm of his hands, yet it did nothing against the machine that interrupted their heist. It angered him that some unknown third party had gotten involved, beginning to wonder if this had anything to do with the Tennysons. Perhaps there was more to the little family than he thought. He broke from his musings as Finn and Ratso stopped in front of him, Finn carrying a box full of stolen cash.

"Valmont, my main man!" cheered Finn. "You were da bomb, pun totally intended!" Ratso tilted his head a bit as he suddenly thought of something.

"Hey?" questioned the olive skinned goon. "Ain't Old Dragon Breath gonna start wondering where his rock is?" Valmont clenched his fist as he looked towards his goons.

"Pity," sighed the villain. "It's doing wonders for our cash flow." Valmont suddenly smiled as he got an idea, Finn catching on as he leaned towards the man.

"What's on your mind? One more heist, Big V?" The question caused Ratso to smile as Valmont nodded his head.

"One for the history books."

Bellwood Middle School

Two Days Later

Jade tapped her pencil to the beat of the clock, nervous about just getting the day over with. There were only a few kids in the classroom during this detention period, yet it felt like she had many eyes on her. This would probably be because Maynard and Cash were in detention as well, each one seeming to have different reasons for staring at her. The whole situation left her tense, tapping her pencil to the beat of the clock. As soon as the bell rang she packed up her stuff and practically ran out of the room.

She had to get out of there and to the safety of Section 13 before either bully could try anything with her. It wasn't clear to her what Cash wanted, but she figured that Maynard probably wanted revenge for the knockout. She quickly got what she needed out of her locker as she speed walked down the halls. Jade looked back in order to make sure she wasn't being followed, only to bump into someone. She slowly turned towards the individual, being met with a smirking Cash.

"Think you could leave without saying hi, Jade Chump?" questioned the bully. "Let's talk for a moment." He watched Jade glare at him as she tried to walk around him.

"I'm busy Cash," groaned the young Chan. "Just leave me alone and go bother someone else." She would not get her wish as the boy quickly moved to block her yet again.

"Look at you acting like you're better than me. You act like you're some goodie two shoes, but you're really just as much of a delinquent as you like to poke fun at me for being. That attack on Maynard was the proof I needed." He watched Jade growl as she grinded her teeth, hoping that she would blow up on him. To his annoyance she took a deep breath in order to avoid such an outcome as she pushed past him.

"I don't have time to be stupid with you. Buzz off." Jade began to walk away from the bully, only for her to feel his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't walk away from me, Shrimp!" A vein threatened to burst from Jade's head as she tried to keep her cool, but Cash apparently wasn't finished yet. "I'm not gonna take crap from some tomboy loser who hangs around Tennyson! I bet you stick with him because you can't make any friends on your own. You're just a stupid shut-in who'd look stupid in a dress!"

The very utterance of the word "shut-in" caused Jade's eyes to widen. Once again the voices of Chinese kids insulting her and bullying her entered her mind. Her anger continued to mount as she tried her best to keep it in. Cash was about to say more when the sound of a stomped foot caught his attention. He looked away from his target to see a very ticked off Ben standing in the doorway of the school, the boy sporting a black eye.

"Let her go, Cash," ordered the watch hero. "Now. I won't ask again." Gwen stood behind him, her arms crossed as she shared the glare that he had. Cash chuckled as he shook his head.

"Looks like your loser 'friends' are here to save you. I bet once they realize that you're no better than me they'll…" Jade suddenly jerked her way out of Cash's grip as she turned towards him.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ME!" cried the young Chan. Cash braced himself as it looked like Jade was about to kick him, only for the girl to run out of the building. Ben's eyes widened as he quickly turned to follow her.

"JADE!" cried both Ben and Gwen. The duo rushed after their friend, leaving Cash alone in the hall. He laughed as he crossed his arms.

"That's right!" cheered the delinquent. "You better run, losers! I don't need J.T. to rule this school! I'm the best!" His bravado disappeared as he saw a shadow cast over him. He turned around to face whoever was there, only to scream as he was picked up by Maynard.

Meanwhile, Ben and Gwen continued to look around for Jade. She had disappeared from view, making it harder to find her. They feared that they would have to look all over town for her, only to hear a sound from the court.

"Jade!" cried Ben. He was the first to run back to that area, Gwen quickly following him. They searched everywhere they could see, hoping that they would find her. The duo was about to move on when they heard sniffling nearby. They looked behind the stands, finally finding Jade as she had sat down while curling into her legs in an attempt to hide herself.

"Jade," Gwen gasped. "Are you…" Jade waved them off with one of her arms, giving Ben a good view of the tears running down her face.

"Go away!" cried the young Chan. She returned to her position as she tried to constrict herself tighter. "I just wanna be alone. I don't know why I thought anything would be different here. I hate this school."

Jade continued to cry as she tried to deal with all of the emotions that Cash forced to the surface with his targeted attacks. She was surprised when she felt an embrace around her instead of getting a verbal response from the others. She lifted her head to peek a bit as she saw that surprisingly Ben was the one distributing this show of affection.

"Jade, please look at me," requested the Omnitrix hero. "We're your friends and that will never change. Even if our connections develop into more, we will always be here for you whenever we can be. Please don't shut me out."

Jade blushed slightly behind the cover of her arms while Gwen sent her cousin a knowing smile. Quickly realizing what he just said, Ben loosened his hold as he looked down at his crush. "Us! I meant…" He didn't get to finish his self-correction as Jade returned his embrace, crying into his shoulder as her left over tears began to wet it. Gwen waited until the duo parted before crouching down to be at eye level with the sitting Jade.

"Jade, what's this really about?" questioned the redhead. "You know that you can tell us anything, right?" Jade looked down at her lap for a bit, as if contemplating whether she could say anything or not. It was clear to both Tennysons that whatever this was bothered their friend greatly. The foreign girl took a deep breath before she nodded her head.

"Growing up in Hong Kong is nothing like living here in America, especially for girls," began Jade. "Most girls are lucky if they get to choose what they wear. My parents are a bit of an odd couple there as, when no one is visiting, they let me do what I want to an extent. Still, for as good as they are, there are times where they aren't around enough or don't listen when I have something to say. That includes my troubles at my normal school."

Ben and Gwen looked at each other a moment, sharing a frown before returning their attention to Jade. "A lot of girls would pick on me. 'Your hair is too long. You look hideous in your uniform. Someone as plain as you should not wear a dress that nice.'"

At some point she swapped to muttering Chinese, a sign that there was more that she'd rather not say out loud. Ben placed a hand on her shoulder as a way to comfort her, causing her to stop and take a breath. "Sorry. Anyway, the kids in Hong Kong made me hate things that I liked about myself. I couldn't wear any dresses, put on anything blue, or have my hair long without someone bullying me for it." Gwen stood up so as to not tire out her legs from crouching so much.

"Haven't you tried telling your parents?" questioned the redhead. "Maybe you just haven't found the right time." Instead of getting the answer that she wanted, Gwen watched as Jade prepared her fingers for counting.

"'Tell us about it later, Xiaoyu. We are very busy, Yu. I'm sorry, dear, but I really can't talk right now.' All things I heard before I could even get to the third sentence when saying it directly. I understand that they're busy, but I can't see what's so important that they can't hear me out."

Ben began to fume a bit as he took some deep breaths, allowing Jade time to shake her head. "Things are honestly nicer over here in America, at least to me. You guys can go wherever you want, dress however you like, and be whoever you want to be. I don't get those options where I live unless my parents make that one of their lax subjects. There I'm just plain old Chan Xiaoyu, the rich girl who was forced to do things other girls said she couldn't or shouldn't do."

Jade looked down at her lap as she curled up, though this time it was more relaxed than last time. "So, that's the real me." She felt a hand on her chin, turning her head to view Ben's serious frown.

"That's not you," argued the Omnitrix hero. "That's what those losers wanted you to think you are. Jade, you are the cutest girl I've ever met and, dare I say it, the most beautiful. You might not have noticed, but a lot of guys in school tend to look your way from time to time. I… honestly find myself staring sometimes when you're in the room."

This bit of info caused Jade to blush, the girl not expecting this news. "Those other girls, they were just jealous of you. You make anything you wear look better. Plain and hideous? Those two words don't belong anywhere near describing you."

Ben ignored the cheeky look Gwen was giving him as he helped Jade stand to her feet. "The real you is who you choose to be, whether you go by Jade or Xiaoyu. Wear dresses, put on something blue, style your hair however you want. Find whatever you want to look like and make it your own. Just never forget that if anything bothers you, you can always come to us or reach out to the adults like Jackie and Max." Gwen held up a pointer finger as she scrunched her face to look more like Uncle's.

"'We will deal with problems like Uncle deals with bugs,'" mocked the redhead. She stomped on the ground before crossing her arms with a huff. A few seconds passed before the trio laughed amongst themselves. "Anyway, we should go before everyone worries about us." She turned around as she began to leave the cover of the bleachers, missing how Jade's smile had a bit of a loving look.

"Good idea," agreed the young Chan. "And Ben?" The boy looked her way in response to the question, blushing as he noticed the way she was smiling at him.

"Yeah, Jade?" questioned Ben. "What's…?" He didn't get to finish as his crush kissed him on the cheek, causing his brain to stop functioning for a moment. His blush began to rise as she kept her lips in the same spot for a few seconds. She finally pulled back to breathe for air, her smile turning into a grin.

"Thanks for being such a great guy." Ben tried to find a response, only for gibberish to come out of his mouth. Jade quickly turned away while giggling into her hand, waiting for Ben to regain his composure by shaking his head. "Wait for me, Gwen!" She ran to follow the redhead, Ben taking a few seconds to follow behind.

The Chinese girl laughed as it felt like her crush was chasing her, only to stop as she practically bumped into Gwen. The redhead was standing stiff, a glare on her face. "What's wrong, Gwen? Is there something…" She followed her friend's gaze, only to pale as Maynard was standing a foot in front of them.

"Hey Jade!" greeted the bully in a gruff voice. "I wanna talk with you!" Ben arrived just as the other boy began to talk, a frown on his face.

"You better not have come for a fight, Maynard," growled the alien hero. He placed a protective arm in front of Jade, Gwen getting one of her karate stances ready. The big guy's face turned to one of fear as he held up his hands in defense.

"Please, don't hurt me!" A gust of wind passed by the group as they processed the bully's request. Jade pushed Ben's arm down a bit as she took a few steps forward.

"So, you're not looking for revenge?" questioned the young Chan. The group watched in surprise as Maynard slouched a bit, his head down in shame. He poked his pointer fingers together in a meek fashion as he tried to gather his words.

"I'm sorry for causing you guys trouble. I talked with my mom and she didn't like what I was doing like you said. I also heard your story, Jade, while standing on the bleachers looking for you. I feel bad for hurting your friend and getting you detention. I always make a mess wherever I go because I'm nervous about being picked on for my weight, which I know isn't an excuse to be a bully."

The trio was honestly gob smacked by the words of Maynard, not expecting how practiced this apology was. He looked up as he tried to look Jade in the eye. "I know you don't have a reason to do anything for me, but I was hoping you could teach me the Ancient Art of Buttwhoop. I'm hoping that by knowing that, I can be less stressed about being picked on and actually make some friends." Ben frowned as he prepared to retort the big kid's reasoning, only for Jade to push past him as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"First off, the 'Ancient Art of Buttwhoop' is kind of just a dumb way I mention it," honestly answered the young Chan. "It's martial arts. Second, it's not meant to be used as a weapon outside of defense. Martial arts are about finding the strength within in order to discipline oneself." Maynard held his hands together in a pleading manner as he lowered his head again.

"Discipline is exactly what I need! Please show me how to be better!" Jade was once again shocked by the outburst of the big guy, though she smiled softly as she nodded her head. Soon the group could be seen walking away from the school together, Ben sticking closer to Jade. What they didn't know was that Cash was hanging from a tree by his underwear, groaning in discomfort.

"Hello!" cried the bully. "Anyone! HELP!"

Section 13

The Next Day

Jackie took a deep breath as he slowly performed martial arts movements, Jade watching closely as she tried to mimic him. He was surprised the previous day when she told him what happened, as well as the explanation for her behavior. He felt his blood boil a bit at the news of how her parents were ignoring her troubles, though he was proud of her for telling him and for making peace with a school bully. Now she was soaking up all that she could from his teaching so that she could help said boy learn discipline, something that made him feel a bit of pride. Getting back to the matter at hand, the duo took a deep breath as they made a slow arm motion.

"Free your mind of all thoughts," instructed Jackie. They pulled their respective arms back to cross over their chests, taking another deep breath. They opened their eyes as they heard footsteps approaching them.

"Aiyaah!" cried Uncle. "There is no privacy here! I put my bao in the refrigerator and somebody ate it!" The old man walked past them as he grumbled about the lack of privacy, allowing them to close their eyes as they resumed the lesson.

"Focus only on breathing. Your breathing is slow… deep." The duo performed a slow motion as Uncle turned to face them.

"One more thing." The old man watched as the master and student looked his way, Jade having a bit of an annoyed look. "How is your friend Captain Black doing, Jackie?" The question brought up the image of said agent in his hospital bed back to Jackie's mind. Seeing red, he let loose a roar of rage as he kicked towards a nearby bookshelf. It remained still for a few seconds before it fell to pieces, scattering books everywhere as Jackie took a few deep breaths.

"I… I need some air." The martial artist walked out into the main area, leaving his family concerned for him. He stood at the railing as he took a deep breath, unaware as someone approached him.

"Everything alright, Jackie?" questioned a familiar voice. Jackie turned to see Max standing before him, Ben and Gwen at his sides. The archeologist regained his composure as he nodded his head.

"Yes. Just… needed some air." He looked at Ben, noticing the slightly improved state of his eye. "How are you feeling, Benjamin?" The boy waved him off with a smirk.

"It doesn't hurt as much anymore," answered Ben. "Just need some time to recover." He earned a small smile and a nod from Jackie. Suddenly alarms began to blare throughout the facility. The quartet joined some agents at a nearby monitor as the substitute head agent typed into the computer terminal.

"A big rig was just blown up by a well-dressed gentleman in a dragon mask," informed the man. Jackie growled at this news, realizing that it had to be Valmont. Max leaned closer as he got a good look at the screen.

"Where did it happen?" questioned the Plumber. "It could give us a lead on where they're heading next." The agent quickly began to type as he homed in on the location.

"Route 64. Outside Corydon, Indiana." Jackie quickly realized something as he also leaned a bit closer.

"Speeding distance from Fort Knox, Kentucky…" stated the martial artist. The agent at the monitor quickly typed as he applied an algorithm to the location variable. Yellow dots lined the road down towards the stated location, several screens displaying the one thing that Valmont would want from the location.

"And the US gold repository! Mobilize, now!" Max looked amongst the running people as he shook his head.

"I'll catch up," revealed the old man. "I need to grab something from my personal gear." The man began to walk away as Jackie began to follow after the agents.

"I am going with you," informed the martial artist. "With any luck we…" Jackie stopped as he felt a tug on the back of his shirt, looking back to see the concerned look on Jade's face.

"Uh, Jackie," began the girl. "You're not a secret agent. You're an archeologist, right?" Jade watched as the man turned towards her, his smile telling her she had nothing to worry about while his eyes hid the fury he felt. He knelt down to eye level with her, doing his best not to falter.

"I know that, Jade. I'm just going to retrieve a talisman." Jackie didn't give her time to respond as he stood up. He rushed towards the departing agents, leaving the girl behind. Uncle walked up beside her, a frown on his face.

"His anger clouds his judgment," stated the chi wizard. "He cannot do this alone." Jade crossed her arms, remembering the words Ben said to her yesterday.

"Then it's up to us as his family to get him back on track."

Fort Knox, Kentucky

Fort Knox was regarded as the most secure gold reserve in the United States, armed guards patrolling the entire building. They prided themselves on this security, even having armed tanks to intimidate anyone from breaking in with a machine. As far as they were concerned, nothing could get into their facility. Little did they know that this mentality would be shattered that night. Two military personnel officers were watching over the gold when they felt the ground rumble.

"What's that!?" cried one of the men. His question was answered as a massive explosion broke part of the floor, sending debris everywhere and the MPs to the ground. Blazing energy caused the smoke to disperse as Valmont rose from the hole, using fire at his feet to float a bit before landing on the ground. He got a good look at the gold around him, taking a deep breath. This was going to be the biggest haul of his life, his eyes glowing red in delight.

Several armed vehicles approached the entrance to the fort, the guards seemingly unaware of the dangerous situation inside. The vans were stopped at the gate by an MP, causing Jackie to growl in the back. An MP approached the leading vehicle, being met with the temporary leader of the agents.

"This is a restricted area," stated the guard. "I need to see a badge before you can enter." The agent leaned towards the man with a serious look.

"We're here on official business," informed the temporary head of Section 13. "I need to speak with your commanding officer." Realizing that this would take too long, Jackie secretly opened the side door just to where he could squeeze out. He shut it back as soon as he exited the vehicle, rushing as quietly as he could to find an alternative entrance to the fort. Unaware of this, the MP remained in place as he kept his eye on the agent in the driver's seat.

"Really? Who are you with?" The agent narrowed his eyes a bit in an attempt to display the seriousness of the matter.

"Section 13." He waited to see if the men would let them in based on their department name. He was sorely disappointed as the MP sent him a raised brow.

"Who?" The agent looked around, making sure that no one was eavesdropping. He then leaned into whispering distance.

"The grass is always greener on the sunny side of the gopher hole." He once again waited, hoping that the MP would get it. He would once again be disappointed as the MP appeared to be even more confused than before.

As this was going on, Jackie easily used the trees to jump the wall. He snuck through the yard, hiding behind a tree to stay out of sight. He looked for some way to get in without being noticed, quickly spotting a rope used for a climbing drill. He smirked as he ran over to the obstacle course. Upon breaking the rope and a large enough piece of wood off, he tied the two objects together before flinging the wood up to the roof.

Thankfully, it caught perfectly against an object at the top. Jackie climbed as quickly as he could, pulling himself up onto the roof. He reeled the rope up just in time as some guards were rounding the corner.

Inside the building, several MPs were tied up and gagged in order to keep them from hitting the alarm. Several forklifts were seen transporting pallets piled with gold bars into the now curved hole, sending them to an unknown location. Valmont smiled at the work his men were putting in, savoring this victory. His smile disappeared as he noticed that Tohru was moving too slow for his liking. He growled as he turned to face the big man, watching as he grabbed one of the pallets by its base.

"Faster, Tohru," ordered the head villain. "Lift with your legs." The big villain growled as he lifted the pallet in a strong man's carry, his muscles tensing from the pressure. Tohru grunted as he walked with the gold, the weight uncomfortable to him. None of them noticed the faint movement up above.

Jackie crawled across the catwalk, making sure not to be seen. He looked over the railing just as Valmont looked to his palm, spotting the dragon talisman. Jackie stood up in preparation for a surprise attack, only for Valmont to look towards his men. "A shame that Captain Black won't be visiting today. I understand that he had a doctor's appointment."

The head villain suddenly began to laugh, his men joining him. Jackie growled up above, enraged by the fact they were making humor out of what they did to his friend. Unable to contain his anger, he let loose a roar as he hit his hand against the railing of the catwalk. This caused everyone to look his way as he held his hand while hissing from the pain. "CHAN!"

Jackie quickly realized that he messed up, though it was too late as Valmont charged up a fire shot. The martial artist tried to run, but the attack was launched at him as it destroyed the catwalk. Jackie fell to the ground with a thud, groaning in pain before he was grabbed by Tohru and Ratso. He was lifted up by his arms, his feet unable to touch the ground.

Valmont got a good look at his enemy, the scowl on his face showing that he was not impressed. "So this is the famous Jackie Chan. Finally we meet. I loved watching your live action movies, though your animated appearances always annoyed me." He pointed the dragon talisman at Jackie, charging up the energy within.

Valmont grinned as his veins pulsated on his head. "It was nice knowing you." Jackie growled as he tried to find a way out of the hold, sweating as he looked around the room. He suddenly noticed a dummy moving in the background, one of the villains looking towards it before Uncle knocked him out with a pressure point squeeze. Jackie looked around frantically before finally figuring out what to say.

"You… uh….want the other talismans. Don't you, Valmont?" The head villain remained still, his expression hidden behind his mask as he lowered his still charged hand.

"Continue." The mob boss failed to notice as a blue energy hit an overhead light, causing it to fall onto one of his goons' heads and knock them out. Jackie smiled as he nodded his head.

"I'll make you a deal. Show you where Section 13 is." Valmont hummed in interest, seriously thinking over the offer. He was about to respond when he noticed the confused look on Ratso's face. The olive skinned man pointed to the training dummy that Jackie noticed moving earlier.

"Was that always there?" questioned Ratso. Valmont and his goons looked towards the dummy, Jade shaking as she hid behind it. One of the men was about to check it out when Lucky Girl jumped on top of one of the gold stacks.

"Cryonis!" cried the magical girl. The villains looked towards her as she froze the man who almost discovered Jade with an icy blast. Finn's eyes widened as he pointed at the girl.

"It's Lucky Girl!" cried the well-dressed goon. "Those Tennyson freaks are here!" Seizing the opportunity, Jackie ducked down as he forced Tohru and Ratso to butt heads. The two men groaned as they slid to the ground, Jackie ignoring their pain as he entered a martial arts stance. This caused Valmont to growl in anger as his men ran to grab Lucky Girl.

One of the men ran by the training dummy, only for Jade to pick it up and hit him over the head with it. She ran to try and attack another one, but he grabbed the dummy and began to wrestle her for it. She smirked as she let go, sneaking between the man's spread legs to get behind him. The goon looked around for her as she moved perfectly in step behind him. He growled as he threw the dummy onto the ground.

"Where'd that shrimp go!?" roared the man. He suddenly let out a pain filled cry as Jade kicked him where the sun doesn't shine. His knees buckled as he fell forward, passing out from the pain. Jade harrumphed as she wiped her shoe on the ground. She looked up as Uncle stood over her, his arms crossed.

"What?" questioned the young Chan. "He called me Shrimp. I'm working on the anger thing." Uncle continued to look at her in a scolding manner as a goon ran up to punch him. The old man simply raised his fist as fast as he could, hitting the goon in the face and causing him to slump to the floor.

As this was going on, Valmont aimed the charged talisman at Jackie. The Martial artist quickly grabbed the villain's hand, squeezing it to where he'd lose concentration from the pain. They walked around in circles for a bit before Valmont shoved Jackie away with a kick to the gut. Jackie rubbed the offended area, only to stop when he noticed Valmont letting loose a silent scream of rage. The villain held his left hand forward, this time unleashing multiple blasts of fire.

Jackie screamed out of fear as he began to run from the blasts. The other minions nearby were forced to run as well, Finn nearly being hit by some of the flames. The villain continued to run as he looked back, only to run into a fist before falling over. The fist was attached to Uncle's arm, the chi wizard lowering it as he heard another goon run towards him. The man tried to punch the geezer, only for Uncle to block the attack with a gold bar.

The villain screamed as he held his appendage, not given a chance to fully react as someone jumped off his head. He looked up as Lucky Girl jumped on top of the gold stack behind Uncle. The grunt was in too much pain to react as the girl charged up her ice spell again.

"Cryonis!" cried the magical girl. The attack hit the man dead center, trapping him in magical ice. Uncle looked towards Lucky Girl, narrowing his eyes as he recognized her.

"Gwendolyn?" questioned the chi wizard. Gwen gasped, surprised that the old man picked her out through her disguise. "You know magi…" Uncle was suddenly cut off as a buff grunt locked him in an arm pin from behind. Jade got an idea as she waved to the man.

"Uncle!" cried the young Chan. "How do you spray for bugs!?" She watched as the old chi wizard widened his eyes in understanding.

"Like this!" He suddenly stomped on the buff man's foot as hard as possible, forcing the enemy to release him. The grunt hopped on one foot as he turned around in one place. He completed a full circle before stopping where Uncle was facing him. "One more thing." Instead of saying something, the old man hit the man's chest in just the right way to make him pass out and fall to the ground. He then took a fighting stance while letting out a huff.

Back with Jackie, he leapt over Valmont in order to dodge another fire blast. He landed perfectly on his feet, his mind running on autopilot. He then turned on a dime as he tried to kick at the head villain, said man blocking each strike. With every attack, the thought of Captain Black in the hospital bed flashed in his mind. Valmont then used an opening to grab Jackie by the shirt and throw him over his shoulder.

"Looks like someone's sloppy today," gloated the dragon masked villain. "Mayhaps my parting gift to Captain Black left you with some pent up aggression. Let me relieve you of it, by sending you where he's going." He quickly fired a huge blast of flames at Jackie, seemingly hitting dead center as the martial artist disappeared in the huge torrent. Jade's eyes widened in horror at the sight before her.

"JACKIE!" cried the young Chan. Valmont laughed at the cry of despair, letting the power go to his head. To everyone's shock, however, the blast seemed to bend in towards its target. Valmont stopped his attack in confusion, only for his eyes to widen as the flames were slurped up by Heatblast. The flaming alien took a few steps forward, the talisman magic seemingly increasing the intensity of his flame.

"This ends today, Valmont," growled the hero. "Drop the talisman and surrender, or we'll see if that suit looks better green or charcoal black." Valmont growled as he clenched his fists.

"I WILL NOT BE STOPPED BY A BRAT!" He tried to blast the boy again, only for him to eat the fire once more. Heatblast powered up the increased energy in his right hand as a contrast to Valmont, growling in annoyance.

"Don't say that I didn't warn you." He fired an attack right back at Valmont, this one actually being bigger than anything the villain had produced prior. Valmont had to jump into the entry hole he made to avoid the attack, everyone else running out of the huge area it affected. In the hole, Chow was waiting for the others in a huge flatbed truck as he felt the heat in the area begin to rise. He suddenly saw Valmont land on the ground, sending him the symbol to drive before leaping up onto the gold. Knowing better than to question his boss, the Asian man quickly put the pedal to the metal as they made their grand escape.

Heatblast was about to jump in when he felt a gunshot hit his shoulder. One of the random goons had gotten up and thought he could just shoot the alien in the shoulder, only the shot chipped some stone off the surface as he missed. Tohru roared as he ran to restrain Ben with a metal beam, only for a big metal fist to send him flying into the goon that shot the boy. The Plumber mech stood tall as Finn started to get up, the machine aiming its weapons at him. Instead of fighting, the well-dressed Enforcer returned to laying on the ground, cradling himself as a sign of his defeat. Heatblast was about to go back down the hole when Jackie stood up.

"You can't stop them alone!" cried the martial artist. "Let me…" Heatblast looked back at the man with a serious frown.

"You could have taken Valmont if your head was in the game, talisman or not. You have a family that needs you, Jackie. Let me handle this." He didn't wait for the martial artist's reply as he jumped into the hole. If he had stuck around, he would have watched the Shadowkhan collect the Dark Hand members and vanish.

The tunnel led to an abandoned dock, a massive transport ship on the other side. The flatbed quickly zoomed over the wooden structure, the boards snapping beneath its weight but not breaking apart. Valmont gestured for the captain to get the boat moving as soon as the land vehicle was onboard, the man doing so as he pushed a lever forward. A bright light shined from the tunnel as Heatblast grew closer to the group. Valmont growled as he raised his left hand towards the hole.

"I HAVE HAD IT TO HERE WITH ALIEN FREAKS!" roared the rich villain. This time he fired a blast so powerful that he fell back onto his rear, his dragon mask falling off. The attack caused the cave to be covered by a huge pile of rubble. The blonde villain huffed as he began to smile, only for an even bigger blast to send the rocks in the way flying into the water.

Heatblast came rocketing out of the tunnel while riding a burning stone, controlling it like a surfboard as he chased after the boat. Chow readied a gun as he aimed at the alien, only for his mind to make him imagine the kid underneath the flaming stone exterior. For the first time in his career he was unable to pull the trigger as Heatblast jumped off the stone, causing it to crash mere feet in front of the Asian villain. The impact sent Chow flying, crashing into the captain as they both fell into the water. Heatblast landed in front of Valmont, his frown still present.

"Nowhere to run now, Valmont. It's over." The villain growled for a bit, only to grin as he shook his head.

"I couldn't agree more, Benjamin. You see, our fellow acquaintance Mrs. Rojo told me more than just your identity. I know about your little time limit. Judging by the fact that your little transformation was probably recent, your time is almost up." He expected the boy to run, only to frown as he watched him smirk.

"Then let's finish this quickly." Heatblast suddenly began grabbing gold bars, melting them slightly in his grasp as he threw them into the water. Valmont became more and more annoyed as his veins pulsed more and more.

"Stop it! I said stop! TENNYSON!" The villain raised his hand into the air as he called upon the full power of the Dragon Talisman. Heatblast quickly leapt back as he picked up the rock shard.

"And that's my cue to leave." He surfed away on the rock as it ignited, dodging the huge fiery blast that Valmont shot at him. The attack burnt the boat to where it cut in half, each side slowly sinking into the water. Valmont huffed and puffed as his eyes widened in terror. He fell into the water below before he could say anything.

Valmont eventually washed up on the shore, coughing up water as he pulled himself up on a rock. He looked up to see Chow standing before him, a concerned look on his face. The head villain growled as he held his hand out to the man.

"What are you waiting for!? Help me!" Chow gulped as he shook his head in denial.

"Um… we got company," revealed the Asian villain. Several Shadowkhan suddenly made their presence known, one grabbing Chow while another approached Valmont. The head of the Dark Hand tried to hold onto the talisman, but the shinobi retrieved it from him. He felt the fiery power leave him as two khan grabbed him by his arms. The shinobi disappeared into the shadows with their catch, leaving no trace that anyone was there.

Bellwood Hospital, Bellwood, Pennsylvania

Two Days Later

The heart monitor in Captain Black's room suddenly flatlined as it no longer sensed the presence of a heartbeat. The head of Section 13 pulled the remaining small suction cups off of himself, hissing as his burn was beginning to aggravate him. He couldn't remember what happened, other than he saw Valmont and felt a burning pain. Whatever happened, he needed to get back into action. He hissed once again as he tried to get up, only for Jackie to run to his side and stop him by placing a hand on his chest.

"Take it easy, Augustus," stated Jackie in a soothing manner. He gently pushed the secret agent back down onto the bed before removing his hand. "The doctor says you can leave in a week's time IF you rest. You've been burnt badly." Captain Black was about to make a remark about how he noticed, only for the agent who temporarily took up his position to walk over.

"Sir, good to see you up and at 'em," greeted the man. Jackie turned to face him while Captain Black looked his way. "Salvage operations recovered the bullion from the river, though they seemed to have melted by some unknown means. This made retrieval slightly more difficult." Captain Black did not break eye contact with the man, only having one thing on his mind.

"Valmont?" questioned the captain. The agent closed his eyes as he lowered his head, shaking it in denial. Jackie sighed as he turned back towards his friend.

"That means that the Dark Hand still has the talisman," stated the martial artist. "They will be free to use its magic the next time they…" He was cut off as Captain Black sent a glare his way.

"Jackie. The 'M' word." Augustus watched as the archaeologist sent him a flabbergasted look.

"But you saw its power for yourself! It even injured you!" Captain Black tried to think back on the incident as he looked forward, only to grab his head in pain.

"I remember having Valmont in my sight. The rest is a blur." This news had Jackie slump forward, feeling like this was karma for worrying the others.

Xiaoling Industries

Valmont stood before Shendu once again, his head down in reverence. The dragon was not pleased that the Dragon Talisman was not immediately returned to him, smoke pouring from his stone maw as if prepared to burn the mob boss. He had to think of his next words carefully, knowing that they could end up being his last. This was not the time to make excuses. He bowed his head in reverence to Shendu, the dragon's smoke ceasing for the moment.

"Shendu, I beg your forgiveness," requested the head of the Dark Hand. Shendu remained silent, Valmont waiting for a fire blast. The dragon finally hummed, causing him to look up at its tone head.

"You may earn it, Valmont," offered Shendu. "Rumor has it that a talisman has surfaced at the North Pole. Dress warmly." The dragon chuckled smugly under its breath, causing Valmont to growl. Knowing that the alternative was death, he had no choice but to deal with this punishment.

Bellwood Middle School

Jade walked through the halls, feeling the stares of kids looking her way in surprise. It took her a while to decide on this, though she had encouragement from Gwen to go for it. What surprised her was how right Ben was when he mentioned boys looking her way. Now that she was paying attention due to her new look, the boys around were definitely giving her second glances upon seeing her. It actually put a pep in her step, though she honestly thought there was only one guy she wanted an opinion from.

Hence why she was quick to get to the lunch room where her friend group usually sat. Her skipping actually saved her as she practically jumped over a foot from Cash that was meant to trip her, the boy looking gob smacked as she wasn't even looking. Jade smiled as she saw Maynard sitting on the opposite side of the table from Ben and Gwen, her friend Simone sitting on his left. Her own spot next to Ben was left nice and open for her, causing her to grin as she transitioned to a run. She skidded to a halt as she stood at the end of the table, putting her lunchbox down.

"Hey guys!" greeted the young Chan. "What do you think?" Everyone but Ben looked her way, the boy seemingly preoccupied by his game. Simone gave her a surprised smile, Maynard sent her a nod with his own small smile, and Gwen smirked as if she knew something. Gwen quickly bopped Ben lightly, the boy being annoyed at being interrupted from his game until he noticed Jade's lunch box beside him.

"Oh hey Jade!" greeted the boy. "What's goi…?" He finally looked to where she was standing, his words dying in his throat. His mouth remained open from where he stopped in his sentence. Sparkles filled his eyes as he looked her up and down, creating an outline around the girl.

Jade had allowed her hair to grow out a bit longer over the past week, pulling it back into a small pony tail while letting her bangs frame her face. She had swapped her pink lipstick for a light blue one, the way it shined giving him goosebumps. She was wearing a light blue t-shirt with a white lotus pattern at the hem and a navy blue Chinese dragon spiraled around on the front, the shirt showing off her stomach a little bit in a fashionable way. She also wore white shorts that stopped at her knees, a pink rose design running down each of her sides. Under the shorts was a pair of black leggings that led down into a white pair of sneakers that shared the rose design of her shorts. The look was completed by a small white handbag that she had draped over her shoulder.

Ben blushed as the outfit was not as baggy as her usual attire, revealing her growing bosom and the slight curve to her rear. Liking the way he was staring at her, Jade did a quick turnaround that gave him a full view of her attire. "Well? What's the verdict, Ben?" Having finally heard Jade speak, Ben quickly forced his mouth shut as he nodded his head enthusiastically.

"It looks great!" cheered the boy. "I knew you'd make anything look good!" Jade blushed as she held her hands behind her back, allowing her chest to be pushed out a bit more.

"Thanks." She immediately took a seat beside him, leaning on him a bit as she looked towards Simone. "You don't usually sit with us, Simone. Not that I don't like having you with us but is there a reason you decided to sit here?" The girl nodded as she held her hands in her lap.

"Yes," revealed the girl. "Gwen told me that you were looking to try and work on your style a bit, so I wanted to show my support. I have to say the new you looks wonderful by the way. Gwen also mentioned how the both of you were going to teach the boys martial arts so…" Simone was cut off as Jade shook her head with a chuckle.

"Simone, you don't have to butter me up to be part of our group. Being our friend and promising to only use martial arts in defense of yourself and others is all we ask. We'll be practicing after school so make sure you have some gym clothes or something loose so that you don't rip a good outfit. We don't need to be giving anyone a surprise show." Simone blushed at the implications as she chuckled in embarrassment. Ben bopped his forehead with his palm before suddenly standing up.

"I think I left something at home!" cried the boy. "I gotta call my mom and see if she can find it. 'Scuze me for a moment." He earned the normal replies as he grabbed up his stuff and left. Instead of going for his locker, he immediately ducked into the boys' bathroom.

He immediately pulled out his phone and made a call, putting the device to his ear. "Mom, I need help! I'm in love and I don't know what to do!" He suddenly heard a loud squeal on the other side, his mother obviously excited by the news. He was thankful that no one else was in the room, otherwise they would have definitely heard the cry that almost made him go deaf in one ear.

That's all for this one! It ended up being a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but there was so much that I felt would be perfect to have here. The details about things Jade likes is actual information about her character that I've found through research and heard from friends. I also decided to show for definite that the characters are on the cusp of becoming teenagers. Overall, I'm proud of the emotions and character development I was able to display here.

Anyway, what did you think about the chapter? Did you like how Jade handled things here more than the original episode? How about her new look and the fact that Maynard is taking a more prominent role in her friend group? Let me know what you think down below and I'll try to get back with you ASAP. This is Inkaliber, signing out.