(Flashback)

"C'mon, Chen! Take him down! Go for the finishing blow!" Kai yells, his voice ringing out above the crowds.

Chen wipes the blood from his nose from where his opponent had struck, seeing him laying on the ground. His opponent tried to get to his feet, but Chen put a stop to it, leaping on top of him and holding him down.

The coach counts down before blowing the whistle, claiming Chen the winner. At this Chen finally gets up, turning to see the Kai talking to someone else, receiving a package of money. The man then walks over to Chen, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You did it, "Blazing Beast". You made me proud." he says with a grin, ruffling his hair as he guides him away from the fighting area.

Chen chuckles. "Really? Do you think I'm ready to join the boxing ring yet?" he asks, looking up at Kai excitedly. Kai chuckles, shaking his head. "Not yet, Chen. But soon. Then you'll be the best boxer Megapolis has ever seen. That the world has ever seen." he promises. "Just keep making me proud, and you'll be big someday."

"You think so?"

"I KNOW so."

"You know, when I found out I was going to be trained by the Monkey King, Great Sage, equal to heaven, I had no idea... that I'd be stuck here hammering walls 12 hours a day!" MK yelled in frustration, stopping his work and throwing the hammer he'd been using. "Why am I doing this again?!"

Monkey King doesn't respond right away, blocking an attack from Chen's wooden training staff. The sage was teaching the young man how to use weapons, which was a very different to what Chen was used to.

"Oh, so I can make a nice little breakfast nook. Get some light up in here!" Monkey King says cheerily, taking a step back and blocking another attack from Chen. "You're doing great, buddy! Just remember to always expect the unexpected. Otherwise you'll be open to-" he spins his staff, catching Chen off guard as the wooden staff flies out of his hands, landing a few feet away. "-surprise attacks."

Chen blinks in disbelief, looking up at the sage. "Hey, that was uncalled for!" he yells, but Monkey King merely shrugs. "You're thinking too much about predicting what I'm going to do next. Remember; not all opponents are the same. They all use different tactics and skills to get their way. You're not fighting just humans anymore, Chen. You'll be fighting demons with years of experience in different techniques. You gotta keep adapting."
Chen rolls his eyes, but he knew Monkey King had a point.

"Hey! What about me!" MK asks. "I'm meant to be Monkie Kid! Not Construction Boy! How am I supposed to do the hero stuff if I don't know the fighting stuff!"
At this, Monkey King chuckles, spinning his staff. "Oh? You want to know the "fighting stuff", huh?" he asks. He approaches MK, eyes glowing a bright gold. Chen took this as his cue to step back and watch.
"Like this?"
Monkey King throws the staff, smashing a hole straight through the very wall MK was working on. The boy gasps, eyes sparkling in admiration. "Whoa! Yes! Exactly like that! I am ready for some awesome!" he cheers excitedly. Monkey King laughs, surprising both Chen and MK.
"Look, bud. You can't rush this stuff. You'll get there. You just need practice." he explains. But MK wasn't so sure.

"But this isn't practice!" he. exclaims, holding up the hammer he'd been using. At this, the sage groans, turning back to MK with a stern expression. "I'm never going to teach you something you don't need to know, okay?"
MK huffs, looking to Chen. "Chen? You don't agree with this, do you?" he asks. Chen pauses, glancing between MK and the Monkey King, who'd also turned to look at him with a raised brow. "I don't know, don't ask me. All teachers are weird in their teachings, in my opinion."

Monkey King chuckles, while MK huffs in defeat. "Okay. Now, this priceless, ancient mural is not going to destroy itself. So remember: Step into the strike. Chen, you're next." he states. At this, Chen turns to Monkey King, confused. "Wait, what?"
"You're gonna be trying this next. Don't question it, just do it."

Before Chen could question further, MK's phone rings, distracting the two young men. MK quickly answers the call, seeing Mei's name on the screen. When he answers, her worried and distressed face comes up. "MK! Chen! We really need your help!" she yells, turning her phone to show them a giant, shadowy monster was attacking the city.

Seeing this opportunity, MK gasps dramatically. "A monster attacking the city? That's terrible!" he cries. "Dang. Guess I got to go do some boring hero stuff instead of...this. Okay, bye!" he yells, grabbing Chen's arm and running out with Chen in tow.
Monkey King sighs in annoyance, but doesn't say anything, merely watching his two students leave.

MK and Chen arrive back in Megapolis within a minute, much to the discomfort of Chen. Once they stop next to Mei, Chen had to take a minute to stop himself from throwing up. "MK, give me a warning next time you decide to try and break the speed record!" he growls out, heaving. MK chuckles. "Aren't you used to that by now?"
"Not being flung through the air on nothing but a pole!"

"MK! Chen! What took you guys so long?!" Mei asks. MK scratches his neck. "Sorry, Monkey King was making me do boring stuff. That the bad guy?" he asks, gesturing to the ominous, purple monster looming over their heads.

Chen straightens up, looking up at the strange beast. "Whoa, that's a big one..." he murmurs. MK chuckles. "Nothing we can't handle, right Chen? Be right back!" he yells, charging forward. Chen rolls his eyes, but follows his lead. "Here comes-"

"No, wait!"

"Monkie Kid!"

As soon as MK finishes his sentence he is immediately thrown back to the ground by the purple monster, followed by Chen. The two hit the ground, easily defeated.
Mei looks down at her two friends, cringing. "Oh, yeah... we tried that." she explains, gesturing to Sandy hovering over a defeated Pigsy. Chen sits up with a groan, right as a dark figure flies overhead. The trio look up in surprise.

"Is that-"
"Monkey King?"

It was difficult to make out who the figure was, but it looked an awful lot like the Monkey King. Chen watches on as the figure strikes the monster down with one hit, causing it to shrink and run away.
"What is Monkey King doing here...?" he wonders aloud. MK leaps to his feet, running over to the building. "Who cares?! That was awesome!"

MK quickly climbs up the building, with Chen following behind on the ladders and balconies leading up.

The younger boy made it to the top first (even after falling off) and starts to fanboy over Monkey King's cool fight, only to stop abruptly. When Chen reaches the top, he understood why. The figure wasn't Monkey King, but a dark-furred monkey.
"Oh- this is awkward. You're not Monkey King." MK says sheepishly, as Chen pulls himself over the barrier to join the boy.

The monkey chuckles, scratching his neck. "I get that a lot. Monkie Kid, right?" he asks, crouching on a pipe. MK gasps. "How did you-"
"Your staff kind of gives you away, dude. Not just anyone can wield that thing." he points out, gesturing to MK's staff.

Chen hums, walking over to stand next to MK. "Yeah, we know. Who exactly are you?" he asks suspiciously, looking the monkey up and down. Has he seen this guy before?
The monkey chuckles again, standing up. "Macaque! Actually, the "Six-Eared Macaque" is, you know. My full name. What abut you? Haven't seen you around before." the simian asks, eyeing him curiously.

"The name's Chen. And I'm this doofus's side kick." Chen explains, making a point by wrapping an arm around MK's shoulders. Macaque raises a brow, nodding. "I see. Well, I better get going. See you around, kiddo's." he waves, walking off.
MK darts back over to Macaque, surprising both Chen and the monkey. "CAN YOU TEACH ME THAT AWESOME THING!" he begs, eyes practically sparkling.

Macaque chuckles awkwardly, taking a step back. "Don't you already have a master? I thought Monkey King was teaching you." he asks. At this, Chen raises a brow. How'd he know that?

MK coughs awkwardly. "Ah, yeah, yeah, no he-he is." he chuckles, before falling silent. Chen steps in. "Yeah, he is. How'd you know?" he asks. Macaque merely shrugs. "Word spreads, you know. Especially when it concerns two young, potential heroes and a living legend." he explains with a smile. Chen thinks this over, realising that he was right.

"But concerning the teaching thing, I wouldn't mind. I already have a student of my own, and can teach you guys as well. You can never have too many teachers, right? I'm sure Monkey King would agree. It's not like he would want to hold you back."

Chen and MK glance at each other, before Chen guides MK back to talk with him. "You're not considering this, are you?" he asks quietly. MK looks away, scratching his neck. "Well..."
The young man glances back to Macaque, who was idly standing behind them, head tilted curiously as he watches them. "I don't know about this guy. Something just feels awfully familiar about this whole situation." he says. He kept getting deja vu, but he couldn't place his finger on it...
MK waves him off. "C'mon, it can't be that bad! He seems like a cool guy, right?" he asks, and at this Chen shrugs. "I guess..."
"Then it's fine! You can go back to Monkey King and break some walls down, but I'm gonna go check out Macaque's training. Maybe he'll teach me that thing he did!" he whispers excitedly.
Thinking it over, Chen sighs in defeat. "Alright. I'm gonna come watch, just to see what he does, though."

MK grins, before turning back to Macaque. "Yeah! Monkey King would be totally cool with this." he says, answering Macaque's earlier question. The monkey chuckles, placing a hand on Chen and MK's backs and begins to guide them along. "Alright, then."

Chen winces as MK is thrown into a rack full of weapons, crashing to the floor. Macaque, MK and Chen had arrived at an old dojo, where Macaque and MK had gotten to training right away. MK was quickly bested by Macaque, the monkey standing over him with his staff pointed at him. "Not bad. Don't get me wrong, but I was kind of expecting a little more from someone with your power." Macaque points out. Chen stood silently by the side, eyeing Macaque warily.

MK was offended by the monkeys statement. "Hey, hey I've got more! I can give way more than that! I can do better!" he promises. Macaque raises a brow, but smiles. "Okay. Maybe show me next time." he suggests, before walking over to Chen, leaving MK to pick himself up. "What about you? Can you do better?"

Chen's brows furrow. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?" he asks, glancing over to MK. Macaque didn't even seem to hold back, while MK did. Macaque shrugs. "You'll never know your true potential unless you give it your all. But if Monkey King isn't doing that... maybe he's just being too soft, not letting you reach that potential."
The young man pauses, looking at Macaque. The monkey stares back with a friendly smile, but Chen felt a bit peeved by his statement.

"Are you implying I'm not strong enough to fight you?"

"I'm not saying anything. But I guess it's your choice if you don't want to." the monkey shrugs. At this, Chen stands up straighter, getting off the wall he'd been leaning on. "No, no. I've changed my mind. Let's do it." he says. Macaque tilts his head slightly, a small smirk falling on his lips. "Alright. Let's see what you've got."

Chen picks up one of the fallen staffs on the ground, moving to the centre of the training mat. MK quickly moves out of the way.
The two start to spar, Chen giving it his all and trying to remember all the moves Monkey King had taught him so far. Macaque easily dodges and blocks his attacks, and he seemed just as eager to fight.
"Not bad. But I still think you could learn a thing or two." Macaque states. He pushes Chen's staff up, forcing him to stumble back and leaving an opening. Then with one sweep he swings his staff, striking Chen in the gut and throwing him back. Chen cries out in pain, panting from the workout. Macaque walks over to him.

"Maybe this is a little harsh, but I feel like you could've done better than that. It seemed like you were holding back on me." he points out. Chen scowls as he gets to his feet, but he couldn't blame anyone but himself for something he agreed to do.
"You know, you could learn a little more from me. I can teach you both how to be stronger." he suggests. Chen thinks it over, before turning to Macaque. "Alright. Deal."

Macaque grins. "Great. See you tomorrow, then." He says, before walking off, walking into another room of the dojo. MK and Chen leave, rubbing their sores.

(A few days later...)

Chen sits back, bandaging up a new cut that was dealt from Macaque's staff, watching MK hammering at the wall Monkey King wanted to get rid of. Even after a few days, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of deja vu, as if he's been in this situation before.

"Stop holding back, Stop trying to be nice. Your first strike should be your last strike. Every time you attack, give it everything you've got."

Macaque's words ring in Chen's head, tightening the bandage to conceal it from Monkey King. This all just felt too... familiar.

"Other people are going to tell you to be patient. They are slowing you down. You have power inside of you. Use it. Take the power and destroy. Remember, you don't use a weapon. You ARE a weapon."

A loud crash jolts Chen out of his thoughts, and he quickly looks up to see the wall MK had been working on... was gone. Even Monkey King was stunned by the amount of power MK had used.
"Whoa! How'd you learn to do that?" he asks, before gasping, turning to MK. "Have you been running around with other mentors?!" he asks accusingly. Chen sweats, hoping the sage wouldn't turn to him next.

MK turns away, a dark, focused expression on his face. Chen stares at his brother in concern as MK answers Monkey King coldly. "Patience and focus. Isn't that what you said?"
Monkey King looks down at the boy sternly, not liking his attitude. "Look, kid. Using that much power, your body can't handle it-"
"You just don't like that there's someone who's actually teaching me what I need to know." MK snaps back, surprising Chen even more. That didn't sound like MK...

And that's when it clicks.

Macaque's cool, friendly attitude. The monkey taking the two boys under his wing, promising to make them stronger, better fighters.
The harshness, the urge to be better, sneakily turning them on the people they trust.
MK's personality switch...

Chen's been here before with the Golden Kitsune's.

Chen quickly follows after MK, leaving Monkey King alone. "MK, wait!"

MK had already made it out of the cave, and was about to leave on his staff when Chen reaches out and grabs his shoulder. "MK, please don't go back to Macaque. I should've seen it before, but he's-"

"What? Teaching us what we need to know? Don't tell me you're with Monkey King on this too." MK spat, shaking Chen off. Chen's eyes widen in surprise, taken off guard. "What? No, MK, you don't understand. Kai had-"
"Save it. I don't want to hear another excuse." MK interrupts, and before the young man could say anything more MK was gone, launching himself into the air with the staff and leaving Chen behind on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Chen looks up at where MK disappeared in disbelief. "The heck?! MK you little- AGH! You didn't even give me a chance to talk!" he yells out in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

Now he realised why the situation was familiar, and he couldn't even warn his brother that Macaque was possibly using him.
There was only one way for MK to realise that Macaque was bad news, and that was if he found out on his own.

But Chen wasn't going to just let it happen. No, he was going to put a stop to it before it got too far. But first he had to get back... somehow...

Groaning in annoyance, Chen marches back to the cave to see Monkey King in deep thought. He coughs awkwardly, getting the sage's attention. "MK had just left me. Would you mind... giving me a lift?" he asks, scratching his neck.

Monkey King glances at the hole in the wall MK had made, before sighing. "Sure thing, bud." he says, summoning his cloud. "Jump on."

Chen nods, climbing onto the cloud. It felt soft, but sturdy to stand on. But when Monkey King started moving, the young man had to grab onto him to avoid falling off.
Soon they were speeding over the ocean, heading toward Megapolis.

"So... were you running around with another mentor too?" Monkey King asks, glancing back to Chen. The young man looks away. "Um... maybe?"
Monkey King sighs, falling silent and thinking to himself. Chen couldn't see his face, but he could already tell he was upset.
"Look, I'm sorry Monkey King. This guy, he just... he got into my head. I should've known he was bad news from the start-" Chen says quickly, but Monkey King interrupts him.

"It's fine, bud. But I still can't believe you both two-timed me on training." he pouts childishly, crossing his arms. "But then again... I can't really blame you. If it really is who I think it is, then it's not your fault. He has a way of doing stuff like that. As long as you stay away from him from now on, we can just forget this ever happened. I'll deal with him."

Monkey King lands on top of Pigsy's Noodles, letting Chen down from the cloud. Chen looks up at Monkey King. "Uh, thanks again, Monkey King. I'll try to, you know, be a better student..." he mutters, looking away.
The sage tilts his head, and for a moment he thought the monkey was just going to leave. To his surprise, he felt Monkey King ruffle his hair. "Don't think too much about it. Now, I'm gonna go look for MK. You wait here, ok?"

"Sure thing, Monkey King..."

The sage nods with a smile, before flying off on his cloud once more, leaving Chen on the roof. The young man watches until he's out of sight, before quickly decending off the roof, heading toward Macaque's dojo.

There was no way in all the realms that he was going to sit back while MK was with that lying, manipulative bastard.

Chen soon arrives at Macaque's dojo, and from inside he could hear MK and the monkey training. Instead of heading inside, the young man decides to wait outside. If he couldn't convince MK that Macaque was up to no good, then the boy just had to find out for himself the hard way.

Leaning against a wall, Chen crosses him arms and waits.

A couple of minutes go by and the sounds inside stop, followed by silence. The, Macaque and MK exit the dojo, the young boy exhausted. Macaque must've really gone hard on him today...
Chen gets up, walking over to the two. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" he asks, trying to keep it casual.
MK turns to Chen, brows furrowing slightly in annoyance. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to come back here." he points out. At this, Chen shrugs. "I never said that. So, what are you two doing now?" he asks again.

Macaque raises a brow, keeping unusually silent as MK answers. "Oh, Macaque and I were just gonna do something." he explains. Chen tilts his head curiously. "Oh, really? Well, I'm coming too." he declares, about to follow the two when Macaque places a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. "No, this is something MK needs to do on his own. He doesn't need a babysitter hovering over him." he states, turning to look at MK with a smile. "Isn't that right, MK?"

MK glances between them, before nodding. "Uh- yeah! Whatever it is, I can handle it. I don't need your help this time. You can stay here, Chen." he says, the young man staring at his brother. How did MK not see that Macaque was trying to seperate them?

But then again, he couldn't really blame him when he did the exact same thing.

Scowling, he looks off to the side. "Fine. Whatever." he mutters. Macaque grins, patting the young man on the back before walking toward MK. "Alright, then. Let's go, kiddo."
"Yeah! See you later, Chen!" MK says, before following behind Macaque like an eager puppy.

Chen glares at Macaque's back, and for a split second the monkey turns his head back to the young man, shooting him an impish grin. But just like that it was gone, and so were the two of them, leaving Chen alone for the third time that day.

"Dammit. Now I know how Pigsy felt whenever I snuck off to hang out with the Golden Kitsune's..."

Chen waits a bit, before following after them, wanting to know where exactly Macaque was taking MK.

Lightning crashes in the distance, spooking Chen . He looks around, trying to catch his breath. He had been following Macaque and MK for what felt like forever, Chen realised that Macaque had taken his brother to a secluded mountain, far away from civilisation.
On top of one rock pillar in particular, the young man could see the smoke monster MK and Chen had tried to fight a few days prior.

From his position behind a boulder, he watches as MK and Macaque talk, the boy looking doubtful about something. He couldn't make out what they were saying, and that frustrated him.
Macaque seems to tell MK something encouraging, before pushing MK towards the direction of the monster. Chen's eyes widen in shock, realising that Macaque wanted MK to fight the monster.

He couldn't let MK do that by himself, not after what happened last time. That thing could kill him! He needed his help!

The young man was about to step out of his hiding spot and confront Macaque when he feels something wrap around his leg. He quickly looks down, and is surprised to see a shadowy hand clinging onto his ankle, keeping him in place. He tries to shake it off, but it has a firm hold on him.
Another hand comes out from the wall behind him, grabbing onto his shirt and yanking him back against the shoulder. Chen tries to yell for MK's help when another hand covers his mouth, followed by several more grabbing onto him and holding him down.

A monkey-like face emerges from the shadows next to him, giving him a familiar yet sinister grin. It brings a finger to its lips, signalling for Chen to be silent.
It then points to the distance, and when Chen turned his head to look he watches in horror as MK goes in to fight the monster alone.

He spins his staff, lunging towards the monster with a determined expression. The monster turns its head to watch him carefully, and as MK swings his staff. The monster doesn't move, using its powers to block the attack. MK keeps attacking, hitting it with everything he had.

"I am the weapon!"

As MK attacks the monster it begins to shift and morph, becoming smaller and smaller. The staff shoots right past it, and from his angle from the ground Chen had to squint to see just what it had shifted into.

The monster had revealed itself to be Macaque.

Both MK's and Chen's eyes widen in shock and horror, and before the younger boy could react or defend himself the monkey had punched him in the gut, drawing out a glowing stone. MK falls to the ground, landing in front of the first Macaque that had guided him to the mountain. His staff lands next to him, the younger boy left winded.

Macaque chuckles as he walks by MK, ruffling his hair. "You know, you really are a good kid." he says, disappearing into a shadow on the ground.
"Super nice..."

The stone, which Chen realised was MK's powers, was still in Macaque's hands. He absorbs it, taking it for himself. A shockwave throws MK into a rock, the staff flying towards him and pinning him in place.

"Thank you for giving me all of Monkey King's powers." The monkey grins as he turns back to MK.

As Chen watches from his place, the shadowy hands holding him down pull, and the young man realises too late that he's sinking into the ground with them. He tries to fight them off, but it's already too late. He disappears into a shadow portal, re-emerging in front of Macaque and MK.

MK is shocked to see the young man, while Macaque turns his head to look at Chen with a menacing grin. "I thought we told you to stay put, kid." he tuts, as if scolding a disobedient child. "You don't like listening, do you? Just like your old man." Chen fights against the shadow clones holding him down, trying to break free. "How did you-"

"What? Know that you followed us? You're not that quiet, kiddo." Macaque points out, revealing three of his six-ears briefly before hiding them again. "You should've stayed away, Chen."

MK strains to move the staff, gaining Macaque's attention. He cackles at his failed attempts with a wide, mocking grin. "Huh? Oh, no! Can't you hold the magic staff anymore? Well, you know what that means! There really isn't anything special about you." he taunts. He pushes the staff further into the rock, keeping MK in place. Seeing this, Chen grits his teeth. "Get away from him you mother-"
A shadowy hand quickly silences him, muffling his threats. Macaque doesn't even look his way, leaning in closer to MK. "You're just some kid with a heavy stick."

"Enough!"

Macaque is suddenly thrown back, and he had to catch himself. He lands back on his feet, a dark scowl on his face as he turns back to the two boys. A figure stands protectively in front of them, and MK and Chen look up in surprise.

"Monkey King!" MK cries out in relief, only to be silenced by Monkey King's glare. Chen knew they'd both be getting an earful later.

"Monkey King! It's good to see you, bud!" Macaque mocks, the cocky grin returning. But it appeared more forced. Monkey King shifts his glare to Macaque, not pleased in the slightest. "Are you ever going to get sick of living in my shadow? It's time you give back what you stole." he demands.

This causes Macaque's eyebrow to twitch in irritation, but after taking in a breath he laughs at the sage. "You are such a gem. It's gonna be so satisfying killing you with your own powers!" he snarls, lunging forward. Monkey King doesn't hesitate, and the two clash together in battle.
Monkey King draws Macaque away from MK and Chen, caught in an intense fight.

Chen struggles to free an arm, the hands still holding a firm grip on him. He tried to use his powers, but they didn't seem to be working at all, which frustrated him immensely. "MK, are you okay?" he asks, lifting his head to look at the boy.
MK was still trying to remove the staff, but upon hearing Chen's question he looks at him, slumping over. "Yeah. Maybe...no, not really... you knew, didn't you? You saw it coming."

Chen tilts his head from side to side, unsure how to phrase it. "Well, kind of? I definitely wasn't expecting this." he says, pointing his head in the direction of Monkey King and Macaque's battle.
"I'm sorry, I should've given you a chance to talk, but I was just so frustrated-" MK rants, and Chen shakes his head. "Hey- let's talk about it later. Right now we gotta get outta here. Can you lift the staff?"
MK shakes his head. "No, I can't-"

The two are cut off as Monkey King yells in pain, both quickly turning their attention to the fight to see Monkey King had been punched straight through several rock pillars, and was being piled on by Macaque's clones. Macaque cackles, and Chen realised the monkey had tricked the sage by shapeshifting into MK.

"Seriously? You fell for THAT?" Macaque cackles, glancing over to MK still struggling to remove the staff. He chuckles, as shadows begin to swirl around him, the purple monster forming once more. "Sorry, kid. Nothing personal."

Chen's eyes widen as Macaque conjures up the smoke monster, realising what the monkey was about to do.

"MK!"

The young man struggles and fights against the shadows holding him down, green sparks glowing around him.

He couldn't lose MK. He wouldn't lose MK. He won't let it happen.

With a yell the shadow clones disperse, and Chen charges forward right as Macaque brings a fist down on MK to finish him off. He puts himself between the giant hand and his brother, blocking the attack.

"If you want to take a hit you gotta have a firmer stance."

"Concentrate on how much power you want to use."

Jade's and Monkey King's words ring through his head, his eyes glowing green as he uses his super strength to stop Macaque's attack.
Macaque chuckles, not letting up." Oh ho? I knew you were holding out on me! But is that all you've got?! Or are you really that weak!"

Macaque uses more force, and Chen cries out in pain as he struggles to keep him back, his feet sliding against the ground. Chen's eyes widen in fear, realising that the both of them were about to be crushed. "No, no, no, no, no, no-"

That is, until another pair of hands appear next to Chen's bringing a stop to Macaque's attack once more. Chen glances up to see Monkey King beside him, teeth gritting together as he helps hold Macaque back.

"Come on!" Macaque taunts. "Show me the real Sun Wukong! The old you would've leveled this whole mountain range to stop me! But you're scared of hurting a couple of kids?! Pathetic!"

Chen winces as Macaque keeps up his attack, and he glances over his shoulder to see MK still struggling to move the staff. He wanted to help him, but he feared that if he moved they'll all be crushed, since both he and Monkey King were struggling to keep Macaque back.

"C'mon, staff! I can't, I'm not strong enough..." MK says, about ready to give up. At his statement, though, Monkey King snaps at him, surprising Chen. "Kid! We're definitely going to have words later. But it's time for the hero stuff!"

This sparks something inside of MK. Chen watches in awe as his brother manages to move the heavy staff, golden sparks flying around him as his powers start to return. He gets to his feet, lifting the heavy weapon with effort. He steps forward into the strike, throwing his staff.

The staff flies over Chen and Monkey King's heads, heading straight towards Macaque and the smoke monster. The staff hits its target and Macaque is blasted away, causing an explosion.
Monkey King rushes forward, shielding both MK and Chen.

Monkey King let out a sigh of relief, looking out at the sunrise. MK and Chen sat on a rock beside him, the trio taking a moment to rest after the intense battle.
"You did it, bud. You remembered what I told you." The sage says to MK. Chen glances at MK, who was looking down at his staff with a sad expression. He pulls his brother into a side hug, to which MK gladly leaned against him.

"I'm sorry, Monkey King..." MK says quietly, and at this, Monkey King turns to them. "Oh, oh, you totally should be! I still can't believe you both two-timed me on your training! Don't think you're getting out of this one, either!" he sulks pointing accusingly to Chen.
Chen glances away, chuckling awkwardly. "I know."

MK was quiet. "I just wanted to be good enough. Like you..." he admits, and this causes Monkey King's expression to soften. He sighs, crouching down next to the young boy. "Hey, your heart's in the right place, kid. We can work on the rest." he reassures.
Chen ruffles MK's hair. "We're going to have a serious talk when we get back home."

"Who taught you how to use your powers like that? Was it Macaque?" Monkey King asks Chen suspiciously. At this, Chen hesitates.
"It was, um, self taught?" he says, glancing back to the sage sheepishly. Oh, he definitely wasn't going to tell Monkey King about Jade now.

Monkey King huffs. "You do realise how risky that is, right? That could've gone seriously wrong in several ways!" he points out. Chen shrugs. "Yeah, well, you weren't teaching me anything."

Monkey King falls silent, realising that Chen was right. He sighs, taking his hand away from MK. "Alright you got me there..."

The trio sit silently for a while, as the great sage gives MK a reassuring pat on the back. MK turns to Monkey King. "You're still gonna keep training us, right?" he asks. Monkey King chuckles."Of course, bud! And I've got something special in mind."

Back on Flower Fruit Mountain, Chen and MK were doing chores for Monkey King. While MK was over excited, expecting to learn some secret kung fu move, Chen was not as pleased. "C'mon! If I wanted to do spring cleaning, I would've just gone back home." he grumbles, sweeping the dust in the cave.

"Hububub! Less talking, more cleaning." He says as he lays back on his cloud, eating out of a packet of peach chips. Chen rolls his eyes, but continues to work.

(Back in Megapolis...)

Jade takes a long, quiet walk along a building roof through the night, looking down at the city bellow him. The bright and colourful lights made the scene beautiful, but the snake demon had to admit that he missed seeing the stars in the sky at night.

He'll have to leave the city some time. Maybe he should do that now while Chen is on his week-long training with the Monkey King.

As they stand there alone, a faint whispering starts from all around. They stiffen, listening to the familiar whispers.

Was that...?

Jade looks around, and that's when he spots them: and army of the Demon Bull King's bull clones marching through the streets, causing chaos and destruction in their wake. Except this time, they were different.

Instead of glowing purple like he'd seen them, they were now glowing an eerie, familiar blue. A ghostly presence Jade was all too familiar with.

"She's back."