Jack was smoking his cigar while staring out the window, watching the starry sky, deep into thought. He inhaled and blew out the smoke from his mouth as the same question crossed his head.
Do you want to give up on being evil because you're not good at it or because you know you never were evil in the first place?
Damn it, old masters and their philosophies. Of course he was evil! Evil guys do not regret what they have done. And he did quite a lot. He stole stuff, like shen gong wu, he built fake parents, mocked and insulted... He even sold bombs. How do you think he was filthy rich? And he did not regret this one bit.
At least... this is what he was telling himself. Lies. He stopped selling weapons a long time ago. 1 year and 3... maybe 4 months after he gave up. And he gave up because he did not want to get himself killed. NOTHING. MORE. He just wanted a normal life, and he finally has it! Until they came back again with their weird magic again.
You're the element of lightning.
Haha! As if
He scoffed and puffed his cigar again. Now what? They show up after 3 fucking years and tell him something like it was obvious. Oh hi Jack, whatcha doin' you loser? You have powers like us btw.
Yeah right. Was lightning even an element of nature? No. It wasn't. Lightning is simply a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge. NOT some sort of magical antic force that is supposed to save the world from one thousand years of darkness.
If they would've come with a problem including numbers and equations, heck, time traveling, he would've gladly helped them.
He is an expert in quantum physics not magic for Godness sake. Quantum physics along many other domains. He has the brains not the muscle and skills that require a martial arts battle.
But please, consider it. You will learn a lot. And you are long forgiven for the evil in the past, Jack.
He did. He thought about it, and the answer is still no. No. He did not want to come back. No. He did not want to learn about magical stuff. No. he did not care if he was forgiven. No. He did not want to fail again... like he did in Heylin.
''I never was evil anyway...'', Jack found himself saying, and only a second later did he realise what he said, he coughed violently at that and blamed it on the smoking. He threw the cigar out, and right when he was about to close the window, he saw something glowing yellow in the distant forest that was behind his house.
''What the fu-'', He looked at the glow, it quickly disappeared. He shrugged and walked to his bed and threw himself onto it like a sack of potatoes, placing his arms behind his head, ''Meh, I don't care.''.
''Fuck you curiosity.'', Jack grumbled walking in the forest, in a t shirt and some sweat pants. He looked around, casting a glance every now and then. It was past midnight, and he was walking in a freaking forest to look for something that might be a figment of his imagination. Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he scratched his head. He came into a clearing area. Wait, the cut down trees were 2 miles from his house! What the fuck?! Why did he walk so much?
''Fucking bullshit. I am sleep deprived and I am walking into a forest in the middle of the night for 2 miles to look for… what am I even looking for?!.'', He grumpily started to head back.
He saw something in the sky, ''What the fuck is it now?'', he squinted, and frowned ''Wuya, is that you?'', The figure from the sky floated down until her bare feet touched the grass, ''Who else, moron?''. Jack lifted his eyebrows and walked towards her ''Wow, Wuya.'', ''What?'', ''Meh, it's been 3 years and you still look like a slut.'', he ducked a slap from her, ''It was a compliment.'', he laughed, and ran as she tried to kick him.
''At least I don't look like I just lost a fight with a raccoon.'', She smirked, annoyed, as she cracked her knuckles. ''Meh, it suits me. What are you doing here?'', she tilted her head at that question, ''You mean you're not here for the wu?'', Jack's eyebrows raised, he quickly spinned around and stomped away with clenched fists ''Oh hell no. No way, nuh uh, fuck, damn it. Out of all the places it had to be here, a fucking wu. Why did I not realize? It glowed yellow, FOR FUCK'S SAKE! I knew I should've stayed in bed, but NOOOOOOOOOO!'', Jack started talking more to himself than with Wuya who stared after him confused. After Jack disappeared completely into the shadows she shrugged and continued her search.
Jack was still cursing under his breath when a sudden ''JACK SPICER!'', made him jump out of his skin. He turned around to see Omi pointing at him, but instead of hearing ''Prepare yourself for a humiliating defeat!'', he got instead ''Are you here to retrieve the shen gong wu?!''. He lifted his arms annoyed and yelled ''FUCK NO!'', he groaned and started walking away, ''Can you help me find it then?'', Omi asked walking alongside him ''No, Cheese ball, no. God, I knew I should've stayed in bed.'', ''Have you considered-'', ''Trying to ignore you, Omi!''.
Omi pouted and walked away, searching for the wu. Jack sighed, relieved, but not even 10 feet away, and he saw something in the bark of a tree. He squinted at it and pulled it out. A golden ring with a pink butterfly on it. It looked like one of those things you see in a barbie movie. ''Omi?!'', ''Yes?!'', Omi answered from the distance, ''How does the wu look like?'', ''It's supposed to be a ring with a butterfly.'', what the fuck, what kind of wu was this?
''I found it!'', He yelled back and waited there until Omi was in front of him. Jack gave it to him, getting a very loud and happy ''Thank you Jack!'', from the young monk, Jack asked then, out of sheer curiosity, ''What does it do?'', and Omi happily explained ''The ring of the butterfly. You say the name of the person you want to find, and the butterfly leads you to them. Look!'', he placed it on, while Jack was leaning to see, hands on hips. ''Ring of the butterfly. Find Jack Spicer please.'', then the butterfly flew directly in Jack's face, leaving a trail of pink, shiny glitter behind it.
Totally a barbie thing. Jack had the best 'what-the-fucking-fuck-is-this-fucking-shit-for-flaming-fuck's-sake' expression on his face as the butterfly rested on his nose.
Jack picked up the butterfly by the wings and put it back on the ring, then wiped his face from whatever glitter he had there. Then, he started laughing, actually he laughed so hard that he felt his stomach hurting, tears falling down his face.
Omi stared at him confused, and asked ''What is so funny?'', Jack couldn't even breath, let alone speak properly. ''It's jus-Haha-the wu-Hahaha-shit fa-Hihihiiiiii'', he sounded like a dying hyena, as he forced himself to stop, take one deep breath, then started laughing again even louder with wheezing in between. Finally after a good few minutes, he sniffed loudly, and shook his head, ''Nothing, It's just...'', he tried between giggles, deep gulps of air and more sniffing, ''I don't think I would've wanted the wu even if I was still wu hunting. Who would make that?!'', ''Maybe a girl?'', Omi guessed. Jack wiped his face, and said ''Best shit I've ever seen, hehe.''.
Suddenly, they both heard a voice. ''Well, well, look who it is.'', Their eyes widened while turning around, Omi in a fighting stance. Wuya was before them, ''I hate to interrupt, but you have something that's mine.'', despite the situation, Jack laughed again. The other 2 looked at him confused, ''Wuya, since when do you like to wear pink butterfly glitter rings?'', he asked after he calmed down, ''Hey! A wu is a wu!'', she turned towards Omi, ''Now, be nice and hand me the wu.''.
''No. We find it. We keep it. This isn't even a showdown.'', ''Then I'll take it by force!'', Wuya growled and formed a green flame in her hand ''You have no honor Wuya, then again, I don't expect you to have something like this.'', Omi said and both of them engaged in combat. Jack watched from the distance and saw how Omi had stronger hits and more flexible movements. But so did Wuya. He swallowed and clenched his jaw, then went to walk away as they started throwing magical elements at one another. He was actually about to run, when he heard a scream, coming from Omi. He sharply turned around to see Omi on the ground and a very pissed Wuya with wet hair. Just leave. Wuya prepared her flame, as Omi, with a bleeding head, tried to get up and failed. Leave him. You gave up. Leave. ''Damn it, Omi.''.
''You should've listened to me child.'', Wuya spoke as Omi managed to get on his knees. And that's when Wuya screamed as something sharply hit her back and electrocuted her. She fell on her knees with a flaming pain in her back and when she got up growling, Jack pepper sprayed her in the face. She cried and fell on the ground, rolling, cursing, and pressing her palms against her eyes. Omi didn't have time to register what happened until Jack grabbed his wrist and started running, forcing him to run with him. ''Jack! Your powers!'', ''It's called a taser Omi! Technology! Not MAGIC!'', Jack yelled, exasperated, as they ran ''Where are the o-'' he couldn't finish because they were blasted. They both screamed and fell down, a few meters away from the crater, Jack gasped and as if suddenly remembering, he took Omi's hand ''Ring of the butterfly, FIND RAIMUNDO, KIMIKO, AND CLAY NOW!'', the butterfly quickly flew away and he got up dragging Omi with him.
Omi snatched his hand away and Jack turned towards him, ''Run Jack! I will deal with her!'', Omi said pulling the Orb of Tornami out of his gi. He screamed the wu's name and his element towards a very angry looking approaching Wuya. She blasted her flames into the water wave send to her. Jack pulled out his taser too put she blasted it in his hand. Jack screamed more in surprise than pain and looked at his red hand. He growled and went to press the bracelet on his wrist to call his robots, only to find it wasn't there. Damn it, how did he forgot. Omi was throwing icicles at Wuya who was blasting and dodging them with ease. ''Fuck it.'', He grumbled and took his 2 guns out of his hidden pokets and removed the safe. He ran under Wuya, being thankfull that she was flying and not paying attention to him. He had to pay attention to those blasts though, as he reached his spot and started shooting.
One of the bullets grazed Wuya's eyebrow and she fell on the ground. She wiped some blood away, and got up, not wasting a second to blast Jack who barely got away in time, but still got his left leg in the blast, the pain making him lose the guns and to cluthch his leg. ''Jack!'', Omi shouted running towards him, and that's when Wuya hit him.
Omi fell on the ground, not moving. Jack gasped, looking at Omi's own injured leg. He growled and shot Wuya a very ugly glare that looked a lot more intimidating with all that goth make up on. He got up shaking and limped away, waving his hands ''Hey! Hey! OVER HERE YOU OLD HAG!'', ''You don't have to be so eager, I will kill you too!'', she said blasting fire towards him. He jumped out of the way, thankfully he wasn't hit. But he saw her turning her attention towards Omi, flames errupting from her hands, as she started glowing green just like that time she got her flesh and bones back. Omi wasn't moving.
Jack cursed and ran, jumping on Omi just when she blasted the flames, hitting him in the back. He shut his eyes and clenched his jaw groaning in pain, he grabbed Omi's head and pressed it down, hiding it behind his chest as another fire blast hit his back fully. He screamed this time.
'How noble, yet so foolish of you. Then again, you're not really as bright as you say you are. Anyway, if you gave up on Heylin, then I guess it's better to get rid of the fifth element instead of taking you back. You wouldn't have made a difference anyway.'', Wuya said while cracking her clawed hands.
That thing with the element again. He was so annoyed by it now. He would've spat curses at her if he wasn't busy focusing on anything but the pain, how come that he managed not to get himself killed all this time and now he is about to die is beyond him. He heard her blasting again, and felt a very hot wave that was unlike the ones before. But it didn't hit him. Looking back he saw that Kimiko engaged in a flame blasting with Wuya, red fire angainst green. To be honest, it was like... the coolest thing he's seen that night.
Jack then heard voices and could have sworn he saw a trail of pink glitter on the ground disappearing in the distance. Huh, that wu is pretty neat actually, he thought as strong arms lifted him and Omi. He lost consciousness before being able to say ''Took you long enough, xiaolin losers.''.
Jack groaned and tried to move his body. It was kinda hard. He coughed and managed to lift his arm and put his hand on his face. Only that even lifting his arm was hard and he more like jerked it up, resulting in slapping himself between the eyes. He resisted the urge to curse and slowly opened his eyes. It smelled horrible in here. Like some herbs with more herbs mixed together. He remembered what happened and frowned, more confused than anything. If Wuya scorched the daylight outta him, then how was he felling no pain? Let alone alive. Maybe he was dead.
He turned around and saw some monks preparing herbs. He looked at the ceiling again and recognized teh old red wood. Nah, he wasn't dead, he was in the temple. He groaned while getting up. Some monks came outta nowhere and held his shoulders, then started applying some sort of stinky ointment on him. ''What is this?'', He asked and cringed at his own voice. He sounded like a strangled duck.
''Ointment made from healing herbs. Plus some dragon sweat. It does wonders to burn wounds.'', Kimiko said coming into the room with the monks. Seems like they were waiting outside the room for him to wake up. Omi looked very worried. ''You have been asleep from yesterday! Are you alright?'', Jack squinted and saw that Omi was also bandaged but not limping. It means he will be fine. ''What time it is?'', He asked ignoring Omi's question, there were no windows there, he couldn't tell if it was day or night. ''23:37'', Kimiko said looking at her phone.
Jack resisted the urge to say ''Damn.'', only because he was in a temple. He sighed as the monks that were putting herbs on his back left the room. ''This stuff smells.'', ''It heals you, so stop complaining.'', Raimundo said to him amused ''It smels like expired pig fat and sanitary alcohol.'', ''No argument.'', he agreed.
Jack let his feet hang off the bed as he sat, he put a hand over his face and sighed. ''Wuya was acting like crazy for a pink ring.'', He said looking at the monks who smirked and sat down either on the bed, floor or a chair, ''She didn't got the last 10 wus so she's kinda mad.'', Kimiko told him, ''Funny, for a moment there I thought she was secretely a girly girl.'', they laughed at that, then sat in silence.
Then, Omi said ''Jack? Thank you.'', Jack rolled his eyes, but decided to shut up and take that credit. That didn't last long, ''Did you consider it?'', Omi asked, Jack sighed and asked ''You guys always saved the world before. Aren't your powers enough?'', ''I'm afraid not kid. Over the last years, Heylin got a rise in power. While they have become skilled and powerful, we need the last element.'', Dojo explained, so this is why Wuya was more powerful now even with her powers restrained, ''Why did it activate so late.'', ''Who knows? Even don't know.'', Dojo said getting off of Omi's shoulder and climbing onto the bed, looking at Jack's back ''Hm, looks well, you'll be healed fully until tomorrow, dragon sweat does wonders.''. Jack sighed and looked away.
After a long silence, Raimundo spoke, ''Dude, we can teach you. We didn't know too when we came to the temple.'', ''Yes, and you don't have to worry about us making you do our chores.'', Kimiko added, ''And we'll stick together. You'll see it's easier than to go solo after a wu.'', Clay told him. ''I don't see why you do not believe yourself a good person Jack. You saved my life.'', ''If you call me good again I will curse you to the point where you will need to wash yourself with holy water Cheese ball.'', ''Hey, what's your problem?! Why can't you accept that you have some good in you?!'', ''Because I am going TO FUCK UP!'', Jack slapped a hand over his mouth, he forgot that he was in a temple, he glanced down and sighed, as the monks were silent ''Sorry. It's just, I was a shame for Heylin, what if I mess things up as a good guy too?''.
The monks were silent and looked at each other in understanding, ''We were afraid too. And we also did mistakes. But we learned from them. Remember when I willingly sided with Wuya only for video games and money?'', Jack gave Raimundo a look but decided not to argue, ''How are you guys not afraid that I might betray you again?'', ''We were, but we saw that you have a good conscience since you saved Kimiko back there. That made us rethink on being afraid.'', Clay told him, putting a hand on his shoulder, that was surprisingly gentle for the dragon of earth.
Jack sighed for what felt like the million time that night and clenched his jaw again, a thing he did when he was nervous. He put his hand over his mouth and leaned down, elbow on knee, to think. All he wanted was a normal life and he has it. He just gotta say no and leave, take a shower and sleep until the next century. Was it such a bad thing that he didn't want to come back? To risk his life in wu battles? Did he not risk his life just now? He did not do it for the credits, damn it, he didn't want Omi to die. Wuya wanted to kill him, and she or Chase, or Hannibal might show up at his house one day to finish the job. Why did he had to be the last element?
Remembering what Dojo said he wondered how powerful they had became. Can't the monks really defeat them alone like always? Will the world drown in 1000 years of darkness and be destroyed by the hands of Heylin? Can he make a difference or he will end up being a failure like he was in 'evil'. Jack sighed once again, feeling a lot of pressure on his back. He has to come back, isn't it? Welp. Might as well learn how to summon his powers. At least he wouldn't be alone.
''Fine, count me in.'', He grumbled. The monks actually could not believe it, their eyes were wide, faces hilarious and would've laughed if he was in the mood, ''But I am not wearing those pajamas, and I keep my style.'', the monks quickly agreed and excitedly started talking about how fun the training will be and how much he will learn. While listening to them he saw a master Fung at the door, smiling in a somewhat proud way.
'What did I got myself into?', Jack asked himself.
Next chapter - saturday