A/N: Thanks goes out to my sister, Shadgirl2, for beta reading this chapter for me. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown or Xiaolin Chronicles.
Before long, all four Shoku Warriors had faced each of their potential apprentices. Raimundo had to admit, he could see why Clay thought this could be tricky. They were all skilled. Jermaine didn't come as any surprise, given that he'd started training with Chase Young long after Raimundo and the others had begun their training but had quickly passed them in rank. But then there was Willow, who had no formal training yet showed as much skill as Jermaine. As for Ping Pong, the kid was quick and tough, having apparently idolized the Xiaolin monks for long enough that he'd given himself some very informal training before coming to the temple—during his fight with Raimundo, he'd used several moves Omi had invented.
Maybe this would be harder than he thought.
"Alright, everybody, that'll do it for now," Raimundo told them. "The other Shoku Warriors and I have some notes to compare, so you're free to hang."
Omi raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, but Kimiko quickly leaned over and whispered to him, "It's still an expression, Omi."
"Oh," he said quietly.
"We'll give you an update after lunch. You guys have definitely earned some downtime."
"Thank you, brother Raimundo," Ping Pong said politely, smiling. "I do hope that I have done well in today's training."
"Dawg, I saw how you were doing," Jermaine said. "You matched Omi blow for blow. If you ain't up to snuff, none of us are."
Ping Pong looked pleased at the praise but, despite his resemblance to Omi, didn't let it go to his head. "Thank you for the words of encouragement, brother Jermaine. You were quite impressive yourself. I have never seen such skills in a low-level monk."
"Technically, I made it to Wudai Warrior about a year ago. I just...figured out I was learning from the wrong master, so I took some time off to sort through some things."
As Ping Pong and Jermaine walked off, continuing their conversation, and Willow took off on her own, Raimundo turned to his current teammates.
"Okay, what do you think?" he asked.
"We have to pick one?" Kimiko asked. "Because they all seem pretty equal to me."
"Yeah, this'll be tougher than a two-dollar steak," Clay agreed.
"I must admit, even I am unsure who would be the most worthy Xiaolin Dragon. They are all almost as good as me."
"Okay, so...maybe we should look at their backgrounds? We already know about Jermaine—he's from Queens, started training with Chase Young sometime after we became apprentices, got promoted to Wudai Warrior in record time. So he's got some formal training already and he's one of the best out there since he passed us all so quick."
Kimiko said, "When I fought Ping Pong, he said he was a journeyman messenger in Europe until they decided that way of sending messages was too outdated. When that happened, he decided to try being a Xiaolin monk. I guess he heard about us online somewhere. He started studying kung fu in his spare time, so he's got at least that going for him."
"Oh, yes, and he is also quite a speedy student."
"I think you mean quick study," Raimundo corrected. "Although he is speedy, too. Little guy can probably top all of us in the obstacle course, even if Clay does that old trick of his."
"Then there's Willow," Clay said, putting a hand to his chin. "Anybody got anything on her?"
"Willow thinks that I am most impressive," Omi said smugly, "but she has not told me anything about her own training before coming here."
"I haven't heard anything about her, either," Kimiko agreed, mildly annoyed at Omi's apparent attraction to Willow.
"Reckon we should ask?" Clay suggested. "Couldn't hurt, and it might help us figure out who oughta be our fifth Dragon."
"Sounds good to me. So, who wants that added to their to-do list?" Raimundo asked.
"As much as I would love to volunteer, I believe that is something that the leader should be doing, Raimundo," Omi pointed out. "Especially since our leader missed most of the training yesterday while running around with his games."
Everyone stared at Omi for a second, trying to figure out exactly what he was trying to say. They were sure it was some kind of slang he'd messed up again. Finally, Kimiko, looking unsure, suggested, "Uh...toying around?"
Raimundo and Clay looked at each other and shrugged. They supposed that was as good a guess as any.
Then Raimundo turned to Omi, looking mildly annoyed, "Whatever you're trying to say, I wasn't just messing around, Omi. I was trying to find our Dragon of Metal since Dojo said we've got two Dragon Warriors to find." He crossed his arms, smirking, and continued, "But, if you really want me to talk to Willow myself, I'd be happy to. After all, you're right—I am the leader, so I should be the one doing most of the work on picking our new apprentice, right?"
Omi blinked, apparently startled. "No, I mean, I—You don't have to—"
"Relax, Omi, I'm just jerking your chain," Raimundo said. He turned to leave, adding, "Alright, I'll see what I can find out about Willow. Later, guys."
"Good luck, Rai!" Kimiko said. "Let us know what you find out."
"Will do."
While the Shoku Warriors had that discussion, Jack slipped into the Xiaolin temple to find his partner in crime. He crept around, staying out of sight, until he finally saw the blond girl.
"Hey, Willow!" he called quietly.
She turned, looking slightly startled, then looked annoyed. "Oh, great. What are you doing here?"
"Hey, I'm on your side!" Jack said. "Also, we've never even met, so it's too soon for you to be annoyed about seeing me! Anyway, I figured, seeing as you've got some stiff competition, you could use a hand getting that apprentice position the losers in pajamas have open."
"What makes you think I need your help?"
Jack shrugged and said, "You're free to say no if you want, but I've got a pretty nifty invention here that I think you're gonna love." He held up what appeared to be a gold cuff bracelet with floral designs.
Willow raised an eyebrow, not sure why she'd want any jewelry Jack was offering. Before she could ask, however, he held the bracelet out and pressed one of the flowers, which Willow quickly realized was a button. Vines shot out of the bracelet and ensnared her, wrapping her up tight enough to prevent movement.
"I call it the Wood Cuff. Not very original, I know, but each of the flowers on here is a button tied to a different type of plant. They're not real plants, but they'll be good enough to fool the Xiaolin dweebs. When you press one of the buttons, it'll shoot out my Seedbots, which quickly grow into whatever plant they're programmed for and attack anything standing in their way. As you might have noticed, they even mimic the texture of the plants they resemble."
Willow squirmed, trying to pull loose from the vines, and had to admit he was right. She wouldn't have known these vines were robots if he hadn't said anything.
"If you wear this and push the buttons, it'll look like the plants are coming straight from you, not the bracelet. All you've gotta do is make sure you call out your power, press a button, and see what happens." He then pressed the same button from before, and the vines wrapped around Willow shriveled up and fell to the ground. "Pushing the same button a second time deactivates the Seedbots. You've got, like, seven options here," Jack said, pointing at the different flowers on the bracelet. "Should be plenty for a fight, then you can deactivate them all when you're done. They don't return to the bracelet, but it's reloadable, so you'll never run out of ammo. You just have to let me know when you need more." He tossed her a small box with seven compartments, each labeled with a flower matching the ones on the bracelet. That was about when Willow realized each flower was a different color—red, blue, yellow, orange, green, purple, and white. Each compartment was full of what looked to be seeds.
"Why, Jack, I'm actually impressed," Willow said, smiling at him slightly. "I didn't think you knew how to use your brain, but it seems I was wrong."
"Aw, well, I have my moments," he said as if she'd just complimented him.
Willow took the bracelet and put it on her right wrist. "If I use this, I can convince the Xiaolin Warriors that I have elemental powers, just like all of them. Then they'll stop worrying about which of the three of us is more powerful and choose me as their Dragon of Wood. It won't fool them for long, but it'll work long enough to get rid of the real Dragon of Wood," she said, smirking wickedly.
"That's my plan!" Jack said. Then he started slipping out of the temple, adding, "Anyway, I don't want you getting caught with me. Might ruin the whole thing. Good luck!"
He left quickly, tripping over a potted plant as he went. Willow turned away from him, looking at her new accessory with pure malice. She was going to enjoy using her new toy.
Raimundo found Willow in the kitchen, brewing some tea. He stifled a laugh, thinking of what Omi would say if he saw her right now. He'd probably make some sexist comment about Willow acting more like a girl than Kimiko, who'd blow up on him, like she always did.
Setting that amusing picture aside, he stepped into the kitchen, saying, "Hey, Willow. How's it hanging?"
She turned, then offered a smile. "Raimundo! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"
Something in her tone was flirtatious, and Raimundo couldn't help but smile. He always had a weakness for a pretty face.
The moment he thought that, though, he remembered what happened when he let that get to him—first it was Dyris, who had turned out to be a monster bent on destroying the world by melting the polar ice caps. Another time, it had been Wuya, of all people, who'd gotten a lucky hit in on him after commenting on his strength. No. He wasn't going to let girls keep playing him like that. Not only was he a Shoku Warrior now, but he was the leader of the Xiaolin Dragon Warriors. He had to set a better example than that.
Although, he had to admit, Willow was pretty. But he couldn't let her looks influence his decisions. He needed a Dragon of Wood, not a girlfriend. At least, that was what he needed right now.
"I just thought we could talk. You know, get to know each other a little better," he said as he took a seat at the table.
"Why, of course, Rai. I've been wanting to talk to you since I got here," she said, placing a teacup in front of him and pouring some tea. "How about some tea while we talk?"
She was definitely flirting, he could tell by the look in her eyes. As he resisted the urge to join and tried to keep his head on straight, he wondered briefly if she was trying to manipulate him into choosing her as the Dragon of Wood. Given that she'd been kissing up to Omi, too, that was a possibility.
"Sure, sounds good," he said, and he was pleasantly surprised that his own words didn't come out as flirtatious as hers. He was impressed with his own restraint. Hopefully, he could keep that up. "So, Willow, where exactly are you from?"
"I grew up in Australia, near Sydney," she answered. "What about you?"
"Rio de Janeiro," he answered easily. "I grew up there, anyway. Never had any formal training until I moved into the Xiaolin Temple, though. What about you?"
"Oh, no, not me. My parents weren't about to train their only daughter to fight. My mother didn't even want me coming to the temple," she admitted, taking a sip of her tea. "But I talked them into it eventually. I'm glad I did, too. After all, I never would have met you if I'd stayed in Australia." She batted her eyes at him.
Raimundo felt his resolve waver. He opened his mouth to say something witty, but he caught himself at the last second. He was the leader of the team. He couldn't keep letting girls get into his head and make him make stupid choices.
Maybe he should consider finding an actual girlfriend. If he had someone already, he might have an easier time ignoring any flattery from members of the opposite sex. Or maybe next time, he should have Kimiko talk to the attractive girl who wanted to join their team. She wouldn't fall for feminine wiles, the way he, Clay, and Omi always did.
"So, how was Rio? Since you said you didn't train there, what did you do with your free time?"
"I played a lot of soccer and spent a lot of time on the beach. What about you? What do you typically do for fun?"
"I did gymnastics in school. You said you play soccer? I bet you were the best back home, weren't you?" Willow asked as she placed a hand over Raimundo's.
He smiled, thrilled at the attention from such an attractive girl, and said, "Oh, well, yeah, I am pretty good." Then, catching himself, he gently pulled his hand out from under hers and scratched his nose, trying too hard to be casual. "So...gymnastics, huh? That'll come in handy if you're the one picked for Dragon of Wood. Omi always loves telling people how much running, jumping, and kicking there is in being a Xiaolin Dragon, so having a background as a gymnast would come in handy."
"I suppose so," she answered. Then she gave another seductive smile before asking, "So how did you end up the leader of the team? I'm sure there's quite the story behind that. Not that there's any doubt that you should be leader. After all, you've got all the qualities of one."
In the back of his mind, Raimundo noticed that she kept redirecting the conversation to him, seemingly avoiding talking about herself and her own past too much. However, he didn't give that much conscious thought as he launched into the story of Omi's quest—how the little guy had frozen himself into the future to retrieve the Sands of Time from Old Omi only to realize too late that freezing himself meant there was no Old Omi.
"I still don't know how he thought that freezing himself would let him meet his older self. It's like common sense isn't his thing."
"I suppose everyone has a weak spot, huh?"
"Yeah. But, anyway, he said that we helped him get the Sands of Time, so he went back 1500 years to when Chase Young was still a Xiaolin Dragon, stopped him from drinking the Lao Mang Long Soup, and came back to our time to find that he'd messed everything up. After failing to convert Chase to the Heylin side, Hannibal Bean had gone after Guan instead, so he was our enemy in that timeline while Chase was an ally. When Omi found us, he explained everything, and we decided to help him set things right. I said we should thaw him out before he could get to the future and do anything we'd all regret, so we went to find the frozen Omi and stop him. We lost Chase Young along the way—he drank the Lao Mang Long Soup to help us bust out of a cage after we all got caught. When we found the frozen Omi, we ran into the four Heylin baddies—Hannibal, Wuya, Guan, and Chase—and had to showdown with all of them at once. The showdown was set up so only one member of each team should have been in it at a time. It was a team effort, but I was the one calling the shots, deciding who should tag in when. And, when our opponents decided to cheat, I jumped in to protect the others."
Willow's eyes widened. "Are you saying you fought four Heylin villains by yourself? At the same time?"
She sounded awestruck, and Raimundo's chest puffed out, proud. "Yeah, I did. It wasn't easy, but I wasn't about to let them gang up on one of my friends. Once I took out all four of them, I let Omi finish the showdown. After we fixed everything, Master Fung promoted me to Shoku Warrior, making me the first with the rank and the leader of the Dragon Warriors."
Willow looked suitably impressed. "My, my, Raimundo. Strong, smart, protective, loyal, and handsome. Is there anything you can't do?"
"Aw, well, it's not like I did it all on my own," he said, trying to be modest. After all, bragging as much as Omi would get him nowhere. Of course, when that thought crossed his mind, he snapped back to his senses, remembering that he was supposed to be looking for signs that she could be the Dragon of Wood. He thought about what Omi had said about his and Willow's conversations and decided he should probably clear that up, given that Willow had, apparently, left Omi thinking she liked him earlier. He still hadn't figured out whether she was sincerely interested in either him or his younger friend, after all. "Hey, quick question: What's going on with you and Omi? You two seem to get along really well."
"Omi? Why, he's cute, but more like a kid brother kind of cute, you know? I think he's an impressive warrior, but I don't think he's got anything on you, Raimundo." Her tone was as flirtatious as it had been this entire conversation as she leaned toward him seductively.
He couldn't react to that. It was bad enough that he'd let her get inside his head when she asked how he became the leader. He'd let all thoughts of finding the Dragon of Wood slip right out of his head, thinking only of impressing the pretty girl sitting there with him. If she'd really flirted with Omi, too, then she really might be trying to convince him that he should pick her, regardless of who was most qualified. He needed to get a grip on himself and stop letting her toy with his emotions. "Good to know," he said, knowing he sounded lame as he tried his best to force himself not to engage any further.
Feeling his resolve to handle this like a mature, responsible leader waver, Raimundo got up from the table, saying, "Well, I should get going. I promised Omi a game of soccer. Don't want to keep him waiting any longer than I already have."
Willow looked a bit disappointed, and Raimundo wanted so badly to take that back, especially since it wasn't even true—he hadn't made any such promises to Omi. Still, if he was going to make a smart choice about their Dragon of Wood, he'd need to think about things clearly, not with romance on the mind. "Alright," she said. "Feel free to come find me any time you want. I enjoyed talking with you. You're quite the charmer."
"Will do," he answered, turning to leave. "Later, Willow."
If he didn't leave right now, he'd probably be saying she was the Dragon of Wood by lunchtime, even without any valid reasons for that idea. He needed to step away and think about things rationally. And, while he was at it, he needed to figure out a way to deal with that particular weakness of his. Now that he was aware of how stupidly easy it was for girls to mess with his head, he needed to work on that. It wasn't like none of their enemies were female, after all.