Yuzuki sighed as he laid back in his seat, taking another drink of the scotch the flight attendant brought him.
He couldn't believe he was going on another talisman trip, especially after what happened in Japan, though since Wong "graciously" volunteered to lead the enforcers this time around, the man decided to tag along.
It was also because he could step in should the enforcers end up getting their butts kicked, which was most likely going to happen, courtesy of jackie chan.
"..Is something the matter, Yuzuki?"
The older man turned his head towards the voice, seeing Ratso had walked over to him.
"It's nothing, just thinking is all." He answered.
"..you sure? That's your third drink." The man said.
The older man's eyes widened a little as he set the glass back down, shaking his head.
"Yes, I'm alright." Yuzuki said.
That seemed to satisfy Ratso, who walked away and sat back down in his seat, after which, Yuzuki downed the rest of the drink in one gulp.
The man wasn't ok, and he was fully aware of that, but he could deal with that whole mess after this trip, once the talisman was in his hands.
Yuzuki let out a quiet chuckle, before returning to his thoughts as the private jet continued its course to spain.
Thankfully, it was only a few hours after that the jet touched down on the runway and they were checking into their hotel rooms, the man smirking softly as he had gotten a room to himself.
Setting his things on the bed, he let out a sigh. He knew Grey..Alex wouldn't be here, not that would blame him, though it meant that they wouldn't be able to talk until they had coffee, but the man was patient, he could wait till then.
The man felt guilty for putting Alex through what he had, and while he knew that it wouldn't ever be enough to truly make it up to him, Yuzuki at least knew it would help both of them.
At least, eventually it would, anyway.
"..Yuzu! We're going out to grab some grub, you want anything?"
The man recognized that voice to be Finn's, and while he inwardly scoffed at the nickname, he had to admit that he had not eaten even before they left, being too busy to do so.
"Get me whatever, I'm not picky." The older man answered.
"Alright!" Finn said, heading out with Chow and Ratso.
Yuzuki, after making sure they were gone, dug through his pocket and pulled out his cellphone, dialing a number into it and putting to his ear as it rang.
"..Ah, Yuzuki, I was beginning to wonder when you would call." The person on the other end said.
"And hello to you too, Ada. What info have you found for me?" The man asked.
"Straight to the point, i see. Anyhow, it seems like there's an old cathedral on the top of the hill outside of the town your in, that would be the most logical place it would be, or at least a good place to start." Ada answered.
"Alright, thanks for helping." Yuzuki said, hanging up and putting his phone away.
'I have to check the place out, after I eat of course. Maybe I can even enlist Chan's help..'
•Meanwhile, In San Francisco•
Alex stepped onto the bus, the driver giving a small nod to him as he made his way to the back, sitting in the last seat on the left next to the window.
Once the other people at the stop all came aboard, the twin doors were shut and the vehicle carefully pulled away, beginning to drive down the street.
The man let out a quiet groan as he reached up and gently rubbed his shoulder, which was covered by a clean gauze pad and held in place with medical tape, though it was pretty sore as he not only got the stitches out today, but also began physical therapy to help him regain control of it.
Alex thought the exercises he had to do when his back got sprained were difficult, but the man was inwardly kicking himself at his stupidity for thinking it, given how it felt like he pulled something, though he knew it was only because of how sore and stiff the appendage was, stemming from it being kept in that sling.
He was happy that he didn't need it anymore and didn't have to wear it, though.
'I'm starving..let's hope this bus ride doesn't take too long..'
As if his stomach could read his mind, it let out a loud gurgling sound, which made the man put his hand onto it and gently rub it.
'Yea, yea..i know..i'll cook up something once i get to the shop..'
The man sighed quietly as he laid back in the seat, turning his head to the side so he could look out of the window as the cloudy grey sky floated above everything, including himself.
The forecast did call for rain, even possible thunderstorms for the next few days, though given it was late november, early december by this point, it wouldn't surprise him if it snowed anytime soon.
It would make searching for the final 6 talismans even more difficult than it already was, since they didn't have the talisman tracker anymore.
'Still no answers towards that sword the angel gave me..I could ask Father Anderson..yea..if anyone could know anything about it, it would be him..'
"..Now stopping at Chinatown!" The driver said, which brought Alex out of his thoughts, and he got up out of his seat and walked off the bus, which drove off after he did.
The man shook his head as he walked down the street, crossing a couple of intersections before he arrived at Uncle's shop, by which time it had begun sprinkling, but he ignored it as he stepped into the shop, slipping his coat off and hanging it on the coat rack next to the door.
"Uncle, I'm back!" He said, stepping across the room and heading into the backroom, but saw the older man wasn't there.
'Uncle is either asleep or he went out..either way, looks like-'
Before the man could finish his thought, the bell that was connected to the front door dinged, which indicated someone had entered the shop, so he stepped out into the front room to see who it was, and was surprised upon seeing it was anderson, holding an umbrella in one hand, which dripped onto the mat in front of the door.
"Father, what are you doing here? More importantly, how did you find out where I work?" Alex asked as the older man put the now folded up umbrella in a nearby basket.
"To answer your questions, I was in the neighborhood as i was gettin back from volunteering at the local shelter, and saw ye getting off the bus, so I followed ye." He answered.
"..Alright..but actually, i'm glad you're here, cause i need to ask you something." The younger man said, though he couldn't help but feel weirded out about Anderson following him.
"What is on yer mind, my son?" Anderson asked, as both he and Alex sat down at a small table off to the side.
"Well, it's about angels.." Alex answered, which seemed to catch the father's attention as his head snapped up with his eyes widened a little behind his glasses.
•Meanwhile, back in Spain•
Yuzuki let out a tired huff as he got to the top of the hill, looking up as he was catching his breath and saw the chapel that Ada told him about, after which he made his way inside, using a side door as the front was locked.
The interior was nicely decorated, though looking rather old, possibly a few centuries, and a layer of dust seemed to cover everything he could see.
Thankfully his eyes adjusted quickly to the dark, which helped as a sound coming from a room in the back caught his attention, so he walked over there, being as quiet as he could so if he needed to, the man could get the jump on them if necessary.
However, when he peeked into the room, he saw it was none other than Jackie Chan, who had knocked over something, but Yuzuki couldn't see what it was.
"Ah, Jackie Chan, how unsurprised I am to see you here." Yuzuki said as the other man turned around to face him.
"Yuzuki, i don't have time to fight you or the enforcers-" Jackie said, but the man cut him off.
"I'm not here for a fight, chan." The older man said, crossing his arms.
The younger man raised an eyebrow, uncertainty showing clear on his face. Not that it bothered Yuzuki at all, really.
"You won't be getting the talisman either." He said.
"I don't want it." Yuzuki said, his arms still crossed.
"Then why are you here?" Jackie asked.
"Look, while I don't trust the talismans in that demon's hands, they're safer with them than with that old man." the older man answered.
"Who are you talking about?" The younger man asked.
"I'll explain, chan, just help me find the damn talisman." Yuzuki said.
•Back in San Francisco•
"A sword, my son?" Anderson asked, cocking an eyebrow as he spoke.
"Yes, i..i was curious to know if any angels ever used one." Alex answered.
"..Well, there are several passages in the scripture that do depict such a thing..but why the sudden curiosity?" The older man asked.
"Just wondering, is all.." the younger man answered.
It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, though it certainly didn't make him feel any better nonetheless.
Anderson said nothing in response, which didn't surprise the man in the least, though it seemed like he was deep in thought.
The sound of a phone ringing broke the silence, and the older man dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone, answering it.
"Yes? Oh, I see..I'll be right there." Anderson said, hanging up.
"I am sorry, Alexander, but I must be on my way, as there is an issue at my church that requires my attention." He said, standing up and walking over to the door, picking up his umbrella.
"It's alright, father." Alex said as the man opened the umbrella and headed out of the shop and down the street.
As he walked, he pulled his cellphone out again, dialing a number and putting it up to his ear, the person he was calling answering it after a few moments.
"..Anderson? To what does the Vatican owe this call? You haven't run out of the blood of Christ, have you?" A voice asked.
"No, I've got plenty left. What I need you to do is get me all of the information you can about holy weapons and artifacts from the archives." The man answered.
"May I ask why you need them?" The voice said.
"I'll explain once I get there, ok? Just have everything ready by then." Anderson said as he hung up, putting his phone away.
•Meanwhile, in Spain•
"Why are you helping me, Yuzuki? Don't you work for the dark hand?" Jackie asked, setting a box down that he had just opened, but found nothing inside.
"Like I told grey..Alex, I'm essentially on loan for them, at least, I was.." Yuzuki answered, checking inside a lidded vase, but found nothing inside.
"So, who did you actually work for?" The younger man asked, lifting a potted plant before setting it back down after seeing nothing underneath.
"The yakuza, but I've gotten out of that line of work." The older man answered, kneeling down behind the altar, and seeing a wooden box sitting on the ground, which he picked up.
He didn't mention that it was because of what happened in japan is how the man came to the decision to essentially retire, wanting to keep that information to himself.
"Did you find something?" Jackie asked, standing up from looking underneath one of the pews.
"Yea, it's a box." Yuzuki answered as the younger man walked over to him.
"What's a box doin' under the altar of a church?" The younger man asked.
"No idea, but let's see what's inside- '' the older man answered, but found the box was locked.
"Maybe there's a key that goes to it, where haven't we looked yet?" Jackie asked.
"The priest's office, it's likely behind the door to the right of the altar." Yuzuki answered.
The two men headed over to the door, Jackie grabbing the doorknob to open the door but found it was either locked or jammed.
"Step aside, I got this." The older man said, before he raised his leg back and kicked the door, causing it to fly open on its hinges, the younger man crossing his arms and giving him a disapproving look.
"Hey, don't look at me like that, you would've done the same thing." He said before they both went inside.
Like the main chapel, there was a layer of dust covering everything, including the hardwood flooring, and they both coughed loudly as they walked over to the desk situated near the back of the room, yuzuki moving the roller chair out of the way before he began to search through the drawers as jackie went to the nearby bookshelves.
"So, who were you talking about when you said old man?" The younger man asked as he removed a few books from the shelf, setting them on a nearby chair.
"His name is Daolon Wong, and it would appear as though he is what is known as a dark chi wizard, which probably sounds crazy but-" the older man started to explain, but Jackie cut him off.
"Believe me, that doesn't sound crazy, but, why tell me this?" Jackie asked.
"I suppose it is to ease my guilty concious..over what happened." Yuzuki answered, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.
"You mean Alex getting shot?" The younger man said, turning around to face him.
A dead silence fell over the room and over the two occupants, and even though Yuzuki said nothing, Jackie could see what his answer would be on his face alone.
"You know he wouldn't blame you, don't you?" Jackie said.
"Of course i know that, doesn't mean i can't feel bad about it anyhow." The older man said.
"..How is he, if i may ask?" He asked, idly kicking at the floor with his shoe.
"He's ok, Yuzuki." The younger man answered, the other man nodding.
"..Let's get back to work, shall we?" Yuzuki said, though he couldn't help but let a small smile form on his face before they both got back to searching.
Thankfully, it didn't take long before the older man found a key sitting in one of the drawers beneath some papers.
"Does it look like it'll fit?" The younger man asked.
"There's only one way to find out." He answered, inserting the key into the box's keyhole, and turning it, after which a small click was heard.
Yuzuki opened the lid, and laying in the bottom of the box was one of the talisman's, which shimmered across its surface for a moment.
Emblazoned on the front of it was an animal, like the other talisman's thus far, this one being a rabbit, which seemed to be purple or violet in color but it hard to tell in the low light of the room exactly which it was.
"Any thoughts as to what power it holds?" Jackie asked, walking over to him.
"Funnily enough, the tortoise and the hare.." Yuzuki answered, taking it out of the box.
"Why would this Daolon Wong be after the talismans?" The younger man asked.
"No idea, but i do not want to find out." The older man answered, slipping it into his coat pocket.
"And don't worry, Chan, i'll make sure this gets to your little demon friend." He said.
"I wouldn't exactly call Shendu a friend, Yuzuki." Jackie said.
The older man raised an eyebrow, saying nothing as he seemed to silently watch the younger man for any minute body movement, but found nothing, at least nothing noticeable anyway.
"…Well, I should get going, before anyone gets suspicious. Tata to you, chan." He said, leaving the room and heading out the way he came.
Thankfully it was quicker getting back to the hotel than it was hiking up to the chapel, though it didn't make him desire sleep any less as he entered his hotel room, locking the door behind him.
He then plopped down onto the bed, not bothering to really get undressed as he fell asleep, keeping the talisman in his inner jacket pocket so it would be safe.
On the flipside of things, Jackie sat in his seat on the flight he had booked to get back to San Francisco, letting out a sigh as more passengers boarded the plane behind him.
'With this Daolon Wong now in the field with the dark hand, perhaps we should speak about it..'
It was a discussion he'd have to have with Alex, Captain Black and Uncle once he was back home, though it didn't make him feel any less ready for it.
The man laid back in his seat and shut his eyes, letting himself fall asleep as the plane began to take off once everything was greenlit.
•In San Francisco•
"Jackie is on his way from the airport, but he said we need to get to section 13." Alex said as he entered the backroom, where Uncle was putting jars of..something, the man had no clue as to what the contents were and he did not want to know, onto a cabinet shelf before the older man shut it.
"Uncle will be there shortly, he has a few more chores to attend to." The older man said with a seemingly dismissive wave of his hand.
The younger man nodded, walking out of the shop and to where the alleyway was, using the secret entrance to get into Section 13 proper, and simply waited, knowing he couldn't do much until they arrived.
Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long, around 15 minutes give or take, before Jackie walked in, trailed by uncle, and the three of them went to captain black's office, who was waiting for them.
"..We need to talk." Jackie said.
However, it didn't take long for things to go at least a little sideways..much to everyone's annoyance.
"-You really think releasing whatever that thing is we are keeping in the vault is a good idea?!" Captain black said.
"No, i don't, but we don't exactly have a choice, given that the dark hand has a dark chi wizard in their employ." Jackie said.
"Are you certain, Jackie? Did you see him?" Uncle asked, his tone changing from its usual grumpiness to..almost fearful.
The younger man shook his head. "Yuzuki told me, actually." He answered.
"And you believe him? He could've been lying to get you to drop your guard-" Black said, before Alex cut him off.
"I believe him." The youngest man in the room answered.
Everyone turned towards him, and the man crossed his arms after pushing his glasses back onto his face.
"..Look, he could have let me bleed out in that car, and yet he decided to help me, now while i have no idea as to why he told you that, Jackie, i do know that we need to even the playing field, or else they'll get what they want, eventually."
"And besides that, if this Daolon Wong can use spells like the one that cursed the talisman tracker and burned my hand, then i'd happily take the risk of letting the beast out of its cage." Alex said, showing his hand to them, which, while having healed nicely thanks to uncle's tincture, still showed scarring, and especially so on his palm.
A silence fell over the room as the others seemed to process the man's words, though the man in question had sat down on the small leather couch that sat against the wall near the door.
"..How are you sure Shendu won't try to run once he's free?" Captain Black asked.
"I'm not, but..what choice do we have?" The younger man answered, shrugging slightly.
The older man sighed, closing his eyes as if going into thought, though he opened them not a moment after they closed.
"Alright. We'll free him. But you'll be the one to keep an eye on him, since that..thing seems to like you the most. Is that understood?" He asked.
Alex did a salute in response, back ramrod straight and his feet tucked in. "Sir, yes sir." He answered, finishing it after he spoke.
"Uncle will go get the talisman." The older man said, leaving the room.
"Are you sure about this, Alex?" Jackie asked, turning to face him.
"..Not at all, but, as i said, what choice do we have?" The man answered, as they both headed to the vault and waited for Uncle to come back, which didn't take too long, thankfully.
"Be careful, Alex." Uncle said, which the younger man nodded to, before he opened the door to the vault, waiting for it to be fully opened before he stepped inside, after which it closed shut behind him.
"Ah, I was beginning to wonder when you would return." Shendu said as he noticed the man entering the secure room, his eyes glowing as he spoke.
"Well, I'm here, aren't i? You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you're starting to like having me around, Shendu." Alex said.
The demon's eyes again glowed, and the man swore he had said something, but it was too quiet to make out exactly what was said.
"..Anyway, what brings you here? Unless you are just here for idle conversation." He said.
"..We need to talk." The man said simply.