So…it would seem the rumors were true after all.

Jack Spicer, self-proclaimed evil genius, was dead and gone. Sacrificed himself to save a random girl from becoming a new hood ornament, if what Smiley said was to be believed.

I believe it. Since the day we met in the Ying-Yang World, I could tell that boy was just one generation shy from being good. And his death was the smoking gun. "Super evil," he'd say? Bah!Super evil my non-existent foot.

Even so…there was somethin' about all this that didn't quite sit right with me. While Jack being dead was a fact I was more than content to live with, a few things didn't add up. Most notably what Smiley told that shape-shifting android regarding certain data files disappearing after their master's death:

"We attempted several recovery and tracking methods but came up empty handed. It has me concerned that someone was able to infiltrate our systems and reach them without leaving a trace..."

I may not be Tech Support, but I knew enough about computers to find that strange myself. For as much of a twit as Jack was, the boy knew his machines like nobody else. Hell, it was his own tech that helped me convert myself into pure energy a few months back. No matter how socially inept he may have been, he was undoubtedly a master of his craft.

So how in Sam Hill were memory files of his robots extracted without a trace? And more importantly: why? Shortly after his supposed demise no less.

Call it a demon's hunch, but I had the funny feeling that somethin' more was goin' on around here, somethin' big. And I was heading to the Xiaolin Temple to see if they had a scroll in their archives that could lend some credence to an admittedly farfetched theory I had.

My bird, Ying-Ying, suddenly screeched as she stopped flying in the direction we were heading and circled around in the air. I tried to soothe her, gently stroking her feathers with my tentacles while speaking in a non-threatening tone.

"Easy there, girl, I'm here. What's the matter, huh?"

Ying-Ying still seemed upset as she soared down onto a nearby hilltop, upon which I started to get a hint of what had her so spooked.

I could see – no, feel Heylin magic firing off in the distance, in the direction of our destination. Seems like we weren't the only ones struck curious by recent events.

"Hmm. We must be getting sloppy if that Xiaolin dropout and his double-crossing harpy got the news before us," I murmured as I continued to stroke my feathered companion, still restless from the dark chi permeating the area. "Ying-Ying, you have better eyes than me. Would you kindly project what's goin' on down here for me to see? Observation's the name of the game."

Ying-Ying complied after a few seconds, projecting what she could see onto the ground before me with her magic vision. Chase Young and Wuya were taking the fight directly to the monks, with a handful of jungle cats in tow. The do-gooders didn't seem to be having much luck at the moment, practically throwing themselves at their attackers with visible desperation, obvious from even my viewpoint.

"Huh. Must be serious if they ain't toyin' with them this time around," I remarked, insidious thoughts already forming in my head as I smelled potential. "Ying-Ying, I think I'd like you to take me in for a closer look."

My pet cut off the projection and cawed with uncertainty as she glanced between me and the warzone down below.

"I promise to treat ya to some crackers when we get home for being such a brave girl~"

With only some amount of trepidation, Ying-Ying made an agreeable caw and allowed me back on before taking off into the sky. She flew us above the temple to allow me a proper gander at the chaos below.

Sure enough, the Heylin's most infamous heavy hitters were in the middle of fending off attacks from the Xiaolin Monks, with Chase's cursed warriors playing support roles. Raimundo was doing an admittedly commendable job keeping his team organized and fueling the fighting spirit. But it was clear the young ones were losing steam. They were pushing their Wudai weapons and skills to their limit just to keep the intruders relatively at bay.

Almost makes you wonder how a full-on Heylin assault went bust when all it took was two peeved-off immortals to get the job done. Then again, our kind needs a really strong motivation to take things seriously. And when you're incapable of relishing in the sweet release of death, you're mostly resigned to watch the world burn.

But surely Jack Spicer isn't that spark of motivation here, is it?

Suddenly, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Soon enough I came across a mighty interesting sight: Master Fung himself, along with his cowardly pet dragon, Dojo. The old-timer calmly stepped out of one of the buildings as though there wasn't a battle raging in his courtyard. Now this oughta be good~

"Master Fung!" Raimundo called out, chest heaving and sweat dripping from his hair. "I know you're not exactly a spring chicken, but we could really use the assist, man! They're after the Shen Gong Wu!"

"Spare me your accusations, Wind Dragon!" Chase barked, holding his hand up to signal his pets to back off, confusing the monks a great deal. "We were never here for your precious little trinkets. That much would've been obvious had you not immediately pounced on us the moment we arrived."

"In our defense, you rarely visit just to make polite conversation," Raimundo's fiery little girlfriend, Kimiko, bit back in between breathes. "And bringing along your 'house cats' didn't ease the tension either."

Chase rolled his eyes along with Wuya before both of their gazes were aimed at Master Fung, stoic as ever while the reptile perched upon his shoulder flinched.

"You…you know why we are here, old man…" Chase said cryptically.

"That I believe I do," The master replied equally as cryptic, stone-faced and unwavering in the face of this unprecedented attack. "You come seeking answers for questions far more critical than what first appeared...and I believe that such answers are deserved."

With comedic timing, the battle-hardened monks collectively gawked at their teacher. It's easy to forget sometimes that these mighty warriors were still just growing teenagers at the end of it all.

"But Master Fung!" Omi cried. "Wuya and Chase are sworn enemies to the Xiaolin Order! What if they are using underhanded trickery to lure us into a false sense of security?"

"I know that of which they seek, Omi. And I have no intention of keeping it from them any longer. From all of you," Master Fung replied, expression holding strong except for the slightest waver in his poker face. "Ask what you have come to ask, Young."

"Why did Grand Master Dashi and Master Monk Guan try to kidnap Wuya's child fifteen-hundred years ago?" Chase asked with all the bluntness of a bullhorn. I cracked a toothy grin at the monks' look of utter shock and the witch's noticeable grimace at the mention of her dead son. "And why was I left in the dark about this? Depending on your answer, I may just leave you and the rest of this sullied temple intact by the time I depart."

A tense silence fell over all. Not even the loud-mouth Raimundo dared to speak up despite the burning fire of morbid curiosity flashing before his eyes. I couldn't help but be on the edge of my seat too. I never did get around to snooping for the exact details myself, what with getting banished to the Ying-Yang World and all. All I knew for certain was that Wuya's spawn died prematurely and the Xiaolin most likely had somethin' to do with it. Corrupting Chase to the Heylin side was easy enough with promises of surpassing his rival, Guan, so sleuthing for the full picture was unnecessary and got put on the back burner.

…

You know what? My crackpot theory on Spicer can wait. It's high-time I got the full answer to this buried secret myself. Could make for good blackmail material later down the road!

"I will grant you the answer to your questions, but I cannot do it here," Master Fung replied patiently, turning towards one of the larger buildings nearby. "Come with me, all of you. It is time you all know the truth."

Chase and Wuya wasted no time trailing the old coot into the temple, ordering their beasts to stay put in the meantime. The monks, however, were hesitant as they glanced at each other in mutual confusion before eventually following. Suppose I should tag along as well if I want to get the scoop of the millennium and a half.

"You wait here, Ying-Ying. I'll be in and out before you know it," I told my pet before clinking my gauntlets together and envisioning the form I desired to take. "Moby Morpher!"

The Shen Gong Wu stretched and twisted my form until I had been compacted into that of an innocuous house fly: perfect for infiltration and spying. Plus, no debilitating craving for sugar like with the Manchurian Musca. The Moby Morpher allowed me full control over the baser instincts of any creature I take the form of. It was bar none Dashi's most useful Wu in my opinion.

Zipping after the hapless humans, I discreetly followed them into their temple, passing row after row of scrolls as the master leading them stopped at a particular row along the farthermost wall. After retrieving a single scroll...a hidden passageway revealed itself behind the shelf.

"How many hidden passageways does this place even have?" Kimiko couldn't help but question aloud.

"More than a cow has spots, that's for sure," Clay commented idly, spewing his dumb Texan gibberish as usual.

Soon enough, the group entered a larger enclave, one that was in remarkably poor condition. Whatever this place was, it looked like it had been sealed away for a damn long time. However, much like the adjoining room, several shelves of scrolls were present, the only aspect of the room that seemed properly maintained.

"Master Fung…" Omi breathed, eyeing the room with wide eyes as the old man led them all to one of the many shelves. "Forgive my impudence, but why was I not told about this hidden archive? How many others do know about it? Dojo, did you know?"

"Yeah, I knew about it. Sorry, kiddo, but there was a reason only the bigwigs were allowed to take a peek in here," the small dragon sighed wearily, eyes downcast as Master Fung looked for a particular scroll. "I'm afraid the Xiaolin Order wasn't always as squeaky clean as you were led to believe. Even Dashi had skeletons in his closet…"

"What a surprise: your precious order wasn't free of mistakes. Who could've possibly guessed?" Young hissed before turning his attention back to Fung. "So many secrets, so much history left unheard...yet you're taking your sweet time providing me a proper answer."

"Yes, I suppose I shouldn't keep withholding the knowledge you seek for much longer, should I?" Master Fung sighed with great sadness as he finally pulled out the scroll he'd been lookin' for and placed it down on a table for everyone to gander at. "It has just been…a while since I've had to go through these. It doesn't get any easier. Now then, I believe the best way to go about answering your question is to share a story of old."

"A story? A damn STORY!?" Wuya fumed, momentarily spurring the monks into defensive stances as she leered at the old master before her. "I am here for answers about my son, Fung! I will not entertain your theatrics - NOT THIS TIME!"

Now THIS is the kind of quality entertainment I live for! Let's see how my old "pupil" handles the situation. An angry mother is one thing, but an angry immortal mother with a dead son? I don't think I could wish that on even my worst enemies. And I'm a Heylin demon for evil's sake!

"Wuya…nothing will be gained from acting rash now. Kill him and we lose knowledge even these scrolls don't have," Chase calmly argued, putting on quite the brave front as he carefully stepped beside the seething witch. "If telling a story, no matter how droll, is what it takes for him to spill, then I say so be it. Do it for Ju-Long…"

Wuya grit her teeth, visibly fighting the urge to finish stomping those twerps and their precious master before easing back. Her expression was still fearsome but it was clear she was willing to hold back for the time being. What a shame. Would've been a helluva show to see.

"For what it is worth, I apologize for the inconvenience," Master Fung said calmly, having nerves of steel to rival Chase's. "However, I assure you that explaining things this way will provide further context and insight for our order's most shameful secret. If I may?"

With no one moving to interrupt him, Fung unrolled the scroll onto the nearby table. As he began to read, a magical projection accompanied the words on the page, similar to the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu. A bit rudimentary compared to the more modern scrolls, but still recognizable enough for the story to be made clear.

"Our story begins with a man named Yu," Fung began. "Yu was a humble, hard-working man said to have been a model citizen. His father, Gun, was tasked with the thankless job of solving the flooding crisis plaguing his homeland at the time. It is believed the Xiaolin Dragon of Water was demonstrating its might to some of the nearby regions' deities, as was customary among divine beasts. The floods made life for Yu's people very difficult, and by the time he had reached adulthood, he had made it his personal mission to continue his father's failed work."

"Oh yes, I know this next part!" Omi exclaimed like the giddy child he was, oblivious to the murderous stares Wuya and Chase shot his way. "With the help of Hou Ji, Yu established a clever system of irrigation canals and dredged many riverbeds to relieve the floodwater! This earned him the title of Yu the Great, and he would later go on to found the Xia dynasty! That was always my favorite history lesson!"

The excitable little cantaloupe soon deflated in awkward embarrassment. "Except for the part about my Elemental Dragon causing so much unnecessary trouble. That was my least favorite…"

"You are partially correct, Omi. But I am afraid that is not the full story," Fung replied patiently, continuing a moment later as new illustrations arose. "Hou Ji was not the only help Yu had received. During a particularly grueling day at work, the Xiaolin Dragon of Metal descended from the heavens. It had elected, for whatever reason, to take pity on the humans below. With its great powers, the dragon assisted Yu in constructing a metallic dam that would have put the Great Wall to shame to prevent future flooding."

"Uh, pardon me for interruptin' as well, Master Fung, but what's this about a 'Dragon of Metal'?" Clay asked, just as confused as everyone else in the room (including me). "I ain't ever heard of there bein' a fifth dragon in the mix. I thought it was just Water, Earth, Fire, and Wind."

"This is the second lie I must correct, Clay. In reality, there were once five dragons, the fifth being the Dragon of Metal I just referred to," Fung replied, an inkling of regret seeping into his tone. "You see, after the creation of the dam and Yu's rise to power, the Dragon of Metal became...enraptured by humanity. It was unusually invested in their progress as a species, more so than any other divine beast of its kind."

The animated ink blots on the scroll morphed into that of five dragons as the master talked. Four of them were pantomiming outward frustration and appeared to be conversing with the odd dragon out, who simply waved a dismissive claw at them.

"Interfering with mortals is nothing new for godly beings and creatures. But too much interference, good or bad, was seen as taboo amongst the other dragons. They made many attempts to explain this to their brother, but the Dragon of Metal did not listen. He had allegedly been the most…passionate of the group. And it seemed he had opened his heart to the humans in China, for better or for worse. Unfortunately, it would turn out to be the latter…"

The scroll's images changed again, this time depicting Yu the Great and the Dragon of Metal overseeing an army of big, hulking figures of some kind. Good thing there was a narrator goin' over the finer details, 'cuz these ink blots only gave me a rough idea of what was supposed to happen next.

"With the advancement of the dam gifted by the heavens, neighboring tribes grew both wary and envious of Yu's kingdom. War was on the horizon. Once again, the Dragon of Metal descended to assist his human friend by supplying him with an army of his own making. Metallic entities mightier than any golem fortified Yu's impenetrable defenses to prepare for the coming war. This act was the final straw for the other four dragons."

Cue the illustrations changing to depict four dragons ganging up on one. I must say, did not take the Xiaolin's revered deities to be ones capable of playin' dirty like that. Color me impressed…

"In an attempt to bring their brother to his senses and pull him away from humanity, the four dragons confronted him about his dangerous obsession," Fung continued, pausing for a moment as he silently composed himself for his next words. "Tensions escalated between the divine beasts, and as they attempted to save their brother from his own delusions of grandeur...the Dragon of Metal was slain."

I rolled my compound eyes over the monks' obnoxious gasps. Again, it was easy to forget that these warriors - despite saving the world on more than one occasion - were still kids. Didn't make 'em any less annoying, though.

"Slain?" Kimiko parroted, as if testing the word for herself. "B-But how? And why? The dragons – our dragons didn't do that, did they? Over one of their own taking a liking to humanity?"

"It was never their intention to do such a thing. But when the fighting broke out...things escalated in the worst way possible," Fung explained patiently, even if the pain of reciting the events was beginning to become more obvious in his tone. "With the death of the Metal Dragon, his creations soon vanished from the face of the earth. Without their powerful ally, the Xia dynasty collapsed not long after..."

"Which allowed the warring tribes to found the Shang dynasty; what modern historians believe to be the first real dynasty in recorded Chinese history," Chase surmised, giving Fung a rather pointed look with his reptilian eyes. "You Xiaolin dogs covered the whole thing up. Replaced what really happened with your own edited version of the account. Tell me, was it out of shame over what your precious gods had done to one of their kin? Or was it perhaps…out of fear?"

"It would be wise of you to choose your words more carefully, Young," Master Fung replied swiftly, though there was no detectable anger in his tone. Seems he'd composed himself rather quickly. "I will not speak on behalf of the dead, but I will not tolerate their desecration either. Hiding this information from the world and my students alike was wrong, I admit that. But do not attempt to assume the machinations of men far beyond you."

"So…what happened to the other four dragons after that?" Raimundo asked cautiously, still reeling from the bombshell that his spiritual ancestor played a part in celestial third-degree murder. He was the leader of his group, it only made sense he'd be the one to speak on their behalf while the others were still comin' to grips with everything.

"In their grief, they gave up their chi and allowed themselves to be reincarnated, bringing about the current method of how new dragons are found and recruited in the process," Fung answered gravely, turning his attention back to his students. "Xiaolin scholars theorize that they performed this act both as self-punishment for their mistake, and also as a last ditch effort to bring their brother back in the same fashion they would all return in."

The monks slowly looked down at themselves, likely experiencing a sobering existential crisis over the implications. I could definitely exploit that fear for later.

"Let me take a stab in the dark at this next part," Wuya growled, patience wearing dangerously thin as evident by her steadily glowing green eyes. "Dashi and Guan suspected that my baby boy was this 'Metal Dragon' reincarnate and conducted their own strike team to take him away from me. And before you get holier-than-thou with me, I may have ruled that village with an iron fist, but I remained fair to those people. I even found love with one of them and had a beautiful son…a son that your conniving order tried to STEAL from me AND ENDED UP TAKING THE LIFE OF!"

Another heavy beat of silence as half a dozen eyes, including my own, flicked back over to where Master Fung stood. To the kids, he probably looked as stoic as ever. But to us older folk? There was a palpable weight on his shoulders. A silent but poignant regret to the old man as he bowed his head for a moment.

"I may not have been alive when this most shameful act occurred. And to this day, I still cannot fathom Master Monk Guan's reasoning for why he and Grand Master Dashi made such a reckless decision all those years ago. Regardless, I would like to take this moment to say to you, not as a member of Xiaolin, but as a person that I am truly sorry for the loss of your son. The little one deserved a chance at life, and the missed opportunity for that should not be understated, freak accident or no. My words may mean little to you, but know that they mean much to me, Wuya…"

Well hot damn. Master Fung, current head of Xiaolin, apologizing to Wuya, arch-nemesis to the order…

This beats cable any day! And seein' Dojo squirm on Fung's shoulder and lower his head in shame over his dead best friend's dirty secret? Ooo, now that gives me the shivers somethin' good~

Wuya stared at Fung long and hard, anger still clear as day on her face. For a few seconds there, I was pretty darn sure she'd still just kill him right on the spot, consequences be damned. However, instead of lashing out in vengeful rage, she seemed to stand down, muttering something under her breath I couldn't quite catch. Judging by the smirk that rose on my ex-pupil's face, I can trust it was less than flattering.

"Master Fung?" Omi piped up, uncharacteristically shy and modest in doing so, which was sayin' somethin' given how his ego rivaled the size of his head. "Please forgive me if what I say comes off as inappropriate. But in light of this disturbing revelation, I have been wondering something about this long-lost 'Dragon of Metal'. Do you think there was a possibility that Jack Spicer could have been the latest reincarnation?"

Huh. Well that was a new one.

Apparently, my muted surprise was seemingly shared by the rest of those assembled, masters and students alike. There was no, "Yeah right!" moment, but instead a slow, sweeping realization across all seven of 'em.

And hindsight being what it was...Spicer did always have an unparalleled knack for robotics, and most things metal for that matter...

"I have always had my suspicions, young monk," Fung admitted openly, arms folded within the sleeves of his robes. "Unlike the Grand Master before me, however, I elected passive observation instead of hasty swiftness. When and if the time revealed itself, I would have approached Spicer with civility and offered him the invitation to train, as I did with your friends. In fact, the reason I was apprehensive about your decision to take him in last year was because he had yet to show signs that he was who I thought he was. Had he been the Metal Dragon, I did not want him to feel uncomfortable joining before he had the chance to unlock his powers. He was simply not ready. And he still had so much growing left to do before he…"

"The word you're looking for is died, old man," Chase provided without batting an eye, disregarding the horror and pain that flashed across the monks' faces. Even his partner looked slightly taken aback by his callous bluntness. "Even if that fool was the Metal Dragon reincarnate, it hardly matters now. Jack is gone, and he won't be coming back anytime soon."

Omi's hot-tempered defense for Jack became white noise to me as it all started to click.

Being a demon as old as time itself, you tend to notice certain...shall we say, discrepancies in things. One such discrepancy was the aforementioned Jack kid himself. Clearly I made the mistake of dismissing him outright, even if he was a gullible tool to manipulate. Still, I can admit that there was something off about him. Faint, nigh undetectable...but off all the same.

Couple what we know now with his robots' data files vanishing from his network soon after he dies? Either I'm seein' parallels that just ain't there, or that boy really was the Metal Dragon reincarnate…and I just missed the hot ticket item that could've led to me being the most powerful creature of all time – SON OF A -!

Unless…

The Golden Tiger Claws. I was gonna need them to see if this idea I had in mind would work. And even if it doesn't, well, better if I have it than them anyway. Can do a lotta damage with that Wu in my arsenal.

Just as I was about to fly out of the room…

"Leaving so soon, Hannibal?"

Despite myself, I actually laughed as I removed myself from the wall, flying down towards everyone while reverting back into my original form. I should've expected Young of all people to keep up with me and see right through my disguise. Still, can't say it didn't tickle me somethin' fierce to see the shock spread amongst the rest, save for Fung of course.

"Sorry for inviting myself to the party," I chuckled as my crooked, toothy grin overtook my devilish good looks. "Couldn't help but hear all the ruckus goin' on outside and decided to swing on by for a looksie. Can't blame a bean for being so nosy. Which is sayin' somethin' considering I ain't got one, HAH!"

Dojo not-so-discreetly whispered to Master Fung, "With how nutty he is, you'd think he'd be a nut instead of a bean…"

"Want me to come over there and make you eat those words, garden snake?" I growled. Few things got under this demon's skin, but comments regarding my natural base form were never appreciated.

"Shutting up now!" Dojo yielded before slithering into Fung's collar for protection. His cowardice could give Jack's a run for his money.

"So tell me, what brings my old 'teacher' here?" Chase prompted me, not lookin' too bothered with my appearance but keeping his guard up all the same. "I can imagine you were looking for anything other than trouble coming here."

"What? Am I not allowed to visit my favorite puppets anymore? I'm hurt, truly," I wisecracked, not particularly worried myself. Seven of the world's most powerful beings against one would be a challenge even for me, but I was confident in my speed to make a quick getaway. "Nah, I was just in the neighborhood and couldn't help but discover that the 'beacon of good' was keeping dark secrets from y'all. Mighty interesting if I do say so myself…"

"You watch your mouth, Mr. Bean! I will not tolerate disrespect towards my master who did nothing wrong himself!" Omi declared, apparently still holding on to some resolute sense of spirit even after the truth. Dropping into an offensive stance, he stared me down like a bull primed to charge. "Prepare for a most humiliating defeat!"

"Feh. You were borin' me anyway."

With great speed, I lunged at Omi's moon-sized forehead, kicking myself right off and knockin' the boy down as I bounced out the doorway. Before I booked it to their currently unguarded vault, however, I stole a quick glance back.

"And come up with some new material, will ya son? That line's gettin' old."

"STOP HIM!"

Ironic how Chase was now the one leading the Xiaolin to stop a Heylin demon. The world sure has gone topsy-turvy as of late! This thrill of chaos was just the kind of thing that fuels this old bean's heart with rejuvenated spirit!

Wuya's neutered magic blasts and the monks' elemental attacks outran me as I dodged them all with ease down the corridors. Once back in the courtyard, Chase's cats instantly recognized me and got up from their resting positions to pounce. I effortlessly outmaneuvered 'em and even flung a couple back at the door to slow my pursuers down.

"He's heading for the vault!" Raimundo cried.

Making for the tower housing the monks' Shen Gong Wu, I pulled the lever disguised as one of the room's torches to reveal the spiral staircase downward. With a few a few more hopes, I landed on the step near the Golden Tiger Claws' cubbyhole. I quickly used the Moby Morpher to adjust my size, making myself big enough to pull the Wu out of the drawer and equip it on an extra arm I sprouted. Just in time too as Raimundo and the others dropped down from the first floor to corner me.

"See ya on the other side! Golden Tiger Claws!"

They were fast, but I was still faster. With one swipe at the air, I opened a wormhole for myself and jumped in it, the literal tear in space closing immediately after. Ying-Ying squawked in surprise as I suddenly appeared before her on a tree perched on a hill overlooking the temple.

"C'mon, girl. We're headin' home to make some preparations. Golden Tiger Claws!"

With another strike at the air, the claws ripped a second hole in the fabric of space, and my bird flew us into the gash. A few seconds of flying through a swirling purple vortex later, we found ourselves back home in our cave. Ain't much to look at, but it was far out in the middle of nowhere and away from most forms of life. We were in the clear.

Dismounting from Ying-Ying, I hopped over to the small box where I kept a small ration of food and tossed my dear pet a well-earned cracker, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

"You rest up for a bit. Papa's gotta give these claws here a little extra juice for where we're goin'...wherever that may be,'' I informed my pet as she happily ate her treat. "If what I have in mind works…we may just be one step closer to crushin' all who dare oppose us~"

Bouncing over to another section of my lair, I broke out the ol' mixing pot and started gathering what I needed. A dash of Heylin magic and these puppies will be strong enough to teleport me somewhere a bit more...exciting than planet Earth.

Carefully dipping the Golden Tiger Claws into the steaming concoction, I gave it a solid ten seconds before I carefully pulled them out. Stained with the sickly green residue and afterglow Heylin magic was infamous for, I chuckled darkly before hopping into my nearby suit of armor. It was mostly just for public appearances and raw intimidation, but that don't mean it didn't have a few tricks up its metal sleeves. Ain't no way in hell I was just leavin' it behind.

Packing up what little supplies I had stashed away, I called Ying-Yang to come perch herself on my shoulder as I equipped the powered-up Wu onto my suit's gloved hand. Since I had no proper destination in mind, I needed to form a clear image of my desired target: Jack Spicer.

"Golden Tiger Claws!"

Let's hope these things don't teleport me to wherever his remains currently were, or I was gonna be severely annoyed.

With a single slash, I clawed through space once again, only this time the swirling vortex inside was a nauseating shade of green instead of the usual muted purple. Ah, sweet, disgusting Heylin magic. Is there anything you can't do?

Stepping forward and bracing myself for whatever was to come, I plunged through the portal...

And landed right on top of a pile of rotten old cabbages. Lovely.

"What in the…?"

I let my bewildered words trail off as I immediately surveyed my surroundings. It appears I ended up in a dry, barren wasteland with nothin' but rotten cabbages as far as the eye could see, no hint of civilization nearby. And what's more…these didn't seem to be your ordinary produce either. These cabbages had eyes. At least the ones that hadn't completely rotted away did.

"Ying-Ying, I do believe we ain't in China no more. Or anywhere on Earth for that matter," I said to my pet as I studied the now defunct tiger claws, the sickly green glow having dissipated and leaving Dashi's creation a dull gold in its stead. Might wanna get that looked at soon. "C'mon, we got some scoutin' to do. Find out what this place is and see if we can't get any leads on our little dragon in hiding~"

And with that, I started walking out across this new wasteland, my newest plan fresh in my mind as I chuckled darkly to myself. This game wasn't even close to being over, and "Jack" didn't know what was comin' his way.