Chapter 2: The Here and Now
—
"Zhao hui shi wu, zhao hui shi wu," chanted Lina, her voice growing hoarse. She had been casting spell after spell for the better part of the morning. The sun had barely risen, and she was already exhausted from the effort.
Her hair was a tangled mess, her stomach growled without end, and her mind begged for respite. Still, she pressed on. "Zhao... hui... shi... wu..." The words caught in her throat. Frustration boiled over as she stared at her overflowing magical pot. "Why isn't anything working?!" The ingredients had long been absorbed for the location spell, and she was certain she had cast it correctly.
Bolting upright, Lina had to restrain herself from kicking the cauldron over. Pressing her fingers to her now throbbing temples, she took a deep breath and began pacing back and forth in the inn room. "Every spell, every incantation: nothing's working!" The silence was deafening, as if she had expected some sort of response. But she was only filled with the hollow emptiness that she had come to know. She had no memories of who she truly was and no leads except this ring.
She was stuck.
"I need a break," Lina confessed to the empty room. Kneeling beside the pot, she placed the lid back on top, ending the spell. Her mind whirled over how this ring had eluded her. She wouldn't give up... couldn't give up... but for now, she needed to clear her head.
The cold shower helped, each droplet of water washing away a bit of her anger. Lina let her mind go blank, focusing only on the steady rhythm until her frustration began to ebb.
Once she had cooled down, Lina stepped out and folded a towel around her soaked black hair. A yawn escaped her as exhaustion took hold. Looking around the inn room, she couldn't help but compare it to her temporary lodgings back in China. This place was different: quaint in size but rich in comfort, with elaborate paintings, a king-size bed, and a view of the city that made her feel less alone.
Another yawn escaped her before she crashed onto the soft bed for some much-needed sleep. As her awareness began to fade, the morning sun climbed higher in the sky, filling the chilly morning with warmth. Her last conscious thought drifted through her mind like a half-remembered dream:
If only my magic could fill this emptiness inside me... Then perhaps I could be at peace with what I have, instead of aching for what I've lost.
—
"What is that?" asked Drago, the small demon child, as he carried his empty tray through Section 13's crowded cafeteria. His modern red shirt matched his eyes, complemented by dark gray shorts.
"That's a donut. It's Thursday, so we have one of our agents get them. Think of it as a soft and sweet pastry that melts in your mouth," Black explained.
Black had spent his morning teaching Drago how to behave in crowded settings. Though reluctant at first, the promise of free roaming privileges around Section 13 had made the little demon eager to comply.
It was early, and Black had a lot on his plate , both figuratively and literally, as he helped Drago navigate breakfast, pointing out different options to keep the boy engaged.
"And it's like a burst of happiness for your tastebuds!" Jade chimed in from ahead of them in line. "Grab one!"
Drago eyed the round pastry skeptically but decided to try it. "If you say so..." After selecting a few other promising breakfast items, he followed Jade and Captain Black to their table. Jackie sat there reading the newspaper, his empty plate evidence of an early breakfast.
Jade snagged the TV remote and switched to morning cartoons. "Hey Drago, you've got to check out this show!" she whispered as the dragon boy studied his food with suspicion.
"How is Uncle doing in locating the rest of the rings?" Black asked Jackie, noticing his agents' wary glances at Drago.
Black couldn't blame them for their caution. He didn't like the situation either, but this Drago hadn't caused any real trouble. It didn't feel right locking up a kid like a standard criminal. Still, having to lie to the boy weighed on him. His mind drifted to a recent company-wide meeting...
Flashback
The briefing room was packed with Section 13's entire staff: personnel, cooks, agents, and the Chan family. At the front, beside Captain Black, stood a hologram displaying three images: Drago's future self in both his normal and final form, alongside his father Shendu. Black gestured at the images as he finished the presentation.
"...and under no circumstances are we to disclose what happened over a year ago to our new... guest," he ordered. "Any questions?"
A hand rose from the back of the room. "Why not just banish him with his father and future self?" Several agents nodded in agreement. Black turned to Uncle, who stood nearby.
"All demon portals have been closed!" Uncle declared. "We cannot banish him without means to open another doorway." The agent sat down, clearly out of his depth but accepting the answer.
Another hand rose. A woman from communications spoke, her voice unsteady. "Why keep him here at all? Can't we isolate him somewhere away from humans?"
"He's still a kid!" Jade cut in, her words sharp with anger. Despite her age, she had more experience with demons than anyone else from Section 13. "We can't treat him like a criminal when he hasn't done anything wrong!"
Black stepped forward before the crowd could turn on Jade. "I've considered isolation. But he didn't choose to come here... he doesn't even understand what century he's in. He has no idea his future self and father were our enemies." He paused, his expression grave. "One day, we might need to contain him. But until that time comes or doesn't come, he'll remain in my care under close monitoring."
The crowd shifted uneasily at the thought of a young demon roaming the base, but they trusted their captain's judgment. As the assembly dispersed, Black and the Chans exchanged worried glances, wondering if they'd made the right choice.
End Flashback
Black snapped back to the present as Jackie answered his lingering question. "Uncle has studied the ring in the vault, but he's having trouble locating others. They're not recorded in any of his books, and he's been complaining that there might not even be more rings like the one we found."
"I'm not a liar! I know what I saw. There are... four others," Drago said defensively before taking his first bite of donut. His eyes widened as sugar overwhelmed his senses, and he eagerly devoured the rest.
Ignoring Drago's outburst, Black turned back to Jackie. "If Uncle needs more research materials, I can make some requests," he offered as the demon child bolted back to the line, leaving his other food untouched.
Jade remained fixed on her cartoon, but her mind was multitasking. "Maybe the rings were melted down, or they're being worn by the mafia with their own chi wizard hiding them from detection!" she added excitedly.
The table creaked as Tohru joined them. "Sensei says if the rings exist, they must have stones that emit different chi waves, making them too distinct to connect." The large man hadn't slept much, having assisted Uncle with research into the jade ring. But Thursday meant donuts, and Tohru never missed donut day. He savored each bite of the glistening pastry with deliberate pleasure.
Drago returned with a new tray stacked higher than his spiked head with donuts. Captain Black frowned. "You are not eating all of those. You'll make yourself sick."
The small demon crossed his arms proudly. "A demon's belly is never upset!" He began demolishing his leaning tower of pastries. Impressed, Jade reached up and snagged one, taking a bite herself. "Did you take all the remaining donuts?" she mumbled through chews.
"Jade, close your mouth when speaking. And no more sweets, you've got school soon," Jackie reminded her.
"I know, I know..." Jade whined, but quickly grabbed another donut from the diminishing pile.
"Is that a... um... cartoon?" Drago asked, finally noticing the TV above them. He was still adjusting to this futuristic world days after waking up.
"This is Dragon Sphere X! It's the coolest anime ever!" Jade proclaimed.
"Anime...? Not a cartoon?" Drago asked thoughtfully.
"It's still a cartoon," Tohru explained. "Anime is technically short for animation, with its own genre in Japan."
Drago and Jade turned back to the screen as the heroes summoned a great mystical beast from four glowing spheres. A long, serpent-like dragon emerged from the magical x-marked balls. "I am Shen Long; I will grant you two wishes. Speak your desires now so that I may return to my slumber," the dragon's voice boomed.
Drago's eyes grew distant at the sight of the green dragon. Though it looked nothing like his father, the memory still struck him. His appetite vanished, and he pushed away his remaining donuts. Jackie noticed the boy's change in mood and gave Black a subtle kick under the table.
"Oh, right," Black cleared his throat. "Drago, you'll be starting school today as well."
The boy looked bewildered, snapping back to attention. Before he could ask about school, Jade jumped in. "Is he going to school with me?" she asked excitedly, already imagining showing off her demon friend to her classmates.
"No," Black said firmly. "He'll be receiving lessons here. I've arranged for a teacher who understands our situation."
"Will I get to learn magic and fighting?!" Drago sprang up, throwing playful jabs at the air. Jackie absently rubbed his shoulder, phantom pain from a fight with teenage Drago flickering through his memory.
"No. You'll focus on letters, numbers, grammar, math, and world history," Black stated bluntly. "Lessons start in an hour. Let's get your room prepared." He cleared their plates and headed for the door, motioning for Drago to follow.
"This better not be boring..." the young demon grumbled as he left.
With Drago gone, Jade turned to Tohru. "Why doesn't Uncle just remove Drago's fire chi permanently and turn him into a normal human? Then he wouldn't have to stay trapped here all of the time."
Tohru finished his breakfast before responding carefully. "The extraction of older Drago's demon chi was only possible during the alignment of the dark chi stars. All dark entities were vulnerable then; it's what awakened the demon chi in the immortal objects in the first place. Now that the stars are no longer in alignment, we may not see another opportunity for five hundred years." He paused thoughtfully. "As for human transformation, if Hsi Wu was any clue, Drago should have natural shapeshifting abilities, which may complicate any spell placed on him."
"In other words, he'll have to figure that out for himself." Jackie finished with a nod from Tohru.
Jade remembered Hsi Wu, the sky demon who'd posed as a human child to trick her just to retrieve his tail. The memory still stung, but it sparked an idea: "If Drago learns to transform into a human... maybe he could go to school and do normal things!"
Jackie and Tohru exchanged looks. "It doesn't change what he is... he's still a demon," Tohru said.
"A demon with a bad attitude," Jackie added, folding his newspaper. "There is no telling if he even can change his nature, and we may be doomed to deal with the same problems his family caused all over again." Jackie locked eyes with Jade as he steered the topic to more current events. "Now go on, you'll be late for school."
Jade trudged back to their Section 13 apartment for her bag. As she brushed her teeth, she pondered Jackie and Tohru's words. Were they right about Drago? Was he beyond redemption just because of what he was? Her time in America had taught her that people could come from anywhere, good or bad. But she believed Drago could change. He just needed guidance.
Looking at her reflection, Jade smiled as she made her decision: Operation Make Drago Good was now in effect. It wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to be his friend and role model. With renewed purpose, she headed off to school, ready to face the day.
—
When Jade returned from school later that day, she was drawn to a small commotion coming from Drago's bedroom. Following the noise, she discovered the demon boy in a heated argument with Black, while a curly-haired lady in glasses sat unbothered, reading a book titled "Teaching Demons for Dummies." The woman casually flipped a page, completely ignoring Drago's tantrum and Black's scolding.
"I don't want to do this! I want to watch cartoons! And play games! I want to go to MooseWorld!" the young demon cried out, his frustration growing with each demand.
Jade's eyes swept across the room. Paper and torn book covers from various subjects like math and reading were scattered everywhere. She winced; he was still going on about MooseWorld?
"And I told you no!" Black's voice was stern. "You are not going to some amusement park when you can't even behave in front of your new teacher!"
With a growl that only a demon could make, Drago kicked Black in the shin, causing the bald man to recoil in pain. The demon boy seized his chance, whirling past Jade as he disappeared down the hall with a dragon's speed. Through it all, the teacher didn't even look phased.
Black turned to Jade, noticing her for the first time, and rubbed his shin. "Sorry you had to see that, Jade; he's just being difficult." Turning to the teacher, Black offered her a heartfelt apology for Drago's behavior. The woman just shrugged, not bothered in the slightest.
"Kids are kids, and that was normal behavior for his age," she said matter-of-factly. "Since he's never had to be in a classroom setting, it makes sense he would rebel against the idea. I'll work on my instruction method to find a better way to engage him," she promised as she started gathering her supplies.
Jade's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wow, a teacher who really cares? Ms. Hartman has a thing or two to learn from someone like her!" She joked, but Captain Black wasn't in the mood for humor.
"I'll have to track down our spoiled student," he admitted with a heavy sigh.
Jade could tell that Captain Black needed a break. "Don't worry, Captain, Jade is on the case!" With a quick salute, she dashed off in pursuit of the demon child before Black could tell her no.
Left in Jade's dust, Black rubbed the back of his head as he surveyed the chaos in the room. "Alright... I guess I'll be on cleanup duty then..."
Jade soon found Drago in the magical storeroom, the same place she'd first met this version of him. Somehow, he always seemed drawn back here. "Drago?" she called out, receiving no immediate response. As she wandered through the room, she noticed something different... the tomb where Drago had slept for over 900 years was gone.
Red eyes gleamed at her from the shadows behind the shelves. "Drago? You do know I can see you, right?" The green-scaled demon emerged slowly, his fists clenched tight. "They took it!" he exclaimed, fury in his voice.
"Took what?" Jade asked, initially thinking his anger stemmed from the argument with Black. But Drago's incredulous look told her otherwise.
"They... took... it!" He gestured wildly at the empty space. "Took the only thing I had left of my dad!"
"The tomb... of course..." Jade slapped her forehead. Of course he'd be upset about that.
Looking at the seething child, Jade knew he had every right to be angry. But she'd promised Black she'd calm him down. "I'm sorry, Drago. I didn't know they were going to move it," she offered truthfully. When his expression didn't change, she pressed on. "I'll ask Uncle Jackie where they took it. Maybe we can get it back." She figured it was probably in one of Section 13's lesser vaults.
Drago's fury melted into surprise. "You... can do that for me?"
"Of course! You and I are pals, remember? I'll see what I can find out from the Chan-meister." Jade flashed him her brightest smile, and Drago returned a small one. "Thanks... I just... I want to go home..." he confided.
Jade stepped closer, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I understand how you feel. I miss my home all the time, but since I came here," she gestured to the ground beneath them, "I've had a ton of adventures, learned so much, made friends all over the world!"
Drago's eyes found the floor. "Yeah but, I'm not allowed to leave this place. That bald man... Mr. Black... he hates me because I'm a demon. I'll never get to go home, I'm trapped here," he murmured.
Jade knew it was partly true, but also knew Black could take Drago out if he wanted to. "No, no! You've got it all wrong. Sure you're a little green and scaly, and you've got a tail and horns... but that's not what's keeping you here," she hinted.
"What do you mean?" Drago asked, curiosity replacing some of his dejection.
"When you push Captain Black's buttons, you're only making things harder on yourself. You should give him a chance."
Drago looked away. "He wants me to learn about boring stuff..." he grumbled.
"School is normal for us kids; we all have to go. It's so you can learn, get smart, and land a cool job when you're an adult... you don't want to be dumb when you grow up, right?" She smirked slightly.
"No..." he blushed.
"Then you've got to try to behave. And then Black will probably let you go out and do..."
"Take me to MooseWorld?!" Drago interrupted.
"...maybe." Jade gestured toward the door. "Come on, go tell Captain Black how sorry you are so we can play some Robo-cops!"
"Okay!"
Upon their return, Black was just finishing cleaning up the destroyed books and scattered materials. His eyes narrowed as they landed on Drago. "Got something to say?" He crossed his arms, drawing himself to full height.
Jade offered Drago an encouraging smile, but as he looked up at Black, he felt small and weak... feelings no demon should have. Defiance flared in his eyes. "I don't have anything to say to a lowly human like you!" He kicked Black in the same spot as before.
"Oops! Did that hurt, baldy?" Drago taunted as Black winced. When the captain straightened, his eyes had darkened. "That's it, you little troublemaker!"
Before Drago could flee, Black lifted him and carried him to a corner. "Think you're so tough? Stand here for thirty minutes, then we'll resume our conversation!"
"I won't! You can't make me!" Drago twisted free and ran to the opposite side of the room.
"Drago!" Black barked, but the demon child just grinned, scaling the wall with his claws. "Catch me if you can, human!" he called, scrambling toward the ceiling.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Black muttered, reaching for him. But Drago was too quick, leaping from wall to wall with surprising agility.
Jade watched with mixed concern and amusement. "Um, Captain? Maybe we should try a different approach?"
"No, Jade. He needs to learn that actions have consequences." Black turned back to Drago, now perched atop a filing cabinet. "Come down this instant, young man!"
Drago stuck out his tongue and blew a small flame, singeing a nearby poster. "Make me!" he challenged, feeling his fire magic slowly returning as the suppression spell weakened. Black lunged for him, but Drago jumped away, scattering papers in his wake.
"That's it!" Black's patience snapped. "No more Mr. Nice Guy. Jade, get the fire extinguisher. Drago, this is your last warning!"
Drago's eyes darkened, fire flickering around his hands. "You're not the boss of me!"
As Jade returned with the extinguisher, Drago's gaze darted between it and Black, defiance warring with uncertainty on his face.
"Last chance, Drago," Black warned, hand outstretched toward the smoldering wall where the young demon perched. "Come down now, or we'll do this the hard way."
Drago's eyes flared crimson as flames erupted around his clenched fists, scorching the paint behind him. "You can't tell me what to do! I'm a dragon, I'm powerful, I'm..."
A blast of foam cut him short, dousing his flames and coating him in white. Sputtering and coughing through the extinguisher residue, Drago lost his precarious footing. Black lunged forward, catching the small form before he could hit the ground.
"Let me go!" Drago squirmed, but the fight had left him. His earlier bravado crumbled into something closer to fear. Black held him firmly but gently. "Calm down, Drago. You're okay. But this behavior stops now, understand?"
Drago's lip trembled as he looked up at Black, more confused child than demon prince.
"Maybe we should get him cleaned up?" Jade suggested softly. Black nodded, his expression softening. "Alright, let's get you to the bathroom. Then we're having a serious talk about rules and consequences."
Drago remained quiet as they walked to the bathroom, his father's lessons about dealing with humans crumbling around him. No matter how he commanded them, they wouldn't obey. If his father were here, these humans would listen.
In the bathroom, Black began cleaning the foam off with a towel. Drago stood still, eyes down. "I... I didn't mean to..." he whispered, clutching his shirt. "I just want to go home..."
Black paused, looking at the young demon with mixed exasperation and sympathy. "I know this is hard for you, Drago. But you need to understand that you have to adapt to our rules and the way humans should conduct themselves. We're trying to help you, but you have to meet us halfway."
Drago met his eyes, understanding mixing with lingering defiance. "But I'm not human. I don't want to be like you."
Black finished cleaning him off, weighing his words carefully. "You don't have to be like us, Drago. But you do need to learn to live alongside us. Can you try that? For real this time?"
After a long pause, Drago gave a small nod. "I... I'll try. But I won't promise anything!"
With a sigh, Black put Drago in timeout and guided Jade to the hall. "Thank you for retrieving him. He's been more than a handful today."
"I really thought I had gotten through to him," Jade confessed, head hanging low.
"Don't take it personally, Jade. He's a demon first and foremost. It's going to take a lot of work to change him. Luckily..." He glanced back to ensure Drago couldn't hear. "Luckily, he's still young and hopefully malleable. I don't want to deal with that again," he whispered, referring to the teenage Drago they'd faced.
Jade nodded in agreement, wondering how they'd handle things if he turned out like his older self, given all demon portals were sealed. "I'm sure we can turn him around; don't worry, Captain!"
Black returned her enthusiasm with a tired smile. "I hope you're right, Jade. Because if this keeps up, I might need to invest in some shin guards."
"Can I play Robo-cops after timeout?" Drago called from his corner.
Black braced himself for the tantrum that would follow his refusal. "It's going to be a long day..."
Trusting in Black's ability to handle everything, Jade happily skipped back to her apartment. "I'm home!" Her voice carried a melodic tone as she settled down to tackle her homework at the kitchen table. Noticing Jackie in the midst of his warmup routine, she gave him a wave.
"Jade! You're back a little later than usual," he observed with a raised eyebrow, pausing his stretches.
Jade opened her book as she responded, "Oh, you know. Just taming dragons and being a secret agent for Section 13!" she half-joked. She did technically calm down a "dragon."
Jackie let out a sigh. "Poor Black. Understanding children has never been his strong suit, and I cannot imagine him of all people having to take care of a child... let alone one that is a demon."
Interrupting his concerns, Jade interjected, "By the way... What happened to that tomb Drago woke up in? He seemed really upset about it being moved." She probed, aware of the possibility of Jackie's involvement in the matter.
Jackie pondered for a moment, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I believe Captain Black had it transferred to the vault with Shen Du's other recovered treasures and artifacts. Why do you ask?"
"I sort of promised Drago that I would find it for him. He claims it's his only connection to old lizard breath," she answered honestly.
"Jade, I—" Jackie began, but then he paused, considering. All of those artifacts had been vetted and deemed as safe, and if it helped Drago adjust... "Actually, Jade, that is a very good idea, something that will help Black out quite a bit."
—
"Okay, you can open your eyes now," Black instructed the small demon boy. They had just entered a vault that was low on the security list. It was a large round room filled wall to wall with organized relics from Shen Du's palace. Ancient weapons, scrolls, and treasures lined the shelves, each item carefully catalogued and preserved.
Drago didn't move; his eyes glistened over as he slowly scanned the room, taking in the remnants of his old home. "I... it's..." he turned and beamed up at Captain Black before running through the ruins. Black watched as Drago pointed out all of the different things he recognized, from various jade statues, to a rolled up tapestry, and then finally to a small old ornate box on a shelf. "Oh! These are my figurines that my dad had given me for my sixth birthday!" Drago exclaimed. Noticing that the box looked rather deteriorated, Black began to wonder if the toys inside survived the passage of time. But as Drago opened the box, there inside was about ten perfectly preserved wooden toy miniatures of dragons.
"Wow, that's quite the collection you have there," Black complimented.
Drago grinned. "I'm glad I found them! I prefer these over the weird bed I woke up in anyway. Besides... these can fit in my room better..." He looked up to Black with pleading eyes as his unasked question lingered between them.
"I don't see any harm in that. Maybe we can even find you a new box to put them in," Black suggested, gesturing towards the aged box in Drago's hands. Nodding in agreement to Black's suggestion, Drago eagerly tucked the figurines back into the box as they headed back to the demon's room.
While putting Drago to bed, Black decided to remind him that he was still technically in trouble. "Remember, you are still grounded for being rude earlier... but you can play with your toys, just no video games or TV. Got it?"
Drago, thrilled to have a small piece of home with him, immediately agreed. "Got it, Captain!" He gave a playful salute, a gesture Black was certain he had picked up from Jade.
Exiting the room after one last glance at Drago arranging his toys, Black noticed a missed call and voicemail from an unfamiliar number. Intrigued by who could be calling at such a late hour, he pressed the cellphone to his ear to listen to the voicemail.
"Hello, is this... Augustus? It's Lina, from the other night at the bar. You know, the girl into rocks? Anyways, I thought it would be nice to take you up on that offer to show me around town. I could really use some fresh air. Let me know when a good time for you is, thanks." The tone beeped, signaling the end of the message.
Black blinked a few times as he recalled his drunken banter with the woman named Lina at the bar. That's right, he remembered meeting her and talking about gems and caves. Something about being in town for a certain gem to come through to buy it. A slight blush warmed his cheeks as he clicked the callback number on his phone. After a few rings, she picked up.
"Hello?" came a feminine voice on the other line.
Black could tell it was Lina, a warm smile tugging at his lips, "Hey, sorry I missed your call. This is Augustus."
As they made plans to meet at a local café tomorrow, Black had to admit he was looking forward to seeing her again. A crash echoed from Drago's room, followed by a quick "Nothing broke!" Maybe a normal date was exactly what he needed right now.