shadowsreturn

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 10

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Chase's lair had many rooms. A giant library, a training course, a gymnasium, and more! But none of them could come close to compare to the beauty of Chase's garden. The place was vast.

On the left side of the garden was a labyrinth, in the middle there was a beautiful fountain with benches around and bushes and flowers. And on the right was a trail that led through cherry blossom trees with more bushes and flowers. The best part was, that on that right side, it was situated in a part of the lair where the mountain opened up. Like a big hole in the mountain, it revealed the land below and the stars above! Of course, thanks to Shadow, the stars were nowhere in sight. The end of the trail stopped at a cliff, where Chase installed a small guard rail. Tall enough for someone to lean on it while sitting down.

And Jack was doing just that, sitting on the edge of the cliff. His arms were resting on the rail as his legs dangled down the cliff side through the rail bars. He rested his chin on his arms as he watched the outside world. It had been a few hours since the monks went to sleep, and his phone was the last thing he had that could tell the time. It was 3 in the morning. He tried so hard to rest, to sleep, but any time he tried, his mind would run a million thoughts at once, and as much as he tried to stop it, nothing was ever good enough for it.

So there he sat in Chase's garden. Jack let out a quiet sigh, the same thoughts running through over and over again, whispering in the back of his mind like they always did. They had been there for years, but since Dashi answered his question, they had been louder. "I don't belong here. They don't really care about me. No one cares. What if I just jump?"

Pressing his forehead against his arms, he tried to push those thoughts away, to bury them like he always did. But the weight of them was becoming unbearable.

"Jack?"

He jumped suddenly and turned, as much as his body would allow him, to look at who said his name. But he instantly relaxed onced he saw who it was.

"Hey, cowboy," Jack murmured, his voice quieter than usual. "What are you doin' up so late?" he added as he resumed the position he was in moments before.

Clay hesitated before stepping closer. "Could ask ya thuh same thang."

Jack shrugged, looking away. "Just... couldn't sleep."

"Same hair," Clay admitted. But instead of asking questions or just continue talking, he walked forward, and lowered himself to sit beside Jack, almost a meter away, on the edge of the cliff.

Jack tensed up. They sat in silence for a long moment, the redhead's thoughts changing their tune. "He's pitying me. He doesn't care about me. Why would he care? I'm pathetic... I hurt him..."

Then Clay sighed softly, breaking Jack's thoughts. "Kinda saaid that we kay-yun't see thuh stars anymore, don't ya thihnk?"

Jack, surprised by the casual conversation, turned to stare at Clay, but the cowboy was looking at the magically darkened sky above them. "I guess..." Jack replied, looking back down at the land below the cliff. Very far down below.

But before Jack could resume his dark thoughts, Clay spoke again. "Evher wished uhpon a star?" He asked, looking at Jack.

The albino looked back at the cowboy. Unsure of what was going on, he still responded with honesty. "... when I was a kid..." Looking back at the rail, Jack's heart swelled from pain. And in that moment, he felt like crying but he held it in.

"Me too!" Clay said, completely unaware of Jack's current state. "Ah usta wish for maah own ranch!" He added as he laughed. A sound that always made Jack's stomach flutter. "What about ya?" The cowboy asked, smiling warmly at the redhead. But all Clay could see was Jack's hair covering half of his face.

And Jack wasn't in a good mood. Far from it. "... happiness..." He whispered, making Clay's smile fade away. Those words hitting the cowboy like a ton a bricks. And Jack didn't look at him. Instead, he focused on the rail in front of him, playing with his fingers to try to get his mind off of things. His shoulders were tense like he regretted saying anything at all.

Clay sighed quietly. "Done it evher come true?"

"What do you think?" The albino asked, not looking at him.

"Ya know," Clay said after a moment, "wishes don't allers come true thuh way we expect 'em ta."

Jack snorted without humor, finally turning to meet Clay's eyes. "That's just a nice way of sayin' life screws you over."

Clay gave a half-smile. "Or maybe it jus' takes longer than we thihnk."

Jack looked away again, blushing slightly on the way the cowboy said that. He had spend his whole life convincing himself that nothing good would ever happen to him that hearing Clay say that in the sweetest way possible made his heart hurt much more than it had before. "Yeah, well... guess I'm just tired of waitin'." Jack finally said, his voice low and defeated.

Clay frowned at that, and before Jack could process it, he felt a warm hand rest over his own. The touch was gentle, not forceful, not pitying. Just there. Jack tensed immediately, and he pulled away as quickly as he could.

But he didn't leave.

He hugged himself instead. And Clay, the most patient teen Jack had ever met in his entire life, simply apologized. "Sorry, pahrtner, ah didn't mean t' scare ya."

Jack shook his head slowly. "It's fine." He said, his voice just above a whisper. "It's just..." He started, but he hesitated. Clay looked at him as he started to worry a little bit. And Jack sighed, finally deciding to open up. "When I got kidnapped... they..." Jack continued, but he had a hard time finding his next words. "They... didn't just kept me for laughs..."

And that was when Clay realized why Jack kept repeating to everyone to not touch him. Why he kept his distance with all the people who tried to get close. "Thay assaulted ya?" He asked, and Jack didn't respond. But the heavy silence was enough for Clay to know the answer. Unsure of what to do, Clay instinctively reached out to him, but hovered just above Jack's arm. "Ah'm sorry...  Ah didn't mean t'-"

But Jack shook his head, and for the first time since forever, Jack finally let himself cry silently. After a long moment, he wiped his tears away and cleared his throat, trying to pull himself back together. He had never let anyone see him this vulnerable before. Well, except when he was pretending, but it was just that, pretend! It wasn't his true feelings. It never was. "I don't want your pity, Clay," Jack said, his voice just above a whisper.

But Clay shook his head. "Ah'm not pityin' ya, Jack, Ah jus'... Ah jus' wanna help."

Jack looked back at Clay, finally showing some sort of feelings aside from his emptiness of before. But it was a mix of expressions that Clay hated to see. Sadness, guilt and disgust. "How? I can't even help myself. I made a mistake and it all went to hell from there..."

Clay didn't know what to say, what could possibly make it better. "Jack..." Clay said softly, but Jack shook his head once more. "My... my mother decided to divorce Jason. My step-father. He was very abusive." He started, and Clay listened. "She hired the best lawyer she could find and Jason lost. He got nothing from the divorce. That's when he got mad." Jack continued, leaning back forward, his arms on the rail. "He hired three thugs to kidnap me and demanded a ransom so he could get his hands on some of the money at least. But instead of giving me back and do what they were hired to do..." Jack sighed. "They kept me and the money... they beat me, used me as they pleased... two months later I found a way to escape through a broken window. I jumped out the best I could and cut my right foot on a piece of glass. That's when they heard me..." Jack shifted so his body was half facing Clay. "They attacked me, but one of them cut my face with a knife. That's why I have that scar over my left eye." He pulled his glasses up and rested them on top of his head, lifting his bangs out of his face with them, and Clay could finally have a good view of the scar. "The curse took over me, I killed them, then I ran. Eventually I collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss, and Chase found me..."

Clay was taken aback. He never expected for Jack to tell him the whole story... even if it was only the summary of it all. And the redhead sighed again. "I'm so sorry... I didn't want to talk about it..." He said, trying to supress his shame and sadness. "I don't know why I... I hurt you and..." Jack shifted back towards to rail. Resting his arms and forehead on the rail, he whispered: "Why are you so easy to talk to...?"

"Jack..." Clay began, his tone low just like Jack's was moment before, "Ya don't 'ave t' apologize. Ya don't owe me an explanation for any awf this." He paused, thinking about what he could add. "But ah wanna be thair for ya in any way ah kay-yun." Clay looked at Jack's pained expression. "An ah praahmise, ah'm not gonna pity ya. Ah care about ya, mo-wr than ah should, maybe. But ah don't pity ya. In fuh-act, ah thihnk ya're one awf thuh strongest feller ah know."

Jack's eyes went wide at that as he lifted and turned his head to stare at Clay. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he let them fall. "How can you say that? How can you care about me...?" The albino asked. "After I did so much shit to you guys... why...?"

"Jack," Clay shifted closer to Jack, trying to reassure him somehow. "It don't differr-ta me about any awf that stuff. It's in thuh past. What matters ta me is who ya ahr now. Ya've bee-yn exculuded, bullied, acock down, taken advantaged awf, lef' for buzzard food heap taahms..." Clay shifted closer once more. "eend despaht all that, ya're still hair, helpin' others survive. Ah thihnk that says a lot about ya!"

Jack scoffed softly, smiling just a little bit. "Helping others survive, huh? That's a new one," he muttered, trying to swallow his rising emotions and lump in his throat.

"Ya maahyt not see it, pahrtner, but ah do," Clay continued, in the sweetest tone he could muster. A tone that always made Jack shudder. "Ya could've given uhp a coon's age ago. Ya could've turned yo-wr back awn everyone, but ya didn't. Eve-yn when ya're strugglin', ya're still fightin'. That takes strength, Jack. Mo-wr than ya give yourself credit for."

Jack sighed. "I'm not strong..." He whispered, taking off his gloves just enough to look at his white wrists. And that's when Clay saw them. Two little lines tracing the veins up the wrists. "I did try the easy way out... more than once..." Jack added, putting the gloves back on and hugging himself right after. And at that moment, he didn't dare look at Clay.

Clay felt his entire body weaken at the sight. His heart ached, his chest tightening as he stared at the faint scars on Jack's wrists before the redhead hid them again. This was something he wasn't sure he was ready to see. But Jack had shown him anyway.

Jack trusted him.

And Clay refused to let that trust go to waste.

"Jack..." Clay hesitated for a moment before reaching out again, slower this time, giving Jack every opportunity to pull away. When he didn't, Clay gently placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. "That ain't weakness, pahrtner," he murmured. "That ain't givin' uhp. Ya're still hair. That means ya're fightin'."

Jack shook his head. "You say that like it's somethin' to be proud of."

"It is," Clay said firmly. "Ya didn't let 'em win. No mader how much thay hurt ya, no mader how much thay done made ya fill like ya were nothin', ya're still hair, Jack. That ain't weakness. That's strength."

Jack swallowed hard, he felt like his throat shrunk. He shook his head again. "I wanted to go... my aunt found me and brought me to a hospital..."

Clay squeezed Jack's shoulder gently. "But ya didn't gitty-up," he murmured. "Ya're still hair. That means sumthin'."

But Jack elbowed Clay's hand away. "That only means I'm bad at killing myself..." He said, angrily. "I'm bad at everything I do..." he added, in a barely audible whisper.

Clay flinched at Jack's words, but he didn't back down. His heart ached for him, but pity was the last thing he wanted to show. Instead, he sat there, steady and patient, watching Jack wrestle with his demons.

"Jack," Clay started. "Ya ain't bad at everythin'."

Jack scoffed. "Oh yeah? Name one thing I ain't bad at."

Clay didn't hesitate. "Survivin'."

Jack tensed instantly, but before he could say anything or even deny it, Clay pressed on, shifting closer so their shoulders would almost touch. "Eend ya ain't jus' survivin', Jack. Ya're fightin'. Ya keep goin' eve-yn when everythin' in thuh world's tryin' ta break ya down. Ya keep movin' forward, eve-yn when ya fill like ya gawt nothin' lef'. That's not fuh-ailyhaw. That ain't weakness." He continued, looking at Jack's scar. Taking in every details. "That's strength, Jack. Whether ya believe it or not."

Jack put his glasses back on his nose and turned his face away, hiding behind his blood-red hair.

"I don't know what to do..." Jack admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Clay let out a slow sigh. "Ya gawt people who care about ya, ya know, whether ya believe it or not. Eend ah-" Clay hesitated, but only for a moment. "Ah care about ya, Jack. Ah ain't gonna purtey-nd t' understand everythin' ya've bee-yn through, but ah'm hair. An ah ain't goin' anywhere."

After a minute or two, Jack sniffled, wiping at his eyes quickly before letting out a small chuckle. "You're such a sap, cowboy," he muttered, looking up at the darken sky.

Clay chuckled as well. "Yeah, well, ya fetch it outta me, Jackie."

Jack huffed, rolling his eyes, but he was finally, genuinely, smiling.

Clay smiled softly at the sight, relief washing over him as he saw that small, genuine smile on Jack's face. It wasn't much, but it was something. And right now, that was enough.

They sat there in silence for a while, side by side. Watching as a few shadow monsters were flying high above the plasma shield surrounding Chase's land. And after a good 30 minutes, Clay felt Jack resting his head on his shoulder.

Clay stayed still, his heart racing at the small gesture. Jack's head on his shoulder was something he never thought would happen. He could feel Jack's exhaustion in the weight of his head. It was a moment neither of them wanted to end, but as they saw the smallest bits of light through Shadow's dark magic an hour later, Jack sat back straight.

"You uh... probably should get some rest before the others wake up..." The redhead said. "You can tell the others what I told you..." He added as he stood up. "I owe them an explanation too after all..." Jack concluded as he walked away.

Clay watched Jack walk away, still processing everything Jack had shared. He wanted to say something, anything, to show him that he had people who cared about him, to offer comfort, but he knew Jack would never let anyone help. Even in moments like these, Jack pulled away, instinctively distancing himself from the people who cared the most. Clay stayed on the rail for a moment longer, thinking of everything they'd just talked about. He wasn't going to let Jack push him away. Never again.

Clay stood up slowly, stretching his arms overhead, and gave the now permanent night one last look and smiled. They were going to win this war, and Clay was more than happy to have Jack by his side.

Even if only for this fight.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 9

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

The monks walked into the giant lab, but Jack was nowhere in sight. The machine in the middle greeted them as it hummed softly with energy. Raimundo and Kimiko approached a table filled with blueprints with Jack's writing all over them, while Omi and Clay inspected the tall giant machine.

"This is very interesting!" Omi started as he walked around the white and grey machinery. "I wonder what it does!"

"It's a generator for the barrier that surrounds Chase's land." Jack suddenly said, making all the monks jump as he entered the lab by another door. He still looked exhausted and empty, but he had now a clean grey t-shirt with the classic star wars logo on it and black pyjama pants with different shades of green lines all over them. His hair looked humid as his bangs was almost hiding his glasses. "You know, to keep the monsters outside and keep the survivors safe from any more harm." He added, ignoring their looks of worry as he made his way to his computer.

He sat down at the desk, taking his tablet and opening it to a notepad where he wrote all the details of their exploration of Mount Lhotse. The monks approached him carefully. In front of the albino were many screens showing cameras around Chase's lair and survivor camp. But four screens caught the attentions of the monks. Those four cameras each showed one of Shadow's stronghold. One of the places was surrounded by shadow beasts as one of Shadow's lieutenant seemed to be giving them orders.

The screen right above it showed another of Shadow's stronghold with another lieutenant patrolling the area. Beside it was the next lieutenant aggressively attacking what appeared to be a rock. And below was the last screen showing the fourth lieutenant. That one wasn't moving much, just looking around as monsters walked around him, protectively.

"Jack..." Kimiko started, trying to be as kind as she could be. "How long have you been monitoring them?" She asked, watching him scroll through many, many notes.

Jack didn't look up from his notes. "Long enough to know they never leave their posts." Finding the right page of notes, Jack turned the tablet towards the monks. Raimundo took it.

Jack had detailed all of their monstrous features. Ashley's shadow beast form looked like a cat standing on it's two back legs. Her normal claws from her Katnappe outfit were extended to the point where they touched the ground beneath her. Her feet looked like paws. Her body was covered in a thick darkness that stretched her like a long half kitten half monster. Her eyes were glowing Red and she also had a tail made mostly out of darkness that seemed to be liquified. In fact, her whole beastly body was dripping darkness.

The others were the same, though their forms were different. Tubbimura looked like a round blob with claws, just like the picture Jack showed the monks during their first meeting. Vladimir looked like a gorilla with his hat on his head. And Antoine looked like a tall stretched version of himself with long arms with claws. He had his hat on his head as well.

Kimiko leaned closer to Jack. "You're keeping notes of everything?" She asked, Jack nodded. "Uh-hu."

Raimundo gave back the tablet. "Well, at least we know where they are, thanks to you!" He said, smiling at Jack. But the albino simply sighed. "Yep..." He said, leaning back on his red and black gamer's chair.

The monks looked at each other, unsure of what else they could say. Jack seemed to be mentally and physically exhausted, yet he didn't show any emotions. It was as if he was only a machine that had completely given up.

Then, Clay tentatively tried to start a conversation. "How you feeling, pahrtner?" He asked, but he flinched when Jack slowly looked at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean?" Jack replied, but shook his head slowly. "I mean, I know what you mean, but why do you ask?" He asked, looking back at Clay. His confusion making the monks wince. It was as if no one had ever asked the redhead if he was okay his whole life. And that was only making Clay's heart hurt in a way he couldn't understand.

Clearing his throat, Clay tried again. "Jus' wanted t' know how ya were feeling, ya know, after hearin' what Guh-rand Master Dashi done told ya..."

Jack's confused expression changed into his now usual nothingness. He shrugged, looking back at the screens. "I don't know..." He said, his voice just above a whisper.

Kimiko crossed her arms, looking at Raimundo with worry before taking a step closer, almost leaning on Jack's chair. "You don't know how you feel?" she asked, her voice soft trying to make him feel safe. Safe enough so he could open up to them.

Jack sighed, shrugging. "Nope." He replied, fingers absently scrolling through his notes. "Didn't really stopped to think about it. There's too much to do, and my feelings don't matter, you know?"

Clay frowned. "Jack, that ain't raahyt. Ya ain't some kahnd awf machaahn."

Jack looked down at his keyboard. Not knowing what to say, he stayed silent.

Omi stepped closer. "Jack Spicer, you have been monitoring the enemy, protecting survivors, and working tirelessly on these machines... but you have done nothing to protect yourself!" He said, gently and kind. "Even the greatest warriors cannot fight if they do not rest."

Jack finally looked away from his desk and at Omi. "Rest?" He said, looking slowly at each of them. "How can I rest when I can't?" He added.

Clay approached Jack, close enough so he could touch the chair the redhead was sitting on. He turned it slowly so Jack could fully face them. "Yes ya kay-yun! Jus' tay-uk a break, sleep eend come back!" Clay said, softly smiling at Jack.

But Jack didn't reciprocate. "I have a severe case of insomnia. That's why I said I can't..." Jack said, standing up. The monks backed away as Jack started to walk to his barrier generator. "Just another thing on the list of things wrong with me..." He mumbled as he ran a hand through his damp hair, his bangs falling back into his glasses. He looked at the machine he had spent nearly sleepless months building.

Kimiko looked Raimundo, silently urging him to say something, anything, to get through to Jack. But the Brazilian didn't know what to say.

Placing a hand on the generator, Jack sighed. And finally, Clay broke the silence. "Whatevher keeps ya uhp, it doesn't 'ave t' be at thuh cost awf yo-wr health!"

Kimiko nodded and pressed Jack further. "Yeah! When was the last time you actually ate something? Or even slept properly?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, I eat when I remember. Sleep comes to me when I collapse..."

Clay frowned as he shook his head. "That ain't how it works, pahrtner. Ya're runnin' yourself into thuh ground, an we kay-yun all see it puh-lain as day."

Jack sighed once again, letting his hand fall off the machine. "Does it matter? Look, I appreciate the concern or whatever, but I'm fine. This is just how things are. I work, I monitor, and I keep things running."

Omi frowned, stepping past the others and stopping right beside Jack. "You speak as though you are nothing more than a tool to be used. But that is not true! You are Jack Spicer, once our enemy, now our ally. You are human. And you are important, whether you believe it or not."

Jack looked down at Omi. "No one has ever treated me otherwise before. Why should I believe anything you say? You told me that very same thing once. And when you didn't need me any longer, you left me to rot with several broken bones in the middle of nowhere." He said, but his voice wasn't spiteful or angered. His tone was low and disinterested. Like their past actions didn't matter to him anymore.

And all four of them went pale at Jack's words. They had indeed left him behind, more times than they could count. He had been their enemy, their nuisance, the joke they never took seriously, until now. Now, all they could see was a broken teen with nothing left to loose.

Raimundo swallowed his guilt as he stepped forward. "Jack, we screwed up. We know that. And you have every right to hate us for it, but-" He started, but Jack stopped him. "I don't hate you." He said as he turned to face the other three monks. "I was the one who started that whole mess to begin with..."

Kimiko clenched her fists. "That doesn't mean you deserved to be abandoned."

Jack shrugged. "Maybe not. But it happened, and I moved on. You should too."

"But done ya really?" Clay asked, taking another step closer. "Moved awn, ah mean? because from where we're standing, it kinda looks like you're jus'. survivin'. Not livin'"

Jack sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Please, I know you want to know what's wrong with me, you've been pretty clear about that since you got here. But I just..." Jack looked down at the ground, hugging himself. "I don't want to talk about it... not yet..." he added, close to a whisper.

The monks all looked at each other, uncertain. "Okay," Kimiko said gently. "You don't have to. Not if you're not ready."

"But," Raimundo added, stepping beside Kimiko, "that doesn't mean we're just gonna walk away and let you keep doing whatever you're doing to yourself."

"We are your friends now," Omi stated, jumping beside Kimiko and Raimundo. "And a true friend does not allow another to suffer alone!"

Jack let out a weak chuckle, and for once, there was a bit of amusement behind it. "Friends, huh?" He shook his head. "You guys sure picked a bad time to start caring."

"Maybe," Clay admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that don't mean we're gonna stop" He crossed his arms. "We ain't gonna force ya t' talk, but wer gonna may-uk syhaw ya actually chew sumthin', eend git some rest. Ya're thinner than a brown snay-uk awn a hot summer day."

Jack frowned. "I already told you, I can't sleep."

"Maybe not on your own," Kimiko acknowledged, "but that's why we're here. To help."

Jack stared at them for moment, thinking. But eventually he closed his eyes and sighed. "You're really not gonna let this go, are you?" He said as he reopened his eyes to look back at them.

"Nope," Raimundo said, smiling smugly at Jack.

Jack let out a small sigh, "Fine," he muttered, crossing his arms and looking away. The smallest of smiles slowly showing on his face. "If it'll make you all shut up, I'll eat something."

Clay grinned. "Now that's mo-wr like it!" He nudged Raimundo. "See? Progress!"

Jack rolled his eyes, the smile still there. "Yeah, yeah. Just... don't expect me to suddenly become a ray of sunshine or anything," Jack said as his tired blood-red eyes looked at the monk with a softer expression.

Omi looked at his friends, then back at Jack, smiling as he saw the red-head letting his guards down, but only slightly. "We don't need you to be sunshine, Jack Spicer. Just you. That's all."

The others nodded in agreement. Raimundo stepped closer to Jack. "Yeah, man. Just take it one step at a time. And no more pulling all-nighters like you're some kind of robot."

Jack chuckled once again which made the monks smile even more, if it was even possible. "I'll try," he mumbled.

Clay walked to Jack and stopped right beside him. Then, Clay clapped him on the back. "That's all we ask-" but his sentence was cut off when Jack suddenly grabbed Clay's arm, lifted the cowboy up with a kind of strength no one knew Jack had, and slammed him on the ground face first.

The monks all backed away as they looked back at Jack. The albino looked panicked. "I'm sorry, I-" he said quickly, backing away from them. Clay sat up and looked at the red-head. "I-I..." Jack kept trying to apologize, to say something, all while backing away. "I didn't mean..." But as Jack was getting close to the second door on the right of the lab, he whispered: "I'm sorry..." and he left quickly. Leaving the monks dumbfounded at what had just happened.

The monks were stunned, each processing the turn of events that had just transpired. Clay slowly got to his feet, dusting himself off, but he was confused and concerned, his hand went to rest on where Jack had grabbed him to slam him down. And Raimundo was the first to break the silence once again.

"Did he... did he just...?" Raimundo started, but he couldn't form any more coherent words. He was too stunned.

Omi looked at Raimundo with confusion. "What... what just happened?" he asked, bringing a hand to his forehead. "He seemed so... normal, and then... that."

Clay winced slightly, rubbing the sore on his arm. "Yeah, well. Jack ain't exactly in thuh bettermost puh-lace raahyt now," he muttered. "We need ta give 'im space. 'e's prolly bee-yn through a lot. mo-wr than we maahyt eve-yn know."

Raimundo sighed. "I guess we should just go to bed. Let him be for now and come back tomorrow." He said as the others agreed.

And with that, they all left the lab and went to bed.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 8

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

This chapter contains a part of my AU that many people might hate...

Anyway enjoy!

--------------

"It had been a year or two that he was invited to join the Xiaolin temple. Jason, his step-father at the time, was happy as this could bring their family great honor and respect. While Karlia, his mother, was over the moon!

"I'm so happy for you, sweetie!" His mother had said, after hugging him. "You're following in my footsteps! I cannot be more proud of you!" She added, looking at him with a sweetness he would, unfortunately, never see again. He had been so happy to join and train. He wanted nothing more than to help people and use his gift for the greater good.

But life has a bitter sense of humor...

After his training one day, he was working on building his own computer. He was sitting crossed legged at the foot of the stairs to one of the temple's buildings. His only friend at the time, Abigale, the dragon of light, was still continuing with her training. She was a few meters away from him as she used a dummy to practice.

But strangely, he felt a presence watching him from above. He looked up and saw Chase Young looking at him with great disdain. The old Overlord took out a scroll from his belt, unfolded it and started reciting one spell. Abigale, hearing the man's voice, ran towards her friend in an attempt to save him from the man.

But, by the time she reached them, Chase had already finished his spell as he swiftly turned to the girl, used his sword...

And cut her down like she was nothing...

Abigale's eyes went wide as she fell to the ground in front of her friend. Blood spilling out rapidly as Chase suddenly disappeared.

And Jack completely lost it. The curse Chase casted upon him took control. Darkness surrounded him, his eyes turning crimson as his element went out of control. In a matter of a second, the temple was destroyed by metal spikes coming out of the ground and his vision turned pitch black...

...

Once he came to, all he could see was the destruction he had created, Abigale's body still laying on the ground and Master Fung desperately trying to calm him down.

Tears poured down his face as he silently cried. He could not believe what he had done. Master Fung tried to help him, but he ran. He ran as far as he could. He refused to stay a moment longer in the chaos he had made. He would never forgive himself for it.

And at that moment, Jack vowed to get his revenge on the Overlord, Chase Young."

Jack opened his eyes as Raimundo and the others were still waiting for him to speak. He kept his unreadable expression and looked Raimundo dead in the eyes. And despite his heart screaming at him to tell the truth, he could not bring himself to. "You're wrong." He said, lying once more.

The monks all sighed in defeat. Jack's words seemed empty with lies, but it was clear the albino would not talk. And he was too hard to read as the redhead kept a completely neutral face. So Raimundo turned to his friends. "Alright guys, there's another way to do this. I'll use my wind to lift everyone up to the exit!" He said as the others nodded.

And Raimundo did just that. Lifting everyone up, he guided them to the next door at the top, arriving in an empty white room, with Master Dashi sitting crossed legged in the middle of it.

Master Dashi opened his eyes as the monks approached, a calm smile on his face. "It seems I've been found at last," he said with amusement.

Raimundo stepped forward first, almost not believing his eyes. "You're really here, huh? We all thought... we all thought you were gone."

But Dashi's gaze shifted to Jack as the genius stepped forward as well, his unreadable expression still in place. The monks looked at him as the albino finally revealed his reason for following them to the mountain. "I need your help." He said, sounding unsure, but Dashi frowned as he stood up. "I know. Unfortunately, I cannot help you." He said calmly as Jack's expression changed from uncertain to shocked. "What...?" Jack asked, almost in a whisper. His hand twitched at his side, his fist clenched tight.

Dashi looked at Jack with pity. "I'm sorry. But there's nothing I can do. Your curse is bound to your soul, there's no cure for this..." He added. The words hit Jack like 18 wheeler truck, and for the first time in a long while, he felt like crying as he stood frozen in place. He wanted to lash out, to deny it all, but something deep inside held him back. He looked down at the ground, completely defeated. His last hope, gone. His exhaustion hitting him like a wave, but he stayed standing.

"Grand Master Dashi," Raimundo interrupted as he began to get impatient, he was definitely going to ask for answers later though. "I'm sorry but we need your help too. Shadow has returned and-"

Master Dashi nodded slowly as he cut Raimundo off. "I know of the threat you face, young warriors. I was merely answering your friend's question." Then he turned to the monks. "My prison wasn't strong enough to hold him longer than a thousand years. Shadow is out for revenge. But he is searching for not only us Xiaolin monks, but for your friend as well." He said as he turned to Jack once more.

And Jack looked up at Dashi, his emotions gone. He knew about this of course, but he could care less at this point. And Dashi turned back to the monks. "I will leave the mountain and help you." He said, smiling at them softly. "And I will tell you more about Shadow's element once we are back to safety." He said as the magic in the mountain suddenly vanished, and through an entrance of the cave they witnessed the wind barrier vanishing as well.

And just as some flying shadow beast were approaching them, Dashi used his Xiaolin magic to teleport them back to Chase's lair.

And Chase was waiting for them. As they appeared in the middle of the throne room, Chase stood up and walked down the stairs. Ignoring the monks and Dashi, he walked straight to Jack. "Are you alright?" He asked, showing another rare sign of care. He lifted the boy's arm to inspect the blood stain he had on his right side, but Jack pulled his arm out of Chase's grasp. "You should be more careful." He said as the albino back away.

"I'm fine.." He said, his voice rather cold. "Don't touch me..." He added as he walked passed everyone to go to his room. And Dashi watched Jack leave, then turned to Chase, who had a slightly furrowed brow as he watched the boy retreat. "Ah, the drama of youth, reminds me of you when we were kids!" Dashi muttered, almost to himself.

Chase's gaze never left Jack's retreating and defeated form. "You've always been good at reading people, Dashi, although..." He trailed off, his voice betraying a hint of concern. "this is not the reason why I sent them to find you."

Dashi chuckled softly. "I know, Shadow, but I couldn't help but notice how he keeps everything to himself. You should know that better than anyone, my old friend. He's just like you."

Chase turned to face Dashi. "So, you know. That doesn't surprise me."

Dashi smirked. "Come on, Chase, why didn't you say you had a family? Planning to kill them like your old ones?"

Chase huffed. "Don't be a fool. Karlia is the only one I truly ever cared about, and she would never forgive me for even thinking of ending them."

"Wait just a minute!!" Raimundo almost screamed. "Are you saying that Jack is your.."

"My son, yes." Chase responded, not letting Raimundo finish. "But we have more pressing matters to discus."

Dashi nodded. "Right, let's find a more private room to talk!" He replied as Chase led them to the meeting room.

Raimundo and the other monks exchanged looks, their shock still settling in. Jack, Jack Spicer, was Chase Young's son? None of them had ever even considered the possibility. The genius had always been a joke to them, a weird and annoying kid. And now that they were hit with more than one bombshell revelations since the mountain, Jack himself hadn't reacted at all at Chase's concerns. He had simply walked away, as though Chase's worries had meant nothing. So, Jack's adoration towards Chase was fake too?

The monks were at more than a loss when Chase and Dashi led them to the meeting room. They didn't know how to react to this news. But, once back inside the meeting room, Chase took his seat at the head of the table, he looked around at the monks and his old friend/enemy as they took their own seats. His expression had hardened back into something unreadable, but Dashi still had that one smirk on his face. "Now that we're all settled, let's get to the real issue," Chase said, resting his hands on the table. "Shadow's return."

Dashi crossed his arms. "Yes. But before we discuss strategy, there's something you youngsters must understand." He said, staring at the table, his brow furrowed. "Shadow's element lets him control the darkness, shadows, anything devoided of light. How he made those shadow beasts, as you call them, he made them by condensing the darkness so much that it turned into solid matter, creating those monsters."

Raimundo hummed out loud, letting Dashi explain to them Shadow's power before asking about a few things. "So they are made from Shadow's own element."

Dashi nodded. "Yep! Though I'm not sure what he used to amplify his power, but usually he would never be able to keep the sky this dark while making more than a few monsters." He said, sighing as he rested his arms on the table. "And I'm not entirely sure on what he did to your friends to turn them into monsters as well. But, one thing for sure is that we need to defeat each of them to get to Shadow."

Raimundo slowly nodded. "Ok... So we find them and figure out a way to defeat-" but Kimiko cut him off. "Capture and cure them!" She added as Raimundo smiled at her. "Right! We figure out where they are," he started as he looked around at Clay and Omi as well. "how to capture them so we can bring them back here and cure them. And after that we will be able to get to Shadow!"

Omi nodded and chimed in. "We also need to find Master Monk Guan and Wuya!" Chase rolled his eyes and scoffed.

But Raimundo ignored him. "Right! We get the whole gang here..." he went silent for a moment. "I have a question though... Why is Shadow searching for Jack too?" He asked as he looked at Dashi.

"Yeah," Clay added. "'Cause, no offense, but Jack ain't exactly a threat."

Chase shot the cowboy a glare, but it was Dashi who responded. "Because of his curse. Shadow believes he can control it and take it for himself."

Kimiko crossed her arms. "Wait, back up. You said earlier that his curse was bound to his soul, and that there's no cure. How can Shadow get it?"

Dashi looked at Kimiko. "Exactly!" He started, "Since Shadow can manipulate darkness in any way he wishes, he thinks he can also control your friend's curse. He thinks it's made of darkness, but it's not." he leaned back in his chair. "And Jack's curse cannot be taken away. The curse is intertwined with his soul, taking it away would be taking half of the boy's soul, leaving a half empty shell of a human being."

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "Then what is it?" He asked curiously.

Dashi sighed. "Centuries ago, I bound a Demon to a curse. The curse itself makes you black out and... fall asleep, if you will. And the Demon comes out and do whatever it wants. But as soon as Chase cursed Jack, their souls merged together. Making the Demon a part of him."

"Wait," Kimiko started. "you cursed Jack?" She added, but Chase brushed her off as he nodded. "Who cursed who is not important and splitting Jack's soul in half is not what Shadow wants. If he ends up tearing it, he would get only half of Jack and half of the demon. But there's another reason why we cannot let Shadow get a hold of Jack under any circumstances."

Omi, although deeply concerned for his friend, couldn't help but be a little curious. "We understand, but what is that other reason? If I may ask."

Chase sighed. "If Shadow make Jack release his curse, the demon will be unleashed. Remember, it does anything it wants. And what it wants is pure destruction and death. In other words, Jack becomes ruthless, merciless, murderous. There's nothing stopping him from killing or destroying everything around him. He cannot be reasoned with in any way."

The monks all looked at each other, dumbfounded, then they all looked back at Chase. "You're kidding right?" The Brazilian asked as Chase shook his head slowly. "I wish I was." He answered. "But I do have a task for you four."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "What task?" She asked, curious. Chase stood up. "Jack is not a lost cause just yet, so I need you to help him. Spend time with him, keep an eye on him. Keep him safe."

Clay looked up at Chase. "If there's a way t' help, we can't jus' let 'im be. We're all in this together now."

Raimundo nodded. "True, but why can't you help him?" He asked, looking at Chase.

Chase sighed. "I don't know if Jack will ever truly forgive me for cursing him. The damage is done. But if there's any chances of him healing, of him finding some peace, it's going to have to come from you. He won't listen to me anymore."

Raimundo sighed. "So, what now? Do we just keep doing what we've been doing? Keep fighting Shadow? Hoping Jack comes around?"

Omi spoke up again. "No, we have to show him that he is not alone. Jack Spicer has been living a nightmare for so long, it is apparent in his expression, he does not even know how to reach out for help. Maybe, if we show him that there is more to life than just bad things... we can help him find a way forward."

Kimiko nodded in agreement. "It's not going to be easy. Jack's built up so many walls around himself. But we can try. We can be there for him, even if he pushes us away."

Raimundo stood tall. "Alright then, it's decided! While figuring out how to defeat Shadow, we spend time with Jack and help him get out of his own head. We're not giving up on him. No matter what it takes."

Chase gave a slight nod. "Then I'll leave him in your hands." He responded as he turned to leave, Dashi standing up to follow him. "I hope you can find the strength to help him, because Jack is going to be hard to crack." Chase added before passing through the door.

And as that said door closed behind the two old men, the monks were left in silence, knowing their next challenge was going to be hard. They weren't just going to fight against Shadow and restoring China to it's former glory, they were fighting to save a lost soul, one that had been shattered by a lifetime of betrayal, isolation, and pain.

And they were determined to help heal him and uncover the deeper secrets that he had been holding in for so long.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

As the gang passed through another hallway, the air grew thick with humidity. Instead of bickering or even just chatting here and there, they were all silent. The monks had no idea on what to say, especially after what Jack had revealed moments before. And Jack was now completely shut down. Devoid of emotions or even exhaustion, he kept walking as if he was a machine who got ordered to walk in a straight line.

Soon they entered another massive room filled with small pools of water all around the dirt floor of the mountain. "This is... interesting." Omi exclaimed, looking around. Jack approached one of the pools and looked at his reflection, but immediately gasped and stepped back, his heart racing as he looked at his hands.

The monks all looked at him, all curious. "What happened?" Raimundo asked, worry filling his tone and features.

Jack stammered for a moment. "N-nothing, I just..." but he couldn't finish. The image he saw kept flashing in his mind over and over. It was him, the curse had taken control and he was standing on top of a mountain of bodies that rested in a lake of blood. Jack himself was surrounded by darkness and his skin was drenched in blood as he was smiling.

Jack started to shake as he had just witnessed his greatest fear in a small water pool, inside a magical mountain. Jack tried to calm down as the monks approached him.

"Jack Spicer, are you all right?" Omi asked, very concerned.

Clay placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, but the albino flinched and backed away quickly. "D-don't touch me.." He said in a stutter but calm manner, sighing as he closed his eyes. "I'm fine, just... give me a moment." He added as he looked around other pools.

Raimundo hesitated for a moment. "You sure you're okay, Jack? You don't look fine." His voice was gentler now, not wanting to push the albino further into more revelations that the monks weren't exactly ready to hear.

Jack didn't respond immediately. He looked into another pool as he saw himself again, but this time he was back at the temple with the monks. "This one shows you your greatest fear..." He said, pointing to the pool that made him back away, but didn't add to it as he continued his phrase in his own thoughts. "this one shows something else. Interesting!" He thought, trying to distract himself, and the monks, from what he had seen prior.

The monks exchanged weird looks, their concern deepening. Jack's silence was more unsettling, even for him. It was clear he had a heavy burden on his shoulders. And whatever he had seen reminded him of that burden...

Omi took a tentative step forward, his brow furrowed with worry. "Jack Spicer," he said gently, his voice as soft as it could be, "if it shows your greatest fear, then maybe it is something we can help you face. You do not have to go through it alone."

Jack looked at Omi briefly before quickly looking away again as he looked into another pool. "You don't understand," he muttered, his voice tired. "It's not about me, it's your trial, Omi... find the pool you feel is right. And stop trying to help me..." He added, turning to yet another pool. He hesitated before looking at it's reflection. This time it was him and his two sisters. Happily playing and laughing together, something that had, unfortunately, never happened after what he had done. Then he saw the blurry forms of his mother and father in the background, all enjoying their time together. And Jack's throat tighten as he wished he had experienced even one happy moment in his life like this.

The monks watched in silence, seeing what Jack was seeing. Though they didn't know the full extent of it all, they knew the sight was bothering Jack greatly, even if the albino wasn't showing any signs of emotions. Clay took a step forward, his voice comforting, trying to bridge the gap between them. "Jack," he said gently, "ya're not thuh ownlee one who's gone up in lost sumthing, or bee-yn hurt. We all bee-yn through a lot an faced fars we wish we could forget."

Jack's eyes remained fixed on the pool, refusing to meet anyone's gaze, his expression now unreadable. It was almost like he was dead on the inside. His voice was barely above a whisper as it sounded so hollow. "I've never..." But he closed his eyes and sighed. "Omi, search the pools, please..?" He said, as he instinctively hugged himself. "Let's get this trial over with." He added.

Omi hesitated, but slowly nodded as a response. He wanted nothing more than to help his broken friend, but Jack kept pushing them away at every turn. Every time they uncovered a part of Jack they never knew, the albino shut them down instantly, leaving the monks with more questions each time. Omi sighed as he walked around, looking at the pools. One of them showed Omi all grown up and tall. Almost looking identical to Master Dashi. He smiled as he placed his hand on the surface, thinking it was the right pool, but nothing happened.

He frowned as he got to another, he looked as it showed Omi and his friends cornered and helpless as darkness engulfed them. This one was definitely not right. And upon inspecting more random pools, Omi stopped at one that stood out to him more than any other. Because Jack was standing in the stilled image with him and the other monks. Everything looked right. Even Jack's scar was there. Omi stepped closer and touched the calm water, resting his hand on the surface.

Then, the pool extended and swallowed all the monks, along with Jack, making them fall into a deep and shallow cavern filled with water and a very far away exit at the top of the cavern. It was not the way they got forced in, but it was still a way out. But the water was too dense for them to swim to the top, Omi had to use his element to save himself and his friends.

Omi focused his energy, his hands moving swiftly through the water, creating spheres under each of them to lift them upward. The dense water slowed their movements, but Omi's power cut through it, keeping them from sinking further. Raimundo kicked his legs, trying to push forward, but the water was too dense for him to move properly. He glanced at Omi, urging the younger monk to work faster, as his lungs desperately asked for air.

Clay gripped the edges of his sphere tightly, looking everywhere to find Jack. His brow furrowed with concern but he slightly relaxed when he saw Jack, who seemed to be alright as the albino tried to keep himself from falling off the water sphere Omi created.

After a few seconds, the stilled water above the surface was disrupted as all five of them shot out of the water and landed in an entirely new room.

They all took a moment to catch their breaths as they all slowly looked around. "Wait... Omi's trial should have been the last!" Jack exclaimed in a mumbling.

"The last? What about mine?" Raimundo asked, but Jack shook his head. "Yours was passing through the wind barrier at the start." He replied, standing up as he finally realized who's trial this was.

The Metal element trial.

"Oh no..." he whispered. He didn't dare move as he looked around the place. The room was filled with metallic walls, poles, beams and even a few ores laying on the ground. And the way out was way above them. The trial was clear, make a set of stairs to move forward to the next room. But Jack was frozen. The monks had no idea what was going on as they turned to Jack, Raimundo blaming him for bringing them to a dead end.

Raimundo sighed in frustration. "Well, what now, genius? You're the one who dragged us into this mess. We can't just stand around here!" Jack was not able to speak. His mind kept telling him to lie, while his heart was telling him to tell the truth. He was so conflicted...

Omi sighed as well, looking defeated. "I do not understand, how can we complete this trial now?"

Kimiko walled past Omi, looking at the metallic beams. "This is the element of metal's trail, but last time we saw him was when he saved us from the shadow beasts..."

"And brought us to Chase's lair..." Raimundo continued. "Which reminds me, the guy got hurt right? On his right side, right under his arm." All the other monks nodded as they all turned to Jack. "And you've been bleeding from that same side since the fall through the mountain." He exclaimed and he crossed his arms, pointing to the much bigger blood stain on Jack's green shirt. Raimundo took a few steps forward, stopping in front of the albino, angry but also worried.

But Jack didn't falter. He crossed his arms as well, his poker face coming back as he glared at the Brazilian. "I work with machines that can hurt me at every turn and you're blaming me for a coincidence?"

But Raimundo was not easily swayed. "I don't think it is. You've been apparently hiding everything since we met you. You even admitted it yourself mere moments ago. You are hurt at the same exact spot as the guy who saved us and you're trying to tell me it's just a coincidence? I don't buy it."

But Jack was just as determined to keep up the lies as his expression didn't change. He was unreadable once again. "Do you truly believe I can actually fight, or use an element like you guys can?"

Raimundo glared at Jack for a moment, observing the albino's form, posture and expression. Then, his eyes landed on the scar Jack had on his left eye. "Your body is more bulkier than before you disappeared, you're behaviour has changed as if you've never been a whiny teen who acts like a child and you lied to us from the beginning. What do you think?! I wouldn't surprised to know that you can actually fight and that you are the one who was supposed to be at the temple before we arrived like Master Fung told us."

Jack kept his composure and overall empty expression. "Master Fung told you? And what did he tell you exactly?"

Raimundo's anger subsided as he tried to get Jack to talk. "He told us that the element of metal was supposed to be there, but he lost control. Destroyed half of the temple and left, never to return. Was it you?" He asked, hoping he would be right.

But Jack simply closed his eyes. His memory coming back to him as he relived that faithful day. The day he suddenly lost everything.

The day everything changed for the worst...

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 6

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

This one is long...

****

As they walked through the tunnel, the air grew warmer as Kimiko started to feel the fire within her brewing.

Meanwhile, Raimundo kept glaring at Jack here and there. The albino was unusually calm, collected and his exhaustion was now fully visible. His pale face was devoid of any emotions, like he had been since they reunited, but the bags under his eyes betrayed him. The Brazilian was still mad at Jack for being able to speak his native language. Just like he was able to speak Dutch moments before, Raimundo wondered just how many languages the albino could speak. And more importantly, which one was Jack's native language in all of that?

Raimundo clenched his fists, the question gnawing at him, unable to let it go. It wasn't just that Jack had the ability to speak different languages, Raimundo had no doubt that the albino's mind was sharp enough for it, but it was the fact that Jack had never bothered to say anything about his knowledge. He kept everything close to his chest, always hiding just a little more of himself, always staying one step ahead. Always pushing them away. It was infuriating. Why was Jack never sharing anything? Especially since he clearly changed, judging from the way the albino was acting.

Kimiko noticed Raimundo's clenched jaw and the way his eyes narrowed at Jack, though she couldn't quite understand why Raimundo would be angry at Jack, maybe it was because of what he had said in Portuguese earlier? She didn't know, but she had her own worries, her own sense of unease as the tunnel seemed to stretch on longer than it should have, and the next trial, her trial, that was approaching. Though she couldn't ignore the tension between the two.

"Rai, let it go," Kimiko murmured, her voice low as to not be heard by Jack. He didn't answer, but the tension in his shoulders eased slightly. Raimundo still couldn't shake the many questions forming in his head, but for now, he kept them to himself.

Jack, seemingly oblivious to the silent tension, continued to march forward, his steps steady as his exhaustion didn't seem to bother him. He passed by the others, making him the first one ahead. Raimundo watched him, eyes narrowing, trying to figure out how Jack could appear so unaffected by everything. That wasn't like him to act this way at all. Something was wrong and Raimundo knew it the moment Jack appeared after eight months of absence.

The tunnel was pitch black, with no light save for the faint glow coming from Jack's small tablet. But that gave off just enough light to reveal the jagged rock formations and the faint outline of the path ahead. It wasn't much, but it was enough for them to continue, though the silence in the tunnel was oppressive, and the heat was becoming unbearable. Kimiko could feel the temperature rising around her, the fire within her stirring uneasily, sensing something about the place that maybe didn't sit right.

"Are we getting closer?" Kimiko asked, her voice betraying a hint of frustration. Jack stopped, turning to face them. "We're not far now," he said, his tone colder than usual, though his tired eyes said otherwise.

Raimundo stepped forward, still holding a grudge. "Yeah, but what's really going on with you, Jack? You don't just speak random languages in a perfect accent for no reason."

Jack's eyes narrowed briefly, and for a moment, he was silent. "Don't know why you're turning the conversation on me, but look, I haven't slept in weeks 'cause I've been working on the machine you saw back in Chase's lair. That's all." Jack finally muttered, turning back toward the dark path ahead. And for once, the monks felt like they could actually trust the albino. But that raised more questions than answers. Jack was never trustworthy with them. Or anyone!

As Jack continued down the path, his footsteps were light, almost as if he was trying to walk normally and hide his exhaustion. But Raimundo wasn't fooled, and the tension between them lingered, Jack was hiding a lot of informations, and the more he tried to act like everything was fine, the more it seemed like it wasn't.

"What's with you, Jack?" Raimundo pressed again, his voice quieter now, but still laced with suspicion. He couldn't let it go. Not this time. "You can't just keep hiding things from us. What's really going on?"

Jack stopped walking again, stopping the monks behind him, his shoulders tense. He didn't turn around this time, his back still facing the others. He took a deep breath before speaking. "Can we... talk about this when we get back?" He said, his voice tired.

"No, not this time. You never give us a straight answer..." Raimundo pressed once more, crossing his arms.

Jack sighed again. "Well, can't give you a straight answer when I'm not even straight myself!" Jack mumbled as he tried to make a small joke to ease the tension.

Raimundo blinked in surprise, his eyes narrowing as he tried to process Jack's words. Kimiko, who had been following the exchange quietly, could feel her heart stop slightly, her thoughts momentarily spinning as she considered what Jack had just said. It didn't sound like a joke. And from the way Jack's shoulders had stiffened from the long silence, it was clear that he regretted saying anything at all.

Clay was taken aback by this while Omi just didn't know what it meant at all. For a long moment, neither Raimundo nor Kimiko, or even Clay, said anything. The silence stretched between them, new questions forming in their mind at what Jack had just implied. Kimiko's mind raced, unsure whether she should say something or just let it go. But before she could even gather her thoughts, Raimundo stepped forward again, his voice cutting through the stillness.

"Wait," he said. "Did you just... did you just say you're not straight?"

Jack didn't turn around, but the tension in his posture was apparent. He let out a breath, clearly reluctant as he tried to stay indifferent. "I was just trying to ease the tension, you know, tried to make a joke." He finally said. He cursed himself internally, blaming his big mouth on his fatigue.

Kimiko exchanged a glance with Raimundo, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion. It was hard to imagine Jack, someone so guarded, so secretive, revealing something so personal, especially in the middle of a tense moment like this. "This didn't sound like a joke, Jack..." Kimiko said.

"Well that's because it's not a joke, but I thought you guys would laugh it off since you guys love to laugh at my expense..." He sighed again, turning to face the monks. "Look, I didn't mean to bring anything up, alright?" Jack added, his voice much quieter and tired. "I've got enough on my plate as it is, ok? Let's just focus on getting through this trial." His tone shifted back to its usual guarded and cold edge, as if he were bracing himself for their reactions.

But Raimundo didn't let it go. He couldn't. This was too big a thing for Jack to just brush off, and he couldn't pretend like it didn't slightly change their view of him.

"Are you serious right now?" Raimundo asked, incredulous, though there was a softening of the tension in his shoulders. "You've been holding that back all this time?"

Jack's head tilted slightly, the smallest hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "What do you want from me, Pedrosa? This isn't exactly the time for heart-to-hearts, okay?"

Kimiko could sense Jack's discomfort, but she couldn't help the curiosity bubbling up inside her. "Jack..." She began cautiously, not sure how to approach this news. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

Jack's voice lowered, clearly irritated and impatiently trying to make them stop their interrogations. "Because I didn't need to. You never asked and you don't need to know me, that's why I've been faking that idiotic façad-" Jack stopped himself as he realized what he had just said. "¿Qué carajo me pasa?" He said, his tone just above a whisper. Sighing, he slapped one of his hand on his forehead as he was now speaking Spanish. His voice becoming more tired each time.

Raimundo stared at Jack, utterly dumbfounded. The mix of frustration and confusion on his face was almost comical, but Jack's slip-up only made it worse. The last thing he expected was for Jack to speak Spanish right after admitting he was lying to them since the day they met. It was another thing Jack hadn't revealed until now, and it felt like the more he learned about Jack, the more there was to uncover, but Jack always seemed determined to shut it down before anyone could get too close. And it not only irritated Raimundo, but Clay as well.

"Wait, wait. You were lying to us all this time AND you speak Spanish, too?" Raimundo asked, still trying to wrap his head around everything. His voice was filled with disbelief.

Jack looked at him and gave him a glare once more. "I speak a lot of different languages. But that's not important... look can we let it go? Please?" He asked, knowing they were far from letting things go.

Raimundo stood there for a moment, still trying to digest everything that had just unfolded. Jack's slip-up about his sexuality, that he apparently have been lying and acting like an idiot all this time to cover up his real self and the added mystery of his multilingualism, it was all too much. For once, he felt like he was in over his head, his usual confident posture faltering.

But Kimiko's voice cut through the silence, her tone soft and reassuring. "Jack..." She paused, considering her words carefully. "You don't have to hide who you are from us. We're your friends, you know. You don't have to keep everything locked up."

Jack remained silent, his shoulders stiff, and for a moment, it seemed like he was going to say something. But then he just sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly under his glasses as his face was back to unreadable. "That's the funny thing... you act like you're my friends only when it suits you. Only when you need me for something. I would bet my own life that when we get out of here and you defeat Shadow, you'll just turn on me like everyone else I've ever known..." He said, as he turned his back on the monks again and started walking.

Kimiko's heart sank at Jack's words. In an instant she recalled memories of the times when they had used Jack for their own benefits. All the times they were mean to him even when Jack hadn't done anything to deserve it. And because of all these, it was as though Jack had always believed that no one could truly accept him for who he was.

For a moment, the monks were silent, letting Jack's words repeat in their minds over and over. Raimundo's jaw clenched, and for a second, he considered rushing up to Jack and demanding he take it back, but he knew Jack was right as they always turned on him whenever they didn't need him. Instead, he just stood there, watching the albino walk ahead. Raimundo had always thought of Jack as someone who thrived on chaos and was just socially awkward, but now, he wasn't so sure. It was all a façade Jack had created to hide his true nature.

Clay, who had been quiet through most of the conversation, cleared his throat, his voice breaking the silence. "We're not gonna turn on ya, Jack," he said, trying to show the albino kindness. But Jack couldn't believe him as he didn't even bother to stop walking.

"Let's just finish this, shall we?" Jack said as he was now close to reaching the end of the hallway. His lack of emotions in his voice now evident once more.

The monks looked at each other, Omi, who had no idea what to say, realized just how wrong he was about Jack all this time. But he still believed Jack had a good side through it all, that, he would never stop believing in.

After a moment of quiet understanding, the monks started walking again, reaching the end of the hallway and entering a massive cavern. But there was no more path. Instead, the floor was lava, literally. And without waiting for the monks to speak, Jack cursed under his breath, this time, in french Canadian. "Caliss..." He tried to open his tablet, but the heat was too strong and the tablet was overheating. "Well, I guess Kimiko needs to figure out how to bring us to the door on the other side..." He said, looking at the door, far away from them as a lake of lava separated them from it.

Kimiko took a deep breath, her gaze moving from Jack to the vast expanse of lava in front of them. She could feel the heat and her fire growing stronger with every passing moment. The challenge was clear: she had to create a path across the lava and get them to the other side.

Her hands were already starting to glow with an orange-red hue, her fire responding to her determination. Kimiko was used to controlling her abilities, but this was different. The lava in front of her was an entirely new level of heat, of danger. She had to be careful, precise. One wrong move, and they'd all be toast.

"I got this," Kimiko muttered to herself, more as reassurance than anything else. She stepped forward, her feet barely making a sound as she approached the edge of the lava lake.

Raimundo, still brooding over Jack's confession, was silent for a moment before speaking up. "Are you sure you can handle this, Kimi? The heat's insane."

Kimiko nodded without turning to him. "I've got it, Rai. I've dealt with worse." Her confidence was steady, though her mind raced, calculating the best way to proceed.

She raised her hands, her fingers igniting with fire as she called upon the flames within her. Her heart started to beat a little faster as the fire surged through her, the intensity matching the inferno before her. She focused, channelling her energy into a controlled burst, sending a wave of fire to spread across the surface of the lava, creating a path of hardened stone and rock, a thin bridge that wouldn't melt under the heat.

The bridge began to form, but it wasn't enough. The lava's heat kept pushing back, trying to swallow her flames whole. Kimiko bit her lip, focusing harder, pushing more of her energy into the task. She was sweating, the effort taking its toll, but she couldn't afford to falter.

The others watched as flames danced around Kimiko. Jack, who had been standing off to the side, arms crossed, didn't speak. He looked exhausted, mentally and physically, but he closely observed Kimiko's work. He knew she was capable, but there was something about the sheer size of the lava lake that made him uneasy.

"Come on, Kimi," Raimundo muttered. "You've got this..."

Kimiko's movements were steady, her breathing controlled. The flames had now reached a critical point, her hands were almost burning with the effort, but she could see the path forming. It wasn't pretty, but it would work. A long, narrow bridge of stone and fire. It was just wide enough for them to walk across, though it would be dangerous.

The others remained silent, waiting for Kimiko to finish the path. When it was done, she stumbled back slightly, her breathing heavy. "Done," she said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. "Now we just need to get across."

Clay looked at the path with a skeptical expression. "That's... that's not exactly a lot awf room for error, Kimiko."

Kimiko flashed him a tired smile, her voice quieter than usual. "I didn't have a lot of options."

Raimundo stepped forward first, moving cautiously toward the bridge. "You sure about this, Kimi?" he asked one last time.

Kimiko nodded, though she was too tired to offer much else. "Just follow the path. Don't fall in."

Raimundo took a deep breath and began walking, testing each step carefully. The others followed suit, one by one, with Omi taking the rear, his eyes wide with apprehension.

As they moved across the narrow bridge, the heat from the lava below was almost unbearable. Raimundo's heart raced as he stepped from stone to stone, carefully. The fire swirling around the edges of the bridge made him feel as if the flames were licking at his heels, but he didn't look down. Not even when he heard the crackling of the lava below.

Jack was the last to step onto the bridge, glancing over at the others, his exhaustion still visible in his posture. But he wasn't going to let anything stop him.

Kimiko, in the middle of the group, felt a weight lifting as they made it halfway. But then, just as she thought they were safe, the ground beneath their feet started to tremble. The bridge began to crack and shift, the fire underneath pushing up higher. Kimiko's heart leapt into her throat.

"Move! Hurry!" Kimiko shouted, panic creeping into her voice. The tremors were growing stronger, the bridge starting to break apart as the lava roiled beneath.

Raimundo was the first to make a dash for the other side, Kimiko and Clay followed closely and Omi was right behind, but Jack, Jack hesitated, his hand on his chest as if to steady himself. The fire had taken a lot out of Kimiko, and Jack could feel the strain in the air. But in his hesitation he seemed to consider something as he stared at the lava below.

"Jack, move it!" Raimundo yelled, his tone unusually fearful. Snapping Jack back to reality, he took a breath and started running, his legs almost giving out as he did. Finally, just as the bridge began to collapse, Jack leaped across the final gap, landing safely on the other side with the others.

The monks quickly huddled together as the last of the bridge crumbled into the lava below, the heat intensifying as the path vanished entirely. Kimiko, out of breath, stepped to the edge, her energy drained. She felt as if she had just run a marathon, but the relief that they had all made it to the other side was enough to keep her going.

For a moment, they all stood there, panting, eyes wide, but alive.

"Well," Raimundo said, his voice still shaky but with a hint of a smirk. "That was too close. And I'll never complain about you again, Kimiko. That was impressive."

Kimiko wiped the sweat from her brow, her hands still flickering with the last embers of her fire. "Don't get too used to it, Rai. I'm not always going to be the one saving you." She chuckled weakly, though her exhaustion was still evident.

Jack stepped forward. "We're not out of the woods yet," He said, his voice quiet but serious as he pointed to the open door. "Let's just keep moving."

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

They fell for what felt like an eternity, then, with a bone-jarring thud, they hit something solid. The impact knocked the wind out of them, and they lay there for a moment, stunned. It was clear they were far deeper in the mountain than they'd ever imagined.

Kimiko groaned, sitting up and brushing off the dust from her clothes. "Well, this is just great," she muttered, wiping her forehead. "All this walking, and for what?"

"Don't look at me!" Raimundo groaned from the ground, clutching his side. "I didn't exactly plan for a trap in the middle of the mountain."

Clay sat up slowly, glancing around at the dark, cavernous space they had landed in. "Ya'll okay?" he asked, looking over at Omi, who was the first to stand, unscathed but for a small tear in his robe.

"I am unharmed, though I must admit, I am not fond of such reckless descents," Omi said, brushing off the dirt with his hands, his voice calm despite the situation.

Jack had landed in a heap but was already getting to his feet, swearing under his breath as he clutch his right side, hoping the bandages under his clothes didn't rip or worst, reopened the wound. "In godsnaam, dat doet pijn!" He cursed some more as he realized his wound did re-opened. Blood started to leak out the bandages and his green shirt. His voice was gruff and there was no denying the frustration in his tone.

"Great, now we're stuck down here," Raimundo said, his voice tinged with annoyance. Just like his three monks friends, he took notice of the blood staining Jack's shirt. However, he decided to say nothing, yet. "and Jack lost his english..."

Jack glared at him as Omi spoke. "What was this language you used, Jack Spicer?" He asked, following his leader's lead to not mention the blood.

Jack rolled his eyes as he tried to keep his wound from bleeding further. "Dutch..."

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "Dutch? That's a new one. You get more mysterious by the day, Spicer."

Jack shot him another glare. His usual teasing voice returning just for a moment. "Keep talking, Pedrosa. I'll start speaking French next, just for you." He said, then his voice returned to the "lacking emotions" as his earlier frustration was now gone.

Kimiko chuckled, their usual banter finally showing, but quickly wiped the smile off her face as she scanned their surroundings. The cavern they had fallen into was vast, the walls jagged and covered in patches of moss. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like sharp teeth, and the air was dry. It was eerily quiet, save for the occasional drip of water echoing through the chamber and there was also no way out.

"We need to find a way out of here," Kimiko said, serious. "We don't know how far down we've fallen, and I'm guessing it's not exactly a safe place to linger."

Clay nodded, squinting around in the dim light. "Looks like a dead-end, don't it? ain't nohow this mountain jus' opens uhp like this without a reason. There's gotta be sumthin' down hair."

"Right," Jack said, brushing himself off and glancing down at the ground as if searching for something while he takes out his tablet from his backpack. "I'll do a quick scan. See if there's any way we can get out of here. Bailey, can you help me find my glasses? They fell somewhere around here..."

Raimundo scoffed. "Yeah, I've been meaning to ask, since when do you need glasses?"

Jack sighed for what felt like a hundred times that day. "Since always, I had contact lenses before. Now I have glasses because I hated the contacts."

Omi's expression remained serious as he looked around the cave. "This place feels wrong," he said quietly. "I sense something... watching us."

Kimiko stiffened. "You feel it too?" she asked as the eerily feeling was still very much present. Like a weight pressing down on their shoulders.

Before anyone else could comment, Jack spoke up in a monotone voice. "This is Dashi's magic. He's probably watching us as we go through the challenges he laid out for us. Or, more specifically, for you guys."

Raimundo looked back at Jack. "Challenges?" He asked.

"Well, yes! Challenges to see if the new generation of Xiaolin Dragons, you guys, are ready to pass in order to meet him." Jack answered, using the light of his tablet to search for his glasses. "And thanks for the help, Bailey..." he added sarcastically, as Clay wasn't helping like Jack had asked him to moments before.

Clay gave Jack an apologetic look, scratching his head. "Hey, sorry, ah gawt diestraycted by thuh creepy vibes down hair." He glanced around again, his voice lowering. "But if this puh-lace is pahrt awf some trial.  Hooaah do ah fill like we're not supposed ta be hair?"

Kimiko frowned. "What do you mean, 'not supposed to be here'?" She looked around cautiously, unsure if she liked where this conversation was headed. "We've been through worse before, right?"

"Yeah, but sumthin' about this puh-lace feels... different," Clay muttered. "I've naver see-yn a puh-lace like this awn any awf thuh maps we done studied. It's almost like it's not jus' a mountain, but some kahnd awf... livin' thang."

Raimundo raised an eyebrow. "Living thing? Are you saying this mountain's alive?"

"It's not..." Jack replied, as he turned to the cowboy. "What do you feel exactly?" He asked as Clay looked at him with a weird look. "Ah fill like thair's life aroun' hair. Like sumthin' is... breathin'. But it dudn fill like magic 'tall."

"I see. So this challenge is for you!" Jack said, pointing to Clay.

"What?" Clay exclaimed. "What makes ya say that?" He asked.

"You are the Dragon of the Earth. You can feel the earth around you." Jack answered, looking as if this piece of information was the most obvious thing in the world.

Clay stood there for a moment, processing Jack's words, then let out a frustrated sigh. "Aw, ah see where you're goin' with this," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But how do ah know what's real an what's jus', ya know... pahrt awf thuh trial?"

"Well, there's no exit, we're surrounded by dirt and rocks and I feel a very strong magic all around us, the trial is probably for you to make a path so we can move forward. But not in any directions." Jack said, his voice showing the smallest bit of tiredness, as he pressed a button on his tablet to reveal a scanner. But the scanner revealed nothing. "As I thought..." he mumbled.

"What is it, Jack Spicer?" Omi asked, walking closer.

"The magic is preventing me from finding the right way." He replied, turning to Clay. "You have to find it on your own. Which means using your element to feel the walls of this cave and see what's on the other side."

"How?" Clay asked, observing how Jack just kept typing on his tablet.

"By becoming one with your element and using it to bond with the earth so you can see beyond your own eyes." Jack said, nonchalant.

Clay stared at Jack for a moment, a mixture of doubt and frustration crossing his face. "So, ya want me t' jus'... fill maah way outta hair?" he asked, unsure if he was hearing him right. "Ah mean, ah ain't exactly gawt a sixth sense for caves, Jack."

Jack didn't look up from his tablet, still typing something. "No, you've got your Earth Dragon abilities, Bailey. You're the one who's supposed to understand the earth better than anyone else. You just have to connect with it, feel it out like you would with any other challenge."

Clay sighed, dropping his shoulders. "Well, alraahyt. If ya say so." He took a deep breath, closing his eyes, trying to focus. He placed his hands to the walls, palms flat, and let his senses spread out, tuning into the subtle vibrations of the earth beneath him.

At first, it was just the silence. The slow, steady rhythm of his heartbeat. But then, the deeper he focused, the more he felt it, the pulse of the mountain beneath his fingertips. It was faint, like a whisper in the wind, but it was there. It was almost like the mountain itself was alive, breathing, shifting in a slow, ancient rhythm. Of course that wasn't the case, but the magic in the mountain was now intertwined with Clay's.

Clay furrowed his brow, deepening his connection. He felt the air around him shift slightly, the ground vibrating more intensely in certain spots. It was as if the earth was trying to guide him somewhere, but it was subtle, too subtle.

Then, his eyes snapped open. "Ah thihnk i've gawt it." He glanced over his shoulder at the others. "Ah kay-yun fill thuh path. There's a way through thuh rawk wall, jus' uhp ahead."

"Are you sure?" Kimiko asked, her voice tinged with doubt. "It could be a trap."

Clay shook his head. "Ah don't thihnk so. Ah kay-yun fill thuh difference. Thuh rawks... they're not as solid hair. It's like a doorway, but we'll need t' push through."

Raimundo crossed his arms, still skeptical. "Alright, well, let's just hope your connection with the mountain is more accurate than Jack's usual plans."

Jack, looked up from his tablet to glare at Raimundo once again, as he muttered, "Eu tenho 90 bilhões de nervos, e você mexeu em cada um deles."

Raimundo gasped as he instantly turn to Jack, looking insulted. "Como você sabe portuguêse?" He asked, in his native language.

Jack smirked as he simply flipped him off as a response, making Raimundo growl of anger. Ignoring Raimundo, however, Jack bent down, finally finding his glasses. He cleaned them briefly and put them back on his face.

Clay shot them both a glare. "Alraahyt, enough with thuh bickerin'," Clay said, his voice harsh. "Let's focus awn gettin' out awf hair." He placed his hands back against the wall, closing his eyes again, trying to block out the noise of his friends.

As Clay concentrated, the ground beneath his hands shifted, slowly but surely. The stone wall in front of them moving, cracks appearing like a path opening in response to his touch. Though it was clearly Clay who were moving them with his element, the rocks began to part, a narrow passage forming where there had been solid earth just moments before.

"Hair it is," Clay murmured, his voice almost reverent. "This is thuh way through."

Kimiko stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the path. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Ah kay-yun fill it," Clay replied, stepping into the newly-formed opening. "It's culear. It'll hold."

The rest of the group followed closely behind, the narrow passage barely wide enough for them to move side by side.

The air in the new tunnel was cooler, the walls smooth and strangely warm to the touch. It was an odd contrast to the cold, dry jagged cavern they had just been in. The further they ventured, the more Clay was loosing his connection as the air became hotter every minute.

"Well, no need to explain what kind of challenge the next one is." Jack said, as Kimiko sighed and prepared herself mentally for the next challenge that awaited them.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The journey to Mount Lhotse began at dawn, or was it dusk? The monks didn't know as the sky was permanently dark from Shadow's Darkness element. The way to the mountain was silent as the young group used Jack's ship, avoiding a few flying shadow beasts along the way.

As they landed, close to the mountain's base, no shadow beasts were in sight. And the monks saw just how strong the wind barrier around the mountain looked as they climbed out of the ship. It was so strong they could feel the wind on their skin already and they weren't even close to it yet. Maybe that was the reason why the shadow beast couldn't get close!

As they approached the barrier further, Jack kept his distance, re-adjusting his backpack, glasses and fiddling with his tablet as the monks inspected the barrier. His usual chatter was absent, replaced by a tense silence that none of the monks dared to break. Even Raimundo, who was often the first to press Jack's buttons, found himself uncharacteristically quiet as he looked in Jack's direction.

Kimiko stopped and looked towards Jack. "You ready?" she asked, cautiously.

Jack didn't look up. "Yeah. Let's just get this over with," he muttered, his tone rather hollow.

Raimundo rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Well, he's just a ray of sunshine today..."

But Jack heard him as he retorted, in the most monotone voice possible. "Only for you!"

Clay shot them a warning look before stepping forward. "Alright, folks, let's not start this trip awn thuh wrong foot. We gawt a barrier ta pa-yus through, a mountain ta culimb, an' we're gonna need all thuh teamwork we kay-yun muster."

Omi nodded with a determined expression. "Indeed! We must face this challenge as one, united in our purpose. Mount Lhotse will not be conquered by bickering and mistrust."

Jack snorted softly but said nothing, a random laugh which Clay noticed was actually real and not forced. But also the only sound the albino made that wasn't empty, sad or depressed.

Clay turned his head slightly toward Jack, raising an eyebrow as he smiled softly. "Glad tuh see ya still got a sense'a humor, Spicer. Might come in handy up there."

Jack shrugged, his expression returning to his earlier poker face, "And you ruined it!" he said, trying to keep as much distance with the monks as possible. Keeping his attention fixed on his tablet, but there was a faint smile on his face that both Kimiko and Clay noticed. And Kimiko decided to try to lighten the mood.

"Well, since Jack is feeling chatty, maybe he can tell us how to get through this barrier?" she teased, her voice deliberately light.

But Jack's mood didn't change as he sighed, finally looking up, the first genuine smile since they reunited again, now gone. "This is wind. Pedrosa can use his own element to break through! Easy peasy!" He replied, looking back at his tablet.

Raimundo raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Oh, so now I'm your go-to guy? What happened to you being the genius inventor?"

Jack didn't look up, his fingers typing all over the screen. "I can't really do it myself, Pedrosa. Wind versus wind, it's basic elemental logic. Or are you too scared to even give it a shot?" He asked as he looked up at the Brazilian, re-adjusting his glasses. His face was still emotionless, but there was a slight challenging tone behind it. As if he knew exactly what to say to make the Brazilian act.

Raimundo scoffed as Jack's tactic worked, and he stepped forward with a smirk. "Scared? Please. Watch and learn, Spicer."

Kimiko and Clay exchanged glances, knowing their friend had bitten the bait, and Omi tilted his head curiously. "Does this not mean Raimundo will only disrupt the barrier slightly? Will that suffice?"

Jack looked at the barrier, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the swirling vortex ahead. "It's not about disrupting it. The Wind Dragon is key here, it'll create a gap big enough for us to get through without the barrier kicking back. Just don't mess it up, Pedrosa."

"Oh, no pressure," Raimundo mumbled sarcastically, but even in the situation they were in, the Brazilian was filled with confidence. He stepped closer to the barrier, the wind pulling at his clothes and hair. Closing his eyes, he summoned his elemental energy, wind swirling around him.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered, thrusting his hands forward. A powerful gust of wind shot from both his sides, colliding with the swirling vortex. For a moment, the two forces seemed evenly matched, the barrier resisting with a powerful energy that Raimundo could only hope to gain.

The winds screamed in protest, swirling and lashing out in all directions as if alive and determined to repel Raimundo's efforts. Sweat beaded on his brow as he gritted his teeth, digging his heels into the ground to keep from being pushed back.

"You've got this, Rai!" Kimiko called, shielding her face from some flying debris.

"Almost there," Raimundo muttered through clenched teeth, channelling more energy into the much more powerful wind in front of him. And after a moment, Raimundo stopped, stepped back and breathed heavily. "It's too strong... I can't break through..." He said, his confidence gone.

Jack sighed as he stepped forward. "Comparing your own strength with someone else's is what makes it harder for you to concentrate. You need to stay focus." He said, making the other monks look at him in surprise.

Jack's sudden display of wisdom caught everyone off guard. Kimiko raised an eyebrow, exchanging a quick look with Clay, while Omi nodded approvingly as if Jack had just unlocked some ancient truth.

Raimundo wiped the sweat from his brow, in frustration. "Focus, huh? Easy for you to say, Spicer. You're not the one going toe-to-toe with a barrier made by an ancient and powerful Xiaolin monk!" He said, his voice clearly angered as he gestured to the raging winds before them. And he finally noticed just how baggy Jack's eyes were. The albino looked exhausted out of his mind. Even the rim of his glasses couldn't hide the dark circles.

But Jack crossed his arms, unfazed, keeping his emotionless face. "You're right. I'm not. But I'm not the one who's the Wind Dragon, either." His tone wasn't harsh or teasing, and his gaze was softer than Raimundo ever thought possible coming from Jack. "Look, Pedrosa, this isn't just about strength. It's about control. You don't have to overpower it; you have to outsmart it. Match its rhythm, find its weak point, and slip through. Stop thinking like it's a fight, and start thinking like it's a... a dance!"

Raimundo stared at him, still catching his breath. "A dance? You've gotta be kidding me."

Kimiko stepped forward, looking at Raimundo with fondness. "Rai, strangely he's got a point. If you keep trying to brute force your way through, it's just gonna push back harder. You're the Wind Dragon for a reason, this is your element. Trust yourself."

Omi chimed in, smiling widely as he tried to imitate Master Fung. "As the ancient masters say, 'The gale does not conquer by its force, but by its flow.' You must become one with the wind, Raimundo."

Clay tipped his hat. "Reckon we ain't gawt nothin' tuh lohs tryin' it Jack's way. Give it another gitty-up, pahrtner."

Raimundo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright, fine. Let's try this... dance thingy." He shot Jack a skeptical look. "But if this doesn't work, you're making me lunch after we get out of here."

Jack smirked. One that didn't fit right with the albino's tired and emotionless eyes. "Deal. Now stop whining and start moving."

Taking a deep breath, Raimundo stepped forward again, closing his eyes. He focused on the swirling barrier, not as an enemy, but as a part of the natural flow around him. He let his energy sync with the rhythm of the winds, feeling for the subtle patterns within the chaos. Slowly, his own wind began to blend with the vortex, not fighting it, but complementing it.

The barrier wavered, its once-violent resistance softening as Raimundo's energy flowed in harmony with it. A narrow, shimmering gap began to form, the winds parting just enough for them to see the path beyond.

"Whoa," Kimiko breathed, her eyes wide. "It's working."

Raimundo opened his eyes, a triumphant grin spreading across his face. "Ha! Told you I could do it."

Jack rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, yeah. Don't hurt yourself patting your own back."

Clay clapped Raimundo on the shoulder. "Daisy job, pahrtner. Now let's hustle befo-wr that gap decaahds tuh culohs awn us."

The group quickly moved through the opening, the winds tugging at them but no longer hostile. As they crossed into the calm beyond the barrier, the gap began to shrink behind them until it vanished entirely, the vortex roaring back to life.

On the other side, the air was cold and still, Mount Lhotse casting an eerie presence over the barren landscape.

Jack glanced back at the now-closed barrier, his tablet in hand. "Well, that's one problem down. Plenty more to go."

Kimiko crossed her arms, giving him a pointed look. "You could at least say thank you."

Jack smirked, slipping his tablet into his backpack. "Thanks to Pedrosa? Sure, but where's my thanks in this? I did help him after all!" He said, not even waiting for them to say anything as he walked passed her to the worn out path leading up the mountain.

Kimiko rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Classic Jack is coming back." She followed after him, though, her eyes scanning the ominous mountain path.

Raimundo, still catching his breath, shook his head. "I don't get that guy. One second, he's throwing out wisdom like he's some ancient master, and the next, he's back to being... well, him. But not him, you know what I mean?"

Clay chuckled, adjusting his hat. "That's Jack fer ya. A walkin' contraydiction wrapped ina jumpsuit."

Omi tilted his head in thought. "Perhaps Jack Spicer is like the wind itself, unpredictable, but essential." He said as he smiled widely at the Brazilian.

Raimundo gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah, sure. Essential. Let's just hope 'essential' doesn't get us killed before we reach the top."

As they continued along the path, the mountain seemed to loom larger with every step. Before long they reached the part of the mountain where snow covered their way. It crunched loudly under their weight, the wind howling faintly in the distance. Despite the calm beyond the barrier, there was an unmistakable tension in the air, as if the mountain itself was watching them.

Kimiko hugged herself from the cold, glancing back at the group. "Alright, let's stick together. We don't know what kind of traps or surprises Shadow's darkness might have left for us." She said as she thought to herself: "I really should've brought a coat..."

Jack huffed, not bothering to look back. "Oh, please. Nothing can pass through the barrier. Nothing except Pedrosa and his element."

As they continue to walk the path, the ground beneath them started to shake and suddenly gave out under their feet. And the monks, along with Jack, found themselves falling into the mountain.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 3

Part 1 Part 2

The meeting room settled into a tense silence, the monks exchanged uneasy glances, each trying to make sense of all the information that was given to them. Raimundo was the first to break the silence, running a hand through his hair in frustration as he slumped back in his chair.

"Well, that was... a lot," he muttered. "A secret history, immortal old Xiaolin monks, Shadow running around turning people into monster slaves, and Jack acting all... weird. What do we even do with all this?"

Kimiko sighed, leaning back in her chair as well. "I don't know, but we need a plan. And something's definitely up with Jack. He's never been this serious. Not to mention that scar..."

"Indeed!" Omi added, crossing his arms, eyes locked on the table in front of him. "Jack Spicer is usually an incompetent buffoon. However, today he has shown the signs of a teenager burdened by secrets. I do not like it!"

Clay nodded in agreement, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, pahrtner's definitely hidin' sumthin'. Question is, does it 'ave ta do with Shadow or sumthin' else entuhrely?"

Raimundo leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "It has to be connected. The timing's too weird, and he wouldn't just disappear for months and come back all... scarred up without a reason. Whatever happened to him, it's probably related to Shadow's release."

Omi slammed his fist on the table. "Then we must find out! If Jack Spicer is keeping important information from us, it could hinder our ability to stop Shadow! We must speak with Chase Young and Jack Spicer at once!"

Kimiko held up a hand to stop him. "Hold on, Omi. Chase said it's not his story to tell, which means he's not gonna tell us and we can't force it out of Jack either. If he's not ready to talk, we have to respect that." She said, then she looked at Raimundo. "And did you forget when Jack showed up at the temple three months after his disappearance? He was all bandaged up, and he showed up a few days before Shadow took over the land, remember?"

"Kimiko's right," Clay agreed. "'e done came ta us befo-wr all this mess eve-yn started an 'e was done hurt." He added. "An Pooshin' 'im maahyt jus' may-uk 'im culam uhp eve-yn mo-wr. But we kay-yun keep an ah awn 'im, see if 'e lets anythin' slip while we're workin' together."

Raimundo leaned back on his chair again, crossing his arms. "True, but we can't ignore the bigger problem here. Shadow's out there, and now we know he's coming after us and the old immortal gang. If we don't move fast, we're toast." He said, staring at the table.

Kimiko nodded, her expression serious. "Like I said, we need a plan, and we need it now. First, we figure out how to deal with Shadow. Then, we can circle back to Jack's... issues."

The group fell into a tense silence, each of them deep in thoughts. Finally, Omi spoke up.

"We must find Master Dashi," he said. "If the story is true, and he is alive, he may be the only one who can help us stop Shadow. But first, we must prepare. The journey to Mount Lhotse will not be easy."

Raimundo smirked, standing up and cracking his knuckles. "Then let's get to work. If Shadow wants to throw the world into chaos, he's gonna have to go through us first."

Kimiko stood up after Raimundo. "Right, so we get Jack, since he wanted to go there too, then we prepare and leave."

Raimundo crossed his arms. "Right, let's get to it. We can worry about Shadow after we get there."

Kimiko raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what about the shadow beasts? And Jack? Is he even going to talk and help us?"

"Not sure. But we can't ignore the fact that he might be involved," Raimundo replied. "Something's off with him, and I think it's connected to all this. Why else would he want to go to mount Lhotse?"

The monks were in agreement, something about Jack's demeanour was suspicious and it was decided that whatever had happened to him was tied to the Shadow situation.

They finally left the meeting room and arrived at the lab's door. They opened it and their eyes went wide at the sight of the vast white room that was now in front of them. On their right was a table filled with blueprints and metal scraps. There was shelves on each sides of the table filled with new inventions they had never seen before. Drones, mini robots, nanobots, shields and more.

In the middle of the room, there stood a giant machine that reached the ceiling. The insides were visible through small windows. The monks could see a bright and glowing orange substance inside. And in front of that machine, stood Jack. His eyes fixed on his tablet and his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

On their left was a computer desk with a gamer's chair. A very comfy one too. The computer had a lot of different screens, each of them showing different images all over China. The middle screen, however, showed a normal computer screen, with internet and a lot of tabs opened.

The monks approached the genius cautiously, watching as Jack started typing on his tablet and re-adjusting his glasses. His green shirt looked just as worn as his blue jeans. It was as if he had just worked on something before the monks even got in the lab. And the brown gloves he wore were not fingerless like his old black ones.

"What do you want?" Jack asked rather harshly, but lacking his usual mocking tone.

"We're going to Mount Lhotse," Raimundo said, bluntly. "You said you wanted in. You're coming with us."

Jack looked up from his tablet as he turned to face the monks. His blood red eyes looking between the four of them as he raised an eyebrow. "This early? I thought you might want to take a breather for a few hours. You know, digest the information."

Kimiko stepped forward slightly. "We can't, Jack, you know that. But if there's anything you know about what's going on with Shadow... now's the time to tell us before we leave."

Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. His expression unusually empty. "Fine, let's see... the shadow beasts sort of evaporates after death. Um... his lieutenants are Vlad, Tubbimura, Ashley and Antoine so think of them as mini bosses..." Jack set his tablet aside. "I think that's it! Why? Is there something else you want to know?" He asked, crossing his arms.

Kimiko narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms to mirror Jack's posture. "You're holding back. There's no way that's all you know about Shadow. You were gone for months, Jack. You didn't just pick this up out of nowhere."

Jack hesitated for a fraction of a second before shrugging. "What can I say? I'm observant."

Raimundo stepped closer, his expression shifting from uninterested to angry. "Jack, we don't have time for this. If you know something that can help us, stop playing games and spill it. You have a reason for wanting to go to that mountain and we want to know why!"

Jack scowled, his new poker face now replaced with anger. "Look, I already told you all I know. If you don't believe me, that's your problem, not mine. I'm going to Mount Lhotse for my own reasons, not because I want to hold hands and sing kumbaya with you lot."

Kimiko sighed, her tone softening. "Jack, we're not asking for your life story. We're asking for the truth. If you've seen what Shadow's capable of, you know how dangerous this is. We need to work together if we're going to stand a chance."

Jack's jaw tightened, and for a moment, the monks could swear they saw fear, regret, maybe even guilt in Jack's face. But in a matter of a second, his face showed an emotionless mask once more. "I am telling you the truth! But fine, if you want to know why I disappeared for months here goes..." He sighed, his still crossed arms going stiff from stress. One of the only signs of emotion he showed. "I got abducted for ransom for two months. I escaped and nearly died. Chase found me and prevented me from leaving, so I decided to do a lot research and that's how I found out about Shadow." He turned his back on them, picking his tablet back up. "And I already told you all that I know about that."

The monks looked at each other, not believing Jack's explanation. His tone was bitter, sure, but there was no denying that he was telling the truth, strangely enough... Though they knew better than to blindly trust the albino. He stabbed them in the back more than they could count before. And in all the times he did tell the truth, there was always a hint of lie beneath his words.

"That's it?" Raimundo pressed, his frustration growing. "You're just gonna leave it there? No details, no context? C'mon, Jack. You know us better than that."

Jack didn't turn around, his shoulders visibly tense as his anger started to grow. "Details won't change anything. I survived, got a few scars, including the one on my eye. And I don't think you want to know more than that. Now all that matters is stopping Shadow."

Kimiko stepped forward, her voice softer to try to give a bit of reassurance. "Jack... we're not your enemies. If you have anything to do with Shadow's release, or if you know something important we should know, you have to tell us. You can't deal with whatever happened to you all alone, either."

Jack let out a fake and bitter laugh, shaking his head slowly. "Alone is all I've ever been, Tohomiko. Don't act like that's gonna change now." He replied, like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Omi, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "Jack Spicer, you are mistaken. We may not always agree, and you may vex us greatly, but we are allies now. Perhaps even... friends."

Jack froze at the word, his fingers tightening around the edges of his tablet. For a moment, the room was silent, Omi's words kept replaying in Jack's mind. Then he scoffed. "Friends? You've never considered me a friend at all."

"Actually, yeah," Clay said, stepping forward. "You've come a long way from thuh ol' evil boy genius shtick. If you're fightin' awn our side, that means sumthin'. Least, it does ta me."

Jack finally turned back to face them, ignoring the faintest of flutter in his chest from Clay's words. His eyes darted between them, bitter and angry behind those glasses of his. After a moment, he closed his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. "You guys don't get it. This is about Shadow. It's not about... me." He re-opened his eyes. His exhaustion evident in them. "Trust me. Neither situations are related. I told you what you wanted to know."

Raimundo crossed his arms, his tone gentler this time. "Maybe we don't. But if it's gonna affect this fight, we don't really have a choice, do we?"

Jack hesitated, his expression growing darker after every questions. "It might affect this fight, I'm not gonna lie to you. But you don't need to concern yourself about it. Nothing is going to happen to you four. But something might happen to me. And you don't need to concern yourselves for me." He said, his voice low and angry, making the monks back away.

As Kimiko stepped back, she exchanged a wary glance with Raimundo. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut through, and Jack's rare display of anger only deepened the growing sense of unease among the monks.

"Alright," Raimundo finally said, holding his hands up in defeat. "We'll drop it... for now. But if whatever you're hiding comes back to bite us, Jack, it's on you."

Jack turned his gaze away, the anger in his eyes dimming slightly, replaced by the exhaustion of earlier. "It won't, but noted." he muttered.

Clay sighed, stepping forward to diffuse the moment. "Alright, y'all, let's not waste no mo-wr taahm jawin' at each other. We gawt a mountain t' culimb eend a Shadow t' deal with."

Kimiko nodded, looking at Jack one last time before heading towards the door. "Let's get going. We don't have time to wait around."

The group began to walk out of the lab, their footsteps echoing faintly against the walls. As Jack lingered behind, adjusting something on his tablet, Omi paused by the door and turned to look at him.

"Jack Spicer," Omi said, his tone unusually soft, "you are clearly burdened by much. But remember, even the heaviest burdens can be shared. Perhaps you should try trusting us again?"

Jack didn't respond, his gaze fixed firmly on the glowing screen in his hands. Omi hesitated for a moment longer before following the others, defeated.

Once the monks were gone, Jack finally let out a long breath he didn't realize he had been holding. His hands trembled as he gripped the edges of his tablet, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't stop as another panic attack washed over him.

"I can't tell them..." He thought. "Not yet... They'll hate me if I do..." He sighed again as he tried to calm down. All he could feel was shame, regret, anger and emptiness. He didn't feel like doing anything but waste away, alone in his bed, but the present circumstances was more urgent than his problems. Although, he would never admit that keeping secrets was hurting him more than the monks could ever know. Omi was right from the beginning though, Jack wasn't evil. But thanks to Chase, he lost himself in his quest for revenge.

He sighed again, and after a few minutes, Jack finally calmed down as he walked out to prepare.

He would tell them one day, but for now, he was too scared and closed up to face their reaction of the greatest mistake he had ever done. The first step he took in his descent into madness.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 2

Part 1

Chase gestured for the monks to sit around a large round table, and Jack remained standing by his left side, holding a tablet with an unusually serious expression.

As soon as the monks were seated, Chase began, "As you undoubtedly noticed, our land has become submerged in darkness. The one responsible is known as Shadow. He-"

"Shadow wants to take over our land..." Jack continued, making Chase loudly sigh from being interrupted which confused the monks.

"I suppose you can tell them the story, since you obviously want to speak so much." Jack rolled his eyes, ignoring Chase's irritation. He opened the tablet he had been holding and started to read what was on it.

"Well, you were taking too long!" He said as he side-eyed the warlord. "Anyway, over 15 hundred years ago, when China was still young, the first temple was created to practice the martial arts and to educate only a selected few to achieve absolute peace within themselves. They believed this was the only way for them to become holy beings that would be able to forever be bound to their god and walk along side them after death.

But with light, always comes darkness.

After a while, some young people were gifted elemental powers to defeat the evil that was growing in the shadows. Not knowing what that evil was yet, the monks of the newly built temple invited those young souls to train them and show them the light so they wouldn't use their gifts for nefarious deeds.

The first was Dashi, Dragon of Wind. The second was Wuya, Dragon of Earth. The third was Guan, Dragon of Water. The fourth was Chase, Dragon of Fire. The fifth was Shadow, Dragon of Darkness. And the sixth was Deliah, Dragon of Metal.

The six trained together and eventually became a family. Or so I've read..."

Jack's words seemed to make Chase uneasy as he recalled memories from his past, memories he had long forgotten. He sat in silence, closing his eyes as to try to remember Shadow's real name and his first family.

The monks grew intrigued, however. Questions started to form in their heads on this new information. Master Fung never told them that story, they were told another very different story. Which one was true? They didn't know, but Raimundo was determined to find out.

"Why weren't we told about this?" The Brazilian asked, though Jack looked at him with an empty expression. Raimundo had never seen Jack so... expressionless. Ignoring his question, the albino continued.

"when the Dragons were united, their powers were harnessed for the greater good, and Deliah, the Dragon of Metal, was someone who was easy to like. She had no enemies. And she used her element to create pieces of arts, turning raw metal into objects like statues and other things like that. Though her element could do more than just that, she refused to use it in battle at first. But," Jack explained, scrolling on his tablet. "one day, Deliah, in an attempt of practicing fighting with her Element, lost control of it."

The monks got tense, looking at each other. Then Kimiko sighed. "I'm not sure I understand where you're getting at." She said, looking to see if Jack would acknowledge her at least, but he did not as he simply ignored her as well and continued his story.

"Her body began to turn into a statue of herself," Jack continued, almost looking indifferent. "A metal statue, frozen in time. And she ended up dying, not knowing how to revert back. However," Jack went on, "in their grief and desperation, the remaining Dragons, Chase, Wuya, Guan, and Dashi, made a pact. They sought immortality, vowing to bring Deliah back to life when the time was right."

The monks looked at each other again and Raimundo spoke, "But Wuya, Guan and Chase became immortal in completely different ways, and they weren't the last ones remaining..."

Jack sighed, finally looking at Raimundo, "Ah yes, always the smart one ain't ya!?" He said, rolling his eyes as Raimundo scowled, ignoring once again their frustrations. "Shadow, feeling excluded from their pact, turned to bitterness and darkness. In his quest for power, he embraced evil, and his actions threatened to plunge the world into chaos." He concluded, though he felt the need to add more. "But, as you know, Chase was tricked by Hannibal Roy Bean and consumed the Lao Mang Long soup, which only made him succumb to evil by removing his soul. Him and Guan battled each other and eventually both of them went their separated ways." Jack continued, though he said that part quicker, since they all knew it.

"Wuya apparently experimented with dark witch spells, which turned her evil with one of her own spells. Eventually getting imprisoned by Dashi in a puzzle box." He added, in a normal speed, since this was actual new information for the monks.

Jack paused, scrolling once more. "Dashi," He then added, "the only remaining Xiaolin Monk at that time, used his Xiaolin magic to seal Shadow away, locking him in a prison of darkness for his own safety and the safety of the world. So he basically imprisoned Shadow like he did with Wuya and remained the last Xiaolin Monk. Devoting himself to preserving the temple's traditions and seeking a way to fulfil the promise of bringing Deliah back to life. The end."

Chase Young sat there as Jack concluded, the room was filled with a heavy silence, each of the Xiaolin monks were waiting for more, Chase Young sighed heavily as he reopened his eyes. "You know this is not the end, Jack." However, as Jack rolled his eyes at Chase, Kimiko couldn't help but voice one, of many, question that had been gnawing at her.

"What does this ancient history have to do with us?" she asked, her curiosity evident. "This all happened over 1,500 years ago. Why are you telling us now?"

Jack looked at her, his expression lacking anything as he responded, "Because, as you can see, history has a way of repeating itself. Shadow, the Dragon of Darkness, has broken free from his sealed prison. He is the one responsible for turning China into complete darkness once more."

He paused for a moment and looked away. "As much as I hate to admit it.... we need your help," Jack continued, looking back at the monks. "The balance of light and Darkness has shifted, we need you to help restore China to normal before Shadow moves on to the rest of the world."

Raimundo looked skeptically at Jack. "Is this story even real? Again, why didn't we heard about this?"

Jack sighed. "The story you heard is a cover up, so to speak, it's to hide the fact that Dashi is immortal."

Omi almost jumped out of his chair. "But if Grand Master Dashi was immortal, why is Dojo saying otherwise?"

Jack closed his tablet and set it on the table. "Because Dojo didn't know."

Kimiko angrily crossed her arms. "It has been proven that Dashi has passed, why would you even try to disprove that fact?"

Jack sighed heavily as he re-adjusted his glasses. "I went to Dashi's tomb and it was empty. His body was not there. And the research I did says that no one ever found his body at all."

Raimundo stood up, his voice loud but not loud enough to be a scream. "That doesn't mean he's alive. Maybe a bear ate it or something, you can't know these things."

Jack smirked, which confused the monks. "Very unlikely, since I know where to find Dashi."

All four monks loudly exclaimed "WHAT?!" at Jack's comment. As the albino kept smirking, he took the tablet again and reopened it, showing the old article about the third tallest mountain in China, mount Lhotse.

"The record shows that one of the tallest mountains in China was peaceful, until one day some sort of powerful wind barrier surrounded it. It has been inaccessible since. And strangely enough, the barrier appeared the very same day Dashi disappeared. I don't think this is a coincidence, and I need you guys to help me go there and investigate."

Raimundo sat back down. "Ok, yeah that does sound suspicious"

Jack nodded. "Told ya!" He said, his voice strangely lacking sarcasm or his usual smugness.

Kimiko sighed. "Ok... so Dashi is probably alive and he might be hiding on the third tallest mountain in China..."

Omi nodded. "That would also explain how Wuya can manipulate the earth and create Golems out of rocks."

Raimundo sighed. "So what do we do? Was all this information useful? Or was it just to explain to us who Shadow was?"

"Well.." Jack started, closing his tablet again. "Both. Shadow is searching for Wuya, Dashi, Chase and Guan for his revenge. Mainly he wants to imprison them and take over the world, since he can't exactly kill them. And he is searching for you guys as well so you won't get in his way. He has also been able to enslave Vlad, Antoine, Ashley and Tubbimura as his loyal servants-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Raimundo interrupted. "Enslaved? I'd think they would be on board with it, no? They're evil!"

"Not exactly..." Jack reopened his tablet again. "I'm not sure what happened to them, but somehow they became... weird shadow monsters.." He said as he showed them a picture of Tubbimura. But it was not the round samurai, he appeared to have become a shadow beast, liquid darkness dripping from him. He was still round, but with giant hands with sharp fingers. His skin was pitch black and his eyes were glowing red. He also appeared to have horns on his head, or was it his bandana? It was hard to tell.

"My god..." Raimundo whispered, as the other gasped from shock and disgust. "Forget I said anything..." He added, his voice just loud enough to be heard.

Clay looked at Jack, ignoring Chase completely as the overlord sighed. "So, what is our puh-lan t' defeat that Shadow fellow?"

"I... don't know..." Jack confessed. "All we have been able to do so far was to create a survivor camp at the base of Chase's mountain lair and create a plasma barrier strong enough to prevent any beast from invading Chase's land."

The monks exchanged looks, but Raimundo couldn't help but be curious about one other thing. As Clay asked before, Raimundo wanted to know as well, "Jack, what happened to you for the seven months you disappeared?"

Jack's expression shifted from somewhat empty to almost unreadable. He stammered for a moment before finally speaking, "I... I don't know what you're talking about." He said, looking anywhere but the monks.

"You do have a nasty scar on your left eye... I just wanted to know what happened is all." Raimundo added, now looking concerned as the albino was trying to deny anything happened at all.

Jack shrugged, "Just a failed experiment is all," acting like everything was normal. "it happens all the time. I am working on machines that can explode after all! A-and I just remembered, I have a machine that needs my attention right now..." With that, Jack left the room in a hurry, ending the meeting and leaving the Xiaolin monks and Chase Young in a rather worried state..

Chase, showing a rare sign of concern that confused the monks even more, stood up after Jack had departed. But Omi jumped off his own seat. "Wait! What happened to Jack Spicer? Please tell us, Chase Young!"

Chase looked back at the monks before leaving and said, "That, is not my story to tell." Leaving the monks with more questions than answers.

[shadowsreturn]

Shadow's Return - Chapter 1

I decided to create a blog for this story. And as I continue to write it, I keep getting more and more ideas for other stories and parts I could add/make. I will change a few parts here and there, to add better ideas or scenes, but overall I want to share this thing that I love(might be outdated, since the fandom seems to be dead...) and make friends along the way!

I also want to re-write the show, but with little changes to them except for the ones that will fit my AU(no name yet). Not all of the show, but I will re-write a few episodes and build the story better. It will also answer questions that you might have from reading this story that is set after Time after Time. Basically after the show's last episode.

Just wanted to make a fanfic about Xiaolin Showdown. Don’t know if you guys would like it, but here’s the first part. If you like it, please like and comment, maybe you can help me improve on my writing.

***

They were walking on the deserted land, once called China. All four of them were exhausted, hungry and thirsty as they tried for months to survive the new power hungry, world Domination villain. Clay, who had a lot of trouble walking from his wounds, had a heavily wounded Omi in his arms as the younger one tried his hardest to stay awake. Kimiko, who had a broken leg, was being supported by Raimundo, who had just as much bruises as the others, while he was using his wind to keep everyone from disappearing behind the darkness that was spreading all over the country.

The, very much unprepared, monks finally had a clear way of escaping after fighting against horrifying Shadow beasts. Feeling despair as they lost the temple as well as the entirety of the country, they tried to find an empty cave for them to rest. Their hearts now without hope of any kind of victory.

It took them a few more hours of walking, but eventually, they found a big cave and collapsed on the ground.

Clay used the last bit of his energy and Element to block the entrance, but not all the way as to let the air reach them. Kimiko made a small fire to keep them warm as she, soon after, laid down to rest. Raimundo took Omi and started to bandage the small one’s wounds first. The wind wielder could only think about the events that led to this. “Was this what Jack was trying to tell us back then…?” He thought, as he finally let Omi get some much needed sleep.

A few hours passed, the three monks were sleeping, but Raimundo could not. Worried about everyone, his eyes would not close as his anxiety was through the roof. But eventually, he calmed down, closed his eyes and thought about the happy days.

Before him.

“A year after the timelines merged back together, the monks were back into their usual routine. Rai was trying to perfect a new move he had been creating for weeks, jumping around, kicking and flipping. Until someone hurriedly knocked on the Temple door. Omi and Kimiko were the ones to open the door, but they got on their guards as soon as they saw Spicer waiting to enter.

"Jack Spicer” Omi almost screamed. Making Clay and Raimundo curious. “What are you doing here?” He asked, as the Earth and Wind wielders approached them.

“You look kinda different, what happened to you?” Kimiko half mocked, seeing as the Albino had a bandage against his left eye, was not wearing anything black and his hair weren’t spiky or standing up on his head. His right foot had a cast and he had a crutch to help him stand on it.

“Look, I found something and I don’t have time to explain everything… can I please come in?” Jack asked, looking really anxious. The four monks looked at each other, thinking for a moment. But then Raimundo stepped in.

“If it’s another one of your schemes we aren’t gonna fall for it, you can leave now! Be-bye!” Raimundo said, as he slammed the door shut in Jack’s face.

Jack sighed. “Fine. But if you end up needing my help, don’t count on me this time…” They heard, as the Albino walked away.

“Psshh, as if we’d need his help!” Raimundo mocked, making Kimiko and Omi laugh. Clay, however, was not amused.

“We done needed his help multiple tahmes in thuh past, ya know…”

“True, but we weren’t all together! We did need his help against Wuya, but we didn’t need his help for Chase!” Raimundo said, with a smirk.

“Yeah, ya might wanna re-think that.” Dojo said, approaching them. “Jack was the one who went into the ying-yang world to get back your Chi. If he hadn’t been there, Chase would’ve won!” The Dragon added.

“Wait, Spicer was the one who did that? I thought it was you, Dojo!” Kimiko asked.“Me? Oh no, no no no no, I would never go into that world alone willingly. Even if it is to save the world…” Dojo replied, but before they could place another word, the sky started to darken behind the mountains. A big flock of birds were flying away from it as they heard many weird beastly screams.

And Master Fung wasted no time. He opened the Wu vault and made everyone go in, as it was their only safe spot in the Temple that was close enough to hide into.

Then, darkness quickly spread all over. And before they knew it, the Monks were running for their lives, away from the burning Temple…“

Raimundo’s eyes shot open. Sitting up and looking around, he found that they were still in that cave. And with the sky permanently black, it was very difficult to tell the time. He sighed as he started to question his position as a leader. He had no ideas on what to do. Was Master Fung right for giving him this title? "Absolutely not…” He thought. “What am I supposed to do now..?” He looked around again at his teammates to make sure they were somewhat okay. And seeing as they were indeed still alive and alright, he sighed.

And heard a nasty loud growl close by as he did.

Chills ran down his spine as he went to wake up Kimiko so she could kill the small fire, but she did so as the growl woke her up instantly. As the other two woke up as well, they all stayed as silent as they could be, as to not give their positions away. The Shadow beast walked around and soon was joined by more beasts. They surrounded the entrance to the cave, trapping the monks. One beast started to growl even louder as it approached the boulder Clay created. When it went to destroy it, however, something, or someone, stopped it.

As the monks kept their silence, they heard a battle taking place, and one Shadow beast by one, were all dying under the sound of, maybe swords? The monks weren’t sure but it sounded like metal. But as soon as the sounds died down, the mysterious person took down the boulder with one single swing of his metal scythe. The monks were face to face with the cloaked figure, looking at them with uncertainty until more growls were heard in the distance. The unknown person looked behind them and used their element, Metal, to tied the monks together and transport them to their ship. Throwing the monks in the back seats, they sat at the driver’s seat and took off into the sky.

The monks were completely disoriented, not knowing who was their possible savior or where on earth they were going, but they noticed that the ship strongly resembled one of Jack’s ship from the early days when they all met. Specifically, the one Jack used to escape and face Wuya. The monks tried to ask the mysterious person questions, but they were left with silence as they noticed that the person had a deep wound on their right side of their torso, right below their arm. They tried to take the person’s hood off, but they simply used their element to tie the monks to the seats. They tried complaining, but the person pushed a button on the dashboard to isolate them in the back with a glass window, separating the driver from the annoying monks crying for answers.

All they could do in that moment, was look outside and pray they weren’t being kidnapped by one of his lieutenant. But as they were flying off, they saw Chase’s lair in the distance, getting closer. Whoever that person was, they were taking the monks to Chase Young.

Passing through an invisible barrier, they made their way into a landing zone directly into the lair. As they landed, the mysterious individual set the monks free, opened the cockpit door and jumped out. The monks soon followed them, but before they could ask questions, Chase entered the landing zone. “You found them! Good job.” He said to the person, but the overlord was met with silence as well, as the young person walked past him, leaving the room without even a glance at the powerful man.

The Monks were on their guards, but they soon became confused as Chase started to speak. “Welcome, monks. My warriors will show you where you will stay. Please get some rest, we will discuss everything once your wounds have been dealt with.” He said as he also left the room, leaving two of his warriors to lead the way for the monks.

They followed the orange and brown jungle cats and were brought at a stop in front of a hallway with a set of four doors on their left and two doors on their right. There also was a giant door in front of them at the end of the hallway. One of the warriors then transformed back into their original form and explained that the doors on the left were bedrooms and the two doors on the right were bathrooms. Specifically, bathrooms separated for each gender.

The monks quickly went to wash their filthy bodies and almost infected wounds and found that Chase provided fresh clothes for them. They got dressed up after bandaging their wounds and went to bed for a much needed rest.

***

The next day, their wounds mysteriously healed overnight thanks to Chase’s magic infused soap the monks used and Clay was the first one to wake up and leave his room.

Unfortunately, the cowboy got lost as he tried to find some food. But as he was passing by a random door, it opened and Jack was the one to step out.

They bumped into one another and Jack pushed him away surprisingly hard. “Watch it you braindead little-” but stopped as soon as he looked at who he pushed away. “Oh.. it’s you..” Jack sighed, and Clay finally got a good look at him after seven months without seeing the albino.

The boy’s hair was longer, just enough to cover his ears and his eyes, his body looked more muscular, but he still looked small in comparison to the bulkier country boy. His left eye, however, had a nasty scar starting from just above his eyebrow going down to his cheekbone that also went over another older scar that was right under his eye in horizontal. Making it look like an upside down cross. To top it all, Jack wore glasses. He had never seen the boy with anything other than his weird goggles!

Disregarding the paler boy’s new look, Clay shook his head. “Nahce ta see ya again too, pahrtner.” He replied, with a small smile while the other monks were joining in on the conversation.

“So, that’s where you’ve been all this time.” Raimundo added as soon as he was close enough.

Jack shook his head. “Actually, not exactly..” He said, while walking past the monks. “Anyway,” he added as he looked back at them with an actual small smile, “welcome back!” and left the hallway where the monks all stood.

Raimundo sighed. “Well, we should probably get something to eat…” He said as the others nodded.

“But where could it be? Chase Young seems to have changed the layout of his lair.” Omi responded.

“And it doesn’t look like he wants us around more than we want to be around…” Kimiko pointed out. She crossed her arms and looked at Raimundo. “Any ideas, Rai?” She asked, but Raimundo shook his head gently.

“Sadly, no…”

“Well, we’re not gonna fahnd out by stayin’ hair” Clay added. Raimundo nodded and started walking where Jack had been going moments before. The monks followed their leader and, eventually, they finally arrived at the dinning room. To their surprise, a buffet was waiting for them. But they were cautious. What if this was another trap? But as Raimundo approached the table, he found a note saying that they could dig in and to meet him in his meeting room when the monks would be done.

It was signed by Chase.

So, they ate all their stomach could handle. Since they didn’t eat much as they were on the run, the food was greatly appreciated. While they were finished and trying to relax, a panther entered the room, transformed into their original form and told the monks to follow them.

Once they arrived in Chase’s meeting room, the warlord stood up as Jack was right beside him. “Xiaolin monks, I knew you would survive! Unfortunately, we do not have time to relax as I’m sure you’re aware of the situation we are in.”

“Well duh!” Raimundo replied. “But we don’t know who or what has taken over. Mind filling us in?” He added, raising an eyebrow.

“And what about that person who saved us? Who are they?” Kimiko asked.

“Why are you helping us, Chase Young?” Omi added.

“What happened ta ya, Jack?” Clay wondered, looking at the albino with concerns. Which made the albino blush slightly and look away.

Chase sat back down. “That is what we are here to discuss.”

The monks looked at each other and nodded. Raimundo looked back at Chase with a determined look as his teammates did the same. “Alright, then we’re all ears.” Chase smiled.

“Then take a seat so we can begin!”