Notes: Here is chapter 17, not nearly as exciting as the last one, but
hopefully it will suffice. A lot of crap has been going on, most of which
I don't really want to talk about. The important thing is that the worst
is over. Also, this story will be finished by the end of the summer, at
the very least... There are so many things that will happen in this story.
Stay tuned, folks!
Hey, great news about season 5, huh? Go, JCA!
THE DEMON WITHIN
Chapter 17: The Tears of God
Rain thundered down on San Francisco that night, like the angry tears of the mourning. As the relentless rain beat against the window of Uncle's shop, Jade dimly noted that the kids in school used to say that rain was really the tears of God.
Maybe it was true.
Behind her, inside the brightly-lit shop, tense conversation drifted through one ear and out the other. Inside it was light, it supposed to be happy, but outside it was dark, lonely. Light, dark. Good, evil. Yin, yang. She remember her conversation with Tohru during that whole sordid Sky Demon ordeal. And she felt herself crying. Burying her face in the sleeves of her oversized sweater, the tears slid down her cheeks silently as she remembered her Uncle Jackie.
Uncle Jackie. For the first time in all of their escapades, she wondered if everything really *would* be okay in the end. This had never happened before...losing Jackie, their protector, and Valmont, their enemy... What had happened?
*She* had happened, she realized, and her stomach twisted into a knot. If she hadn't taken those stupid talismans--the Snake and the Horse--he would be all right. Everything would be all right. Well, maybe not perfect, but Jackie wouldn't be lost in rage and evil...
Before, it had been fun and games. If Jackie was on another adventure, she'd have been right beside him...! But now she felt almost hallow, as if she were missing her other half.
As the rain drummed harder against the window pane like the opening to a parade, so did she become more outraged. She may have only been twelve, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to understand that standing there and blaming herself was not a solution. Okay, so she messed up--big time--but she never considered herself a quitter, and if she did something wrong, then it was her responsibility to rectify it.
With a deep breath, Jade wiped her tears with her sleeve and put on a brave face as she turned to the others.
No one appeared to have noticed her; they were all busy talking about the matter at hand. Actually, Captain Black and Tohru were swapping ideas as to where Jackie might be while Uncle sat pensively at the cash register.
Olivia, meanwhile, seemed to be lost in her own world. Maybe she wasn't used to all this excitement, Jade wondered. When was the last time Jade herself had seen her possessed uncle kill a person, only to be surrounded by a herd of police loaded with ammunition all in one night? It was a good thing that Captain Black was around the entire time — he managed to save Uncle from sudden death and pull strings with a very confused police commissioner, claiming that they were hunting down a theatrical performer. Maybe Olivia was thinking about Finn — he had been carted off to the hospital, barely alive. While Jade didn't like Finn, she didn't want to see anybody teetering over life's edge.
"...no, he couldn't be there," Captain Black said, shaking his head. "If he's in hiding--*if*--then he'll want to be somewhere familiar."
Jade felt that this was a good opportunity to make herself be heard. "Like Hong Kong?"
Everyone stared at her. "Jade?" Black asked her expectantly.
"Well, *she*--" Jade pointed to Olivia-- "said that Shendu was going back to his original plan of destroying Asia. So wouldn't he first go to Hong Kong and get his palace back up and running?"
"We've already thought of that," Black answered gravely. "Shendu can't resurrect his palace until Chinese New Year."
"Maybe not..."
Everyone immediately turned to Uncle, who was leaning against the cash register, hands cupping his chin.
"I take it you have something in mind?" Captain Black asked, eyebrow raised.
"Shendu can only resurrect his palace at the start of the New Year," he began somberly, "and only *when he is in his physical form*. But in the Demon Archive, there is a spell that can allow him to recreate his domain at any time, not only during the New Year. Shendu knows that spell."
Everyone knew that Uncle had paused to readjust his spectacles, but Olivia, having little knowledge of his body language, thought that he had finished and responded, "And Shendu is using Jackie's form to conjure his palace?"
Uncle curled his lip stubbornly. "Getting to that!" He then resumed in his previously calm manner: "But - Shendu is still technically a spirit. Jackie is human - his body is too weak to summon an entire palace!"
"Sooo...." Jade took a step toward Uncle, "as long as Shendu doesn't find a spare dragon body lying around, it's no problem!" But from the way Uncle suddenly withdrew into himself, Jade had a feeling that it was an even bigger problem than ever - Uncle was not normally like that. Fear struck her heart like a punch, and she shivered. "Right?"
From the way they furrowed their eyebrows and tightened their lips, Jade realized that everyone else must have noticed Uncle's unusual behavior as well. Time seemed to standstill as they all braced themselves for the worst before Uncle inhaled sharply and suddenly snapped at Olivia. "You! Know-it-all! Go to kitchen, make us all Jasmine tea to calm the nerves."
Know-it-all? Olivia considered snapping back, but just as she opened her mouth she wisely decided to stay silent. She nodded once and deftly left for the kitchen.
Uncle sighed, rubbed his temples, adjusted his spectacles again, muttered an almost inaudible "Aiya" and finally continued. "Right now, Shendu is a spirit," he said slowly, as though still trying to collect his thoughts, "but he will not be for long."
He allowed his listeners to absorb this information before he continued again: "Jackie is not fully possessed - he can still think, though his thoughts are not completely his own. This means that Shendu is not completely in control of Jackie..."
At this Jade's hopes rose, but Captain Black cynically disagreed with Uncle, remembering their last encounter with Jackie.
"...But that is not what Shendu wants anyway."
"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.
"Aiiyaaa! Listen to Uncle!"
Obediently, they all fell silent.
Uncle sighed again. "What Shendu wants," Uncle went on, "is not Jackie's soul, but Jackie's *body*. Since Jackie still has control over the talismans and Shendu has control over Jackie himself, Shendu will use the talisman magic to transform Jackie's body..." his voice lowered to a whisper as the corners of his mouth jerked downwards, "...into that of a golden dragon!"
Gasps filled the room suddenly. Tears stung at Jade's eyes. "You mean Jackie will *become*...Shendu? But--what'll happen to *Jackie*?"
But Uncle did not respond: he only gazed at Jade sadly and shut his eyes, and Jade understood very well.
The urgency of the situation only made Captain Black more focused, and his emerald green eyes glittered with a hunger for information. "When exactly will this happen?" he asked quietly.
"In less than twenty-four hours," Uncle responded. "Right now, Jackie's body is very weak. The talismans' powers have actually had the reverse effect of making him weaker, temporarily--it is too much power for a human body to wield. He will probably be resting until the transformation takes place..."
But Jade was no longer listening. A tear slipped out of one eye as Jade murmured, "No..."
Tohru, with his thundering footsteps, went over to where she stood and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Jade...we'll save your Uncle Jackie."
"Your Uncle Jackie" struck a cord. As the phrase repeated dimly in her mind, Jade was seized with flashes of white hot anger. "You bet we will," she muttered confidently. And then it occurred to her that this was nothing more than a problem, and that every problem had a solution. Immediately, a possibility for a solution sprang into her mind, and she said to them with her usual enthusiasm, "Heeey, I have an idea!"
"Oh boy," Captain Black muttered, because Jackie wasn't here to say it.
"This is big, you guys," Jade declared, striding closer to them with the confidence of a born leader. "I mean, *big*. What we need is a force with equal might. We need..." --and she paused here for dramatic effect-- "...the J Team!"
No one spoke for a minute. Then Uncle headed for the kitchen, shrieking, "Where is TEA?!"
"I'm letting the tea bags *settle*!" They heard Olivia yell back.
"Stop settling, you need to make the tea!"
"It *needs* to settle!"
"No it does not!"
After a few awkward moments, Captain Black, ignoring the yelling, turned to Tohru, his business face intact. "Obviously we need to locate Jackie immediately, before he can get to Hong Kong. If it's true that right now he's weak, then he must be in hiding. He's probably some where he thinks is safe--somewhere familiar... Once we find him, hopefully Unc can come up with some sort of counter spell. But other than that..." Black shook his head tiredly. "Other than that, I don't know what else to say."
"Hello-o?!" Jade intervened, stretching out her arms in exasperation. "I just *said* that we should get the J Team, they'll know what to do!"
Black looked skeptical, but Tohru nodded his head in approval. "I think that that is a good idea," he said. "Jackie knows the J Team - they might be able to somehow help him fight Shendu. Besides, since they are Jackie's friends, they will probably come anyway, assuming this makes it to public."
"Well..." Captain Black raised one eyebrow. "Okay, you've got a point."
"Yes!" Jade jumped up and down triumphantly. "I'll call them all right now!"
Jade was about to run to the phone, when Captain Black snatched the hood of her sweater. "Hold on, scamp. The most important thing to do right now is to figure out where Jackie is hiding. And since you know him well enough, you might be able to help us."
"But Captain Black," Tohru inquired, "How do you know Jackie is still in San Francisco? What makes you think that he isn't on his way to Hong Kong right this minute? It is his native land, after all--he may feel even safer there."
"I doubt it," Black countered. "After all, he lived in San Francisco for nearly his whole life. Uncle practically *raised* him. His whole life is centered around San Francisco--his family, his occupation..."
All three of them glanced at each other with wide eyes as one thought struck them simultaneously. In unison, they cried, "The museum!"
"Of course! DUH!" Jade smacked her forehead. "There are three places where Jackie feels most comfortable (though I have no idea *why*)--here in Uncle's shop, the Public Library, and the Historical Museum of San Francisco! And no way would he be stupid enough to come *here*, and he loves the museum a whole lot more than the library..."
Even before she had finished her explanation, Captain Black already had his cell phone out and was currently ordering a squadron to get to the museum ASAP. "Keep out of sight, though," he warned; "if Chan suspects anything, he could escape in blink of an eye--that already happened once tonight."
With that settled, they all decided to go to the kitchen and inform Uncle and Olivia of their plan. While they did this, Jade murmured to Tohru, "Thanks, T."
Tohru smiled at her warmly. "We will get you're uncle back."
Jade furrowed her eyebrows, her goal clear before her eyes. "You bet we will," she repeated.
When they arrived at the kitchen, Uncle and Olivia were still arguing.
"AIIYAA!!!!!" Uncle shrieked at the top of his lungs. "WHY ARE YOU PUTTING MILK IN JASMINE TEA?!?"
Olivia looked agog and insulted at the same time. "You're supposed to milk in tea! I mean, honestly, it would be completely barbaric not to..."
"Oooh," Uncle crooned, "are you calling Uncle barbaric?!"
"Here we go," Jade sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Um, excuse me," Tohru stepped forward, his massive form blocking Uncle and Olivia, "but we have decided on a plan to stop Shendu."
After Captain Black then explained the situation, Uncle and Olivia, their feud temporarily forgotten, immediately became serious. Yet much to everyone's distress, Uncle seemed to have no knowledge of a counter spell for Jackie. Everyone's face was crestfallen.
"What're we gonna do *now*?" Jade whined, almost on the verge of tears.
"You did not let Uncle finish!" Uncle shrieked. When all eyes were upon him, he continued, "I may not have a spell that will drive the demon from within Jackie's mind, but I do have a simple spell which *may* strengthen Jackie's own will. It should basically open his mind - if we say the right things while I perform the spell, it should conjure up an old memory of his that can be used to counter Shendu's suggestions. Not the most efficient spell, since Shendu has such a hold over him, but better than nothing."
Everyone turned to Captain Black, their tall and imposing new leader for the while, who nodded in silent agreement.
"So grab your blowfish or whatever, Unc," Jade cheered, "and let's go!"
Just as she was about to leap towards the door, Uncle grabbed Jade's shoulder. "Stay here!"
"But--"
"You heard him," Black said firmly as Uncle left to collect his ingredients. "And if Jackie were here, he would also want you as far away from harm as possible."
"But Jackie's not here--he needs me!" Jade shot back.
"He needs *us*," Black corrected her, "and he needs you to stay here, safe and sound."
As they all went to the door, Jade was left standing there, alone, enraged that she couldn't even help save her own uncle.
_Yeah *right*,_ Jade thought to herself, grinning deviously.
Five minutes later, all the lights were out, and the jasmine tea was left sitting on the kitchen table in the dark of night.
************
They were just lucky that Chow was paranoid enough to bring a mini flashlight with him at all times: the Historical Museum of San Francisco was cloaked in pure black.
As they walked steady down the cold, damp corridor, hearing only their own shaky footsteps, Chow and Ratso both realized that they were not scared. A herd of Shadowkhan marched all around them, leaving no place to escape, not to mention the red-eyed demon striding behind them, watching their every move--and they were not scared. Over the past year and a half, they had become so used to being enslaved by demon sorcerers, getting their butts kicked by an archaeologist (*former* archaeologist Chow reminded himself with a fearful gulp), and never having hot water for a shower that they had become desensitized to their current predicament.
They could only hope that this would end soon. But how could they ever escape the psycho-demon alive? It wasn't as if Chan was around to save them. At that moment, Chow realized for the first time how lucky they were to have Chan nearby to protect them. If it weren't for Chan, the world would have been doomed a year and a half ago. Not that Chan actually cared about what happened to *them*, and the irony of the situation made Chow feel both bitter and, strangely enough, very betrayed.
So, if Chan himself was now evil...did that mean the world was soon to end?
Chow now desperately wanted two things: an aspirin, and for Chan, when this was over, to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Actually, he wanted more than that. He wanted his freedom, obviously, a mattress (he was tired of sleeping on the floor in their old hideout; they couldn't afford beds), and a big fat wad of cash. In a pathetic attempt to cheer himself up, he thought of the many things he could buy with that cash...he sports car (he then remembered that he didn't usually drive), a new leather jacket might be nice...
But his current tumult of thoughts was only a distraction. He was really worried about Finn and Valmont, but mostly Finn. He had betrayed Finn...not that that would *normally* bother him, but, Jesus Christ, Finn practically *died* because of his betrayal--maybe he *was* dead. Chow hoped not. In their line of work, one was expected to take risks--after all, Valmont had once announced quite clearly that they were expendable-- but Finn...Finn was his best friend. As selfish and cowardly as Chow was, he still cared about his friends enough to be thoroughly upset if one of them were dead.
And as for Valmont...Chow had realized something. If Finn was trying to save Valmont, who was supposed to be at Thorne's...*why hadn't they seen him?*
Damn. He was thinking again.
_Yeah_, Chow decided miserably, _I *definitely* need that aspirin._
So pensive was Chow (for once) that he didn't even notice that they had stopped in front of an open doorway. Through the darkness, Chow could see that inside was the bare outline of a large canopy bed. Chow really, really, really wanted to crawl into that bed, sleep for a thousand years and wake up without any memory of the most recent events.
But he would be foolish to really believe that that would happen. As it was, the psycho-demon apparently had something in mind. Hands behind his back, he was not walking, but *floating* a few inches above the ground towards them, examining them carefully. Chow didn't even bother to suppress the cold shivers striking his spine like lightning. Chan was a horrifying sight. He wasn't ugly or monstrous; it was his mannerisms, his expression. His face was etched into a permanent scowl, and his eyes, which were pitch black except for the two rings of fiery red, revealed his malice and disgust. Something else was plastered over his visage that made him even more intimidating--he was happy. He was fully aware of the two enforcers' fright, and it was obvious that this delighted him to no end. That made him a monstrosity.
"My faithful, idiot servants," he grinned--his teeth were a stunning white. "So good to see you again."
The two Enforcers stared at him. "Seriously?" Ratso asked gullibly.
Jackie's--or Shendu's--smile vanished. "No. Actually, I cannot wait till the opportunity for me to char-broil you arises. However, for the moment, it would appear that your assistance is required." He began to float (*float*, the word "floated" through Chow's hazy mind; *float*) into the room with the bed.
"So...what're we...supposed to...do...?" Chow whimpered. Okay, so maybe he wasn't as desensitized to fear as he thought.
The darkness seemed to only amplify Jackie's facial features - in particular, his devious and sly grin. "You two simpletons are to protect me from any intruders for the next twenty-three hours. Understood?"
Chow and Ratso glanced at each other curiously.
"I'll take that as a no." Jackie was beginning to understand Shendu's hatred for these fools. "At the moment, I am in my most vulnerable state; thus, I need you to protect me from any aged Chi wizards, secret agents or sumo wrestlers. Nonetheless, this weakness will not prevent me from issuing harsh...*punishment.*" All of a sudden, a gleaming white sword appeared from out of the night; they realized that it must have emerged from the sheath hooked around his robe. "Understood?"
They nodded fervently.
"And if you are thinking of escaping," he continued, teeth glimmering, "you are most certainly mistaken. My shadowkhan will ensure that you stay put. Try anything, and when I awaken, you will pay dearly for you crime."
"No problem!" Chow squeaked.
"We got it!" Ratso assured.
With a final glare, Jackie mentally shut the doors and locked them. The shadowkhan all melted into the darkness, with the exception of two. With an agonizing groan, the two Enforcers slid to the floor, face in their hands.
"Now what?" Ratso moaned.
But Chow had no answers, either.
Hey, great news about season 5, huh? Go, JCA!
THE DEMON WITHIN
Chapter 17: The Tears of God
Rain thundered down on San Francisco that night, like the angry tears of the mourning. As the relentless rain beat against the window of Uncle's shop, Jade dimly noted that the kids in school used to say that rain was really the tears of God.
Maybe it was true.
Behind her, inside the brightly-lit shop, tense conversation drifted through one ear and out the other. Inside it was light, it supposed to be happy, but outside it was dark, lonely. Light, dark. Good, evil. Yin, yang. She remember her conversation with Tohru during that whole sordid Sky Demon ordeal. And she felt herself crying. Burying her face in the sleeves of her oversized sweater, the tears slid down her cheeks silently as she remembered her Uncle Jackie.
Uncle Jackie. For the first time in all of their escapades, she wondered if everything really *would* be okay in the end. This had never happened before...losing Jackie, their protector, and Valmont, their enemy... What had happened?
*She* had happened, she realized, and her stomach twisted into a knot. If she hadn't taken those stupid talismans--the Snake and the Horse--he would be all right. Everything would be all right. Well, maybe not perfect, but Jackie wouldn't be lost in rage and evil...
Before, it had been fun and games. If Jackie was on another adventure, she'd have been right beside him...! But now she felt almost hallow, as if she were missing her other half.
As the rain drummed harder against the window pane like the opening to a parade, so did she become more outraged. She may have only been twelve, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to understand that standing there and blaming herself was not a solution. Okay, so she messed up--big time--but she never considered herself a quitter, and if she did something wrong, then it was her responsibility to rectify it.
With a deep breath, Jade wiped her tears with her sleeve and put on a brave face as she turned to the others.
No one appeared to have noticed her; they were all busy talking about the matter at hand. Actually, Captain Black and Tohru were swapping ideas as to where Jackie might be while Uncle sat pensively at the cash register.
Olivia, meanwhile, seemed to be lost in her own world. Maybe she wasn't used to all this excitement, Jade wondered. When was the last time Jade herself had seen her possessed uncle kill a person, only to be surrounded by a herd of police loaded with ammunition all in one night? It was a good thing that Captain Black was around the entire time — he managed to save Uncle from sudden death and pull strings with a very confused police commissioner, claiming that they were hunting down a theatrical performer. Maybe Olivia was thinking about Finn — he had been carted off to the hospital, barely alive. While Jade didn't like Finn, she didn't want to see anybody teetering over life's edge.
"...no, he couldn't be there," Captain Black said, shaking his head. "If he's in hiding--*if*--then he'll want to be somewhere familiar."
Jade felt that this was a good opportunity to make herself be heard. "Like Hong Kong?"
Everyone stared at her. "Jade?" Black asked her expectantly.
"Well, *she*--" Jade pointed to Olivia-- "said that Shendu was going back to his original plan of destroying Asia. So wouldn't he first go to Hong Kong and get his palace back up and running?"
"We've already thought of that," Black answered gravely. "Shendu can't resurrect his palace until Chinese New Year."
"Maybe not..."
Everyone immediately turned to Uncle, who was leaning against the cash register, hands cupping his chin.
"I take it you have something in mind?" Captain Black asked, eyebrow raised.
"Shendu can only resurrect his palace at the start of the New Year," he began somberly, "and only *when he is in his physical form*. But in the Demon Archive, there is a spell that can allow him to recreate his domain at any time, not only during the New Year. Shendu knows that spell."
Everyone knew that Uncle had paused to readjust his spectacles, but Olivia, having little knowledge of his body language, thought that he had finished and responded, "And Shendu is using Jackie's form to conjure his palace?"
Uncle curled his lip stubbornly. "Getting to that!" He then resumed in his previously calm manner: "But - Shendu is still technically a spirit. Jackie is human - his body is too weak to summon an entire palace!"
"Sooo...." Jade took a step toward Uncle, "as long as Shendu doesn't find a spare dragon body lying around, it's no problem!" But from the way Uncle suddenly withdrew into himself, Jade had a feeling that it was an even bigger problem than ever - Uncle was not normally like that. Fear struck her heart like a punch, and she shivered. "Right?"
From the way they furrowed their eyebrows and tightened their lips, Jade realized that everyone else must have noticed Uncle's unusual behavior as well. Time seemed to standstill as they all braced themselves for the worst before Uncle inhaled sharply and suddenly snapped at Olivia. "You! Know-it-all! Go to kitchen, make us all Jasmine tea to calm the nerves."
Know-it-all? Olivia considered snapping back, but just as she opened her mouth she wisely decided to stay silent. She nodded once and deftly left for the kitchen.
Uncle sighed, rubbed his temples, adjusted his spectacles again, muttered an almost inaudible "Aiya" and finally continued. "Right now, Shendu is a spirit," he said slowly, as though still trying to collect his thoughts, "but he will not be for long."
He allowed his listeners to absorb this information before he continued again: "Jackie is not fully possessed - he can still think, though his thoughts are not completely his own. This means that Shendu is not completely in control of Jackie..."
At this Jade's hopes rose, but Captain Black cynically disagreed with Uncle, remembering their last encounter with Jackie.
"...But that is not what Shendu wants anyway."
"WHAT?!" everyone shouted.
"Aiiyaaa! Listen to Uncle!"
Obediently, they all fell silent.
Uncle sighed again. "What Shendu wants," Uncle went on, "is not Jackie's soul, but Jackie's *body*. Since Jackie still has control over the talismans and Shendu has control over Jackie himself, Shendu will use the talisman magic to transform Jackie's body..." his voice lowered to a whisper as the corners of his mouth jerked downwards, "...into that of a golden dragon!"
Gasps filled the room suddenly. Tears stung at Jade's eyes. "You mean Jackie will *become*...Shendu? But--what'll happen to *Jackie*?"
But Uncle did not respond: he only gazed at Jade sadly and shut his eyes, and Jade understood very well.
The urgency of the situation only made Captain Black more focused, and his emerald green eyes glittered with a hunger for information. "When exactly will this happen?" he asked quietly.
"In less than twenty-four hours," Uncle responded. "Right now, Jackie's body is very weak. The talismans' powers have actually had the reverse effect of making him weaker, temporarily--it is too much power for a human body to wield. He will probably be resting until the transformation takes place..."
But Jade was no longer listening. A tear slipped out of one eye as Jade murmured, "No..."
Tohru, with his thundering footsteps, went over to where she stood and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Jade...we'll save your Uncle Jackie."
"Your Uncle Jackie" struck a cord. As the phrase repeated dimly in her mind, Jade was seized with flashes of white hot anger. "You bet we will," she muttered confidently. And then it occurred to her that this was nothing more than a problem, and that every problem had a solution. Immediately, a possibility for a solution sprang into her mind, and she said to them with her usual enthusiasm, "Heeey, I have an idea!"
"Oh boy," Captain Black muttered, because Jackie wasn't here to say it.
"This is big, you guys," Jade declared, striding closer to them with the confidence of a born leader. "I mean, *big*. What we need is a force with equal might. We need..." --and she paused here for dramatic effect-- "...the J Team!"
No one spoke for a minute. Then Uncle headed for the kitchen, shrieking, "Where is TEA?!"
"I'm letting the tea bags *settle*!" They heard Olivia yell back.
"Stop settling, you need to make the tea!"
"It *needs* to settle!"
"No it does not!"
After a few awkward moments, Captain Black, ignoring the yelling, turned to Tohru, his business face intact. "Obviously we need to locate Jackie immediately, before he can get to Hong Kong. If it's true that right now he's weak, then he must be in hiding. He's probably some where he thinks is safe--somewhere familiar... Once we find him, hopefully Unc can come up with some sort of counter spell. But other than that..." Black shook his head tiredly. "Other than that, I don't know what else to say."
"Hello-o?!" Jade intervened, stretching out her arms in exasperation. "I just *said* that we should get the J Team, they'll know what to do!"
Black looked skeptical, but Tohru nodded his head in approval. "I think that that is a good idea," he said. "Jackie knows the J Team - they might be able to somehow help him fight Shendu. Besides, since they are Jackie's friends, they will probably come anyway, assuming this makes it to public."
"Well..." Captain Black raised one eyebrow. "Okay, you've got a point."
"Yes!" Jade jumped up and down triumphantly. "I'll call them all right now!"
Jade was about to run to the phone, when Captain Black snatched the hood of her sweater. "Hold on, scamp. The most important thing to do right now is to figure out where Jackie is hiding. And since you know him well enough, you might be able to help us."
"But Captain Black," Tohru inquired, "How do you know Jackie is still in San Francisco? What makes you think that he isn't on his way to Hong Kong right this minute? It is his native land, after all--he may feel even safer there."
"I doubt it," Black countered. "After all, he lived in San Francisco for nearly his whole life. Uncle practically *raised* him. His whole life is centered around San Francisco--his family, his occupation..."
All three of them glanced at each other with wide eyes as one thought struck them simultaneously. In unison, they cried, "The museum!"
"Of course! DUH!" Jade smacked her forehead. "There are three places where Jackie feels most comfortable (though I have no idea *why*)--here in Uncle's shop, the Public Library, and the Historical Museum of San Francisco! And no way would he be stupid enough to come *here*, and he loves the museum a whole lot more than the library..."
Even before she had finished her explanation, Captain Black already had his cell phone out and was currently ordering a squadron to get to the museum ASAP. "Keep out of sight, though," he warned; "if Chan suspects anything, he could escape in blink of an eye--that already happened once tonight."
With that settled, they all decided to go to the kitchen and inform Uncle and Olivia of their plan. While they did this, Jade murmured to Tohru, "Thanks, T."
Tohru smiled at her warmly. "We will get you're uncle back."
Jade furrowed her eyebrows, her goal clear before her eyes. "You bet we will," she repeated.
When they arrived at the kitchen, Uncle and Olivia were still arguing.
"AIIYAA!!!!!" Uncle shrieked at the top of his lungs. "WHY ARE YOU PUTTING MILK IN JASMINE TEA?!?"
Olivia looked agog and insulted at the same time. "You're supposed to milk in tea! I mean, honestly, it would be completely barbaric not to..."
"Oooh," Uncle crooned, "are you calling Uncle barbaric?!"
"Here we go," Jade sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Um, excuse me," Tohru stepped forward, his massive form blocking Uncle and Olivia, "but we have decided on a plan to stop Shendu."
After Captain Black then explained the situation, Uncle and Olivia, their feud temporarily forgotten, immediately became serious. Yet much to everyone's distress, Uncle seemed to have no knowledge of a counter spell for Jackie. Everyone's face was crestfallen.
"What're we gonna do *now*?" Jade whined, almost on the verge of tears.
"You did not let Uncle finish!" Uncle shrieked. When all eyes were upon him, he continued, "I may not have a spell that will drive the demon from within Jackie's mind, but I do have a simple spell which *may* strengthen Jackie's own will. It should basically open his mind - if we say the right things while I perform the spell, it should conjure up an old memory of his that can be used to counter Shendu's suggestions. Not the most efficient spell, since Shendu has such a hold over him, but better than nothing."
Everyone turned to Captain Black, their tall and imposing new leader for the while, who nodded in silent agreement.
"So grab your blowfish or whatever, Unc," Jade cheered, "and let's go!"
Just as she was about to leap towards the door, Uncle grabbed Jade's shoulder. "Stay here!"
"But--"
"You heard him," Black said firmly as Uncle left to collect his ingredients. "And if Jackie were here, he would also want you as far away from harm as possible."
"But Jackie's not here--he needs me!" Jade shot back.
"He needs *us*," Black corrected her, "and he needs you to stay here, safe and sound."
As they all went to the door, Jade was left standing there, alone, enraged that she couldn't even help save her own uncle.
_Yeah *right*,_ Jade thought to herself, grinning deviously.
Five minutes later, all the lights were out, and the jasmine tea was left sitting on the kitchen table in the dark of night.
************
They were just lucky that Chow was paranoid enough to bring a mini flashlight with him at all times: the Historical Museum of San Francisco was cloaked in pure black.
As they walked steady down the cold, damp corridor, hearing only their own shaky footsteps, Chow and Ratso both realized that they were not scared. A herd of Shadowkhan marched all around them, leaving no place to escape, not to mention the red-eyed demon striding behind them, watching their every move--and they were not scared. Over the past year and a half, they had become so used to being enslaved by demon sorcerers, getting their butts kicked by an archaeologist (*former* archaeologist Chow reminded himself with a fearful gulp), and never having hot water for a shower that they had become desensitized to their current predicament.
They could only hope that this would end soon. But how could they ever escape the psycho-demon alive? It wasn't as if Chan was around to save them. At that moment, Chow realized for the first time how lucky they were to have Chan nearby to protect them. If it weren't for Chan, the world would have been doomed a year and a half ago. Not that Chan actually cared about what happened to *them*, and the irony of the situation made Chow feel both bitter and, strangely enough, very betrayed.
So, if Chan himself was now evil...did that mean the world was soon to end?
Chow now desperately wanted two things: an aspirin, and for Chan, when this was over, to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Actually, he wanted more than that. He wanted his freedom, obviously, a mattress (he was tired of sleeping on the floor in their old hideout; they couldn't afford beds), and a big fat wad of cash. In a pathetic attempt to cheer himself up, he thought of the many things he could buy with that cash...he sports car (he then remembered that he didn't usually drive), a new leather jacket might be nice...
But his current tumult of thoughts was only a distraction. He was really worried about Finn and Valmont, but mostly Finn. He had betrayed Finn...not that that would *normally* bother him, but, Jesus Christ, Finn practically *died* because of his betrayal--maybe he *was* dead. Chow hoped not. In their line of work, one was expected to take risks--after all, Valmont had once announced quite clearly that they were expendable-- but Finn...Finn was his best friend. As selfish and cowardly as Chow was, he still cared about his friends enough to be thoroughly upset if one of them were dead.
And as for Valmont...Chow had realized something. If Finn was trying to save Valmont, who was supposed to be at Thorne's...*why hadn't they seen him?*
Damn. He was thinking again.
_Yeah_, Chow decided miserably, _I *definitely* need that aspirin._
So pensive was Chow (for once) that he didn't even notice that they had stopped in front of an open doorway. Through the darkness, Chow could see that inside was the bare outline of a large canopy bed. Chow really, really, really wanted to crawl into that bed, sleep for a thousand years and wake up without any memory of the most recent events.
But he would be foolish to really believe that that would happen. As it was, the psycho-demon apparently had something in mind. Hands behind his back, he was not walking, but *floating* a few inches above the ground towards them, examining them carefully. Chow didn't even bother to suppress the cold shivers striking his spine like lightning. Chan was a horrifying sight. He wasn't ugly or monstrous; it was his mannerisms, his expression. His face was etched into a permanent scowl, and his eyes, which were pitch black except for the two rings of fiery red, revealed his malice and disgust. Something else was plastered over his visage that made him even more intimidating--he was happy. He was fully aware of the two enforcers' fright, and it was obvious that this delighted him to no end. That made him a monstrosity.
"My faithful, idiot servants," he grinned--his teeth were a stunning white. "So good to see you again."
The two Enforcers stared at him. "Seriously?" Ratso asked gullibly.
Jackie's--or Shendu's--smile vanished. "No. Actually, I cannot wait till the opportunity for me to char-broil you arises. However, for the moment, it would appear that your assistance is required." He began to float (*float*, the word "floated" through Chow's hazy mind; *float*) into the room with the bed.
"So...what're we...supposed to...do...?" Chow whimpered. Okay, so maybe he wasn't as desensitized to fear as he thought.
The darkness seemed to only amplify Jackie's facial features - in particular, his devious and sly grin. "You two simpletons are to protect me from any intruders for the next twenty-three hours. Understood?"
Chow and Ratso glanced at each other curiously.
"I'll take that as a no." Jackie was beginning to understand Shendu's hatred for these fools. "At the moment, I am in my most vulnerable state; thus, I need you to protect me from any aged Chi wizards, secret agents or sumo wrestlers. Nonetheless, this weakness will not prevent me from issuing harsh...*punishment.*" All of a sudden, a gleaming white sword appeared from out of the night; they realized that it must have emerged from the sheath hooked around his robe. "Understood?"
They nodded fervently.
"And if you are thinking of escaping," he continued, teeth glimmering, "you are most certainly mistaken. My shadowkhan will ensure that you stay put. Try anything, and when I awaken, you will pay dearly for you crime."
"No problem!" Chow squeaked.
"We got it!" Ratso assured.
With a final glare, Jackie mentally shut the doors and locked them. The shadowkhan all melted into the darkness, with the exception of two. With an agonizing groan, the two Enforcers slid to the floor, face in their hands.
"Now what?" Ratso moaned.
But Chow had no answers, either.