Chapter 1 - The Solution

"So, Spicer, we meet once again."
"Yeah but why'd you have to trash my stinkin' helibot?!!"
In an occurrence that seemed strangely natural, Jack Spicer had been sent plummeting down towards the deeply weathered interior of the Grand Canyon. He just barely managed to navigate what was left of his most prized robot into a nearby wood. He didn't even need to confirm Chase had done this, him being the only other human for a few miles. But other than the rather sudden attack, something else seemed strange about the warlords behavior. Simply coming out for a Shen Gong Wu without insistence from Wuya was spectacular enough, but to make enough of an effort to get there before the Wudai Warriors? It left at the very least a weird vibe to Jack, even if he couldn't tell why.
The teen awkwardly wiggled his way onto the limb he was gripping until in a fairly sturdy position... Chase watching all the while... His stare seemed to penetrate Jack's soul, scrutinizing everything about him. The stare deepened the discomfort Jack was in and made the world suddenly seem cold, harsh, threatening.
"Lately I have been thinking on a matter of some importance. I think it might interest you."
"Oh, I've just been--" The death glare from Chase indicated to the teen he had not tried to invite conversation. "Never mind... go on..."
"I have been considering how many times your incompetence..."
Oh great... thought Jack. The word 'incompetence...' never a good thing.
"...Has cost many a great deal of dignity."
"Look Mr. Competent. In case you havent noticed, pretty much everyone I get involved with has some sort of magical legacy or awesome martial arts training, so yeah, Im not quite the best. But... but you think I can help it? I mean sah-ree for living! Quite a bit surprised at his own courage (or foolishness,) Jack stood a little straighter and cracked a sort of fear-smile. Chase, however, didn't look so impressed.
Just as quickly as he had gained his confidence, the goth boy deflated as he saw Chase Young... the great warrior... super evil half-dragon... practically teleport from one branch to another towards him. Suddenly the feeling of being stared at threatened to eat him up. Half leaping back and half flying with his helibot, he scrambled back through the trees until, startled and panicking beyond any function of the thoughts, he came upon the edge of the menacing canyon. All the while, Chase grew nearer and nearer with an expression of satisfaction in his smooth features. Making matters worse, Jack's spluttering helibot began emitting distressed puffs of smoke. His knuckles turned whiter than they already were as he made his futile attempt to stay on the weak sapling.
And there Chase was, within easy reach.
'No need to be sorry, Spicer, I have a solution for both of us.'


Though the Wudai Warriors did not arrive as early as Jack or Chase had, the latter was about to leave as soon as they came. Eyeing the newest Shen Gong Wu nestled in a small bush in the canyon, the four decided instantaneously this Wu would be, as Omi would say, "simple choosings."
Wait... Chase is leaving with the Wu right where it was in the first place... so why'd he come here? Thought Raimundo. The man certainly didn't look like he was in a rush... but then again, he never did.
As he prepared to leave the scene, the Shoku warrior decided to at least ask, "So exactly why are you just leaving as soon as we come to get this Wu?"
"I didn't come for Shen Gong Wu. There was a much more important matter I had to address," the man said with a smirk, still facing away from Raimundo.
"Yeah, right where the newest Shen Gong Wu revealed itself?" Rai said suspiciously. A startled gasp came from below, and echoed up to him. Deciding this was more important he slid easily down the side of the canyon, leaving Chase to... erm, leave.
(A.N.: I really need a thesaurus, don't I?)

The Shoku had gotten down to where the Wu was like that, but discovered there was something much more surprising there.
Jack lay crumpled like a piece of paper on the ground before them. Bent and cracked shards of metal from the boy's helibot outlined his bruised body, the blood flowing from his head staining the ground the color of his hair. Sure, the Wudai Warriors had seen him hurt, actually more often than not, but never like this. He appeared to have fallen... from the edge of the canyon...
Right where Chase had been.
Raimundo looked up for a second, the thoughts of what might have happened blurring in his mind... when a pair of grubby boots swung themselves into his open palms.
Startled out of his trance by the sudden pressure, he instinctively dropped them before noticing they were connected to Jack's legs. When they hit the ground, a little moan came from the still-unconscious evil. Rai stared at Clay, who was supporting the boy's other side and seemed quite angry at Rai's display.
"Er, sorry?"
The cowboy just shook his head and murmured something to himself that Raimundo probably wouldn't understand anyway. This time he placed the limp pair of legs in Rai's hands and signalled to move the goth onto the now 40-foot-long Dojo.
Realizing he was surprisingly light, Raimundo offered, "Clay, I can hold Jack once we're in the air."
"Fine, but don't drop 'im this time around." Raimundo gulped, wondering why Clay cared so much for the boy anyway. It didn't matter, he thought. After this is all over and Jack's all healed, he'll just go back to getting his butt kicked on the Heylin side. It's happened before, and that's the way it's always been. They didn't know why Jack was like that, why he seemed not to want the monks' acceptance and friendship, why he'd rather be with people he pretended he could amount to than those could at least begin to appreciate his good-natured, though sad attempts. But he was Jack, and that was just what Jack did.
He repeated this until the temple was in range, as if he knew what woas to be in the next few days.

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