The Bull and the Jade Warrior (LMK & Ocs)

by Lillightfury

Summary:

Do you know what happens when you put a snake and a rat together?

----

Chen, a 20yo working with his adopted father Pigsy in his shop, wasn't expecting to be dragged into dangerous new adventures with his best friend, MK.

Join Chen as he meets new friends and enemies, and uncovers dark secrets and grim truths as he discovers the story of the Jade Warrior. All the while an ancient evil bides her time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike

Chapter 1: Prologue

400 years ago...

It was a dark, rainy night. Clouds covered the moon, and the only thing that could be seen was the faint glow of torches lighting up a fortress in the distance.
The only sound was the heavy drops of the rainfall, and the occasional thunder, a rare instance in the middle of the desert.

Lightning flashes, lighting up the dark as a scream broke through the night, full of anger. It came from the fortress, and not long after the torches flare up, lighting up the surrounding area.

From the fortress, a figure in a dark robe scurried away through the rain, carrying a bundle in their arms. The bundle cries out, upset and confused about what was happening.

Grinning from ear to ear, the figure giggles maniacally, before disappearing into a puff of blue smoke. Leaving no trace of where they went.

Exiting the fortress, an angry mother quickly flies around with her iron-fan, searching for the intruder that took one of her most precious treasures. But there was no sign of them. Not even a trace.
Crying out in grief, the woman falls to her knees. First her husband, and now her second baby is gone.

—-

In a cave far from the fortress, the figure appears once more, the bundle stills crying in his arms. They weren't going to dispose of the child yet, since their Lady would be VERY displeased. She wanted the Jade Warrior for her Destiny, and this child was the key.

No, he had to wait.

The figure places the child on the ground, walking back towards the entrance before facing the crying baby on the ground. He smirks, blowing a puff of blue smoke in its direction.

When the smoke cleared, the child was encased in a thick layer of ice, trapped within in a deep coma.

Walking out of the cave, the figure disappears, leaving the demon child in the ice. The ice will break when the time is right.

Until then, he'll be waiting.

Chapter 2: A Hero is Born

"...The Monkey King used his magical staff to pick up a nearby mountain. He trapped the Demon Bull King underneath. The Monkey King sealed the mountain with the staff that no other being could wield, trapping the Demon Bull King forever. With the battle won, Monkey King vanished, never to be seen again. Legend says the staff still lies on top of that mountain, the one thing keeping our world from certain destruction.
And with the Demon Bull King gone, civilization was able to advance into the amazing city we now live in. A world of elegant cultures, gentle loving people, a city brimming with five-star cuisine, and all thanks to the Monkey King."

As Tang finishes narrating the story for the billionth time to MK, the young boy yells out, ecstatic. "Oh that's so good! Monkey King's so cool! He's so strong, and handsome-" he says, striking poses. Tang chuckles softly. "Oh, MK, and you thought you knew all of Monkey King's stories-"

"He does, and he won't shut up about them." another voice interrupts, placing a bag on the growing pile of deliveries. Tang and MK turn to face Chen, a helping hand in the noodle shop and the adopted son of Pigsy. He wipes his hands on his apron as he approaches.
The 20yo had black hair currently tied back in a ponytail and headband, and he wore the common white shirt with the noodle shop's logo on the back.

He picks up MK's book. "He's obsessed with that monkey, Tang. He probably already knew that story too." he explained. MK snatches the book from his friend, giving him a "Hmph!"
"I'm not obsessed! I've just got his whole life documented extensively in this unauthorised autobiography of Monkey King! Written and illustrated by yours truly." he winks as he elbows Tang.
MK then goes on a rant about Monkey King's life. Something he's done multiple times before. If Chen were being honest, he didn't mind. On a regular day, he'd listen to MK fanboy over his favourite subject.

But today was a work day, and they needed to deliver orders. If MK didn't do them, Chen would have to help with the deliveries that the boy forgot.

Tang picks up one of the drawings, taking a closer look with a smile. "It's nice to know someone's taking in all these stories. Pearls of wisdom, dripping from my lips." Chen rolls his eyes, returning to the back of the shop to finish cooking the rest of the deliveries. On the way there, Pigsy marches by him, on his way to confront Tang and MK.

In the kitchen, Chen gets to work, grabbing a knife and cutting the vegetables for Pigsy. From his work corner, he could hear Pigsy yelling at MK and Tang.
Eventually, MK was kicked out the door with the deliveries, as the chef went after Tang. Chen could hear everything in the background, but he ignores it. This was just another day in the workshop.

The phone rings, and the boy answers it, putting on his customer service voice. "Hello! Thank you for calling Pigsy's Noodles, home of the world's best noodles!" he greets in a chipper voice. A cackle sounds from the other end, causing the boy to stop, looking at the phone confused.

"Sorry, Chen. You just never sound that chipper whenever we hang out." a familiar voice explains. Realising who it was, Chen smirks. "Oh, really? How do I usually sound when we hang, Rey?"
"Grouchy."
"Hey!"

More laughter could be heard from the other end, as Chen rubs his eyes. "Alright, alright, so did you call to chat, or to order?" he finally asks, grabbing a notebook and a pen. Rey clears their throat. "Oh yeah! Could I order a takeaway of Chow Mein*?" they question. Chen writes it down, the phone pressed against his shoulder and ear as he writes. "Mhm, of course. Anything else? Any requirements?"
"No thank you. Just deliver it to the library, I'll be waiting out the front since I'm on my break." they explain. Chen nods, humming in response as he hangs up the piece of paper on a thin line strewn over the kitchen, easy for Pigsy and him to see. "Alright, thank you for calling Pigsy's Noodles, your order will be finished and delivered within 30 minutes." Chen explains.

Rey thanks their friend, hanging up the call. He makes the dish for them, ready to put it out on the delivery counter.
At that moment, Pigsy walks in, after finishing kicking Tang out momentarily. Chen greets him. "Heya, dad. Just finished another order."
Pigsy sighs. "Thanks, Chen. Could you deliver these?" he holds up a bunch of deliveries for Chen to take, obviously some MK had forgotten. "I don't think MK's gonna be back in time to deliver." he grumbles, looking up at the clock. MK had been gone roughly 10 minutes, and they couldn't afford to wait any longer to deliver the noodles. Chen gives him a lazy salute. "On it, pops."

Taking the deliveries, he walks out the door, heading towards the second tuk-tuk the shop owned. Hopping inside, he puts on his headphones, listening to the music as he heads to his first location: the library.
Pulling out onto the road, he bobs his head to the tune of one of his favourite songs, keeping his focus on the traffic.

Finally, he makes it to his first location. And just like they promised, there was Rey, waiting on the steps. As Chen approaches, they quickly get to their feet, greeting him. "Chen! How've you been?" they ask, as Chen takes his headphones off, pulling out Rey's delivery.

"Been great, thanks." he says, putting on a smile. "Nothing grouchy here!" Rey cackles, as Chen continues, handing his friend their delivery. "So, how's things going here? Anything new?"

Rey nods, exclaiming as they remember something. "Oh, yeah! The library just ordered a bunch of old books on Journey to the West and ancient demons! They'll be arriving in a couple of weeks!" they explained excitedly.
Chen smiles softly at Rey's excitement. Humming, he gives his friend a pat on the shoulder. "That's great! I'll tell MK about it so he can check it out." he states, getting back in his tuk-tuk. "I gotta go. Got more noodles to deliver. See ya round, Rey."

As Chen drives off, Rey waves him goodbye, heading back towards the stairs of the library. Chen gets his GPS up, on the way to deliver to his next customer.

—-

 

Chen lets out a relieved sigh, just finishing delivering to his final customer. Now, he could go back to Pigsy's Noodles. Maybe MK would be back now.

As he drove along the quiet road, his headphones blaring loud music, he never noticed a certain delivery boy's screams rapidly approaching from an upcoming sharp turn.

MK's tuk-tuk crashes into Chen's own, hitting him right at the turn. Chen and MK were left unharmed, but the tuk-tuks were a different story.
Both were demolished, undrivable. As Chen exits his vehicle, he places his hands on his head, panicked. "MK! What do you think you're doing?!" he cries, looking over the damage. But there was no way to fix this. "Oh, man. Pigsy's gonna kill us!" he whispers.
He loved his dad, but he knew he'd be in BIG trouble when he heard about this.

MK grabs his hand, pulling him down the street. "I'D RATHER PIGSY THAN HIM!" he exclaims, grabbing someone's hoverboard with an apology. Chen turns to his friend, confused. "What?! What are you going on about! No one's wrath is worse than-"

An engine roars from behind them, and Chen glances over his shoulder. A large truck was barrelling towards them, with no intent on stopping. The driver, a man with flaming red hair and glasses, cackles maniacally. "I'm coming to get you, Noodle Boy! And your little friend, too!"

Chen and MK scream, both squeezing onto the hoverboard and zooming away on it. As they fly through the air, Chen turns to MK, just noticing a staff on the young man's back. "Who is that?!"

"THERE'SNOTIMETOEXPLAINBUTDEMONBULLKINGISBACKANDIGOTTHESTAFFANDTHEYWANTTHESTAFFBUTICOULDN'TJUSTLETTHEMHAVETHESTAFFSOIKINDATOOKITANDACCIDENTALLYRANAWAYWITHITANDNOWTHISGUYISTRYINGTOKILLMEANDI'MSOSORRRYYYYYY!" MK takes in a huge gasp of air. But Chen just deadpans.
"Yes. I understood everything you just said." he says blankly.

MK guides the hoverboard through a small alley, forcing the man in the large truck to stop. He shouts in anger, as MK and Chen grin at him. "Haha! See ya!"
"So long, psycho! See you never!"
"Oooooh!"

 

MK guides them toward an unfinished road, neither of them noticing the construction signs. Chen pokes the staff on his back. "So, mind telling me what just happened?" he questions yet again.
MK shakes his head. "When we get back to the noodle shop! This is really, REALLY important and I need to tell Mr. Tang!" MK explains.

Hearing a car rapidly approaching behind them, the duo turn around to see the same red-haired man now driving a racecar. MK gasps. "Oh, come on! Where did you get that?!" he exclaims. The man laughs. "What? You think I drive anything that doesn't have at least one complex transformation?" He shows off a blueprint of his vehicle. Pulling several levers, he speeds up the car and attempts to crush the duo.

The boys barely manage to escape, getting on top of the car. MK wipes the sweat from his brow, as Chen turns to the driver with anger. "Ay! No one tries to kill me and my friends and gets away with it!" he shouts. Pulling his fist back, he drives it into the windscreen multiple times, attempting to break the glass. Surprisingly, on the first strike, he manages to crack the glass.

This wasn't what surprised the demon in the driver's seat, though. As he stares up at the angry face of the mortal on his windshield, he gets a sense of deja vu. Has he seen him before?
The human's black hair whipped around his face, brows furrowed in anger as he glares down at the demon below him. Driving his fist back once more, he smashes the glass, grabbing the demon by the neck of his shirt. The demon screeches, snapping out of his trance. "LET GO OF ME YOU FILTHY PEASANT!"

Before the two could fight, the vehicle drops from below them. Looking down, all three realised that they were falling from an unfinished bridge. The trio scream, and the demon hurriedly scrambled into the safety of his race car as Chen lets him go.

Chen and MK scream as they free-fall, approaching the ground below rapidly.

All of a sudden, a bike zooms towards them out of nowhere, the driver grabbing MK and Chen midair as they sped by. The demon in the race car groans angrily. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
He had no time to focus on them, though, as his car headed towards a building. Screaming, he crashes through.

Stepping out from the wreckage, the demon growls, hair aflame. "Noodle Boy! You disgusting peasant! When I find you, I'm gonna BLAST YOU INTO LITTLE BITS!"

 

—

The biker that rescued the two young men speeds towards Pigsy's Noodle shop, jolting to a sudden stop. MK falls off, but Chen merely steps off the bike with the driver.
The driver, now with her biker outfit and helmet off, pulls out her phone, striking a pose. "Nailed it!"

"Mei!"
The black-haired girl with dyed green tips, Mei, helps MK to his feet. "That was an intense game of tag. You guys looked like you were having so much fun. I wanted to join too!" she giggles.
MK pauses, at a loss for words. "Uh, actually, we almost died back there." he tries explaining, sweating at just the memory. Mei smiles, misunderstanding. "But you didn't! So let's celebrate with a round of Monkey Mech!" she exclaims excitedly, pointing at an arcade game placed next to Pigsy's Noodle's. "You should invite your new edgy friend, too."

Chen grabs the girl by the shoulders, looking her right in the eye. "Mei, he tried to kill us. We don't want him to find us." he explains, saying each word slowly.
Mei, eyes widening as she finally understood, smiled at them. "Well in that case-" she pulls up a large red button on her phone, hovering her finger over it as she turns to the two boys with a dark expression. "Where does he live?"

 

She was interrupted by Pigsy shouting at the boys. "MK! Where are you, you punk?!" marching over, he pulls out his phone, showing off the app on it. "You mind telling me why some bozo left a zero-star review on Pigsy's Noodles?!" he demands.
MK starts to stutter, nervously sweating under his angry boss's gaze. "Oh! Uh, yeah. So, uh, here's what I think happened with that-"

"Woah, zero stars! Congrats! Better than nothing, right?" Mei giggles. Pigsy rubs the bridge of his nose. "That's not how it works, Mei!" he shouts.
While he was distracted, MK sneaks into the Noodle shop, searching for Tang. Chen quickly follows him, hearing Pigsy's frustrated screaming as they close the door.

—--

Somewhere below the city of Megapolis, the Bull Clones work in the Demon Bull Family's Flaming Foundry*, creating more clones and armour.

Red Son finishes welding together the last bit of armour for his father. He grins, lifting up his mask as he looks down at his handiwork. "And...that should about do it!" he exclaims, stepping back from his father's throne as the Demon Bull King gets to his feet. "It's....heavy." he points out, staggering as he takes a step forward.

The younger demon stammers. "That's because it isn't powered up yet!" he explains. Clearing his throat, he speaks more confidently. "The suit absorbs energy to create energy. And what better source than the magic staff that kept you underground?"

 

DBK scowls down at his son, displeased. "You mean the staff that you lost?" he growls. Taken aback, Red Son holds up his hands. "Uh, yeah- it was the Noodle Boy and his peasant friend! I-" he stammers out. He's interrupted by his mother's laughter, as the woman glides over to her son and husband.
"Oh, don't toy with him, my love. We will get it back." Princess Iron Fan states. "I have Bull Clones scouring the city. It's only a matter of time."

"A-and while we wait," Red Son continues, turning back to his father. "The furnace can convert other things into energy." he throws his face shield into the furnace on DBK's chest. The furnace erupts into flames, and DBK roars, feeling the energy flow through his very bones.
"The more rare the item, the more powerful Father will become! And once we have that staff, he will be unstoppable!" he laughs maniacally, as his mother grins maliciously.

Once Demon Bull King calms down, he sits back on his throne, scrolling through holograms of shops. "Now to find something rare and expensive. Something to give me the power I deserve."

—-

Back at the noodle shop, Tang was peacefully eating his bowl of noodles, oblivious to everything around him. So when MK interrupts him with a loud "MR. TANG!!", he spat out his soup.

 

Chen reaches Tang as MK searches frantically for something, throwing all kinds of objects aside. The young man sits down with Tang. "Alright MK, NOW can you explain what is going on?" he asks.

MK doesn't stop his searching. "Yeah yeah yeah! Remember that story Mr. Tang told me this morning? About the Demon Bull King? Argh, where is it!? Where is it?! Where is it?!"

He finally finds what he's searching for underneath a tall pile of dirty dishes. Swiping it out from underneath, he holds it up to show Tang and Chen. "Ah, there it is! The Demon Bull King, see?"

The pile of dishes that the book was under falls, crashing to the ground. Chen stares at MK in disbelief, knowing that HE'D be the one to have to help clean that up. Pigsy wasn't too pleased either, as he starts to cuss out MK while being held back by Mei.

Tang continues eating his noodles, disinterested in where MK was going with this. "Yeah? What about him?"

The young man leaps onto Tang, more freaked out than ever. "The Demon Bull King is back! The legend is real! The Monkey King's staff is removed! We have to find him! It's the only way to save everyone before the world is destr-"
Tang pushes MK back with his chopsticks, interrupting his insane sounding rant. "Boy, relax! You're getting spittle in my soup. Besides, you're delusional. It's just a story."

"Delusional, huh? Would you call this delusional?" he reveals the staff, showing it off to his friends. Everyone is silent, as they look down at the red and gold staff. Mei grins. "Wow, MK. You found a stick!"
"No, it's Monkey King's staff!" he sputters. At that, his friends laugh, finding MK's joke to be hilarious. Chen slaps his knee, wheezing. "HA!"

But the young man before them holding this strange staff wasn't laughing. He growls in frustration as everyone returns to their things. Chen pulls out his phone, when MK grabs his arm. "Chen! You believe me, right? You saw Red Son yourself!" he exclaims, desperate.
Chen removes MK's arm. "Look, MK. All I saw was some crazy psycho trying to kill us. For all we know that could've been some random freak who wasn't happy with our service. Don't worry, I'm reporting them to the police now." he explained.

MK rubs his face, exasperated. "Ugh, you aren't listening! Demon Bull King is out there. We have to get the staff back to the Monkey King! This staff is the real deal, I'll prove it!"
At this, everyone turns to face him. Pigsy crosses his arms. "Oh, yeah? How?"

Before MK could respond, the staff extends itself, crushing the table Tang, Mei and Chen are sitting at. Tang freaks, dropping his bowl of noodles as he grabs onto MK's hand, holding it above his head. "MONKEY KING'S STAFF!! I KNEW IT ALL ALONG! The legendary weapon that only he could wield to seal away evil!" he pauses, realising something. "Why do you have it?"

"Alright, I'll bite." Pigsy grumbles. Chen takes a seat at one of the empty chairs, tilting his head. Questions swirled around his head, as he stares intently at the staff in MK's grasp. If it really was the Monkey King's staff, why DID MK have it?

"If the staff is here, then where is the demon punk now?" Pigsy asks. Mei holds her phone up for all to see. "He's at the shoe store." she explains nonchalantly. Everyone immediately crowds around the girl, looking down at her phone. "This better not be one of your puppy videos, Mei." Chen grumbles, as Mei giggles, scrolling through her phone. "There's always time for a puppy video! But no. Look what just started trending; Hashtag Demon Bull King!"

She pulls up a video, showing that a large anthropomorphic bull was in the famous shoe store downtown, stealing the most rare shoes. With each item he absorbs, he grows bigger and stronger. With him was the same red-haired man that almost killed Chen and MK. The group of five share a nervous glance.

—-

Pigsy sped his Food Truck through the streets, Chen, MK, Mei and Tang all squished inside as the pig drove madly at high speeds. As Pigsy turns a sharp corner, Mei squishes Chen into the door of the vehicle. Pushing her face back, he growls. "Get off of me! Why did I agree to come?"
Tang squeezes to the front. "Pigsy, watch where you're going! You're gonna kill us!" he exclaims. MK nods, pulling out his book. "Yeah, we gotta get to Flower Fruit Mountain without getting smushed in a car crash. All we need to do is drive through an entire ocean. Simple!"

Chen squeezes Mei towards the door, sitting next to MK and grabbing his book. "MK, say that again, slowly this time. Think about what you just said." he says, and he could see the gears turning in the young man's head as he thinks.

Mei gasps, showing the gang her phone. "Guys! Demon Bull King has moved onto downtown! He's destroying the cheese tea stalls!" she exclaims in horror.

"All the more reason to get the staff back to Monkey King. Flower Fruit Mountain. It's the only place he could be, right Mr. Tang?"

 

Tang hums, pushing his glasses dramatically back up his nose, the reflection making him look more mysterious and wise. "Indeed. However, Flower Fruit Mountain is hidden away, deep in dangerous and unknown territory. So I guess we better turn back!" he chuckles nervously. Pigsy shoves him aside. "Shut it, you big baby. I know a guy that can take us there. The most dangerous, deadly, rage-filled warrior I've ever known."

The pig steps on the gas, speeding up. The kids and Tang scream, as Pigsy pulls up at the harbour, right in front of a house boat. "Sandy."

As the others got out of the car, Chen couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, this oughta be good."

—

MK and Mei quiver in their seats as a large, bulky figure brandishes a knife in the kitchen.

The gang were seated on a couch inside Sandy's boat, and they'd just finished telling the large man before them about what was going on.
The man stands up, putting his knife down. "That's a lot to take in." he admits, walking toward the shivering kids. "Do you know what I do to people who disrupt the peace?"
Mei and MK gulp, looking up at the man towering above them.

The man smiles fondly, holding up a tray with a kettle and teacups. "Serve them tea!" he exclaims kindly. He offers the tray to the people sitting on the couch, as they look at him in confusion. "You guys want some? You? How about you guys over there? Huh? Huh? Chen?"

Chen takes a cup, as Tang raises his hand for one too. Pigsy's stunned, looking at Sandy. Tang leans towards the shop owner with a smug smirk. "Certain noodle shop owners could learn a lot from your hospitality, Sandy." the man jokes.
Mei leans in too, whispering in Pigsy's direction. "Oh, you're right piggy, this guy is dangerous. He'll kill us with cuteness!" the girl giggles, holding up a therapy cat.

Chen takes a sip of his tea, already feeling calmer after the stressful day.

Pigsy yells out in frustration. "Sandy! What happened to you? Where's the angry, glass-chewing, fist-throwing buddy I used to know?!"
Sandy sits Pigsy back down, giving him a pat on the head. "Well, my therapist said I really needed to calm down. That's why I started drinking tea, doing yoga, and investing in therapy cats. Really helps. Oh, don't you, Mo?" he coos, giving his favourite cat a pat.

As Sandy continues to coo at his cat, Pigsy stares at him, jaw hanging open. Chen, sitting next to him, offers the pig a cup of tea. "Try it. It really does help. I already feel much calmer." he points out, as a cat curls up in his dark fluffy hair. Pigsy turns to face him, seeing that the young man had already made himself right at home.
Realisation dawns on him, as Mei and Mk begin to beg the large blue man. "You knew, didn't you?" he asks accusingly. At that, Chen looks away, sweating as he takes another sip of his tea. Pigsy points at him. "I knew it! How long have you known?!"
"Two weeks ago, after I had an...incident. Came across Sandy, who offered me tea and a chance to chat at his place. Been coming ever since."
Chen never told Pigsy that Sandy was his therapist, did he? Oopsie.

Before Pigsy could question him further, they hear Sandy speak up.

"Okay! Anything for Pigsy! I can take you there, but it ain't a pleasant trip." Sandy explains, as MK and Mei dance excitedly. Sandy smiles fondly.
"Alright, let's get moving. But I'm telling you, old friend." he turns to Pigsy. "If things get hairy, I've changed. I don't go around picking fights anymore."
Pigsy sighs, but accepts Sandy's answer.

"Mo! Initiate the launch sequence!" Mo, who was sitting on his shoulder previously, jumps off, pressing a big red button at the head of the boat. A loud rumbling fills the air, as the boat shifts from underneath them. Engines whir, as a steering wheel appears, starting Sandy's boat.
"Onwards to Flower Fruit Mountain!"

The boat lurches forward, heading into the distance as MK could be heard whooping and cheering, excited for their adventure.

Meanwhile....

On a nearby rooftop, a pair of binoculars follow the disappearing boat. The bull clone hums, lowering the binoculars as he jumps off of the rooftop.

He approaches Red Son, who's standing on the ledge of a building, overlooking the city. The Bull clone, General Ironclad, kneels before the demon. He informs Red Son of the news, who turns to the robot in fury. "WHAT?! YOU LET THEM GET AWAY?!" he screams, hair erupting into flames. The robot cowers.

Princess Iron Fan cackles as she floats toward her son. "Aww, so your plan didn't go according to plan, huh? Tell me again why you hesitated to destroy the thief and his friend when you had the chance?"
Red Son crosses his arms. "Mother, you don't understand. That other peasant, he looks...familiar." he grumbles out, looking away. Princess Iron Fan laughs. "Oh, silly boy. He's just another pathetic human standing in our way. But don't worry, my sweet useless boy." she grabs his cheek, forcing him close to her face. "Mother will get the staff. I'm not about to let anyone stop us. Not this time."

The woman disappears into a wind tornado, disappearing from the rooftop. Red Son rubs his cheek when she leaves, grumbling something under his breath.

—--

A butterfly hovers over Sandy's boat before landing, watching MK practising with the Monkey King's staff. Chen sits next to Mei, watching the boy as well. "MK, you shouldn't be waving that thing around. You could seriously hurt someone with it." he points out. MK scoffs. "It'll be fine! I'm being caref-AAH!" the staff extends in his hands, breaking a part of the boat and almost hitting Mei and Chen, if the latter hadn't moved. He turns to MK, steam practically coming out of his ears. "MK...."

MK laughs nervously, apologising profusely. "Sorry Mei! Sorry Chen!" he picks up the staff, which bounces around and hits him in the face, knocking him over.
Chen sighs, getting up and standing over MK. "Alright, MK. I'll be taking the staff from now on." he explains, reaching out to pick it up.

As he wraps his hand around it and tries to lift it, he finds that he can't. It is stuck to the boat. Now using more force, he attempts to lift it again, but it still wouldn't budge.
He scowls, now using both hands and all his strength. Still, it wouldn't move. MK sits up, watching Chen cuss and grumble under his breath as he tries to lift the staff to no avail. "Uh, Chen? Maybe you should stop-"

"HOW CAN YOU LIFT IT BUT I CAN'T?! I ALWAYS WIN IN OUR ARM WRESTLING MATCHES! SOMETHING'S WRONG WITH THIS STAFF!" he screeches, as he continues to pull at the staff. Mei, now recording the event on her phone, giggles hysterically at the performance.

Tang finally walks over, seeing what all the commotion is about. Spotting Chen attempting to lift the staff, he places a hand on the young mans shoulder. "Uh, Chen? Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself-"
Chen shakes him off, as sweat drips from his forehead. "No! I am going to lift this staff, even if it kills me!" he strains, pulling and pulling at the heavy weapon.

MK looks around, trying to find a distraction, when he notices something in the distance. Grinning from ear to ear, he gasps, getting to his feet and rushing to the side of the boat. "We're here! Flower Fruit Mountain!" he exclaims excitedly.
That does the trick, for Chen finally lets go of the staff, giving MK the chance to grab it as the group all look over the side of the boat.

As the gang look out, a geyser hits the side of Sandy's boat, causing them to fall over screaming. A crate falls into the ocean, floating towards the island unnoticed.

"Welcome to the Flaming Mountains, gang! A volcanic ring surrounds the mountain making it virtually impassable." Sandy explains. "This path is the only safe way through. That's as close as the boat can get. Just...be careful."

Pigsy, Mei, MK and Chen all jump over the side of the boat, landing on the volcanic land. They step carefully around the geysers, not wanting to be burned alive.
Pigsy growls, as Mei and MK ahead. "Stupid Sandy, stupid Tang. Staying cozy in his stupid boat. What did I do to deserve this, Noodle Gods?"

His complaining is interrupted by Chen grabbing the scruff of his shirt, yanking him back as a geyser of fire erupts in front of him. The two stand, shaken as Mei looks back at them. "Careful, piggy! Eeee! You gotta wonder why Monkey King decided to live here of all places."

MK taps the staff in his hands. "You know when Monkey King had to get through the Flaming Mountains, he actually used Princess Iron Fan's fan to blow..."
"MK!"
MK turns to see Pigsy, Chen and Mei were waving at him, trying to gain his attention as they point at something behind him. The young man looks around, confused, when a womans laughter fills the air.

Chen stops, feeling a shiver run up his spine as he looks up at the celestial being hovering above them, wind whipping through her hair as she smirks down at the group below her. "Well, well, well. Aren't you a little Monkey King fan boy." she comments, bringing out her fan.

A geyser erupts behind her, and she places her weapon in its flames. Bringing it up, she throws a fireball at the gang, who all dodge the fatal blow. It seems like Mei and MK were still affected, though, as they were knocked down, groaning in pain. Pigsy kneels beside the two. Chen stands before them, refusing to turn his back on the woman in front of them. "Kids! Everyone okay?!"
Princess Iron Fan approaches, reaching out her hand. "I'll be taking that staff now."

MK and Mei quickly get to their feet, MK brandishing the staff in his hand. "This belongs to the Monkey King. There's no way I'm letting you take it."
Princess Iron Fan tilts her head, looking down on them. "Oh, you're just a little Noodle Boy playing at being a hero. Sorry to disappoint." Drawing her weapon back, she scowls. "Play time's over."

Without warning, MK launches forward. Pigsy, Chen and Mei are left stunned as the young man charges at the woman. Pigsy calls his name, but MK ignores him.
Swinging the staff, he brings it down on Princess Iron Fan. The trio watch on as if in slow motion, the woman summons a gauntlet, catching the staff with ease. MK is left speechless, and she uses this to her advantage. With one hit of her fan, MK is sent flying, screaming as he disappears.

"No! MK!" Mei screams, about to follow where he vanished, only to be stopped by Pigsy. The pig grabs the still fighting girl, throwing her over his shoulder. "Mei, Chen! We have to go!"

Chen stands still, staring in shock at where his best friend had vanished. There's a loud ringing in his ears, the world around him fading as the only sound was his racing heart beat.
A million thoughts swirled around his head, as he tried to grapple onto reality.

He snaps out of his trance as Princess Iron Fan chuckles darkly. Whipping around to face the woman, he wipes the stray tears from his eyes in anger, glaring up at her. "You MONSTER!" he screams.
Princess Iron Fan looks down at him with a smirk. It felt like she was taunting him, daring him to do something.

Chen could feel the fury bubble and boil under his skin, and as he took a step forward in a blind rage, a geyser erupts in front of him, stopping him.
Pigsy places a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Chen, we need to go!" he urges. Chen shakes him off, glaring up at the floating woman. "NO! She's not getting- she CAN'T..."
"Chen!"

Pigsy turns the young man to face him, and Chen could see that PIgsy himself had tears in his eyes. "We need to get back to the boat!"

Chen looks over at Mei, who is still fighting to get out of PIgsy's grasp and go after MK. Taking in a breath, he nods, following Pigsy back to the boat quickly, as more and more geysers erupt around them.

 

–

Back on the boat, everyone is left to mourn MK's death. Pigsy shakes his head, leaning over the side of the boat, staring at the water. "He can't be gone. He can't."
Sandy places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pigsy."

"There was nothing we could do." Tang speaks up, and Pigsy turns to him angrily, marching over. "Nothing? Nothing!? I could've done something!" he growls, grabbing Tang by the scarf. "I could've....I should've protected MK!" glaring up at Tang's sorrowful expression for a split second, he looks away, letting him go. "It's over..."

"It's not over." Tang says. "We can't help MK. But we can make sure no more lives are lost. Make sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain." he explains.
"Someone has to fight." Mei states. The three men turn to the girl, as she wipes the tears from her eyes, "That demon bully is going to...." she smiles, as green lightning strikes, lighting up her features in a menacing way. "Pay."

"As if we'd let them win." Chen pipes up, standing up straight from leaning over the edge of the boat, glaring in the direction of Flower Fruit Mountain. "I'm not gonna stand by, and let those good-for-nothing jerks destroy my home after what they did." he punches the side of the boat, leaving a dent in the metal. Everyone flinches at the force, but Chen doesn't seem to notice as he turns to look back at them.
"We couldn't save MK, but we can still protect the city. If we don't, no one else will."

Sandy brings everyone into a group hug, ecstatic. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go stop some bad guys!"
Now filled with new confidence, the gang prepares for war.

—-

Pigsy screams for his life, as he drives the food truck toward the centre of Megapolis. The rest of the gang, now seated in the back, scream as well, as the Bull clones throw large barrels at the vehicle. Pigsy dodges them as best he could, hitting as many bull clones as possible.
The van tips, and they leap out as it explodes, striking a pose as they land. A stray bull clone screams as he runs away.

 

Red Son appears before them, smirking. "So, you wanna be heroes, huh?" he asks, brandishing his gauntlet as his hair bursts into flames. "Let me show you what happens to her-AGH!" he reels back, as Chen's fist collides with his cheek bone. He staggers back, holding his face as he looks up at the young man in disbelief.

Chen stands before him, fists clenched as he glares at the red-haired demon before him. His red jacket was tied around his waist, giving him room to throw better punches at his opponents.
Mei peers around him, cheering. "MESS HIM UP, CHEN!"

Red Son growls, as a whirlwind of fire erupts around him. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT YOU FILTHY RAT!" he screams. Chen covers his face, protecting himself against the heat from the flames.
As the fire clears, leaving Chen defenceless, Red Son launches forward, punching the young man in the gut with the gauntlet. Chen is sent flying into a building furthest from the gang, leaving him winded as he hits the wall hard enough to leave a crater. He falls to the ground, struggling to catch his breath.
"CHEN!"

Chen coughs, wheezing as he gets to his knees. Holding his stomach, he looks up at Red Son through his blurry vision. The red-haired demon was already charging towards him, cackling maniacally. Chen moves out of the way as Red Son punches the wall above him. Pain shoots through him with each action he makes. He must've broken at LEAST a few ribs, if he didn't have any internal bleeding.
Red Son laughs, and Chen looks up at him, eyes widening as the demon approaches him. Scooching backwards, he hugs his torso, wincing with each shift.
"You fool! That will be the worst mistake you'll ever make in the miserable existence you call your life!" Raising his gauntlet fist above him, he smirks. "Say goodbye, Rat!"

The sound of a scream getting closer and closer makes him stop, and the two look up to their right to see what was going on. Heading in their direction, Chen could see MK driving a Cloud Jet wildly through the air. He crashes into Red Son, crushing him and knocking her unconscious.

Sandy rushes over to Chen, helping the young man to his feet. "Are you okay?" He asks worriedly, as Chen groans. The young man smiles at his uncle. "I'm fine, nothing too serious." he winces, hugging his torso once more. "Except broken ribs. Oh boy, that hurts." he groans again, and Sandy gets him to sit down again, seeing how serious his wounds are.

"MK!"

Chen looks up, watching as Mei hugs the bruised, but still very much alive, MK. Relief floods through the young man, as Mei drags the dizzy MK over. They all gather around, as Mei continues to bombard him with questions. "Where'd you get the jet? Way to trash it already. Wait! Monkey King! Did you find him?" she asks excitedly.
MK finally answers her question. "Yeah, I did!"

 

"So, where is he?"
"He said it's up to me, to us." the man explains, gesturing to the entire group. Mei hums, scratching her chin. "That's anticlimactic."
Chen laughs. "Nice speech, monkey brain. So, how're we gonna fight DBK?"
Pigsy turns to Chen, frowning. "There's no "we" for you! You're not going anywhere NEAR this fight!" he exclaims, gesturing to his injuries.
Mei nods, leaning in and poking Chen's head. "Yeah, how are you still alive? You were thrown into a LITERAL building!"
Chen shrugs, wincing. "I dunno."

MK looks down at him, confused. "Wait, what happened?"
"He punched Red Boy in the face."
"HE PUNCHED RED SON IN THE FACE?!"

As Mei and Tang explain what has happened since MK's "death", Pigsy and Sandy got to work bandaging up Chen. Pigsy sweats, as he looks down at his son. "We need to get you to a hospital. And you sure you don't have any broken arms? Legs? Your head wasn't split open on impact?" he asks worriedly.
Chen waves him off. "Oh, I'm fine. I already feel better!" he explains. Pigsy frown deepens, as a loud explosion sounds out from the direction DBK is.

"How are we meant to fight that?!" Tang asks. The gang turn to MK, expectant. MK clenches his fist. "We believe in ourselves. You clean the streets." he jumps down from the broken jet, striking a pose in the direction DBK is. "I'll stop the Demon Bull King." another explosion rings out, and the young man sweats. "Somehow."

Mei looks over the broken jet. "Yeah, this jet probably would have been really useful, hey?" she says, kicking it. The jet rumbles, and from the wreckage rolls a speed bike. MK gasps, getting on it. "That'll work!"
"Go get 'em buddy!" Mei cheers.

MK drives off, leaving the gang. They stand in silence, until Tang turns to the rest. "So...what do we do again?"
Chen places a hand on his knee, getting up with effort much to the dismay of Pigsy and Sandy. He looks around at some nearby bull clones. "We get rid of those bots, and help rescue any people trapped in this wreckage." he explains. Pigsy growls, forcing his son to sit once more. "WE'LL do that, YOU sit down and wait until we can get you a doctor!" he orders.

Now Chen himself was getting frustrated. "C'mon, pops! I'm fine! I don't need to be babied if I can walk!" He argues. Pigsy's expression darkens, as he points a finger at him. "You're staying here and that's final!" he orders in a demanding tone. Chen looks to the ground, giving in.

Pigsy walks off, Mei and Tang following. Sandy turns to Chen. "Don't take it personally, Chen. He's just worried about you." he explains. Chen shrugs, letting out a sigh. "I know, I know. That's how he is. You better go with them. They'll need all the help they can get." he says, gesturing to his father and friends.

After making sure that Chen was comfortable, Sandy runs after them, leaving Chen alone. Red Son was still unconscious, but the young man was out of sight in case the demon did wake up.
Leaning against the wreckage of the same building he was thrown against, he looks up at the smoky sky. Nothing was familiar in this district anymore, but he had a pretty good idea where exactly this was. He used to deliver orders to these apartments at least once a week.

As Chen sat there in the silence, he suddenly heard a faint sound. A sort of whimpering, underneath a pile of rubble in front of him. He silences his breathing, trying to listen.

There it was again, followed by a small "Help me..."

Getting to his feet, Chen staggers towards the pile, collapsing onto it. He listens again. "Hello? Is there someone in there?" he calls out. The sniffling stops, and a voice answers back, one of a small girl. "H-hello?!"

 

Chen begins to dig, swiping away the rubble to reveal the girl was trapped underneath a large metal beam. It was right on top of her, trapping her leg underneath it. It spared her life, but she was stuck.
"Are you alright?" Chen asks. The girl doesn't respond, only continues to sob, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Help me! Please!"

"Okay, okay, okay, okay." He looks around, trying to think of a plan. "Uh, alright, I'm gonna lift the beam, okay? I'm gonna need you to move your leg when it's off, alright?" he says softly, trying to keep calm. Sniffling, the girl nods her head.

Getting back to his feet, Chen moves over to the metal beam, standing as close to the girl as he could. "I'm gonna count to three, okay? When I lift the beam, pull your leg out as fast as you can." the girl nods once more, understanding.
Rolling his shoulders back, Chen bends his knees, grabbing onto the beam. "Ready?"
She nods.

"Alright. One, two, THREE!" he tries to lift the heavy beam, barely lifting it. The girl cries out in pain, unable to move her leg. Chen groans, feeling his body burn from the strain. His ribs felt like they were on fire.
But he couldn't stop now.

He needed to rescue this girl and get her to safety. She was counting on him.

He yells, using all his strength, his body trembling. The beam shifts, lifting up slightly. But it was enough. "Pull your leg out now!" he yells out over his shoulder. The girl was already ahead of him, screaming and crying as she forcefully moves her injured leg out of the way.
Once she was clear, Chen drops the beam, collapsing as the metal bar lands heavily back onto the ground.

The young man catches his breath, his body feeling like jelly. Twisting his body, he forcefully pushes himself up to kneel in front of the girl. "Are you okay?" he asks her.
The girl winces as she looks at her bruised, swollen and oddly twisted leg. "I-I think it's broken." she whispers.

Chen takes off the jacket wrapped around his waist, grimacing at the sight of the leg. "Oh, it's definitely broken." he mutters to himself, as he wraps the girl in his jacket. She reaches out to touch it, but he stops her. "No, no, don't touch it. Let's get you somewhere safe."

 

He gently picks her up, careful not to touch her broken leg. Getting to his feet, he sways slightly, but stays firm, taking one painful slow step after another as he shuffles out of the danger zone.

 

—-

(Several hours later)

MK did it.
He stopped the Demon Bull King, got the staff back and saved the city. The Demon Bull family had retreated, knowing that they'd been bested by a "simple delivery boy".

Chen would've joined them in their victory noodles, if he wasn't in the hospital being examined by a doctor.

The doctor had him laying on a table, looking at his x-rays. He hums, leaving Chen in the dark of the news. "How's it look, doc?" he asks jokingly to lighten the mood.

The doctor pushes his glasses up his nose, finally turning to the young man. "Well, you have fractured a couple of ribs, but it looks like that can heal at home. None of your vital organs have been damaged." he explains.
Chen shrugs. "That's a relief."

"But what I still don't understand," the doctor continues. "Is how you were able to carry a young child several miles with these injuries, yet remain completely fine?" he lowers the x-rays, staring down at the young man before him. "And on top of that, our other patient has informed me that you lifted a large metal beam on your own. After events like those, I'm amazed you escaped without damaging something else."

Chen sweats nervously, not knowing how to answer. "I...don't know how to answer your questions. I was probably running high on adrenaline or something." he tries to reason. The doctor hums.
"I guess that could explain it."

"Alright, you don't have to stay here at the hospital, you can go home if you wish." the doctor explains, as he helps Chen sit up. "Make sure to get plenty of rest, put an ice pack on to help bring down the swelling. And here are your painkillers, and a note." he hands Chen a packet with a piece of paper

The young man takes them, as he gets to his feet. "Thanks, doc. Same time next week?"
The doctor nods, opening the door for Chen.
Upon opening the door, Pigsy, who'd been waiting outside, gets to his feet. He was Chen's lift back home.

Thanking the doctor, the two leave, getting into Pigsy's spare Food Truck and driving to Chen's apartment.

—-

Somewhere in another part of China....

Two men walk slowly and calmly through a dark cave, their flashlights swinging around to look at the walls. They had ropes tied around their waist, and they regularly put chalk marks on the walls to help them navigate.

A walkie talkie on the first man goes off, as a voice crackles through. "Found anything interesting yet?"

The first man grabs it, talking back. "Aw, man, you're really missing out! There's tons of boring rocks, all just waiting to be discovered!"

The second man cackles, as the walkie talkie goes off again, the third man waiting outside the cave sounding displeased as he replies. "Har-har, very funny."

One of the men stops, bringing out his chalk to mark the wall when he notices something. "Hey, dude, come take a look at this."
The first man stops, turning to see what his friend was looking at. Getting closer, he could see what caught his attention.

There was a marking on the wall, in the form of a snake. It was the same colour as the wall, barely noticeable unless you were looking right at it. The second man reaches out, gently touching it. The stone snake moves, startling the men as it slides into the rock with a low rumble. Not long after, the wall opens, showing the men a secret passageway. A set of stairs lead down into the darkness.
They share a glance, as the first man grabs the walkie talkie. "Hey, dude, I think we found something."

 

The second man cautiously steps forward, swivelling his flashlight around as he takes one step after another, careful that there aren't any booby traps. The first man walks down too, following his friend.

They descend into the darkness, being careful where they step. After what felt like forever, they reach the bottom of the steps, and the two men find they were standing in what appeared to be a bare room.
It was round, with no further markings like the one that led them down there in the first place. The first man groans. "We just came down here for nothing? Not cool, man."

Ignoring his friend, the second man moves his flashlight slowly around the room, until his light lands on something on the far wall. "Oh, we found something, alright."
The first man turns to see what he meant, when he spots it too.

There was a large box, glowing green as the flashlights lands over it. They cautiously step toward it, seeing that it was a large, jade box. It was covered in a heavy layer of dust, showing that it had been there for a very, very long time.

The second man wipes a hand over the box, the removal of the dust revealing intricately carved jade snakes covering the surface.

The walkie talkie crackles to life, as the same voice calls through from the other end. "Guys? You still alive? What did you find?"

Before the first man could respond, the second man grabs it from him, eyes lit up with glee as he looks down at his greatest discovery.

"Call our coworkers! We're gonna need help carrying this thing out of here!" he exclaims, bringing out his phone and snapping a picture of the box.

As the two men left to get back up, neither noticed a faint whisper emanating from the box.

—------

A/N: *Chow Mein. is that a chinese dish? If not i will change it if someone would suggest a dish ksdjhccn

*Demon Bull Family's Flaming Foundry. My GOD thats a fucking mouthful. Say that ten times fast

 

Also I know nothing about how doctors talk to patients, so forgive me for my lack of knowledge skdjhfj

Chapter 3: Bad Weather

The TV drones on in the background, talking about the incident that happened a week prior. The rescue that has the city buzzing with excitement and gossip, to the point that they haven't STOPPED talking about it.

Chen eats a bowl of noodles he'd brought with him to Sandy's boat, sitting on a crate as MK tells the story of how he beat the Demon Bull King Family.
The young man swings his staff, this time being careful what he was doing. "And I was like, "Stop there, Demon Bull King." And DBK's all like, "You can't stop me! I'm cwazy!"" MK says, impersonating the demon bull. Mei giggles.
Feeling a buzz vibrate in his pocket, Chen sets his unfinished bowl of noodles down momentarily, bringing out his phone to see who the text message is from.

It was from PIgsy, demanding to know where he is. Chen huffs, knowing that Pigsy had visited his apartment, only to realise the young man wasn't home. Sending him a quick text explaining that he was with MK, Mei, Sandy and Tang, he puts his phone back in his pocket, reaching down to his bowl of noodles to resume eating.
When his hand feels nothing but air, Chen quickly looks down to see his food gone. Looking around, he spots the culprit; Tang sitting in front of the TV eating a bowl of noodles.

He was about to get up to confront him, when he spots Pigsy marching up the dock already. Uh oh.

The shop owner reaches Tang first, and the man looks up at him in surprise, spitting out his noodles.
"I've just pulled a quadruple shift at the shop. And I show up to see you've all been slacking off all day!" he yells. Tang laughs, leaning back into his seat. "Oh, Piggy, relax! A little time off never hurt anyone!" he explains. MK, who'd previously been panicking about a leak in Sandy's boat, joins Tang. "Yeah! A time off never hurt nobody!"

Before Pigsy could argue back, he spots Chen in the background, trying to sneak away. He points an accusing finger at him, making him stop in his tracks. "And YOU! You're meant to be resting at home!" he says sternly.

Chen rubs the back of his neck, as he begins to dig through his pocket. "Well, uh, you know....I don't need to anymore." he explains, pulling out his doctor's note. "The doctor said I was all healed and didn't need to do that anymore." he chuckles nervously.
Now Pigsy was furious. Steam practically escapes from his ears as he glares down at Chen. "WHAT?!"

Chen raises his hands. "I was gonna tell you eventually! I just wanted to have a few more days off." he tries reasoning, looking away sheepishly.
Pigsy was about to argue more, when Sandy yells out in a panic. "LOOK OUT!"

The group look up, spotting a shipping container dangling above them by a crane. The chains keeping it suspended snap, and it hurdles towards them. Everyone ducks for cover, except for MK, who is immediately crushed by the heavy object.
Everyone stares, shocked. "KID!"

The container shifts and wobbles, before MK bursts through the top. "I AM INVINCIBLE!" he yells excitedly, unscathed by the impact. Seeing this, Mei giggles with glee, running off screen as everyone sighs in relief at the news. Straightening his posture, Pigsy turns to MK, concerned. "Look, MK. Just because you have the Monkey King's powers and all, it don't mean-"
Everyone gasps, as Mei pulls out a bazooka missile, aiming it at MK. "MK! How about this?"

She fires, and MK laughs as the missiles strike him. Yet he emerges unharmed once again. "I AM INVINCIBLE!"

Pigsy is about to scold him again, but gives up, growling as he rubs the bridge of his nose. "Look, kiddo. You're a superhero now. You're going to need-"
"A cape!" Mei interrupts once more, as she begins to measure him. "Maybe a logo, or a headquarters! Some vehicles...."

As Mei continues listing items, Chen walks up to the unsuspecting Tang eating HIS noodles, arms crossed as he scowls down at him. Tang finally notices his presence. Slurping up the noodles he was eating, he laughs nervously. "Y-you were done with these, right?" he asks.
Chen's brow deepens, tapping his foot. "You better pay me back, Tang." he growls. Tang nods quickly, sweating. "Of course! Maybe uh, next week?"
Chen scowl darkens. "I'll be counting the days, Tang."

The young man leaves him be, and Tang wipes the sweat from forehead. "Sometimes that kid is just a little too much like his dad." he mutters. Sandy, who overheard him, nods. "Like father like son."

"TO THE SEA-CRATE BASE!" Mei calls out suddenly, as she opens a door on Sandy's boat. Chen looks up in surprise, as everyone else quickly gets inside, filled with awe and excitement. Pigsy rubs face palms once more, as both he and his son join them.
The door lead to a small elevator, and everyone had to squeeze inside just to fit. The elevator goes down, and the doors open to reveal an underground base full of all sorts of stuff, from vehicles to a tv and vr set and everything in between. Every looks around in amazement.

"Welcome to our new team base!" Mei introduces. MK had stars in his eyes. "Mei, when did you make this?!"
"HOW did you make this?" Pigsy pipes up, confused on where all this had come from.

Chen wanders up to a motorbike, the main base of the vehicle being black with red and gold stripes. He checks over it, thinking about how fast this thing could really go. He'll have to test it out at some point.
He smirks, remembering the race coming up in a few months. Maybe this could be his vehicle, and he won't have to ask Pigsy if he could upgrade the food truck.

– – –

"Welcome to the Weather Station," a robotic voice greets over the intercom, as the doors open. Inside, many people were enjoying the indoor resort, minding their own business and having fun. ",where you'll notice another beautiful day. Here at the Weather Station, we control the city's weather to bring you a perfect day everyday."

A couple laugh, splashing each other in the indoor pool. As the intercom continues talking, no one notices a young red-haired demon walking toward the control panel.
He clears his throat, and the worker at the control panel turns to him lazily, tired eyes looking him up and down. "Uh yeah, hey kid. I'd like to help you and your friends, but I'm pretty busy." he explains.

Red Son smirks, holding a flame in his hand. Several Bull clones stood behind him, awaiting his word. "Not for much longer." the red-haired demon says. Without saying a word, the bull clones attack the weather station, scaring everyone out of the building.

Sitting in the swivel chair, Red Son gives it a dramatic twirl, giggling to himself as he turns to the control panel. Pressing a button, he starts to broadcast a message to the city.
His face covers every screen in the city, making sure that EVERYONE saw his message. Clearing his throat, he smirks. "Citizens. It is I, Red Son. I have taken control of the Weather Station and I will harness the very power of nature to return my father to his former glory!" he declares, as everyone watching looks on in confusion and concern.
Below the Weather Station, bull clones attach cables to the tower, sparking it with electricity.

"This message is more of a courtesy, really." Red Son finishes. Pushing a lever, he cackles as it causes a storm to appear all over china. He watches the screen with glee, as everyone in the flooding rain areas run around in terror.

—

"When I'm finished, my father will once more dominate the world! And then- oh look! A lightning button!"

The message cuts, and MK and the gang flinch as they hear a crack of thunder followed by a bright flash of lightning in the near distance.
"OH YEAH!" Mei and MK yell excitedly, and PIgsy turns to them, furious. "What do you mean "oh yeah"? This ain't an "oh yeah" moment!" he yells, shoving Tang's face into the bowl of noodles. The man doesn't struggle, accepting his fate.

MK turns to the chef, waving him off. "Chill out, Pigsy. I'm invincible, remember?" to prove his point, Mei throws several things at him, the young man unphased by her actions. "If he wants to tussle with the champ, then I say bring it!"
"Yeah! Cause he's a superhero, yo! The Red Baby is gonna get M.K.O'd!" Mei pipes up.

Chen, who was previously sitting on the couch, gets to his feet, rolling his shoulders. "Oh, count me in! I want a rematch with that spoiled edgelord." he says. He turns to join MK and Mei, as Pigsy looks between the trio. "Wha-Chen!" he cries out, even more frustrated. Chen shrugs nonchalantly, shooting his pops a grin. "What? You really think I'm gonna sit aside while I still have a fight to win?" he asks.

Pigsy groans. "You've got a lot to learn, kids. Don't just dive head first into danger- wait, what did I just say?!" he screams, as MK zooms off on his staff laughing. "Totally invincible!"

Chen growls, running into the secret base for a brief moment, before bursting out of the elevator on the motorbike he'd been examining earlier. He chases after MK as he disappears. "Leave a piece of that demon for me, MK!" he yells, as Pigsy shouts in frustration at the two disappearing kids.

– – –

Back at the Weather Station, Red Son was busy slurping on a smoothie, his feet resting on the control panel as he watches the large screens before him.

MK bursts through the door, brandishing his staff before him. "Not so fast, Red Son!" he shouts. Red Son chuckles, swivelling his chair to turn to face the young man nonchalantly. "Noodle Boy! I thought I smelled some garbage! Turns out I was right!" he cackles.
"Laugh it up now, Hot-head, cause you're going down!" Chen declares, as he walks through the door.

Red Son leans against the arm of the swivel chair, his chin resting on his fist. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the Rat I pummelled into a pulp. You here for another beat down?" he cackles again, and Chen growls.. Taking a deep breath, he smirks back at the red-haired demon.
"I'm here for a rematch. I underestimated you last time, and I promise that it won't happen again." he states matter-of-factly.

"Prepare to be M.K.O'd!" MK cries, swinging his staff. Mei, who'd just arrived with Sandy, Tang and Pigsy, jumps up excitedly. "Yeah, MK! You show him who's boss- AH!" she cries out in pain as MK's out-of-control staff slams into her head, knocking her over. Pigsy yells out. "Jeez, watch what you're doin'!" he shouts at MK, who in turn panicked, trying to gain control of his staff. "Ah! Sorry, Mei!"

As he turns, the staff extends, almost hitting Chen, Pigsy, and Tang. Luckily all dodged. But unfortunately for Sandy, who hadn't seen the weapon coming, the golden staff hits him square in the face, knocking him unconscious. Tang panics, seeing the large blue man's soul leaving his body. "Oh, no! You killed him!"
"Eh, he's a big guy." Mei says nervously, pushing Sandy's soul back into his body. "He'll be fine."

Red Son groans, growing bored of the circus before him. "You dorks done beating each other up yet?" he asks. MK points his staff at him. "Yes, and you're next on my list!" He throws the golden staff toward Red Son. But unbeknownst to him, the staff lands behind him, extending and jabbing him in the back, throwing him out of the Weather Station.

The bull clones surround the gang, as Pigsy and Chen get in a battle stance. Red Son approaches them, a malicious grin on his face. "I guess the garbage takes itself out now!" he cackles. Chen groans, rubbing his face. "That is...wow." he mutters.
Red Son's facial expression falls for a brief moment, replaced by a scowl. But it quickly returned. "Didn't the Rat want a rematch?" he questions.

Chen looks around, noticing the bull clones make room for the two of them, trapping them in a circle. He was cut off from Pigsy and the others.
Taking off his jacket, Chen throws it aside, out of the way.

*Red Son attacks first, smirking as he charges forward at inhumane speed. Chen barely had time to dodge the first blow, reeling his head to the side as Red Son aimed for his cheek. The red-haired demon didn't stop there, though. He aimed repetitively at the young man, moving so fast the Chen almost didn't see them coming.
He had to do something, fast.

Drawing his fist back, he makes his own blow, aiming for Red Son's nose. The young man's fist collides with his eye instead, and the demon hisses in pain.
Mei cheers in the background, but Chen ignores her as the demon glares at him. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT!"
Chen smiles. "Didn't you say that last time?"

With a frustrated yell, Red Son charges again, and Chen blocks his blows and kicks, shielding his face with his arms. His body shifts with each punch, pushing him closer to the bull clones.
Chen forces his own punches through, missing on some and getting his target on others. Right now, he wasn't exactly aiming; just trying to get Red Son to step back.

It works, as the demon takes one step back, fist lighting up into flames as he goes in for another punch. Chen quickly steps aside, grabbing Red Son's arm and yanks him forward, pushing him to the floor and pinning him down. Mei cheers on the side lines.
Red Son wasn't down for long, though.

His hair bursts into flames, and Chen lets go out of surprise as the fire travels up his arms. The demon uses this to his advantage, knocking off the young man and scurrying to his feet. Once he was up, he immediately whirls around, sweeping a leg under Chen and knocking him over. Once the young man was on the ground, several bull clones pounced, tying him up tightly in a rope.

"Wha-hey, that's cheating!" Chen growls, as Red Son, brushes his jacket down. He smirks, as the bull clones give the rest of the gang the same treatment. "Seems like the Rat underestimated me again." he chuckles. Chen shrugs. "I don't know, it seems to me like you were REALLY worried I almost beat you."
Red Son growls at this statement, hair lighting up once more. "That's not true!"
"Is too."
"Is not!"
"Is too."
"IS NOT!"

– – –

All around the Weather Station, dark clouds rumble as lightning crackles, waiting to strike. Two figures approach the towers, as Red Son has his back turned to his hostages.
He chuckles, watching the screens. "Peasants."

"Spoiled brat." Chen counters. He, PIgsy, Tang, Mei and Sandy were all tied up, put into a pile. Pigsy turns to Chen, shooting him a warning glance. "Chen..."

Red Son growls, whipping around and marching over to them. Chen looks up at him, unfazed as the demon points an accusing finger at him. "And you! I demand to know where you're from! I know I've seen you somewhere, I never forget a face!"

Chen shrugs. "I don't know, demon. I've never seen you in the 20 years of my life. Maybe you've just got a bad memory." he states. Red Son growls once more, not liking this answer. "I don't have a bad memory! I swear, if you're messing with me-OW!" he yelps in pain, trying to draw his finger back. But Chen, who'd bitten the demon, doesn't let go, and Red Son starts frantically waving his hand around to try and shake him off. "LET GO OF ME YOU RABID ANIMAL!"

Eventually, the bull clones pull Chen off, but Red Son doesn't get much time to recover when a familiar voice calls out from above. "Oh, Red Son!"
The gang and the demon look up to see MK crash through the glass roof, landing before Red Son....flat on his face. Getting to his feet, he faces Red Son. "Let's settle this for real!"

Red Son, wiping the left over spit on Chen's hair, laughs at MK, oblivious to the young mans growls from behind him. "HA! You're back to beat yourself up some more?"
"Hey! I'll have you know I can control my powers now. Only downside is I'm not invincible anymore, so I could die." he adds. He realises his mistake too late, as Pigsy and Chen begin to shout. "WHAT?!"
"WHY WOULD YOU TELL HIM THAT?!"

"Forget I said that! I got this!" MK leaps into the air, spinning his staff as he charges Red Son. "Here comes Monkie Kid!"
Red Son charges too, a bunch of bull clones behind him. MK, seeing the situation, panics and runs in the other direction. "I totally don't got this!"

Chen watches as the young man before him dodges the bull clones attacks in disbelief. "How in the heck did he beat DBK again?" he asks sarcastically.
But when MK and Red Son go one-on-one, his interest piques, and he watches intently for the demons fighting pattern. How he fought was...pretty amazing. More tactical and strategic than street fighting.

Red Son finally lands a heavy blow, sending MK into the control panel. Chen winces as the young man lets out a scream of pain. "Oh, that's gotta hurt."

The bull clones pile onto MK, the red-haired demon landing on top with a grin. "Not so tough without all your Monkey King powers, are you?" he cackles.

Suddenly, the golden staff grows taller, striking Red Son and all his clones and pushing them high into the sky. They're left up there, overlooking the city.
MK moves over to the control panel, noticing a certain large button. The young man grins, eyes shining. "Oh, look! A lightning button!" he mimics, pressing it.
Lightning strikes, and Sandy shields the tied up gang, protecting them from the powerful blast.

When the dust clears, the bull clones are all destroyed. The staff shrinks, and Red Son falls back into the weather station.

The demon gets to his feet weakly, growling. "You may have won this round but...you're still garbage!" he screams, disappearing in a fire tornado.

MK fixes the city's weather, and Mei slams into him, knocking him over with ease. He lays there, wiped out.
Sandy, who'd somehow untied himself, unties PIgsy and Chen. Chen rubs his wrist. "Well, that was certainly exciting." he chuckles.

Pigsy whacks him upside the head, and Chen yelps as he rubs his new injury. Pigsy starts to scold the young man. "When are you gonna stop picking fights you can't win?! A couple of street fights streaks ain't gonna do nothin' against a demon!"
Chen chuckles, closing his eyes as he gives the chef an apologetic look. "Sorry, Pops."

He turns to MK. "So, you really limited your powers?" he asks, trying to distract Pigsy. It works, as Mk rubs his neck sheepishly. "Yeah. Just till I learn to control them better." he explains.
"And how are you gonna do that?" Pigsy questions. Chen unties Mei, freeing her from her prison as MK starts spinning his staff. "Practise, practise, practise!"
He accidentally knocks himself on the head, knocking him down once more. Everyone cackles, and Chen helps his friend to his feet. "Great job today, MK." he says.

MK smiles, thanking him, when he suddenly remembers something. "Oh, yeah! Monkey King says that he wants to meet you!" he says excitedly. It takes a moment for the sentence to process, and everyone turns to him in disbelief. Tang has stars in his eyes, shaking out of pure excitement. Pigsy, Sandy and Mei looked surprised.

Chen was the most shocked out of everyone. "Wait, what?"

– – –

 

A/N: Line i was going to put in but i decided against it cuz it didn't sound like Chen but i still found funny. "That was your best roast? That was worse than Joe's!" Red Son, looking at Chen confused. "Who the fuck is Joe?" Chen: "Joe Mama!" Mk wheezing in the background.

Mei when Sandy's soul is leaving his body: BITCH YOU AINT GOIN NO WHERE GET TF BACK IN-

*you can clearly tell I've never written a fight scene like this before and im SO sorry its bad

Chapter 4: Stop Monkey(King)ing Around!

A/N: Or alternate title: "Gold Vision Never Lies"

-- -- --

 

Chen pauses for a breath, letting himself rest for a moment.
"Come on, Chen! We're almost there!" MK encourages, his golden staff slung lazily over his shoulder as he continues to ascend the mountain. Chen holds up a hand, leaning on his knees as he wheezes. "Just gimme a minute."
Straightening up once more, he exhales, looking back to see how far they'd come.

MK and Chen were on Flower Fruit Mountain, on their way to where the Monkey King himself resides. They'd left the next morning, and although Pigsy wasn't too pleased with them leaving him to do all the work, he agreed to let them go as long as they were back by lunch.

"Chen! Come on!" MK calls out again, running ahead excitedly. Chen looks back up at him, raising a brow. "Tell me again why we couldn't just use your staff to get up the mountain?" he asks. They'd gotten to the island using the staff, Chen clinging to MK for dear life.
MK shrugs, smiling as Chen finally catches up to him. "I just like the scenery, I guess." he admits. Chen rolls his eyes at this answer. To be honest, he didn't know why he was here. He wouldn't admit it to anybody but he was a little nervous.
The Monkey King was a legend, who'd just appeared out of the blue and made MK his successor. And now he wanted to meet Chen of all people? What made him so special?

"We're here!" MK declares. Chen looks up, snapping out of his thoughts. Before them was a large waterfall, and the young man looks around, confused. "So? Where is he?" Chen asks.
Mk places his hand on the waterfall. A golden symbol appears, and Chen stares in amazement as the waterfall parts, revealing a cave opening.

MK guides Chen inside, and the young man follows, looking up at the cave walls in wonder. They were covered in portraits of the Monkey King, and his companions from the Journey to the West adventures. The monk, Tripitaka, Zhu Bajie, Sha Wujing, and the White Dragon Horse. There was also another, but he couldn't make out who it was. Probably one of the princesses that wanted to marry the monk. What he found odd, though, was how all the faces were blurred out.

They reach the end of the cave, which opens into a small cove. A shack was in the distance, and a peach tree stood proudly nearby. Monkeys scramble out of the way, hissing at Chen as they run to the tree. MK watches them in concern. "Huh, that's weird. Usually they're much friendlier." shrugging it off, he looks around. "Monkey King! We're here! I brought Chen, just like you asked!"

MK wanders off further into the cove, leaving Chen to stand awkwardly by the entrance of the cave. Rubbing his neck, he glances around. It felt like he was being watched, undetected eyes staring him down, judging him. The hairs on the back of his neck rise, goosebumps covering his arms at just the thought.
His gaze caught some monkeys on a nearby rock, staring at him intently.
It's fine. They're just monkeys. They weren't-

 

"Hey, buddy!"

The voice came from right behind him. Whipping around, Chen throws a punch as a reflex. His fist collides with thin air, as the Monkey King grins at him, head tilted to the side to avoid the hit. He chuckles, pushing the young man's hand further from his face. "Whoa, nice reflexes. Almost got me."

Chen stares at him, at a loss for words. Here he was, the legendary Monkey King himself, in the flesh. And he just tried to punch him.
"Monkey King!" MK greets, rushing over to join the two. Chen lowers his hand, looking at his friend. "Sorry about that..." he says quietly. Monkey King laughs, giving him a hard pat on the back, which causes Chen to stumble slightly. "Eh, it's no biggie! Could've been worse! You could've ACTUALLY hit me!"

 

When MK reaches them, he grabs Chen's shoulders, pulling him into a side hug. "Monkey King! This is Chen!" he explains excitedly. Monkey King shoots him a smile. "Thanks, bud! Now we can get to business!" he explains, as a cloud appears from underneath him. He floats over to the peach tree, laying back on its branches.

Chen and MK share a look, as they move to the base of the tree. Chen folds his arms. "So...why did you want to see me...?" he questions. Monkey King pulls out a packet of peach chips, humming. "Yeah, I needed to talk to you!" he explains vaguely.
Chen waits a moment for the Monkey King to say something. But instead he goes quiet, oblivious to the awkward silence. The young man clears his throat. "About....?"

Monkey King sits up to face Chen still on the ground. "Sorry, dozed off for a minute." he chuckles, and Chen's eye twitches, growing more agitated by the minute.
The monkey clears his throat. "Right, so! I'll just get straight to the point; I want to train you." he states.

MK and Chen share a confused glance. "Uh, what? Why?" the young man asks. Monkey King shoves a chip into his mouth. "Well, for one, I've seen you try to fight Red Son. Trying to beat a demon who knows martial arts? Hate to break it to you but street fighting isn't exactly gonna cut it." he laughs. MK glances between the Monkey King and the now agitated Chen. The young mans face was red, steam practically leaving his ears as he glares at the Monkey King. "Ay! I've lasted this long, haven't I?!" he shouts.
Monkey King quickly hushes him using his tail. "Hup bup bup bup bup! I wasn't finished. I want to teach you some basic martial arts so you have a better chance at defending yourself and get away, not get captured in the process."
Chen crosses his arms, letting the Monkey King continue. "And two, I can see a lot- and I mean a LOT- of dormant power within you. And if you don't figure out how to harness it one day it'll hurt someone." he eats another chip, as if he didn't just drop life-changing news. MK and Chen stare up at him in shock.

"WAIT WHAT?! HE HAS POWERS?!"

"I HAVE POWERS?!"

Monkey King cringes at the two boys yelling, and the monkeys that had surrounded him scatter. Chen turns to MK, laughing. "He's joking, right?"
"Nope! Not a joke." Monkey King pipes up from the tree above them, eating yet another chip. Chen blinks. "MK, I think he's broken." he states blankly.
Monkey King squints down at him, raising a brow as Chen continues. "Me? Have power? I'm a regular human! You must be delusional to think that-"

He's cut off as Monkey King jumps back to the ground, landing with a heavy thud in front of Chen. Straightening up, he crosses his arms as he looks down at Chen, expression unreadable. MK steps forward, chuckling nervously. "I-I'm sure he didn't mean that-"
"No, no, it's fine." Monkey King says, not breaking eye contact with Chen. "You know what? He's probably right. I must've been mistaken." he grins. "Buuut if you still want those lessons, I can still teach you. Maybe you'll have a better chance at beating Red Son if you learn from the best." he states.

Chen squints at him suspiciously, as he thinks about Monkey King's offer. "Well....it would be cool to put that edgelord prince in her place.... "

 

"Great! Your first lesson is now. Think fast!" Monkey King says. He leaps into the air, charging toward Chen. The young man yelps, backing up as the sage tries to punch him. He was much faster than Red Son, as he kept up the attacks.
Chen was left on the defence, stumbling as he dodged all the Monkey King's attacks. He backs further away, when he feels something swipe under his legs, causing him to trip. His back hits the ground hard, but he doesn't have time to recover when Monkey King goes to punch him once more.
Moving his head to the side, he stares with wide eyes as the fist punches the ground next to his head. The Monkey King pauses in his attacks, grinning down at him. "Giving up already?"
Chen scowls, kicking the Monkey King in the gut. This catches the sage off guard, as he backs up. The young man gets to his feet quickly, charging at the sage. Drawing his fist back, he goes in for a swing.

Monkey King catches his fist in one hand, standing stock still as a large gust of wind races by him, making a crater in its wake as Chen's fist collides with him.
MK, who'd been watching the whole thing nervously, gasps at the damage behind the Monkey King. Chen stares at the crater, speechless. "What....did I just do that?" he asks quietly.
The Great Sage grins. "I don't think just anyone can throw a punch like that."

"But, how?"

Monkey King lets go of Chens hand, as the two straighten up. "Right now, your powers activate when you're experiencing high levels of anger and stress." he explains as he dusts himself off. "I noticed it when you started healing faster than an average human.
"Which is why it's important you get proper training from a professional as soon as possible." he finishes. Sitting on a cloud, he leans back. "So, have you made up your mind yet?"

Chen stares down at his hand, deep in thought. Clenching it into a fist, he turns to the Monkey King. "Alright. I'll do the training sessions."
Monkey King grins. "Great! Welcome to the class, Chen."

– – –

Later that day...

Chen and MK had left in a hurry, after Pigsy had called them stating (screaming) that they were late for their shifts. Leaving Monkey King alone once more.

The sage leans back on his cloud, thinking over the events of the day. Chen had spirit. Quite the temper too. That power wasn't going to help him any if he didn't get the help he needed. It would end up hurting MK and his friends if he didn't get it and his anger under control.

He also needed to stop offending beings more powerful than him.

Chuckling and shaking his head, he pulls out his neglected chip packet, reaching into the bag and pulling out a chip before promptly shoving it into his mouth.

As he reaches in for more, his hand accidentally knocks off the green and gold brooch that was pinned precariously onto his red cloak. It falls, and the Monkey King panics as he fumbles to catch it.
His tail wraps around it, holding it tightly before it could hit the ground.

Letting out a relieved sigh, he pins it back onto his cloak. "Gotta make sure that doesn't happen again during a fight." he chuckles to himself, tracing his fingers over the jewellery before resuming stuffing his face full of chips.

– – –

 

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter

Monkey King DEFINITELY wasn't a little cranky that Chen called him delusional lol. And if you don't quite understand what Monkey King was doing: he was trying to get Chen angry/stressed to activate his powers.

Chapter 5: Sandy Day

Chen lets out a sigh, putting away the last of the dishes. He and Pigsy had closed up shop, and had just finished cleaning up, ready for the next day.

Hanging up his apron, he grabs his bag, heading toward the door. “See you tomorrow, Pops!” he calls out. Pigsy peeks his head out of the kitchen doorway. “Don’tcha be late tomorrow, like you were this morning.” he says sternly. Chen waves him off, leaving. “Love ya too, pops.”
Out on the street, he turns right, heading towards the docks.

The street was bustling with activity. People walking quickly to their destination, children laughing and playing, vehicles zooming by and small markets selling their wares.

It only takes Chen 10 minutes to get the docks, and he spots Sandy’s boat in the distance. Standing next to it, he calls out. “Sandy? Are you there?”

The large man peers his head over the side of the boat, giving Chen a welcoming smile. “Chen! How’s my favourite nephew?” he calls out, as Chen walks up the plank to get on the boat.
Many cats crowd around the young man as he approaches, mewling loudly. He kneels down to pat them as he answers Sandy's question. “Been okay.” he says simply.

— — —

A few hours later…

 

Sandy and Chen were busy watering the plants. The large blue man glances at Chen out of the corner of his eye. He’d noticed something was bothering Chen the whole visit, and he was waiting for the young man to say something. But he’d said nothing.

 

Sandy turns to face him, worried. “Everything okay, Chen?”
Chen fills up the watering can. “Yeah, just been…a confusing day.” he replies. Sandy nods, giving a little hum. “Did something happen while visiting the Monkey King?”

Chen checks over a sprout who’s leaves had started to wilt. “Yep. A lot.” he hesitates, not sure if he should continue. What would Sandy think if he told him about these new powers?

Sandy leans forward, urging him to continue. Chen rubs his neck awkwardly. “Well…he explained he wanted to train me…”
“Hm?”
“Aaand he said that I have….powers?” he trails off, glancing at Sandy out of the corner of his eye.

Sandy’s eyes widened, thinking over Chen’s words. Wiping some sweat off his forehead, he lets out a sigh of relief. “Well, that's a relief.” he chuckles. This causes Chen to raise a brow in confusion. “Uh…what? What’s a relief?”
“Last week,” Sandy starts. “When we thought MK, you know…” he clears his throat, and Chen knew he was referring to MK’s supposed “death”. He nods his head, urging the larger man to continue.

“Well…you kind of…punched the boat hard enough to leave a dent. I saw, but I thought that maybe the dent was already there, and I’d put it there while moving a crate or something. It was either that or I was going crazy.” he scratches his neck nervously.
Chen pauses in his watering, looking up at Sandy. “Can you show me?”

Sandy guides Chen over to where he’d been that day. And sure enough, there was a small dent in the metal, not fixed yet. Chen smooths his hand over it, before placing his clenched fist in the centre. It fit almost perfectly.

“I didn’t even realise that. I was just so….angry at that time that I’d blocked everything out.” he mutters, brows furrowing.

Sandy hums. “Yeah. All of our emotions were running high that day.” The large man walks away, returning with a box of chamomile tea and a small plant. “Here, take this. After a stressful week, I think this’ll help calm your nerves. And a lavender plant as a gift for your collection.” he explains, smiling warmly. Chen carefully takes them. “Are you sure?”
“Of course! It’s getting late, and I think you should head home before it gets too dark. Take care of yourself.” he guides the young man to the ramp, giving him his bag and pushing him toward the ramp. “And give Shu lots of love for me!”

 

Chen chuckles, giving him a wave. “Will do, Sandy. Thank you.”
“Anytime! Don’t forget you can come talk to me about anything, okay? I’ll always be here to listen!”

With another thank you and wave, he heads off.

– – –

Unlocking the doors to his apartment, Chen opens it. Inside, a small black blur of fur runs up to him, meowing furiously as green eyes stare up at him.
Chen bends down, giving the cat a pat. “Hey, Shu. Did you behave today?” he asks. The cat meows again, and Chen chuckles as he moves to put the chamomile tea on the kitchen table. “I know, you’re hungry. Just give me a minute.”

Moving over to the balcony, he carefully opens the sliding door, stepping out into the night.
His balcony is covered in all sorts of small plants, mostly herbs. But here and there were small flowers. All gifts from Sandy, of course. After he found out that the young man held a green thumb, he would randomly gift them to Chen.
Placing the lavender beside some rosemary, he heads inside to feed Shu. The black cat waited patiently on the kitchen table, and Chen quickly shoos her off. “Shu, no! You know you’re not allowed on the table!”

Getting her bowl, he puts it on the table, before going to retrieve the bag of cat food. Shu follows closely behind, weaving in between his legs inconveniently. This was annoying, but Chen loved this cat with his whole heart. He didn’t want to yell at her.

She did make it hard, though.

Giving her a scoop of dry biscuits, he lowers the bowl, and Shu finally leaves him alone to eat. While she’s busy, Chen grabs a nearby watering can. Filling it up, he goes back to his balcony, watering the plants.
There, he spent the next half hour, making sure all the plants were taken care of, pulling out small weeds that had begun to grow.

As he works, he thinks over the events of the day. Meeting the Monkey King, the said sage revealing that Chen had power, and that intense sparring match. His eyes begin to droop from how tired he was.

It all seemed so surreal. All that superhuman stuff was only supposed to happen in books. Yet, here he AND MK were, both gaining powers within the span of a week.
He just… didn’t know what to think anymore.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts when his phone vibrates. Pulling it out, he realises it's a message from Mei, inviting him out to party with MK.

He taps away at his screen.

Chen: sorry mei boutta head to bed

Mei: Aw ok! Gn goofball!!1!

Chen: night mei you guys have fun

Mei: U kno we will! :3

 

Placing his phone back into his pocket, he puts his watering can away, stepping back inside and locking the door behind him.

Chapter 6: Clones, Clones, Clones

Chen carries orders to his tuk-tuk, wiping the sweat from his brow as he places the many bags in the passenger seat.
It had been a busy week, and Pigsy wanted to get as many orders out as soon as possible. Especially since MK was “slacking off”. In reality, the young man was worn out. He’d been working all day, partying all night and helping Sandy paint his boat all week, and had refused to take a break. Now he was tired.
Chen offered to take some more of the work, just to let the young man take a break. But he’d refused, much to Chen’s annoyance.
If he wasn’t careful he was going to hurt himself

Although, for the past 2 days he’d perked up a bit. Maybe he’d stopped throwing those parties with Mei.

Hopping into his tuk-tuk, he was about to drive off when he spots MK walking by the noodle shop. As he draws near, Chen waves a hand in front of his face. “Hey, MK!”
MK pauses, lifting one of his headphones. “Yeah?”

Chen took note that he wasn’t in his signature working jacket, but he shook it off. “Are you gonna be okay working today? I am going to need a little help delivering all these orders-” before he continue, MK randomly pulls out a strand of hair, blowing it as he throws it behind him, continuing walking down the street. Chen’s eye twitches, before he takes in a deep breath, the strand of hair floating to the ground. “Deep breaths, Chen. Just like Sandy said.” he mutters, resting his head on the head rest.

The strand of hair begins to glow, and as Chen opens his eyes, he immediately notices it. Eyes widening in shock, he watches as it grows and expands, forming into a perfect clone of MK. It stands there a moment, dazed, before it notices Chen sitting in the tuk-tuk seat, staring at it in disbelief.

Immediately, the clone runs up to him, taking some of the orders. “Let me take those for you, Chen!” they grin, before running off to the other tuk-tuk. He drives off, leaving Chen alone in front of Pigsy’s Noodles.
Snapping himself out of his stupor, Chen shakes his head. “Mystic monkey business. MK, you never cease to surprise me.” Starting his tuk-tuk, Chen heads off to deliver the orders.

– – –

Several hours later….

“You two did good today, kids. Keep up the good work and I may give you a raise!” Pigsy informs, as he closes his shop. Chen checks his backpack to make sure everything was there. “Don’t get my hopes up, pop’s.” he chuckles jokingly, before walking off.

The MK clone keeps up the pace by his side, humming a tune to himself. Chen turns to them. “Uh…you do know you can go home, right?” he says. The clone nods. “Oh, I know! But I want to help you!” he informs. Chen glances down the street ahead of him, then back to the clone awkwardly. “Uh…”
“I can help water your plants!” the clone pipes up excitedly. “Or feed Shu! I can help you with that too!”

Seeing as the clone wasn’t going to stop nagging him, Chen sighs. “Well…I am pretty tired, and it would help to have an extra pair of hands-”
“Yes! Yes! Now let’s get to your apartment!” the clone grabs Chen’s hand, dragging him down the street. The young man follows, feeling uncomfortable in this new situation.

–

Reaching the apartment, Chen opens the door, and the two enter. Immediately, the clone gets to work, grabbing a can from the cupboard and opening it, feeding some to Shu. The cat hovers around his feet, waiting patiently.

While he did that, Chen fills up his watering can, walking out onto the balcony to water his plants.

 

The plant Sandy had given him the previous was flourishing well, alongside the others. Chen starts to water the smallest ones. He has to pay Sandy another visit this week.

“What cha thinkin about?” a voice pipes up from right beside him. Chen yells, almost dropping his watering can over the balcony. He turns to see the clone had grabbed a spare jug, and was helping him water the plants. He didn’t even hear him coming.
“Nothing.” Chen replied, scratching the back of his neck. He puts all his focus on the plants, trying to ignore the clone staring right at him.

After a while, the silence was becoming unbearable. Chen finishes watering his plants, before faking a yawn. “Well, I better be heading to bed. You should head home to the real MK so then he can, I don’t know, do some more monkey magic.” Chen explains, pushing the clone out the door.
Clone MK starts to protest. “But you haven’t eaten yet! I can help you cook! I can help you clean up-” he rants. Pushing him out the door, Chen gives the clone a deadpan expression. “No.” with that, he shuts the door, leaving the clone outside.

The clone was starting to creep him out.

Heading back into the kitchen, the young man reaches into the fridge and pulls out some leftovers, placing it in the microwave to heat up. He rubs the side of his face, as he hears the clone walk down the hall.

 

He should’ve never let them come home with him.

Sitting down on his couch, he turns on his TV, watching a movie as he eats.

– – –

The next morning, Chen was in a rush. His alarm hadn't gone off, and he was late for work.

Cursing under his breath, he rushes down the apartment halls, his bag half slung over his shoulder as he ties his hair into a messy ponytail.
Stomping down the stairs, he bursts through the doors, about to turn to go to his work when he nearly runs into someone. Tripping over his feet, he stops himself from body slamming into them.

He kind of wished he did, though.

“Morning, Chen!” the clone greets cheerfully. Chen stares at him. “How long have you been here?” He questions. The clone's smile widens. “All night! I’ve been waiting for you!”

That wasn’t creepy at all.

Chen steps around him. “Sorry, I gotta go. I’m late.” he informs, walking away quickly. But the clone follows him. “Oh, I know! I was thinking of coming up to tell you, but I figured you had it all under control. So, when are you going home again?” he asks.
Chen turns to him, frustrated. “No. Go home.” he instructs. The clone groans. “But I don’t wanna! I wanna stay with you and help you!” he explained.

The young man doesn't respond. Instead, he breaks out into a full sprint.

This was getting out of hand. He had to find MK, and get him to do more weird monkey magic to get rid of the creepy clingy clone.

“Chen! Wait up!”

But first he had to lose it.

 

Running around a corner, he spots the museum ahead. Perfect. Just hide in there until the clone goes away. Simple!

He rushes inside, slowing down to a walk so that he wouldn’t disturb everyone else. Moving away from the door, he keeps an eye on the entrance for any sign of the clone.
Seeing that he was alone, he lets out a quiet sigh.

He walks further inside, looking at all the different displays. Most of the exhibits were artefacts with screens talking about historical events, so it didn’t interest him that much. It would interest Tang and Rey, though.
Hearing a commotion ahead, he spots three guys by the doors of the storage room. Two of them were trying to push a large, green box inside, while the third one was yelling at them. “Hey, be careful with that! We don’t want it damaged before it’s seen by the professionals!”

Chen wasn’t paying attention to the men, though. He stares intently at the box. It was a jade green, intricately carved with stone snakes, that weaved in and out one another. A small, snake-like voice whispers to him, inviting him over. Something was calling to him, drawing him to the box.
He moves one small, unconscious step forward, oblivious to his surroundings.

A hand grabs his shoulder, and Chen is snapped out of his trance. Turning to face who it was, he inwardly groaned. The clone’s bright smile greets him, as he starts to guide him outside the museum. “Chen! Didn’t you say you were late for work? We gotta get you to the Noodle Shop before Pigsy blows a fuse!” the clone explains.

Chen scowls, shaking the clone off as he walks out of the museum's doors. The whispering voices disappear, as the young man hurriedly makes his way to Pigsy’s Noodles. He was taking this clone to MK himself.

Reaching Pigsy’s Noodles, he marches inside.

Pigsy immediately starts to scold Chen, telling him off for being late. But the young man ignores him and Tang who, upon seeing the clone, slides under the table out of sight with his bowl of noodles.

Walking up the stairs with the clone right behind, Chen slams MK’s door open. “MK! This clone is a-” he stops. The small apartment he and MK shared once upon a time was empty, with no sign of the young man he was looking for.

Chen pinches the bridge of his nose, growling. “Of course he’s not…ugh!” sitting down, he decides to wait for his friend. The clone sits on the bed opposite him, smiling brightly while kicking his feet. All the while staring at him.

Chen leans his head back, closing his eyes. “It’s fine, it’s fine! MK’s bound to be back soon. Then I’ll tell him off for leaving me with this clone…” he grumbles.
He really wished he’d had some tea with him.

He’s about to get up to wait downstairs for the young man, when he feels someone push him back down. He looks up in surprise as the clone holds duck tape up, grinning almost maniacally. “You look stressed! I can help! I can help you! You don't need MK! I’m MK! I’m your best friend! The best friend who’s here to help you!” he laughs, trying to put tape on Chen to trap him in the chair.

 

The young man instantly grabs the clones wrists, kicking them in the stomach. The clone is left winded, as Chen rips the tape from his hands.

Chen glares down at the clone as he gets to his feet, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt and lifting up. “Clone, you can’t just DO that to people!” he growls. “Now where is MK? Did you do something to him too!?”
Before the clone could respond, Chen could hear a commotion downstairs. It sounded like Pigsy yelling at….”MK?”

Dragging the clone behind him as he walks down stairs. Reaching the bottom, he could see Tang and MK, looking down at another, chubbier MK laying on top of Pigsy.
As he enters, Tang and MK turn to see him dragging the winded clone behind him. Chen folds his arms, letting go of the clone. “So, which one is the REAL MK.” he asks, looking between the MK next to Tang and the MK on the floor.

Tang points to the MK next to him. “This one.”

Chen now glares at the real MK. “MK….were you aware that your clone was creepy before you pawned him off to me?.” he says calmly. MK laughs nervously, looking down at the crumpled clone on the clone. “Uh….no….” he responds, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tang takes a sip of his bowl of noodles. “So, MK, are you gonna clean this mess up?” the man asks. MK nods, prodding the delivery clone with his golden staff. When nothing happens, he turns to Tang, exasperated. “Mr. Tang! How did Monkey King get rid of his clones?”
Tang pushes his glasses up his nose. “Hm…I don’t know.”

MK groans. At that point, Chen had had enough. Grabbing his bag, he heads toward the exit. “Tell Pigsy I’ll be back when you’re done.” he grumbles, leaving the noodle shop.

– – –

Pigsy had closed early due to the massive mess MK had made with his clones. And MK was punished by cleaning the whole noodle shop and paying for all the food the clone had eaten.

That left Chen to have the day off. He had no plans other than relaxing, so that’s what he did. He sat on the couch with the TV on, flicking through the channels.
Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he brought it out, realising that Mei was calling. He answers. “Hello?”

“Chen! MK and I are having a sleepover at his. Did you wanna come? We’re watching the Monkey King marathon tonight!” the girl says excitedly. Chen thinks about it, continuing to flick through the channels. “I don’t know….”
“Pweeeeeaaaase? MK said he’s sorry for what happened today!” Mei cries out in protest as the phone is yanked out of her hands, and MK speaks through the phone. “Please? It’ll just be us three!” he begs.

Chen hums, turning off the TV. “Sure, why not?” the two on the other end cheer, as Mei finally grabs her phone back off of MK. “Great! See you in a bit, goofball!” Mei says before hanging up. Chen rolls his eyes, getting up from his seat to get ready and head to Pigsy’s Noodles.

–

Ten minutes later, Chen was outside Pigsy’s Noodles. Looking up at the window, he could see MK’s light flickering on and off. He pulls out his phone, sending them a quick text that he was here. Now all he had to do was wait.

And wait.

And wait.

10 minutes flew by, with no sign of any of his friends. With a groan, he makes his way over to the ladder, climbing up till he reaches the first balcony. He then walked up the stairs, reaching the window. The lights inside were still flickering, so Chen knocked on the window. “Hellooo? MK? Mei?”
He peeks inside.

Mei was holding down an MK, while another MK was backed into the corner of the room, as far away from Mei as possible. He deadpans, straightening himself back up. Well, that explains why they wouldn’t answer.

Pulling out is phone, he decides to ring them. They hadn’t responded to his voice OR his knock.

 

He could hear the phone ringing in the room. Leaning against the wall, he keeps the phone to his ear. Finally, MK answers. “CHEN? WHERE ARE YOU?!”
“Outside your window. What are you two doing?” he asks, peeking inside. At that, MK finally looks up to see Chen. the young man waves, hurrying over to open it for him. “Chen! Thank goodness! Mei just-”

Chen smacks MK upside the head, and the younger man yelps. Chen points to Mei and the MK on the ground. “What is this?”

MK looks away, taps his fingers together anxiously. Mei picks up the MK off the ground. “Alright, you! Do the magic gold thingy and get rid of it!” she says firmly. MK sighs, before giving the clone a light tap. It disappears in a poof of hair, and Chen hacks as he breathes some in.

– – –

The clone was dealt with, and Chen, Mei and MK all help clean up the bits of hair all over the place. After they were done, they all plop down on nearby chairs, all facing the TV. The Monkey King marathon had already started, but nobody minded.

As they sat there, watching the movie peacefully, they also told stories of the clones they had to deal with that day.
“So, you had a party clone, huh? Lucky. I got one that clung to my like glue.” Chen chuckles. Mei shakes her head. “Nu-uh! You weren’t forced to party all day and night. OR tied up in a giant machine and almost died!” she points out. Chen shrugs. “Hm. Touche. Yours seemed fun, though.”
“Yeah, he was fun.” the girl leans her chin in her hand, watching the TV. she gasps, eyes brightening as she turns to Chen with an idea. “Oh! Can I do your hair?” she asks, stars in her eyes.

“No.”

“Pretty please? I’ll make it look cool! I promise I won’t put ribbons in your hair like last time.” she begged. But Chen shakes his head. “Nu-uh.”

“Can I at least put it in a man bun?”

Chen thinks for a moment, looking down at Mei’s hopeful expression. “...fine.” he caves in. Mei cheers, as Chen hops off his chair to sit on the floor. Mei takes his spot. “Hey, MK, do you have a comb?” she asks.

The young man grabs a comb from his bed side table. “Oh! Oh Oh! Do me next!” he says excitedly. Chen places his chin on his hand, watching the TV as Mei messes with his hair.
“Hey, Chen, can I dye your hair?”

“Nope.”

Mei pouts, but accepts the answer. As she works, MK sits in front of the TV, eyes shining as he watches the movie. Chen smiles softly.

He wouldn’t change these guys for anyone else in the world.

“And…done!” Mei informs, and Chen taps his head, feeling the bundle of hair tied up. MK quickly shoves him aside. “MY TURN!”
Chen growls as he’s shoved aside, but instead of lashing out, he takes a deep breath. Like Sandy said….
Glancing around the room, Chen notices one of MK’s pillows laying within arms reach of him. He smirks, as an idea begins to form.

Mei was done with MK a few minutes later, and as the young man was thanking the girl, Chen whacks him with the pillow. MK yelps, trying to protect himself from Chen’s attacks. “HEY! NO FAIR!”

Chen cackles maniacally. “I reign superior!” he laughs. MK tries to protect himself from the pillow attack as much as possible. “I YIELD! I YIELD!”

Chen stops, not noticing Mei was behind him, holding up her own pillow. “So you agree that I’m superior?”

MK gets up. “I agree….that you’re a big dork! Attack!” he yells, bringing out a hidden pillow from behind his back. That’s when Chen was attacked from all sides, with Mei coming from behind and MK charging from the front. The two hit the man with the pillows over and over. Chen holds his hands above his head, dropping his pillow. “Alright! Alright! You win! You got me.” he says. The two then drop their pillows, all three laughing as they calm down.

MK flops down on his bed, followed by Mei. “Man, I’m beat. Who knew fighting clones and cleaning the shop all day would be so tiring?”
Chen sits down on the chair, resting his arms behind his head. “Well you better get used to it, Monkey Boy, cause I’m guessing you’re gonna be doing this at least once a week.” he chuckles. MK sits up. “Yeah! Beating up bad guys, saving the city! Honestly, what could go wrong?”

The three chuckle, as MK turns to the TV. “Aw, we missed the best part of the movie!” he whines. Mei pats him on the head. “Don’t worry! We still have the whole marathon to watch!” she states. Chen nods.
The trio sit back on the bed, predicting the next parts and talking as they watch the movie. Eventually, they all pass out, tired from the long week.

– – –

A/N: Idk how sleepovers work lmao. Or how kids hang out (mostly cuz i never had friends till high school)

Chapter 7: Jade Box

Chen looks around at the unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a forest, the trees so tightly packed together that he could barely move himself through them. “Hello? Is anyone here?” he calls out, hoping for a reply.

 

“Help…me….” a hoarse voice whispers out to him. Chen turns, seeing an eerie path had appeared. There was a blue glow coming from up ahead, a calming colour. The voice was coming from that direction.
Chen steps forward, looking around cautiously. “Hello? Who’s there?”

“Help me….”

The voice was stronger now, louder. Chen moves aside some branches, peering into the clearing. There before him, stood the same jade box he’d seen the week previously. It was closed, with chains wrapped around it. As Chen draws nearer, he could hear the voice clearly.

“Help me!”

It was coming from inside the box.
Stepping forward, he reaches a cautious hand toward it.

That’s when the box and chains begin to rattle, and Chen jumps back in fright. The lid of the box tried to open, as a loud, pained groan emanated from the box. The jade snakes, once frozen in place, fall off, slithering over to him. Chen tries to kick them away, but the snakes wrap around his ankles, trapping him in place.
Soon enough, they began to climb, slithering up his torso and trapping his limbs. One wraps around his head, blocking his mouth and nose and preventing him from breathing.

 

The young man looks up to see a faint, ghostly figure hovering in front of him. Its wide eyes stare right at him, while its mouth hangs open unnaturally.

“HELP. ME.”

– – –

Chen sits up, gasping for air. Patting down his body and finding nothing holding him in place, he lets out a deep sigh, leaning his head against his bed rest.

It was just a dream. The same stupid dream he’d been having for the past week.

Hearing a meow, Chen looks down to see Shu was sitting on the floor, looking up at him with a quizzical gaze. Chen leans down to give her a pat. “Hey, morning Shu. How’d you sleep?”
In response, the cat leans into his touch, purring loudly. Chen smiles. “Glad you slept well.” Bringing out his phone, he notices the time. It was 7:00am.
Realising he wasn’t gonna be able to sleep after that, he decides to get up and take a walk before his shift.

Getting up and getting ready, he grabs his bag and his apartment keys. After he feeds Shu, he leaves.

–

Walking down the street, he looks around. Everything was peaceful today. So maybe they wouldn’t have to worry about any demons attacking the city.
As he walks, he notices the same museum he’d come across last week. He pauses outside the entrance, looking up at the locked doors.

Those dreams he was having. He was having dreams of that jade box. What was that all about?

Shaking his head, he continues walking. It was nothing, it was probably nothing! Just a weird dream that kept coming back, over and over and over….

Chen rubs the bridge of his nose. Maybe someone knew what it was. He knew two bookworms. Tang, and his childhood friend, Rey.

It wouldn’t hurt to check the library before work.

Making his way quickly down the street once more, he reaches the library in no time. He enters, looking around for either Tang or Rey. he soon spots them sitting together at a table, chatting about something. He approaches them, and Rey is the first to notice.
They smile brightly at him, waving him over. “Chen! Oh my gosh, it’s great to see you! What are you doing here? I never took you as a nerd.” they giggle, and Chen rolls his eyes. “Uh huh, great to see you too, Rey. Hey Tang.” he says, gesturing at their table. “Mind if I sit here and ask you guys something?”

“Not at all! What’s troubling you?” the man asks as Chen takes a seat. “Well, I was wondering if either of you know about a jade box with snake designs all over it. I saw it being loaded into the museum last week and was curious about what it was.” he explained.

Tang gasps. “Wait! You’re asking us about history?! I’ve waited your whole life for this day.” Tang sheds a tear, as Rey giggles at his reaction. Chen glares at the older man. “Alright, alright, we get it. You’re a nerd that loves knowledge. Do you know anything about the box?” he asks again, getting impatient this time.
Tang clears his throat, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Hm…nope.” he shrugs.

“What?!”

Rey snaps their fingers. “Oh! Wait! I think I know what box you’re talking about.” they exclaim, getting to their feet. Chen follows them, while Tang stays at the table, bringing out his own book. “Bring it back when you find it.” he calls out. Many people around him hush him.

Rey leads Chen through a few isles. “Remember those books I told you were coming in? I think one of them mentions the box you were talking about.” they explain. They look over a few books, muttering under their breath for a moment. “Where is it, where is it…ah, here we go!” they exclaim, pulling out the book. The cover was black, with golden letters on the front reading; “A Guide to Ancient Artefacts”.
They hold it out to Chen. “Here it is! Let’s go take it back to Ta-”

Someone harshly bumps into Rey, knocking them over. The book slips out of their grip, sliding across the floor before landing at the feet of the person that bumped into them. Chen turns to the hooded person angrily. “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” he growls, helping Rey to their feet.

The person stops. Bending down, they pick up the book, looking down at the cover. The only thing that Chen could see of their face was their smile, which looked extremely unnerving and creepy as they turn back to the two young people. “My apologies. That was an accident.” They smile.
Rey waves them off, gently taking the book that the stranger held out to them. “No, no, it’s okay! I wasn’t exactly watching where I was going, either.” they laugh off. The person nods. “You two have a…splendid afternoon.” they leave, and Chen shivers. “That wasn’t weird at all.”
“Oh, he seemed nice!” Rey says, holding out the book. “Anyway, this is the book I was talking about! I think it has the answers you’re looking for.”

"Great, let's take a look."

Rey opens the book, Chen leaning over their shoulder. Flipping through the pages, Rey lands on a page. "Here! This is the box, right?" they ask, holding up the book with a picture of the box. Chen nods, seeing that it was identical. "Yeah, that's it. What does it say?"

Rey flips to the next page...only to see it's blank. They squint, confused, at the inkless page before them. Skimming over a few more pages, they realised the rest of the book was the same. "What? I don't understand, I checked it yesterday...maybe it was sent out before they finished printing it...?" They rub the crescent moon tattoo beside their eye, looking down at the book in confusion.

Chen sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course....are there any other books that mention this box?" Rey shakes their head, apologetic. "No. Sorry, Chen. If you want, I'll order some more books on the subject?" they offer. At that, Chen shakes his head.

"No, it's fine, Rey. Thanks for the help, anyway. It's very much appreciated." he says. "Now I better be heading back to Pigsy's. I gotta get to work." he explains, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Want me to bring you lunch later?"

"Only if you're paying!" Rey grins. Chen rolls his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. See ya, Rey."

"Bye Chen!"

Chen leaves the library, annoyed. Of course, there was something wrong with the book. "Guess I'll just have to ignore the dreams. They should go away eventually if I don't worry about it." he mutters.

Walking back the way he'd come, he rubs his tired eyes. Who was he kidding? He was losing sleep over this.

"Help...me..."

Chen stops, looking to his right. There it was, the museum. And that voice... it was calling out to him.

Glancing around, Chen quickly approaches the giant doors. They were locked.

But the voice kept persisting, begging him for help.

The young man makes his way toward the alley that lead to the back of the museum, being careful where he stepped. As he rounds the corner, he spots two guys talking in the doorway. What a coincidence.
“And you’re SURE that box isn’t worth more?” the first guy asks, looking a little devastated. The other man nods. “Yep. Just worth enough to be in the museum, nothing more, really. Not unless we can get it open and find anything worthwhile.”
The first guy groans. “We tried opening it! We tried every machine that we could afford! That thing is impossible to open!” he grumbles. The second guy shrugs. “Don’t blame me, I’m just here to do my job.”

Chen picks up a can, hoping that the cliche action movies would pay off. Throwing it, it bounces off the wall, rolling toward the entrance of the alley with a loud clang. Chen hides behind a garbage bin as the two men turn their heads. “Did you hear that?”
“”DiD yOu hErE tHaT?” he asks. Of course I heard it.” the first man grumbles, as they both go to check out the noise, walking right by the hidden young man.
When they are gone, Chen quickly dashes toward the door, pulling out a mask to cover his face as he enters.

Chen finds himself inside the storage area of the museum, where all the artefacts that weren’t put on display were kept. He glances around for any sign of the jade box.

“Here…”

His head swivels to the voice, noticing a staircase leading down to a basement area. He quickly approaches it, walking down. If he didn’t want to be caught, he needed to be quick.

He finally reaches the bottom, where most of the artefacts here were kept in boxes and crates. Yet, he still couldn’t see the jade box.

“Closer…”

Chen walks cautiously around the crates, keeping his eyes peeled. This was stupid, and he knew he’d get into a lot of trouble if he was caught down here.
Finally, he spots it, hidden amongst several other crates. Its green colour seemed to glow in the darkness.

He approaches it, taking his mask off momentarily as he stares at it. The voices were louder now, incomprehensible as they called out to him. Inviting him closer.
He kneels down beside it, reaching a hesitant hand to touch the smooth rock coffin. His fingers graze over the cold, jade snakes.

Upon touching it, the box glows brightly, blinding Chen as he reels back. A huge gust of wind picks up from seemingly nowhere, knocking the young man over. He falls back, covering his eyes as the lid of the box begins to move.

–

On Flower Fruit Mountain, Monkey King wakes up from his sleep, panting for breath. Flashes of green and blue filled his vision momentarily before disappearing quickly, and he’s left clutching his chest from his nightmare.

Something wasn’t right.

The sage looked over toward the city of Megapolis, sensing something was very, very wrong.

–

Chen rubs his eyes, the bright light and wind now gone. Opening his eyes, he looks back at the box. His eyes widen when he sees it’s open, the lid leaning on the side of the box.
He didn’t notice the ringing of alarms going off, for he was distracted by what was crouching inside the box.

A figure crouched in the centre of the jade coffin, trembling as they got to their feet. Taking in deep, shaky breaths, they slowly pat themselves down.
Long, grey hair fell down their shoulders, as their red eyes looked down at their hands in shock. He was silent for a moment, before he began to laugh, overjoyed. “I-I’m free! I’m finally free!” they cry, holding their hands to their chest in relief. “I-I can’t believe it, I’m…”

The demon's voice trails off, eyes widening in realisation. He glances around, his gaze landing on Chen who was still laying on the ground, staring up at the snake-like demon in shock.

The two have a silent stare down, not daring to say a word.

The silence was broken by footsteps running down the same stairwell Chen had come down minutes before, several men shouting in alarm. The snake demon looks around, before looking back down at Chen. “....bye.” he states simply, jumping up onto a nearby crate and disappearing from sight before Chen had time to react.

 

Chen snaps out of his stupor, realising that if he didn’t get out now, he’d be arrested. Scurrying to his feet, he runs away from the jade coffin, keeping out of sight as the museum’s security race to the scene. He pulls his mask back on to hide his face.

He manages to climb the stairwell and burst out of the museum's side door without being caught. He quickly walks away from the museum, noticing a few police cars passing by.

Hopefully the security footage doesn’t pick up his face.

–

Chen reaches Pigsy’s Noodles, the chef himself waiting for him. “Chen! You’re late! Where’ve you been?!” he shouts, waving his spoon around. Chen pulls his hair into a pony-tail, before grabbing his apron. “Sorry, pops. I just ducked into the library to ask Rey something.” he explained. He wasn’t lying, he DID go visit Rey. Pigsy shakes his head. “You kids are always coming up with excuses…” he grumbles under his breath.

Chen distracts himself with work immediately, trying not to think about what he’d just released from that jade coffin into the world. He first does the dishes, seeing that it was piled high with bowls and other kitchen utensils. He fills up the sink with hot water, picking up a plate to scrub when Mei bursts through the door. “GUYS! Someone just broke into the museum!” she shouts out, waving her phone around wildly.
The sudden loud noise startled the young man, who in turn dropped the plate. It smashes against the ground, and he curses loudly. “MEI!”

“Oops! Sorry, Chen. But look!” she holds up her phone for all to see. Pigsy, MK, and Tang all crowd around. Chen looks over their shoulder nervously, noticing the blurry picture.
“The police said it might’ve been a failed heist. One snuck in through the alley side door, and may have let this second person in.” Mei explains, showing them a picture of two blurry figures. Chen was thankful that they couldn’t see his face.

“The first person left the same way when the alarms went off, but the second one just disappeared! Like they were some ghost!” the young girl points out. “Everybody’s talking about it!”

That wasn’t good.

“Did they manage to take anything?” MK asks, to which Mei shakes her head. “Nope! Just got in, then left. Kinda weird if you ask me.”
Pigsy shoves deliveries into MK’s arms, pushing the boy out the door. “Alright, alright! Gossip time is over! Time to get back to work! That includes you too!” he turns to Chen, pointing the spoon right at his chest. The young man holds up his hands. “Alright, alright.” he grumbles, heading back into the kitchen.

– – –

(Several hours later…)

MK yawns, stretching. “Man, what a day!” he points out. He and Chen were sitting on the balcony above Pigsy’s Noodles, looking down at the street below them.
Chen hums, not really paying attention. MK turns to look at him, seeing the deep, thoughtful look on the young man's face. “Hey, are you okay?” he asks with concern. “You haven’t been yourself all day. Is something wrong?”

Chen looks up at the night sky. “Well, uh…” he trails off, before sighing. “You know that museum thing that happened today?” he starts. MK nods.
“That….that was me.” he says. It takes a moment for MK to process the information, but when it finally clicks he lets out a loud gasp. “WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! THAT WAS YOU!?” he practically shouts. Chen quickly slaps a hand over his mouth. “Would you shut up?! Yes! I just said that!” he whispers angrily. He removes his hand. “But I wasn’t there to steal anything.” he explained. “I was there because of this weird box. Ever since I saw it a week ago, I’ve been having these weird dreams. I had to know what that was about, so I went and had a look. It was in the storage area, so I had to sneak in somehow.”

The young man looks down at his hands, a guilty expression crossing his face. “I-I found the box, and when I touched it….it just opened, and this person stepped out of it. I think he’d been in there for a long time….” he puts his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t know what I released….but I think I might’ve messed up real bad, MK.” he trails off.

 

MK reaches a hand out, placing it gently on Chen’s shoulder. The young man doesn’t shake it off. “If you want, I can ask Monkey King if he knows them. If he does and they’re bad, we can team up, track us down a bad guy and send him back to where he came from!” he says determinedly.
Chen stares at MK, but chuckles. “Yeah, alright. Buuuut maybe don’t tell him it was me, okay? And you have to promise not to tell Pigsy I snuck into the museum. If you do, I’m gonna use every “older sibling card” known to man on you as revenge.” he grins, pulling MK into a headlock. The two cackle as MK struggles to escape from Chen’s grip. “It’s a deal! It’s a deal!” he shouts. Chen releases him, and the two resume to stare out at the city lights.

“It’s a nice night tonight, isn’t it?” MK asks to change the topic. Chen smiles softly. “Yeah….yeah, it is.”

– – –

From a nearby alleyway, a figure lurks in the darkness, watching them. They’re eyes glow red, as they detect the heat radiating from the two young men they were spying on. They couldn’t see him, but he could see them clearly. And he didn’t like the news that the Monkey King is still alive.
Jumping from the pole they were sitting on, they cling to the side of the building, scurrying up the brick walls and hauling themselves up onto the rooftop.

They had to get away before Sun Wukong found them.

They move quickly, jumping from building to building, sticking to the shadows. They come to a halt as a light flashes over the rooftop, hiding behind a pillar as the light passes by.

 

This gives them a moment to stop, looking down at the busy city below them. The snake-like demon gawks, mouth dropping open in awe. “Whoa….”

Everywhere he looked, there was something new. There were strange lights, wagons that moved on their own and small, rectangular objects that the mortals stared at while they walked. There were things he’d never even seen before, and it confused him.

How long had he been in that coffin?

He shook his head, standing up once more. They couldn’t think of that now. They had to find a hideout, and fast. If those boys told Sun Wukong that he was free, he'd be a dead demon.

Running along the rooftop once more, they jump onto another, spotting something ahead. It was an empty building, closed off from intruders. That’ll do for tonight, until they can find a better hideout.

 

– – –

A/n: monkey king: *wakes up* i sense a disturbance in the force

Chapter 8: Coming Home

WARNING! This chapter has scenes of homophobia/transphobia, slight abuse (physical) and emotional manipulation (i think?), so this is your chance to skip this chapter all together (hasn’t really got anything plot relevant, just a bit of backstory)

Seriously, this made me sick to write, so be careful if you do decide to read it.

– – –

Mei cackles maniacally, beating MK at Monkie Mech with ease and leaving the young man smashing frantically at the buttons. “Button smash all you want, MK! You’ll never beat my Ancient Galloping Fury Power.” Mei smirks.

Sandy, Chen and Rey stand behind the duo, watching them play. While Sandy and Rey try to give MK advice on how to win, Chen leans over Mei’s shoulder with a wide grin. “Ha! Whoop his butt, Mei! Oh, you’re gonna regret placing that bet, Rey!” Chen chuckles. Rey sweats, and Sandy tells MK to do an Up smash.

Mei cackles evilly. “No one can defeat me!” She claims, about to make the final blow when her phone vibrates in her pocket, and the young girl checks who it is. “Oh, boy.” she mutters, as a picture of her mother covers the screen. She quickly steps away from the arcade game. “Hi, mom.” she talks into the phone, leaving her character defenceless.

MK smirks, smashing the buttons once more. Chen’s own grin drops, realising that MK was now winning the game without Mei there to stop him. He hurriedly runs to the open spot, pressing all sorts of buttons to try and beat MK. But alas, he wasn’t the gamer of their group. MK beats his character easily, and the young man cheers in victory. “Take that!”

“Noooooo!” Chen groans, face planting the arcade game as Rey walks up to him. “What was that about MK not beating Mei?” they ask cheekily.
Chen groans again, digging his hands into his pocket and pulling out the betting money, placing the coins into Rey’s open palm. They grin. “Aw, Chen, you shouldn’t have!”
“Shut up.”
MK smirks, but he quietly walks over to Mei when he hears the words “house sit”.

“You know he wouldn’t have won if Mei didn’t get that phone call, right?” Chen states, crossing his arms. Rey shrugs. “He still won, though. So I still win the bet!”
“I want a rematch.”
“Too bad cuz you ain’t getting one!” they wink, sticking their tongue out at the young man. Chen scowls at his friend, when MK’s next outburst catches their attention.

“Uh, did Mei say sleepover at her house?!” MK asks excitedly. At this, Mei waves her hands around wildly. “What? No! My parents wouldn’t want-”
Chen perks up. “Wait, really?! A sleepover at Mei’s place?!” he asks, joining MK. the young monkey man grins. “Yes!! Sleepoveeer!”
“You know what this means, right?!” Chen shouts, grabbing onto MK’s shoulders and shaking him about wildly. When he stops, MK nods with a grin. “We finally get to see inside Mei’s secret Dragon House full of secret dragon stuff! Come on, please!?” MK begs, as Chen joins him. “Please, Mei?”
“Please, please, please, please, please?”

Mei huffs, sighing. “Sleepover it is…”
MK and Chen are ecstatic, when Sandy notices Rey off to the side. They didn’t seem too thrilled about the idea of a sleepover at Mei’s house, it seemed. The larger man walks over to them. “Uh…are you okay?”

Rey smiles, waving him off. “Pssh, I’m fine! Why-why wouldn’t I be?” they laugh, crossing their arms. Sandy raises a brow. “Um…okay. So, are you coming to the sleepover too?”

Rey looks down the street, readjusting their glasses anxiously. “Well, I, uh, don’t think I will.” they state. At that news, MK gasps loudly, rushing over to their nonbinary pal. “Whaaaaat? Why not? C’mon, it’ll be fun!” he promises. Rey shakes their head, waving their arms around. “Oh, no, it’s fine! I’ll be busy anyways, with getting my glasses fixed, stuff like that….” they trail off, sweating nervously.

Chen, watching the whole interaction, raises a brow. He knew Rey couldn’t lie if their life depended on it. And this was one of those times. But he wasn’t going to push it. MK, however, wasn’t going to let them go that easily.
“Oh, c’mon, please? It’ll be great! It’ll be just us five, and we’ll get to see cool dragon things! With no adults telling us it’s bed time!” he promises, elbowing Rey.

They rub the back of their neck, thinking about it for a moment, before giving MK a small smile. “I mean, if it’s okay with Mei, of course?” they glance over to the young woman in question, who shrugs. “Yeah, of course. As long as everyone does as I say.” she shoots MK a look, who was oblivious to it.

From a nearby shop, a bull clone draped in a purple cloak listens to their conversations. He pulls up holograms of Mei’s home, as another person listens in too.

From hers and her husband's secret hideout, Princess Ironfan listens to the transmission from General Ironclad. She herself was scrolling through holograms of legendary artefacts, landing on one of a dragon sword. “The Legendary Dragon Blade. That blade is amongst the most powerful artefacts in history. I do love powerful things.” she chuckles. “Go, bring it to me.” she orders the bull clone.

The clone gives a nod of understanding, following the group as they head to Mei’s home.

– – –

The gang arrive at Mei’s house, looking at the entrance of the house in awe. MK runs around, looking at all the fancy objects on the front lawn. “It’s even better than I thought!” he squeals. Chen nods, looking around in amazement. “Yeah, growing up here must’ve been amazing!”

Mei chuckles nervously. “Yeah, I guess.” she glances over to the large walls, remembering how they were her prison for years. “But…I don’t know. When I was growing up, I just wanted to be rough and tumble. Break stuff, look at bugs. You know, have fun just like normal girl stuff.” Mei explains. Rey listens quietly as Mei continues to rant, brows furrowing.
“But when your house is pretty much a museum and you come from a long line of ancient, noble dragons, that’s kind of….frowned on.”

Mei looks up, realising all eyes were on her. She puts on a smile. “Anyway, onwards to the definitely-not-going-to-be-terrible sleepover!” At that, everyone except for Rey dash off, not getting her message and leaving the two alone. Mei’s shoulders slump, and she sighs. Rey places a hesitant hand on her shoulder. “H-hey, uh, if you need someone to talk to-”
Mei waves them off. “Thanks Rey, but I’m fine! I don’t know what came over me.” she chuckles.

Hearing a loud beeping noise, the two looked over to see the house’s security system had been activated, and were about to shoot MK, Sandy and Chen. Mei rushes over, disarming the security system. “Yeah, my parents are a bit serious about the whole security thing.”

A robotic voice greets them. “Welcome home, Mei. Welcome back, Mx. Rey.”

MK, Sandy and Chen turn to Rey, who stands there awkwardly. MK is the first to speak, as he grabs Rey’s shoulders, shaking them around wildly. “What?! You’ve been here before?! Why didn’t you tell me!” he shouts. Rey pushes him off, rubbing their arm. “I, uh, haven’t been here for a few years? Honestly, I’m surprised that the system still has me in it. And it doesn’t have my dead name…” they mutter the last part, looking over to Mei expectantly. The girl shrugs. “Yeah, I did make some updates when the incident happened, so that if you DID come here, you knew you’d be welcome…” she trails off, as Rey looks away. Chen, MK, and Sandy glance between them, confused. “Uh, what now? What are you two talking about?”

“Forget we said anything.” Mei says, seeing how uncomfortable Rey was getting.

The conversation was abruptly forgotten when the doors opened, and the guys were taken aback by the artefacts lining the room. There were statues, weapons, armour and more. “Whoa! This is amazing!”
“Holy moly…”
“What is all this stuff?” Sandy asks. Mei shrugs nonchalantly. “Ah, you know. Gifts, artefacts, offerings. Just stuff that’s been in my family for-guys, wait!” she panics, seeing that MK was climbing all over things to get a better look, Sandy had picked up breakable objects and holding them up precariously, and Chen was touching some of the armour in amazement, just to see if it was authentic.

“If I had all this stuff, I don’t even know what I’d do! Sell it, probably.” MK exclaims, as the suit he’d been climbing on starts to topple over. Mei quickly catches it, setting it upright.
Chen grazes his hand over a sword, feeling the smooth, sharp metal under his finger tips. “This is amazing!” he whispers with a grin. Realising what he was doing, he stands up straight, coughing into his fist in embarrassment. “I mean-it’s cool, or whatever.”
Sandy picks up a pillar. “Wow, this looks great! Looks like a few good years, maybe centuries.” he points out, as Rey runs over to him. “Sandy, you shouldn’t do that- put it down! Please?”

“STOP!” Mei yells in anger, and everyone stops what they’re doing. “Hand in pockets! NOW!” Mei demands, and Chen, MK and Sandy immediately obey.
Mei groans as she walks by them. "Follow me." She grumbles. The guys follow behind quietly, as Mei guides them to the next room. "You guys are such menaces you know that?"

Behind them, standing in the still open doors, General Ironclad watches the group leave. They step inside, looking for the Legendary Dragon Blade.

–

Mei is finishing off the tour, guiding her friends toward their sleepover destination. As they walk, the gang pass by another room. "And this is the Dragon Claw Chamber." the girl explains.

MK pauses in the doorway, his attention catching sight of a dragon statue holding a green blade. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up!” he rushes inside to get a better look, while everyone follows behind too. The young man starts geeking out over it, running around the statue. “WHOA! Now this thing is cool! So, what’s the dealio with this dealy, yo?”

“That’s the sword of my great-great-great times a thousand great-grandfather, the Dragon of the West.” Mei explains, pointing at a tapestry. “Legends say that my grandfather imbued it with unimaginable power so that our clan would always have the strength of the dragon to protect them. It’s true power will only show itself to those deemed worthy. A true member of our clan who’s proven themselves strong enough to protect our family from the forces of evil.
But I’m not allowed to touch it. Hey, anyone want to see the game room?”

The guys, who’d been listening intently on Mei’s tale, get excited once more, and run ahead. Rey shouts out to them. “Guys! Slow down! You’re in a museum, not a playground!”

They let out a frustrated sigh, as Mei walks up to them. “Meh, it’s fine. If they break anything, they’re gonna have to pay for it.” she chuckles.
The two walk together in silence for a while, much slower than the others. The girl turns to her childhood friend. “So, it’s been a while since you’ve last been here, huh?” she points out.

Rey nods. “Yeah, it feels so weird coming back. It’s almost like nothing’s changed.” they point out. Mei chuckles. “It does feel that way, doesn’t it?”

“….why didn’t you come back?” Mei asks suddenly, and Rey turns to her. “What?”

“After the incident…why didn’t you come to us? We would’ve taken you in.” she says. Rey rubs the back of their neck. “I, uh….wasn’t sure how your parents would react to me being…y'know. I didn’t want to bother you.” they say quietly. Mei tilts her head. “What do you mean? My parents would’ve understood your situation!” she insists. Rey shakes their head.

“It’s…it’s more complicated than that, Mei.”

Mei raises a brow. But Rey doesn’t even look in her direction, so she decided to just drop it. Maybe there was another reason for all of it. After all, in the time she knew the Lóng Fǎ family, they were very….controlling.

–

MK gasps as they reach the game room, noticing the pinball machine in the corner. “A pinball machine?! I’ve always wanted to try one of these!”
Chen shoves him aside. “Dibs! Move aside, Monkey boy!” he cackles, fiddling around with the knob. MK wasn’t having it, as he tries to push Chen aside. “Hey, no fair!”

Mei shakes her head, resting her hands behind her head. “Now this place is home. Alright, you guys boot up the old TV. I will go get some sn-n-nacks!” she calls out, already at the doorway. “Don’t break anything while I’m gone!”
She leaves the group alone, and MK, who held the pinball machine’s plunger while he fought Chen for the machine, scoffs. “Ha! “Don’t break anything while I’m gone!” Yeah, right.” he pulls on the plunger. It breaks in his hand, and he looks down at it in horror. “Nooooo!”

Chen quickly takes a step back. “MK! How could you break Mei’s pinball machine!”
“WHA- THIS IS YOUR FAULT TOO DON’T BE ALL “I’M INNOCENT” ABOUT IT!” MK yells, floundering about.

“So, uh…are we gonna fix it, or…?” Rey asks. Sandy pulls out a roll of tape from his pocket, holding it up. “Nothing a little tape won’t fix!” he smiles kindly. MK quickly takes the tape, placing it on the plunger and pinball machine. Sandy watches him anxiously. “Careful, careful!”

He takes a step back, and he, Sandy and Chen all sigh in relief as it stays in place. Chen grins. “Well, now that that’s fixed, why don’t we go turn that TV on, eh?” he says, elbowing Rey. “So, where abouts is it, since you know where it is.”
Before Rey could say anything, the entire pinball machine snaps in half.

“WHAT?!”
“We’re gonna need more tape!” Sandy exclaims.

Chen groans, placing his head in his hands. Rey gives him a reassuring pat on the back, as Sandy and MK get to work lifting the two halves of the pinball machine. “Chen! Help us tape it together!” MK strains, pulling out tape from his pocket. Chen goes to help his friends, while Rey moves toward the door. “I'll just uh, make sure Mei doesn’t come back before you’re done.” they chuckle, leaving.

Standing outside the room, they take a moment to look around. Roaming these familiar halls, they had a rush of nostalgia wash over them.
Running a hand through their dyed-pink hair, they let themselves relax, walking along the quiet halls of their childhood friend’s home.

Everything was the same, as if they had time travelled to the past. Rey walks along the familiar halls, getting lost in their daydreams.

–

“Come on, Mei!” A young Rey giggles, pulling a young Mei through the long halls of Mei’s home. The dragon pony girl follows behind, almost tripping on her long, fancy robes. “Wait up! These things are hard to run in!” she pouts, lifting up as much of the material as she could.
Young Rey sticks out their tongue. “Stop being a baby! I can run just fine!” they laugh.

Their laughter was interrupted when they run into a figure, almost knocking them off their feet. Mei stops in her tracks, looking up at Mr. Lóng Fǎ.
Rey hurriedly gets to their feet, standing straight up. “Sorry, father.” they apologise, looking to the ground. Their father scowls at them. “What have you two been told about running in these halls? You could break something.” he growls threateningly, eyes flashing gold. The two children dip their heads. “Sorry father.”
“Sorry sir.”

“I expected more from you, child.” Mr. Lóng Fǎ sneers at Rey, moving past the two children. Rey flinches when he places a firm hand on their shoulder as he passes by. “Behave yourselves. We wouldn’t want an accident.”

With that, he leaves them be, and Rey and Mei walk much, much more slowly through the hall, all laughter now gone.

–

Rey’s brows furrow. They and Mei hadn’t had fun like that for so long now, especially after the incident. They wonder if Mei’s family were still in touch with their parents?

They hoped not.

–

“APOLOGISE!”

The roar was dragon-like, as Mr. Lóng Fǎ squeezed Rey’s wrist tightly. Rey tried ripping their arm away from the grip, face scrunched up in pain. “Stop! You’re hurting me!” they yell out, trying to claw his hand off.

Mr. Lóng Fǎ snarls down at them. “You’ll apologise to us now. You owe that to us for these disgusting lies!” he screeches. His grip tightens, and at long last, Rey had had enough. Bringing back their free arm, they punch their so-called father.
The man reels back, holding his nose, as his wife gasps loudly. Rey holds their wrist, as Mrs. Lóng Fǎ helps her husband to his feet, completely ignoring how he was treating her child. “How could you do this to us?! We’re your parents!” she wails.

Rey growls, holding their injured wrist. “”How could I do this to you”!? You’re both hypocrites! What about me?! How could you hurt your own child?! I don’t owe you an apology for anything!” they yell back, tears streaming down their cheeks.

“I don’t care what you think of me anymore! I know who I am, and I’m proud of myself! I’m not going to apologise for that!”

Mr. Lóng Fǎ gets to his feet, and his wife takes a step back in shock as the man walks toward Rey. Rey felt unsafe. He was quiet, expression unreadable. This man before them was dangerous and unpredictable.

“You’re a disgrace.” the man growls, walking past Rey and toward the door. “You’ll never make it in this world without us. You know that, right?” he stands between the exit and them, and Rey tenses up, watching his every move. As the man starts walking back toward them, they quickly step back, keeping their distance.

“But if you apologise and forget about all this nonsense, maybe we could find it in our hearts to forgive you.” he smiles, and Rey felt sick to their stomach at how innocent it looked. “You’ve hurt us, my child. But we can help fix you.”

Rey had been backed into a corner now, and Rey realised too late until their back hit the wall. Looking back at Mr. Lóng Fǎ, the man reaches a hand toward them. “All you have to do is apologise. Is that too much to ask?” he gently places his hand on Rey’s head, and they freeze.

He was too close.

He was touching them.

“GET AWAY FROM ME!” Rey screeches, shoving Mr. Lóng Fǎ as far away as possible. The man stumbles, but catches himself. He has a dangerous, dark look in his eye as he glares at Rey, all calmness gone.

Rey had already booked it toward the door, pushing it open as they run into the night. They were shaking, breathing heavily as they pushed on into the darkness. Their fathers angry yells could be heard behind them, but they didn’t dare look back.

They had to leave. They had to get away.

And so Rey ran.

– – –

The true reason they didn’t want to go to Mei’s family was because they were scared. They were scared they’d contact Mr and Mrs. Lóng Fǎ, or that they’d be on THEIR side.
Mei was their friend, and they loved her. But back then they were scared.

But it was different now. Surely, Mei’s parents would understand, right?

A boom disturbs them, and they pause, looking around. Nothing seemed out of place. Shaking their head, they continue walking, but are again interrupted by another boom.
“That can’t be good.”

–

Chen, Sandy and MK look at the broken pinball machine, desperately being held together by tape. It collapses, and Chen lets out a loud groan. “OH COME ON!”
Sandy places a hand on his shoulder. “Remember what we talked about? Deep breaths.” he says. Chen takes in a deep breath and holds it, before letting it out in a heavy sigh. “It’s fine, this is fine. This. Is. Fine.” Chen closes his eyes, breathing again as he says, much more quietly in a deadpan voice. “I am sorry for getting angry.”
Sandy smiles. “It’s alright. But hey, you’re getting better! You didn’t start swearing, so I call that progress!”

Reaching into his pocket, Chen pulls out the roll of tape. “So are we gonna try again?”
MK shakes his head with a sigh. “No,no, I broke it. Part of being a hero is owning up to your mistakes.” he says dramatically. “Wish me luck.”

“Good luck!” Chen says. “Gee, I’m sure glad I didn’t break it.” he chuckles. Feeling someone place a hand on his shoulder, he looks up to see Sandy looking down at him with disappointment. Chen gulps, quickly looking away. But he could still see Sandy’s staring at him. That judgmental gaze, full of disappointment….

“Ugh, fine! Fine. I’ll “own up to my mistakes” too…” he grumbles, following MK while muttering nonsense under his breath. Sandy gives a nod of approval as he follows behind the two boys.

The boys move slowly through the halls, finding Mei in the room they had entered from. MK rubs his arm. “So, um, Mei, you know that really cool-”

‘WHOA MEI WHAT HAPPENED?!” Chen asks, pointing at the hole in the wall where the doors were supposed to be, and the broken artefacts scattering the floor.
Rey enters the room too, finally finding the source of the noises they heard. They look around, speechless.

“Guys! Someone tried to steal the Dragon Sword. I stopped them with this! The Dragon Sword!” Mei exclaims, holding the sword up excitedly. MK gasps. “Whoa, the Dragon Sword! That’s-” Sandy clears his throat, and MK, realising what they were there for, sighs. “Mei, I’m really glad you stopped them, but we have a confession to make.” he says, gesturing to Chen and himself. “We accidentally…”

Mei looks at him expectantly. “Accidentally what?”

Chen and MK shoot each other a glance. They couldn't just drop the news they’d broken one of her machines after she just saved a precious family heirloom. Plus they didn’t want to get in trouble, so….

“Accidentally….didn’t realise what was happening!” Chen finishes with a chuckle. MK nods. “Yeah! Yeah! Wow, that thing’s amazing!” he adds, taking a closer look at the sword.

“Ahem.”

Everyone quickly turn to see two figures standing in the broken doorway, glaring at them. Mei gasps, quickly hiding the sword. “Mom! Dad! You’re back.” she smiles nervously. Her mother nods, looking around at the mess she made. We were on our way when we realised somebody forgot our luggage.” she explains, shooting her husband a look.

MK leans over to Sandy. “Um, Sandy, were you kind of expecting Mei’s parents to be literally two, big, scary dragons?” he asks.
“Um, no.” Sandy looks away, clear to everyone that yes, he did.

As Mei explains to her parents and apologises, Rey steps out from behind the broken pillar, standing awkwardly beside Chen. The young man turns to them with a raised brow. “Where were you?” he asks. Rey shrugs. “Oh, just taking a stroll.” they explain.
Mei’s parents are now embracing her, and MK joins in the hug too. Chen flinches when he overhears that the pinball machine they broke was an irreplaceable object, and both he and MK share a nervous look.

When they part, Mei’s parents turn to Rey, who tenses up under their gaze. They wave nervously as they approach. “U-um, hi, Mr and Mrs Dragon…” they greet. “Uh…long time no see?”
“Yes, it has been quite a while, uh…Rey, wasn’t it?” Mr Dragon asks with a questionable look. Rey nods. “Y-yes, sir.”

Mrs Dragon smiles warmly at them. “It’s been too long, Rey. Welcome back. You must come back to visit while we’re home next time.” she insists. “But right now, my husband and I must get going. Have fun tonight, children.” she says, as she and her husband grab their luggage and go*.

Mei playfully punches Rey’s shoulder. “Alright! Welcome back, Rey!” she grins. Slinging her new sword over her shoulder, she lets out a sigh. “I think tonight is going to be awesome.” she concludes. Sandy, Chen and MK share a glance, thinking about the still broken pinball machine in the game room, and they quietly retreat.

Rey smiles at Mei’s words, cheeks warm. “Yeah, I think so too.”

They are going to be okay. They are safe.

 

– – –

A/N: Oh what's this? Rey has traumatic backstory?? Who would’ve guessed! (Literally anyone who's read my other stories lmao)
*the luggage: *appears out of thin air*
Yeah, this wasn’t a fav chapter to write eufdyasj i have no clue what im doing. I hope it at least makes a LITTLE sense.

FOR CLARIFICATION NO I DON’T SHIP ANY OF MY CHARACTERS WITH CANON! Though, there will be one that WAS implied in the past, but nothing more than that unless I change my mind in the future.

By the time I update this, I’ll have watched s4 of Monkie Kid and ya’ll….YA’LL

Edit: How do you do the italics on here??

Chapter 9: Who Are You?

Chen yawns, stretching as he walks down the darkening streets. He’d just finished training with MK and Monkey King, the Sage being full on in his training.
As he passes by a particularly dark alley, he hears a voice from the darkness.

“Find the Chief of War.”

Chen pauses, looking into the darkness. There was a figure hunched over on top of one of the garbage bins, the glow of a device screen lighting their features. They had green, scaly skin and messy grey hair, and bright red eyes that glared down at the device they were holding.

“Find the Chief of War!” They hiss angrily, holding the screen closer to his face. The device, which Chen could now make out to be a GPS, beeps. At this, the snake demon groans, exasperated.
Chen slowly makes his way closer to the demon, hiding behind the dumpster. But he must’ve made a noise, for the snake demon quickly snapped his head in the young man's direction.

“Come out. I can smell you.”

Chen steps out, looking at the demon warily. Taking a better look at him, the demon's eyes widen. “Oh boy, it’s you again.” he mutters nervously, getting up from the dumpster. “Ta ta! Take care! And goodbye forever.”
He jumps onto a high, overhanging balcony in the alley way, and Chen looks up at him, rushing to the ladder. “Hey- wait! Who are you?” he yells, as he climbs.

The demon, now walking up the side of the wall, quickens his pace. “Just ignore it, just ignore it….” he whispers under his breath. Chen scowls as he continues climbing up the ladders, reaching the rooftop as the demon prepares to jump to the next building. “Get back here! What’s your deal?!” he yells.

The demon glances over his shoulder briefly, and realising he was about to jump, Chen blurts out. “I can help you! I just want to know who you are!”

The demon pauses, taking in a deep breath before turning to face him with an annoyed smile. “Thank you, young man, for your concern. But! I don’t need help. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be looking for my…colleague, that lives…that way!” he points in a random direction. Chen follows his finger, seeing that he was just pointing straight into a billboard sign. He raises a brow. “Uh huh, sure. But I still want my answers. I helped get you out of that box, right? Who are you, and why were you there in the first place?”

The demon looks down at the street below him, weighing his options. Chen glares at him. “If you tell me, I’ll leave you alone.”.
The snake looks back at the young man, then down at the street below him, thinking. Letting out a sigh, he perches on the rooftop ledge. “Okay…you promise that you’ll leave me alone?” he asks quietly. Chen rolls his eyes. “Yeah, sure. What’s your name?”

“My name? Uh….Jade. My name is Jade.” the demon replies, scratching his neck. Chen hums. “Alright…why were you in that box?” he interrogates.
Jade looks at the ground. “Well I, uh….wasn’t exactly working well for the Jade Emperor. Thought I wasn’t good enough, so he locked me in that box as punishment.” he said. At that, Chen looks at him in concern. “What?”

“I don’t like talking about it.” the snake interrupts, and Chen shuts his mouth. “I don’t know how you opened my box, either. So I don’t know what happened there.” he stands back up. “Are you done with your questions? I need to find my colleague.” he points out, turning away from the young man as they pull out the GPS once more.

Chen is silent, staring at the demon before him. He felt…both suspicious with how compliant they were, and yet he also felt bad for him. It truly felt like this demon just wanted to be left in peace. He looks away. “Uh, alright. Thank you. It’s just…the knowledge that I let you out without knowing who or what you were has been bothering me.” he explained. “I thought you were this dangerous demon that had been in there because you tried taking over the world or something.” he laughs at his own worries.
The demon hums, not turning to face him as they give the GPS a hard and furious tap. “That’s understandable. There are plenty of those around.”

“You know, if you’re looking for someone, you can go to the police station. It’s not far from here, and I think they’ll be more successful in finding a person than a device that has no idea what you’re saying.” he explains. Jade glances over his shoulder at the young man, who’d started descending the ladder.

Once the young man was out of sight, he glares back down at the device in his hands, hissing under his breath. “That merchant lied!”

Just like he did.

 

– – –

A/N: Do ya’ll think that John Leguizman (guy who voices Bruno Encanto) would be a good voice for Jade?

Chapter 10: Noodles Or Death

Rey smashes the buttons on their controller, opposing Mei in a game of Monkey Mech. Sandy and Chen sat next to them, both drinking tea the larger man had made as they watched them.
They were inside the Sea-Crate HQ, bored out of their minds.

"Hey, do you think it's weird that we don't spend time in the Sea-Crate Base? Like, we haven't been down here for weeks." Sandy points out. The kids all think about it. "Huh, I think you're right." Chen mutters, taking a sip of his tea.
"Yeah, and if you think about it, do we even need to be down here right now?" Mei wonders, beating Rey in Monkie Mech. "Haha, yes!"

"Noooo..."

At that moment, MK bursts into the Sea-Crate HQ, panicking. "GUYS! PIGSY'S MISSING!" he yells out. Chen raises a brow questioningly at this, as Mei scoffs. "Missing? What do you mean he's missing?"
"Care to explain how you came to that conclusion?"

"I mean he didn't open the shop this morning!" MK points out. At that, Rey, Mei and Sandy all gasp dramatically. "But he's never not opened his shop before!" Sandy cries.
"He's been pig-napped!"
"I immediately fear the worst!"

"You guys are idiots." Chen rolls his eyes, pulling MK into the seat next to him. "He probably just went shopping or something."
"Still, it wouldn't hurt if we went and checked, right?" Rey suggests. "Just to make sure he is safe."

Chen shrugs, putting his cup of tea down. "Fine, fine. If it'll ease your nerves. Let's head to the market to see if he's there-" he gets to his feet, when Mei cuts him off. "There he is!" she exclaims, pointing to her computer.
The gang all crowd around her computer, seeing a recording of Pigsy at the market. Mk gasps. "Hey that's Pigsy! Oh phew, he just went shopping."
Chen whacks the back of his head. "See? I told you, Monkey brain."

"Who's filming this?" Sandy questions. The camera pans down, and there's a bowl of noodles being held in the hands of the camera man. "It's Tang! Oh, I realise now, Tang is also missing." MK concludes. Chen face palms, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Wait, how is he filming this? There's no way he could conveniently be recording going shopping with Pigsy." Rey says, turning to Mei. The dragon girl waves them off. "I attached cameras to all of you guys a while back. Not so creepy now, is it?" she asks smugly.
"It's a little creepy." MK points out.
"Take away little. That's SUPER creepy, Mei!"

Sandy, who was the only one watching the screen, hums in thought. "Aw, she seems nice." the rest of the gang all turn to look at the recording, seeing that Pigsy and Tang were walking into a dark and secluded stand where a woman smiles at them menacingly. "Maybe they're fine."

All of a sudden, the floor beneath Pigsy and Tang collapses, and the two fall down a large hole. Above them, the woman cackles maniacally. The gang watching the footage freak out.
"Scary nightmare hole! What happened?"

Mei rewinds the video. "It looks like... is that?" she pauses at the part where they see the woman for the first time. Chen, now concerned for his father's safety, orders her to zoom in.
Once the picture clears, they could see that the woman was now wearing some type of large, mechanical spider suit. "What the heck is that?!"

"Uh, Spider Demon?!" MK gags. "Come on! No, ew, yuck, I hate spiders! Hate, hate, hate! With their eyes, and feet, and furry butts!" he shivers at just the thought. Chen growls, placing his cup down firmly on the table. "That spider just messed with the wrong family."

"Okay, a Spider Demon's got our friends. You know what that means?" Sandy asks, placing his hands firmly on the young man's shoulders, who was staring daggers into the screen.
Mei grins, bringing out her sword. "It's time for...Operation: Rescue Tang and Pigsy from the Nightmare Hole!"

Tha gang prepare themselves for the rescue mission. Getting into Sandy's speedboat, they leave the base. Sandy turns to Mei. "Where to?"
Mei pulls out her phone, nearly dropping it in the process. "Across town!"
With that, the group were off to save their friends, using the speed boat to travel down the streets of Megapolis.

– – –
Travelling at high speeds in Sandy's speedboat, they rush to the place that the camera had last recorded Pigsy and Tang going missing.
Mei points ahead, seeing the shabby old stand amidst the other fruit stalls. "Dead ahead!"

Rey hangs onto Chen tightly, the only one concerned with how fast they were going in a place that wasn't built for boats. "Uh...sh-shouldn't we slow down?" they question. Chen laughs. "Slow down? I think we should speed UP!" he shouts. "It's time to kick this Spider Demon's butt!"

Sandy crashes through the stand, entering the tunnel that leads to their missing friends. "Rescue Mission!"

– – –

A few minutes later, Sandy, Mei, Chen and Rey all look up at MK trying to get out of the dangling speedboat trapped in webbing. As Mei talks to Sandy, Chen looks around the room. It looked like some sort of ruin, but it was covered in spider webbing. Rey shivers next to him. "I-I thought spiders were cute before now. But being surrounded by so many makes me feel uncomfortable, like there are some crawling up my back." they turn around, and Chen could see that there were indeed several climbing up his friend's back. Chen cringes. "Uh huh...."

MK screams, "SPIDER DEMON!" and Chen whips around, ready for a fight. But when he sees a tiny spider on the young man's head, he face-palms.
Mei blows the spider off of him. "MK, it's just a little baby spider." she explains. Rey starts screaming too, and Sandy, Mei and Mk all turn to them. "GET EM OFF GET EM OFF!" they shout, trying to wipe the spiders of themselves.

Chen groans, picking up Rey with ease and shaking them, knocking the spiders off. "Come on, we don't have time for this! We have to find my dads before that Spider Demon tries to have them for super!" he says, putting Rey back on the ground. They stumble a little, feeling dizzy, and Mei helps them stand straight. "MK, use that gold vision thingy and see if you can see a path or something."

MK nods. "Oh, yeah! I'll use my super sight of truth to find our friends in this place of nightmares!" he says confidently. His eyes glow, and he looks around for a moment, concentrating. Chen crosses his arms. "So? What do you see?"
"EW! EW! This place is full of webs and horror! We're never gonna get through all this!" he cries. Chen shakes his head. Seeing this, MK turns to him. "Oh, well if you're so great, why don't you punch a hole through the wall with your super strength?" he points out angrily. Chen glares at him. "I would, if I knew how to control it, Monkey brain." he growls. Their heads clash. "I thought that was obvious already."

Mei places a hand on both the boys shoulders, calming them down. "Look, I realise how stressed you both are, but don't worry, we got this! As long as we work as a team, and not fight each other, we can do this!" she says confidently. "Now, if you'll allow me..." she grabs her sword, and blasts a hole through the wall, letting the others go through. "You're welcome~"

The gang all step through, prepared to face whatever was inside. They look around, and Sandy and Rey point to a nearby pillar. "Look!"
"Pigsy! Tangy!"

The two men were trapped in webbing, the chef having it all over his mouth to prevent him from talking. Tangy peers over his shoulder, spotting the gang. He opens his mouth to say something, when Rey lets out a scream. The group quickly look around to find them gone. "Rey!?"

Something shoots out and grabs Sandy, then Mei. They're pulled toward the ceiling, disappearing from view, and Mei's sword falls back to the ground. MK and Chen stand back to back, looking all around them for any attackers.
Some sticky wraps itself around Chen's arm, and pulls. He's quick to grab onto the closest object, which turned out to be a pole of some sort. As he approaches the ceiling, he swings the metal pole through the webbing trapping his arm. It snaps, and he falls to the ground, landing hard on his back. He groans in pain, as MK helps him back up. "Chen! Are you okay?!"
"Yeah...yeah I'm fine." he mutters, holding the pole as a weapon. The two look around, MK whimpering.

Rey, Sandy, Mei and Mo had reappeared next to Pigsy and Tang, also trapped in webbing. Hearing something behind them, the two quickly turn to see the spider demon. She chuckles. "Don't tell me you're scared of spiders?"
"KIDS! RUN!" Pigsy shouts. MK and Chen quickly retreat, the Spider Queen chasing them with a cackle.

As they ran, the two could hear the Spider Queen cackling, the sound of her laughter coming from all around them. Chen stops, and MK halts. "Chen?! What are you doing?!"
"I'm not running from some demon! Come out, and we'll fight fair and square!" he shouts into the darkness. Glancing over his shoulder, he says in a much quieter voice. "I'll distract her. You go back and help the others escape."

MK was about to say something, but the sound of mechanical parts moving stopped him, and he quivers. He runs around a rock, out of Chen's view.

Chen stands out in the open, looking all around him for any sign of the Spider Demon. "Come on, demon. It's just me and you, one on one!" he shouts, baiting her. He has a cocky grin on his face, when he notices a pair of green eyes staring at him from the darkness "Unless you're scared?"

The Spider Queen laughs, and she emerges from the darkness behind him, the opposite area from where Chen saw the eyes. He whips around, glaring at the demon towering over him. "Me? Scared of you? You're confused." she chuckles, circling him. "A little boy like you is no match against me." she grins, leaning in close. Chen steps back, holding the pole like a spear. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to beat you." he smirks.

At that, the Spider Queen bursts into laughter. "Oh, you're a funny one. It'll be such a shame when I eat you for dessert." At that, the Spider Queen lunges one of her legs at him. Chen dodges, charging toward her. Using the pole to launch himself, he lifts off the ground, aiming a kick at the Spider Queen. The demon quickly used one of her other legs to block his kick.
Swinging his pole as webbing shoots out, and he lands back on the ground, already in a battle stance. Letting out a battle cry, he swings the pole at a leg.

This was a bad idea, as the pole did nothing against the Spider Queen's mech. In one swift motion the pole was knocked out of his grasp, and Chen was defenceless as webbing wraps around his body, trapping him. He wriggled around, trying to free himself but it was no use.
The demon laughs as she approaches him. "Did you really think you could stand a chance against me? I've had YEARS of fighting experience. And you? You've haven't been around for a fraction of that." she leans towards him, grabbing his face and giving it a turn. He growls at the touch, and she hums in thought. "But I gotta hand it to you, boy. You got spunk! I could use someone like you in my army. What do you say? Wanna ditch those mortals and join me? You'll get all the power you desire." she bargains, letting his face go.

Chen scowls up at her. "How about you take that pole and shove it up your-" webbing shoots out once more, shutting him up as it covers his mouth. The Spider Queen tsks as she shakes her head. "That's a shame, really." she says, as she lowers another bundle of webbing from the ceiling. "But I guess you can't have everything."
Chen's eyes widened, seeing that MK was the one trapped in the webbing. He shouts out, but his yells are muffled by the webs. "MMPH?!" MK wriggles around in his web cocoon. "SHE SNUCK UP ON ME, OKAY?!" he whimpers out.

Spider Queen chuckles. "You thought you could outsmart little ol' me? Big mistake. Now you." she turns to MK, plucking out some of his hair. "You, Monkey kid, are my ticket back to the throne. All that power Monkey King gave you. After I made my dinner, it's all gonna be my power." she cackles.
MK whimpers, and Chen strains against the webbing. The webbing starts to rip, and the Spider Queen looks around just in time to see Chen break free from his prison with a yell, eyes glowing a bright green. "Leave him alone!" he yells, charging at her. The Spider Queen's eyes widen, and she lifts a mechanical spider leg to block it.

This time, though, Chen leaps over the mechanical part, drawing his fist back. He makes contact with the spider demon's chest, and the queen lets out a shriek as she's thrown to the other side of the room, crashing into a pile of rubble.
Chen stands there, tense, breathing heavily. After a few seconds, the glow in his eyes fade, and he looks down at his hands. "What...the...."

"HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!" MK shouts from his webbing. Chen turns to him sluggishly. He felt weak, like he'd just run a marathon or something. Rubbing his head, he hisses in pain at the headache starting to form. "I...i don't know..." he mutters.
MK hums. "Okay, far enough. But, uh, could you get me out of here? Pretty please? I think I'm about to have a panic attack." he says with a nervous laugh.

Chen starts to climb the rubble toward him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." he says, pushing through the sudden sense of nausea. Reaching MK, he starts to pull the webbing off the young man. MK thanks him gratefully, as the last piece of webbing snaps. The two climb down the rubble, and MK grabs his staff he'd dropped. "Are you okay?"
"Yep. Just fine."

The rubble on the other side of the room moves, and the two tense up when they spot the Spider Queen climbing from the wreckage. "You brat! You'll pay for that!" she shrieks, as she towers over the two. Chen grins. "A lot of people like to say that, don't they? So you're back for more, princess?" MK elbows him hard.

At that, the Spider Queen growls, raising a mechanical leg to crush the two young men. Suddenly, someone shouts from behind them. "Hey you, bug lady!"
"Here comes Monkie Kid's...friends!"
"That's right, we got a catch phrase too!" Pigsy says. The spider demon turns to them, eyes full of fury. Pigsy and the gang were there with the speedboat, staring her down. "You lot are terrible guests." she spat. While her back is turned, Chen and MK slowly start to back away.

"You were gonna eat my best friends! And also these guys!" Mei shoots back, pointing to Pigsy and Tang. "Well, now you're gonna eat this!" with that, she presses one of the speedboats buttons, and a giant laser is activated. "Rey, fire!"
Rey uses the laser to distract the Spider Queen. "Guys, it's time to go!"

Chen and MK make a dash for the boat, but are stopped by the spider demon. She tries crushing them with her mech, which the two boys dodge. MK is pinned by his jacket from one of the mechanical spider legs. "Get off me!" he shrieks out.
Chen pulls MK away, ripping his jacket in the process.

The ground starts to crumble, and the trio pause at the sound. All at once, the ground beneath them collapses, and they and the spider demon begin to fall. The Spider Queen catches herself, but the whole ground collapses, and the group scream as they all fall down.

Sandy looks down, noticing a stream at the bottom. His eyes light up. "Water adventure? It's a water adventure!" he cries out in glee. Yanking everyone from the air, he places them into the falling speedboat.
The boat hits the water, and Sandy guides the boat through the sewer system toward a pipe with bars on it. Pigsy points it out, but the blue man ignores him.
The boat bursts through the bars, landing in the ocean.

Everyone groans, finally safe from the Spider demon. They all look up at the setting sun, glad to be out of the Nightmare Hole.
"Well, Operation Rescue Tang and PIgsy was a success." Rey laughs. "But, uh....please don't invite me again. I didn't realise the adventures were this full on...."

Mei laughs, patting them on the back. "Welcome to the gang, Rey. Anyway, at least we won't have to deal with her again." she says. "Right?"
"Mei, that wasn't very comforting!"

"Aw, my favourite jacket!" MK pouts, holding his jacket. Chen rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry about that, MK. And sorry that I got so angry at you when the boat got stuck."
MK shrugs, folding up his jacket. "It's okay. I can get it fixed! Just glad we're all okay!" he points out. "But we gotta talk about that sudden power up! That was awesome! You kicked that spider demons butt in one punch! You were like Leave him alone! And then you broke out of your webs and you were all like, wa-pow!" he makes a motion with his hand. "And she was all like AAAAH!"

Everyone sits down to listen while Sandy guides the boat back to the harbour. "And your eyes were all glowy, and it was just so cool!" MK takes a deep breath. Mei gasps. "Oh my gosh, I gotta look at the footage!" she declares, pulling out her phone. Rey laughs nervously. "Oh, right. You put cameras on all of us..." they say. "That's a great thing to know."

The group all chatter about their adventure and what they went through, as they make their way through the ocean waters back to Sandy's boat.

– – –

Underneath the city of Megapolis in Spider Queens lair, the spider demon crawls through the rubble. She cackles as she stands over a boiling pot, fist clenched tightly around something. "They think they've won?"
She opens her palm, revealing a few strands of MK's hair. She drops them into the pot, the liquid turning from green to gold.

"The game is just beginning!"

 

– — –

A/N: Mei: Did you call Tang your dad?
Chen: No, I just called Pigsy dad.
Mei: Buuuut you said "dads"
Chen: You misheard

Also Rey probably fixed MK's jacket for him. Idk lmao

Spider queen: you got spunk!
You guys: haha, she said c-
Me, an ace: *grabs ur mouth* SHUT!

Chapter 11: The Great Wall Race

"Once a year, this city becomes more than a city." A voice says. Engines roar in the background, as race cars rev their engines. "Once a year, these streets...." The camera pans through Megapolis, showing off the track. "Become more than just streets. This year...the winner will become...immortal!" the commentator shouts, as the camera shows off a giant trophy as the Peach of Immortality.

Mei and MK gasp as they watch the TV, eyes sparkling and practically vibrating with excitement. "A Peach of Immortality!" MK squeals. Pigsy and Chen were watching the news in the background behind the two. "Uh, Peach of what now?" Pigsy questions, crossing his arms. Chen unconsciously mimics, shaking his head at his naive father's question. "Oh no, Pops. You just set the nerds off." he cackles, almost in pity as he slides away from his father.

Mei and MK gasp dramatically, offended that the chef didn't know what the Peach of Immortality was. They start ranting, fumbling over their words as they scold him for not knowing what the peach was.
Tang clears his throat, quieting down the youngsters. "If you'll allow me." He pulls out a book, fixing up his glasses to make himself look more wise and mystical. Chen just rolls his eyes, shaking his head with a small smile. How did he become friends with these dorks again?
"Legend says there is a sacred field of trees which grows in the Heavenly Realm, protected by the gods themselves." he explains. "Every few thousand years, these trees bring forth the Peaches of Immortality. Against the wishes of the Heavenly Host, the Monkey King took them all, making himself immortal!" Tang finishes, showing Pigsy the book. 

Pigsy holds up his hands. "Hold up. I thought Monkey King was already immortal." he says. Mei shakes her head. "Piggy, you're missing the point! Whoever wins this race will...."

– – –

"Live forever!" Red Son claims excitedly, as he holds out a poster for the Great Wall Race to his parents. Seeing that they weren't even paying attention, he turns to them with a glare. "A-Are you two even listening?!" he sputters angrily, the tips of his hair burning.
His father didn't even look his way. Princess Ironfan looks up from checking her nails, raising a bored brow at her son's ranting. "Uh...something about peaches?"
Red Son growls, and his mother rolls her eyes at his behaviour.

"Look, your schemes are quaint, but I never much cared for stone fruit." she explains, hovering toward him. The red-haired demon stares at her in disbelief. Was she being serious?! "But...the peaches are powerful!" he exclaims, holding up the poster once more.

"Like the Weather Station was powerful?" Ironfan cuts her son off, turning to him with a sharp glare. He shuts up, expression dark as he looks toward the ground.
"Why don't you just run along, hmm? Can't you see mommy and daddy have important business with an ancient power source." she gestures to the Bull clones mining away, as her husband watches over their work silently. She turns to join him by his side, completely ignoring the red-headed demon.

Red Son growls, scowling at his parents. "Fine!" he spat. His father turns to face him at his outburst. "You two stay here in your hole digging your "mysterious power source". Ugh, I am going to win the race, and when I get that peach, I'm not sharing!" with that, he storms out, leaving his two parents alone with their work.

DBK growls menacingly, watching him leave. "Foolish boy." he mutters. "If I were to race, I would crush him!"
Princess Ironfan hums in thought. "It would be wrong of us to shatter our son's ambitions. That's far too cruel! Even for demons." she jokes. At that, the two laugh devilishly.

– – –

"This is huge! Those other racers won't even stand a chance!" MK says excitedly. He was watching Mei and Chen clean their bikes, preparing for the race. Chen had the black bike with red and gold stripes that he (stole) BORROWED from the Sea-Crate HQ.
Every few minutes, he and Mei would shoot each other a competitive look, both determined to win this race.

Mei grins at Mk's comment, holding a cloth in her hand. "Right? I know the track like the back of my hand! The back alleys, the front alleys, the sideway alleys. All the alleys! I was made for this!"
"You're talking like you're the only one that knows these streets." Chen points out, not even looking over his shoulder. Mei throws her towel at him, and it hits the young man in the back of the head. "Hey!"
MK grins confidently, running a hand through his hair. "Yep! I'm totally gonna win this thing." He says matter of factly.

At his words, Mei and Chen turn to him, confused. "Wait, what?"
"You're not racing." Mei points out, walking toward him. Chen nods, glaring down at the young man. "We're racing, MK. You've been watching us train for months!"
"This shouldn't be a surprise for you!" Mei exclaims. MK looks at them, eyes widening slightly. "Oh, yeah, uh, I just thought you guys were doing that stuff for me." he says, smiling sheepishly.
At this, the two glare down at him menacingly, and he back pedals. "But upon reflection, that doesn't make much sense."

Mei growls, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How would you even- ugh! There is no way you'd beat me!" she states with a huff. Chen turns to her, a smirk on his face now. "Sorry to disappoint you, Mei, but your future champion is standing right in front of you." he says smugly, gestruing to himself.
Mei glares at him, fuming at his cockiness. "You're gonna eat those words when I beat you."

"Uh, I could beat both of you!" MK points out, feeling left out of the conversation. "I'm a delivery boy, pretty sure I know how to drive real good." he states, pushing himself between them to get there attention. Chen laughs, wiping a tear from his eye. "Are you forgetting who you work with, Monkey brain? Mei and I know how to get through these streets with both speed and accuracy. We're the better drivers here!"
"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that!" MK shoots back, and the two butt heads.

At that moment, Tang leaves Pigsy's Noodles with a flag for both Mei and Chen. The trio quickly approach him. "Mr. Tang, who's the better driver? Mei, Chen or me?" MK asks, leaning on one of his shoulders. Mei leans on his other shoulder, grinning. MK notices the flags he has, and gasps dramatically, offended that Tang had no faith in him.
The man looks between the three kids awkwardly. "This is very uncomfortable." he mutters, running away from the trio. MK grumbles, cheeks tinted red. "Whatever! I'm absolutely gonna win!"

Mei yells out in exasperation, getting annoyed now. "How? You know you need a vehicle to race, right?" she points out the obvious. MK laughs, a plan forming in his mind. "Oh, I've got a vehicle." he replies, rubbing his hands together excitedly. Chen rolls his eyes, finding Mk's confidence amusing. "This is gonna be good."

– – –

A commentator clears his throat, looking down at the start of the racing line. "We're now just minutes away from the start of the race as the drivers make their final preparations!"

Mei and Chen sit on their respective bikes. The young man was wearing a suit similar to his bike's colours, with a pattern of golden flames on his sleeve. A black helmet sat on his lap, as he ties his hair into a ponytail.
As they wait for the race to start, a loud crash sounds out, and a tuk-tuk lands beside them. MK smiles as he turns to face them. "Oh, hi guys. Didn't see you there." he says smugly, leaning on his vehicle.
Mei and Chen give him a look, as the young girl rolls her eyes. "You're really gonna do this? You're really gonna try and race me?"

"Yeah! And so are we!" the trio turn to the new and unfamiliar voice. Chen sees that there are two (unknown to him) demons sitting in their own race car. "Monkie Kid! It's your worst enemies, Jin!"
"And Yin!"
"The Gold and Silver Demons!" they say together. Chen places his helmet on, ignoring the two demons all together.

Mei growls. "You don't even know the track!" she yells. MK scoffs, leaning through his window. "I got Monkey King powers! I think I'll be fine!" he shoots back. Chen cackles at his boldness. "You'll be fine powder when we crush you and win the race." he exclaims. MK turns to him angrily, but before he could say anything, another voice groans.

"Can you peasants be quiet?! I'm trying to get in the zone!" Red Son shouts from his racecar. Chen whips around, glaring at him. "What the heck are you doing here, Flame head!?" he points accusingly. Red Son laughs. "I'm here to win the race and become immortal!" he exclaims with a grin, revving his engine to drive the point home. Chen deadpans, staring at the red-haired demon. "Hate to break it to you, princess, but I'M gonna win this race."
"No you're not! I am!" MK points out.

The ground shakes, and a huge dump truck arrives at the track, scaring the other competitors off. DBK and Princess Ironfan sat in the driver's seat, wicked grins on their faces.
Chen looks up at the large vehicle. It was large, and wouldn't be able to make turns easily. He smirks. This was going to be a piece of cake.

Yin's voice speaks through the microphone, the two demons now gone from the starting line. "Oh! It looks like we've got some last minute scratches as DBK and Ironfan join the race!"
"Yeah, and totally unrelated, we're the new commentators!" Jin adds. "And to spice things up, we've gone ahead and altered the race track!" he cackles. Mei, Chen and MK look up at the screen in shock. "What?!"

"That's right! Here's your start line. Here's your finish line. Get there any way you like!" Yin says, showing the racers a map of the non existent track. "On your marks!"

"Hold on!" Mei freaks out, her grip on her bike handles tightening.

"Get set!"

"Wait, what?!" Red Son starts to panic.

"GO!"

DBK races pass the rest, knocking them over. Princess Ironfan laughs. "Sorry darling! We'll meet you at the finish line!" she cackles, accelerating the truck. MK, who was close behind her, grins at his friends. "Yeah! I'll see you at the finish line!" he mimics in a high-pitched voice, laughing hysterically.
Chen growls, straightening up his bike. "Oh you're DEAD MK!" he shouts, speeding after the disappearing tuk-tuk and truck.

He reaches DBK's truck and MK, taking over them both easily. He stays in front, until Mei comes up from behind, speeding pass him.

–

"And it's become immediately apparent that some drivers are better than others." Yin points out, gesturing to MK's terrible driving. Jin nods, taking a sip of his hot beverage as they watch the race.

–

Chen glares at the young girl, about to accelerate when MK bumps him from behind, almost throwing him off. He turns to shout at him, lifting up the visor. "MK!"
"Sorry! Didn't see you there!" he says apologetically, straightening up his vehicle.

"But I did!" Red Son cackles, driving dangerously close next to Chen and almost knocking him over. Chen slows down, and everyone is able to speed away from him. "See you later, Rat!" the red-haired demon laughs, disappearing from view. Chen growls, pulling off his helmet and throwing it away in a rage. "Stupid helmet with its stupid blind spots!" he shouts through gritted teeth, speeding after Red Son and the others.

He reaches the dump truck first, and he pulls up on its right, his hair miraculously still in its ponytail as it whips back and forth in the wind. He turns to the driver, DBK, giving him a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. He could see Princess Iron Fan was next to the large demon bull, and she turns to Chen with a scowl.
However, her scowl quickly changes to one of shock. Her eyes widen, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes in recognition. "Niú fēng?" she whispers, cupping a hand over her mouth.
Chen raises a brow, confused. What did she just call him? Was that supposed to be an insult? Shaking his head he speeds off, leaving the couple behind.

Princess Ironfan watches him go for a moment, before looking away. She tries hard not to cry, as she places a gentle hand on her husband. "Love..."
DBK looks down at his wife, concerned for her. "Yes? What's wrong?" he asks, noticing the tears starting to spill down her cheeks. Princess Ironfan's shoulders begin to shake, and she swallows the lump in her throat long enough to speak. "I....I just want to leave....please, my love..." she whispers.

DBK doesn't hesitate. Slamming his foot on the pedal, he speeds up the truck at an upcoming turn, crashing through the barrier and driving right through the mountain. Everyone gasps and "Oohs" at the sight, as DBK and his wife disappear from the race.

–

"Ooh! DBK and Princess Ironfan are out of the race! And the Missus does NOT look happy!" Jin points out. He covers the microphone as he turns to his brother. "Seriously, is she alrigh'?" he says in a whisper. His brother shrugs, just as confused as his sibling.

–

Meanwhile, inside Pigsy's Noodles, Pigsy and Tang, who were watching the entire race, stare at the screen. Pigsy is wringing his hands, watching the race anxiously.
Tang turns to Pigsy, noticing his distressed expression. "Is something wrong?" he asks. Pigsy shrugs. "It's...it's nothing. I think." he hesitates, not looking Tang's way.
The racing camera was fixated on Chen at the moment, who was looking over his shoulder at Ironfan and DBK's abrupt exit.

Tang's brows furrow. "Are you gonna tell him where he actually came from?" he asks, gesturing to Chen racing on the TV. "Maybe there's more to his history than we realised, and Princess Ironfan might know something-"

"No! No, not yet. Th-there's already so much on the kids plate at the moment. I don't want to bother him with that just yet." he mutters, looking down at his hands. 

He was lying. He just didn't want to lose him.

Tang sighs. "He's not a little kid anymore, Pigsy. He's a grown adult with his own life. When are you planning to tell him?" he queries. Pigsy stares at the screen, not meeting his eyes.

"...soon." he finally spoke, in a tone suggesting he was done talking about the subject.
Tang stares at him a moment longer, before shrugging. "Alright. But just remember, Pigsy. With things like this, if you leave it the truth is bound to come out the hard way." he states, as he turns his attention back to the screen.

Pigsy, however, was now too distracted to focus on the race. He tries to just enjoy it, but after that moment with Princess Ironfan....he couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.

–

Chen glances over his shoulder, having just seen DBK and Ironfan disappear into the mountain. "That was weird." he mutters. What was that about?
Shrugging, he returns his concentration to the race. 

He spots Red Son, MK and Mei up ahead. Revving his bike he speeds up, pulling up next to Mei's vehicle and keeping pace with her. The two send each other competitive glares. MK was currently in the lead, a fair distance ahead of the three racers.
"Get out of my way, Noodle Boy!" Red Son shouts to MK, who retaliates with a "NEVER!"

Mei zooms past MK first, followed by Chen and Red Son. MK is left behind in the distance, staring after them in dismay. "Hey! No fair!" he yells. Chen laughs, as he keeps pace with Red Son.
Mei was now in the lead, the two men were catching up fast. But Mei laughs, accelerating her bike to full speed, and disappearing within seconds. Chen and Red Son's jaws drop. The dragon girl was now too far ahead of them.

–

"And at this point, the only way Mei's not going to win is if some sort of flying fool were to crash into her from above!" Jin states into the microphone.

–

Chen growls, speeding up. Red Son follows his lead, and the two keep close. They shoot glares at each other, but both knew that if either of them were going to win, they needed to catch up to Mei first.
That wasn't a problem for long, for as they rounded a corner, they see Mei and MK laying in a wreckage of their own vehicles. Chen cringes as he zooms past them. "Sorry, guys!"

Red Son cackles, as he passes them, heading toward the finish line. "Victory is mine, peasants!" he declares victoriously
Chen revs his bike, a determined glare plastered on his face. "Not if I can help it, Flare Head!"

The two fight for first place as the finish line comes into sight. Red Son grins. "May as well give up now, Rat, while you still have dignity!"
Chen laughs. "As if I'd back down from a challenge!" he spat back, revving his engine once more and speeding up. Red Son does too.
The two are tying neck and neck, getting closer to the finish line.

All of a sudden, there's a rumble in the distance. A cloud of dust quickly approaches down the track they'd just come from, drawing closer and closer.
Then from around the bend, zooms Mei and MK in a brand new vehicle. Chen's jaw drops once more. "WHAT THE- HOW?!" he yells.

As the two approach, he realises they weren't stopping or slowing down. He quickly swerves his bike out of the way, just as Mei and MK crash into Red Son's vehicle, destroying both.
But midair, MK uses his staff to retransform their vehicle from the wreckage, and they zoom toward the finish line. Realisation dawns on the young man, and Chen glowers at the duo. "Of course..." he mutters dejectedly.

MK and Mei cross the finish line, winning the race. The crowd cheers wildly, going down to congratulate the two winners. MK and Mei hold up the golden peach trophy, as Chen gets off his bike and walks over to them.
He scowls, and holds out his hand to Mei and MK. "Good race, Mei. MK. Congratulations on winning." he says as calmly as he could. But it was evident in his tone that he was holding back his frustration.

Mei has a smug grin on her face, much to Chen's annoyance. "Aw, is my best fwiend holding in his temper to congratulate me?" she coos. "That's so sweet!"
Chen's eye twitches, and he takes a deep breath before responding. "Mei, just shake my hand." he mutters through gritted teeth.
Mei doesn't take his angry tone seriously, and she pulls him into a hug. "Aw, you did great today too, Chen!" she says.
The young man growls, trying to push Mei off of him. "GET OFF!"

Mei laughs, holding him tighter. "But you're too gosh darn cute when you're grumpy!" she points out. Chen face palms. "You better PRAY that tea will be saving you today!" he growls.

A fiery blast goes off, and the crowd scatters as Red Son screams. "NOODLE BOY! You insufferable-THAT PEACH SHOULD BE MINE!" he screeches, setting himself aflame.
MK hugs the golden peach trophy close, giving the demon a hiss. "Ha! You're never getting this fruit!" he claims, and bites into the trophy. His teeth shatter, and he falls off the pedestal in pain. "Ah! Ah! Ow! I don't think it's ripe yet..." he whimpers.

Chen cackles, his mood lighting up considerably as Mei takes the trophy. "Wait, wait, wait, you thought it was real?" he asks, looking down at MK and Red Son with a raised brow. Mei lifts up the trophy for the two to see, a wide grin on her face. "It's just a trophy! We don't really get a peach of immortality." she explains.
MK and Red Son pull out their posters, shocked. "What? But...but...but the poster says-"
"It says right there on the poster!"

Mei and Chen's laughter interrupts the two, and Mei points to the screen above them as she wipes a tear from her eye. "It says you get immortality by having your picture projected on the great wall!" The picture above them shows MK biting into the trophy, with Mei laughing behind him.
MK and Red Son were speechless, as the young man took a closer look at the poster. "Oh, so...the peach is a metaphor?" he asks. Chen pulls him into a side hug, grinning. "Of course it was, ya dingus." he states, flicking MK's forehead. The young man pushes him off. "Hey!"

"I knew that!" Red Son shouts, cheeks tinted red from embarrassment. "You think you're so...ugh!" he disappears in a fiery tornado, reappearing behind the trio.
"Peasants!"
Chen smirks. "Flare head!" he calls out after the demon. The red-head shoots a glare over his shoulder one last time, before once more disappearing into a fire tornado.

Mei jumps off the pedestal, joining her two best friends on the ground. MK turns to her, confused. "Wait. But what about the real peaches? Where are they?"
Chen and Mei shrug. "I dunno."
"No clue."

"We better get going." Chen points out, letting his hair fall out of its ponytail. "Pigsy and Tang will be waiting for us back at the shop."
"Oh, yeah! Race ya there, Chen!" MK shouts, as both he and Mei get in their new racecar and speed off. Chen sputters as he gets back on his bike. "Ey! Get back here!" he chases after them, as the crowds begin to disperse.

– – –

Red Son stomps into the factory, where the bull clones were still working. Muttering curses under his breath, he kicks a rock, oblivious to his two parents who were sitting quietly by their thrones. DBK was holding Princess Ironfan's hand, the woman holding a hand over her face. She was pale, like she'd just seen a ghost.

From her point of view, she just had.

"Stupid Noodle Boy, Stupid Rat, Stupid Dragon Horse Girl!" Red Son hisses, hair set ablaze as he paces. "Making me look like a fool! They'll pay for this!" he spat out angrily, stomping his foot.

DBK turns to his son, eyes glowing green as he glares at her. "Quiet, boy!" he growls. His tone silences the red-haired demon, who in turn finally looks to them in confusion. "Can't you see your mother is upset?!"
Red Son brows furrow, now concerned. "Mother? What happened?" he queries.
Princess Ironfan, who'd been quiet the entire time, slowly lowers her hand. "I just saw Niú fēng." she says simply.

Red Son's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "But...but how is that possible?" he asks once more. Princess Ironfan finally gets to her feet, DBK taking a step back. "I don't know. But that demon is going to pay for stealing my baby." she snarls out, summoning her fan. "We will get him back."




– – –

A/N: Btw YES Chen knows he's adopted. It's been obvious throughout his childhood that Pigsy isn't his biological father.
Anyway shit's bout to go down for Chen in the next few chapters

 

Chapter 12: Calm Before the Storm

Chen gets back to the noodle shop, annoyingly after Mei and MK. The two were boasting about their win to Tang, who sat at the counter eating noodles.
MK notices Chen enter first. "Hey, Chen! What took you so long?" he asks cheekily. Chen elbows him. "Har har, very funny." he says.

Looking around, he sees one person who was missing. "Hey Tang, where's pops?" he asks. The man shrugs, gesturing over his shoulder with his chopsticks. "Oh, he's probably out back." he says nonchalantly, taking another bite of his meal.
Chen heads into the kitchen, passing by MK and Mei who were still vibrating with excitement about their win.

Entering the kitchen, the young man spots Pigsy washing dishes. The chef's ears perk up when he enters, and he looks up. He grins when he realises it's Chen. "Hey, Chen. You did great in the race today. I was here rootin for ya." he congratulates, shooting him a thumbs up. Chen shakes his head with a small, half-hearted smile, going into the corner to grab the bag he'd left there. "Thanks, dad. But you should be congratulating the two dorks out there." he said, gesturing to the doorway. At that, Pigsy shakes his head.
"Nah nah nah, you deserve one too. You tried really hard out there, and got second place. That counts as a win." he states, returning to the dishes. 

Chen hums. "Nah, I could've done better than that. Anyway, I'ma head home and change." he said, slinging the bag over his shoulder. Pigsy shrugs, giving up on the conversation. "Alright. Everyone's having dinner here tonight to celebrate the win." he explains.
Chen stops at the door, looking over his shoulder with a raised brow and a knowing grin. "On the house, or...?"

"Everyone pays for themselves." Pigsy states matter-of-factly. Chen laughs. "Ha! Knew it. See ya then, pops!" he waves, exiting the kitchen.

– – –

He wanders along the street, trying to get over losing the Great Race. He just failed something that he'd worked really hard for for months, of course he was going to be a little salty.

Oh well. There's always next year.

As he walks down the street, a figure approaches him. "Uh, hey! Chen, right?" Chen stops, looking over to them, eyes widening slightly in recognition. Their long grey hair and red eyes were unmistakable.
The snake demon, Jade, smiles as he gives Chen a wave. The young man stops. "Oh, hey. I don't think I ever did introduce myself, though, so it's not creepy at all that you know my name." he says, raising a suspicious brow. The demon laughs, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Yeah, uh....I was watching the race on the big magic box." he explains, pointing to the large screens around Megapolis.

Chen follows his thumb. "Oh. Okay, that makes sense..." he trails off. "So why are you here? I thought you didn't want to be bothered." the young man points out, gesturing to the crowded street. The two were out in the open, yet nobody batted an eye or looked in their direction.
The demon looks over the crowd uneasily, pulling at the turtle-neck t-shirt he had on. "Yeah...I-I'm here to congratulate you. You did a great job out there. It's not everyday you get to beat a demon at something so trivial." he laughed at his own statement, but the young man wasn't so amused. He squints suspiciously at the demon.

"Why are you really here?" he asks. Jade looks at him, surprised. Smile dropping, he looks away. "Wow, straight to the point." he chuckles awkwardly. Chen awaits his answer, raising a brow expectantly.

"Well, for one, I wanted to thank you for opening the box. I was starting to worry I'd never get out." he says. "And two....could you not tell anyone you saw me? Or even released me? If word gets out that I'm free, the Jade Emperor will stop at nothing to make me his slave again." he explains. His voice goes quiet, as he looks at the sky. "I...don't want to go back..."

Chen's brows furrow, still suspicious, but he rolls his eyes. "Fine. But if you even think about doing anything that could hurt my friends, I will hunt you down myself. So you better not try anything." he threatens, pointing a finger at him. Jade laughs, holding up his hands. "Alright, alright." he chuckles, folding his hands behind his back and giving the young man a bow. "You have my word."

"Good." Chen fixes up the bag strap on his shoulder. "I gotta go. Bye." he states, turning and leaving. The snake demon hums, a small smile playing on his lips at the young mans boldness. "Bye."

–

As he watches the boy round the corner, Jade lets out a sigh. That was dealt with. Hopefully the kid won't spill.
He's about to leave the busy street, when they spot two demons snickering as they come out of an alley. Jade recognised them immediately as the two commentators who narrated the race.

They point in the direction the young man went in. In the gold demon's hand, they held a familiar looking object. The snake demon freezes, as the two transform into two elderly men and round the corner, chasing after the kid.

Jade now felt conflicted. He knew the object they held wasn't good news. And if they were planning on doing what he thought they were doing...

He shouldn't care. He was just a random kid! A kid of one of his enemies, no less. His partner always said that his emotions would get in the way of their job, and that he has to block them out. Otherwise he's useless to them.

But...he couldn't just let them do it.

Against his own judgement and logic, he follows after the gold and silver demons, keeping his distance so they wouldn't know he was there.

–

Chen searches through his bag, growling. "Where are my headphones..." he grumbles, not realising that there were two figures approaching him until he bumped into them. He accidentally drops his bag, the two seemingly unfazed as he quickly picks it up, glad that nothing spilled out. "Sorry bout that..." Chen says, finally looking up at them.

The two men smile warmly, the one with silver hair waving him off. "Oh, it's alright young man! Say, weren't you the one that came second in the race?" he queries. Chen raises a brow. "Uh...yeah? What about it?" he asks.
The golden-haired one laughs. "That was some racing! What was your name again?" he asks. Chen nods. "Yeah, I'm Chen. Why? Does everyone think my racing was that bad?" he jokes.

The golden-haired one grins maliciously as he holds out a bottle-like object, and Chen yells as he's sucked inside of it.

–

Jin laughs, holding the calabash up. "We got him! Ha! Good thing that that Monkie Kid didn't break it the first time, ey?" he says, jabbing his brother. Yin hushes him. "Shut it! We got a job to do!" he hisses. "Come on!"
The two hurriedly move down the street, entering an abandoned warehouse.

All the while, a figure perched on top of a rooftop watches them. Jade doesn't make a sound, as he silently follows the two demons.

"What are you demons up to..."

Chapter 13: Bull Disclosure

Chen wakes up from his sleep by the annoying sound of an alarm. He groans, reaching over the side of his bed to reach his phone on the floor. But as he reached out, his hand hit something hard. Like a bedside table. That can't be right, he didn't have a bedside table.
He sits up groggily, rubbing his eyes.

Something felt....off. Maybe it was the softness of his bed. It was unusually soft, unlike the firmness he was used to. And were those extra pillows? And where was the familiar weight of Shu? She wasn't laying on the foot of the bed like she usually is.
He opens his eyes, and screams at the sight.

He wasn't in his room, or even in his apartment. He was in an unfamiliar place. The bed he lay on was decorated red, the head resting against the wall. What his hand had hit was indeed a bedside table, fixed with a lamp decorated with bull horns. A pendant with a family crest sat on the table's surface, and on a coat rack hung a purple dressing gown.
Situated across the room was a large cupboard, the doors firmly closed. And there were two doors, one on the left side of the room and another on the right side.

But Chen wasn't thinking about how cosy or comfortable the place looked. He was more concerned about how he got there in the first place, and how to get out.
"I gotta get outta here." he mutters, quickly getting to his feet. He noticed that he was wearing a black pyjama t-shirt and long red pants. But he didn't stop to ponder on it, for he had already raced to the left door and swung it open.

Inside was a bathroom, and before he departed he caught his reflection in the mirror. That's when he first noticed how long his hair was. It was long and curly, flowing down his back.
That would get in the way later.

Grabbing a few stray hairbands conveniently placed on the sink, he quickly ties his hair up into a bun. It was much more difficult to do so, since he was more used to his short hair.
What happened to it, anyway? There's no way it could've grown overnight, right?

Now that he actually stopped to think, how did he even get here? Was he kidnapped by someone in his sleep? Now that he thought about it, did he even make it home last night?
Wait, what was the last thing he remembered?

A knock came at the right door, and Chen froze as it squeaked open. He whips around, and stares in disbelief at who stood in the doorway.

"Niúzǎi? Are you alright? I thought I heard you scream." Red Son asks, peering in through the door. Chen backs away from the bathroom sink, hiding beside the doorway.
Red Son approaches the bathroom, upon seeing that Chen wasn't inside the bedroom. "Niúzǎi?"

When the red-haired demon peers into the bathroom, that's when Chen moves. He grabs Red Son's shirt collar, and in one swift movement, he slams her against the wall, pinning him in place. Red Son doesn't have time to react, only letting out a startled yell.
"Where am I?!" Chen demands the red-haired demon. Red Son stutters, looking down at Chen with fear in his eyes. "N-Niúzǎi! What are you doing?!" he cries out in a pleading tone. Chen's glare hardens.

"What is this place?! Why did you bring me here?!" he yells. Red Son fumbles for a reply. "W-what do you mean? We're at home! In the Demon Bull Family's Fortress!" he whimpers.
Chen's glare drops slightly. Something wasn't right. Red Son would've tried to kill him already, so why wasn't he?

A strong wind pushes him off of Red Son, and he falls back. He's quickly picked up by the strong draft, and is brought into the bedroom once more. There, Princess Ironfan awaited, smiling eerily at him. "Oh Niúzǎi, did you have a nightmare again?" she coos, pinching Chen's cheeks.

The young man doesn't struggle. Red Son may be a threat, but he could take him. Princess Ironfan on the other hand was way more dangerous. He had to pick his next moves carefully now, and not just choose the fight or flight options.
He stood still, letting Ironfan continue to coo at him. "Oh, my sweet boy, it was just a dream. Come Niúzǎi, Red Son, it is time for breakfast." she states, letting Chen go and walking out the door. Red Son exits the bathroom and follows his mother with a smile, acting like nothing had happened.
Chen stands in the bedroom alone, bewildered. "What is happening?"

So many questions swirled around his head. Why was he in the Demon Bull Family's Fortress? How did he get there? Why was the family acting so weird? And why did they keep calling him "Bullboy"?
He shakes his head. "No, I have to focus. I need to find a way out of here, and get back to MK and the others." he mutters to himself.

"Niúzǎi? What's taking you so long?" Princess Ironfan calls out from outside the door. He cringes at the unfamiliar name. But first he had to play along, at least until he could find the exit.

"Coming, mother..." he calls out, the word "mother" feeling alien in his mouth. He steps out the door, and sees both Red Son and Ironfan waiting for him, smiling eerily.
"Are you ready for breakfast, sweetie?" Princess Ironfan asks sweetly, a strange thing to see coming from Chen's enemy. Chen nods, and Ironfan begins to lead the way down the long halls.

As they walk, Chen looks around for any sign of a possible escape route. A window, a large door, anything. But it looked like the whole fortress was closed off from the outside world, for no sunlight shone through any gaps or cracks.
The only source of light available came from the lava pouring through seemingly non existent cracks in the walls.
Chen frowned, a feeling of dread settling in his gut.

There had to be something. There had to be a way out of here.

– – –

Chen picked at his food, warily glancing across the table at Red Son. Out of the corner of his eye, Princess Ironfan sat at one end of the table, while DBK, whom the young man had never met personally till this point, sat at the other. They were eating their own breakfast, but were still staring at him, watching him like a hawk. Their blank stares were making him uncomfortable.
Looking back down at the table, Chen once more scanned the rows of dishes covering the large table. A banquet, a seemingly everyday occurrence to this family.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Ironfan's voice calls to him, completely ignoring the second child she had right before her as well. "You've barely touched your meal."

Chen doesn't look at her, staring down at the table. "'M fine." he mutters under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. His gaze returns to Red Son, who was just sitting there, smiling at him. The whiny Red Son that wouldn't fight back, and only speak when spoken to. He raised a suspicious brow. "What are you looking at?" he growls.

Red Son shrugs, that same smile still on his stupid face. "Nothing! Would you like to go do something after breakfast, brother?"

Chen abruptly stood up, slamming his hands on the surface of the table. The family didn't react or even flinch, but Chen wasn't paying any attention to this. He was more focused on what Red Son just called him. "Don't call me that." he growls, glaring at the demon across the table from him.
Red Son tilts his head. "Call you what, brother?"

There it was again. Why was he calling him that?! What sick and twisted game were they playing!?

Chen takes a deep breath. Something's seriously wrong here, and he didn't like that he was the centre of it.

He had to get out of here.

He relaxes his shoulders, turning to the Demon Bull family with a forced smile. "Nothing, Red Son." he says calmly. He lets out a yawn. "Boy, I sure am stuffed. But I think I'm gonna go back to bed. I'm not feeling too great." he lies, backing away from the table and heading toward the exit. "So....yeah, I guess I'll catch you later." he turns his back on them, only to stop and almost have a heart attack at Red Son standing right in front of him, grinning from ear to ear. How the heck did he get there?!

"Oh I'm so sorry to hear that, Niúzǎi. Here, I'll walk you back to your room!" she says, when Chen shakes his head. "No, I'm good, I know the way back." he says firmly through gritted teeth. Without giving Red Son another chance to say anything, he quickly walks out the door. "I don't need your help." he clarifies before disappearing.

Once he was out of sight, the young man broke into a sprint, heading in the opposite direction of "his" bedroom. He looks left and right, seeing no windows at all. "Where is this place, underground?!"
He rounds a corner, spotting a hallway filled with rows and rows of doors. He groans. "Oh come oooon!"

Heading to the first door, he opens it up. Inside were several bull clones working away, making more bull clones. Chen quickly shuts the door. Moving onto the next one, he notices it's a lab.
"Where's the darn exit?!"

"Why would you want to leave?"

Chen whips around at the whisper, heart pounding in his chest at how close it was. But there was no one around. The young man swallows down his fear, and he calls out in an intimidating voice. "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"I already have, dummy."

Chen turns around, but the hall of doors were gone. In front of him stood a mirror. But something was different about his reflection.
His reflection had its head tilted, and was smiling at him. There were two bull horns protruding from his head, a pair of bull ears and a long tail were also visible. His arms were grey and furry, the fur crawling down his arms till it stopped before it covered his hands.
Unlike the Demon Bull family, his reflection held a more casual smirk, as it rested a hand on his hip.

Chen took a step back. "Wha-who are you?!" he demands angrily, getting into a defensive stance. The reflection laughs at his question, the sound identical to his own. "I'm you, dummy! The person you are supposed to be! Well, if you weren't taken, of course." the reflection says casually. The young man was confused. "What...what are you talking about?"

"You know! If we weren't kidnapped as an infant, blah blah, all that boring stuff. We would've been raised here, in the mighty fortress of the Demon Bull Family! That would've been pretty cool, dontcha think?" The reflection asks, as they gesture to the castle.

Chen stares at the reflection, lost and confused. "What are you going on about?" The reflection covers its mouth, eyes wide in false disbelief. But Chen could see the hint of a smile on its lips, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Oh, that's right! You don't know about any of that, do you?" the reflection says offhandedly, shaking its head with a click of its tongue.

"Know what?"

"That you're so-called "dad" had lied to you." the reflection giggles, staring at Chen expectantly as it leans against the doorways reflection.

–

"Jin! What are you doing?! This wasn't part of our plan!" Yin hisses angrily, taking the calabash from his brother. Jin looks inside the calabash, equally as confused as his brother. "Ey, don't look at me! I'm not the one doing it!" he exclaims innocently.

Yin peers inside the calabash too. "Did we trap someone else in there?" he asks. Jin shrugs, shaking his head. "I don't think so."

Jin walks over to the table and massive board, looking over the notes of their plan. His eye catches something that his brother had written down, and he groans in annoyance. "Goody two shoes"? Goody two shoes?! Oh, that's a splendid way to describe the Monkie Kid, Yin!" Jin shouts, trying to grab the calabash from his brother. Yin doesn't let go. "Hey! I wasn't the one that agreed to help the Demon Bull Family without organising a proper plan!" he shot back.
"They're paying us big money!" Jin exclaims.

The two demons were fighting over the calabash, with a roughly built board on the wall. There weren't as many details as when they trapped the Monkie Kid, since they didn't have as much time.

As the two demons fought, another figure watched from above, perched on the roof's beams as they observed the situation. Their gaze wandered over the board, seeing Chen's picture from the race that day on the front.
From Princess Ironfans reaction and the kid's lack of knowledge on his enemies, it was clear that Chen had no idea of his ancestry. Poor kid.

As Jin and Yin continue to fight over the calabash, Jade shakes his head. The family really got the most idiotic amateurs to do their job, didn't they? Surely they could've found someone else.

–

Chen backs away from the reflection, stunned. "What the hell are you talking about?" he growls, his shocked expression changing to that of a dark scowl. "Explain yourself!"

The reflection isn't fazed by his aggressive tone. Its tail sways casually behind it, as it gave Chen that same smug smile. Shaking its head, it crossed its arms. "Your old pops didn't adopt you from a foster home like he told you. He found you as a wee baby, out in the middle of nowhere!" the reflection cackles, as if this were all some hilarious joke or prank. "Funny, right?"

The young man is stunned, staring at the reflection as it laughs. His hands clenched into fists, his body shaking with overwhelming emotions. Rage, confusion, hurt...
He glares daggers at the still cackling reflection, his breathing becoming uneven. "You're lying." he snarls, taking a step closer to the mirror.
The reflection wipes a tear from its eye, a wide grin still plastered on its face. "Oh, am I?" it snickers, tail wagging back and forth in excitement. "Why don't you ask pops yourself? I'm sure he'd say otherwise~"

With an angry yell, Chen drives his fist into the mirror, shattering the mirror's reflection. He breathes heavily, shaking with anger. Why was this happening?! Why was any of this happening?! It made no sense! Nothing made sense!

The reflection cackles at his performance, unharmed by the impact to the mirror. Its face was distorted by the broken glass, its smile turning into a wide, inhumane grin. "Oh, you're hilarious!" they cackle, holding their stomach and giggling like a maniac. "You're too easy!"

Chen growls, teeth grit together as he slams his fist into the glass once more, oblivious to the blood dripping down the smooth surface from his injured hand. "Shut up!"
"Aw, is someone cranky? Typical Chen." the reflection giggles. "No wonder why you were abandoned~"

"I said SHUT UP!" he screams, slamming his fist clean through the mirror. The structure snaps in half under the impact, and the mirror shatters completely to the ground, pieces of glass sliding across the ground. But the voice didn't leave. The laughter echoes around Chen, filling his ears and invading his mind.
"Oh, look at you! So strong and brave!" the voice mocks. Chen whips around, trying to find the voice. "Come out and fight me, you COWARD!" he yells, seething with rage. But the only response he got was laughter.

"You think you're so tough, don't you?" the voice giggles from behind the young man, and he twists around, only to find nothing. His heartbeat quickens, eyes darting back and forth around the room.

"You may have everyone else fooled, but not me! I know who you really are under that tough persona." the voice cackles again, and Chen turns to where he thought it was coming from, only to again find nothing.

A dark presence looms over Chen from behind, breathing down his neck with a dark chuckle. Chen freezes, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as his breathing hitches.

"You're just a scared and weak little demon."

Chen swings around, throwing a punch at the figure. But they dissipate into thin air, reforming behind the young man. Chen didn't have time to react as the copy punches him across his cheek, grabbing onto the young mans shirt collar and lifting him into the air like he weighed nothing. It grins widely, before slamming Chen into the ground, the young man being left winded.

"This is gonna be fun."

–

Meanwhile, Yin and Jin fought over the calabash, oblivious to what was going on inside.

Jin tugs at the calabash, trying to pull it out of his brothers grip. "I'm in charge of this mission, so what I say goes!" he yells. Yin scoffs. "Who put YOU in charge?! I should be the one in charge!" he declares, pulling back. The two play tug-of-war, while Jade watches from above, a deadpan expression on his face. These guys were absolute morons.

He gets to his feet, turning around and walking along the wooden beam. "It's not my problem." he mutters to himself, holding up their hands. "Don't get involved." he scolds. He's about to walk off, before glancing over his shoulder at the calabash.
The calabash that held the clueless, hot-tempered and... helpless kid. He didn't know how to escape it, that much was obvious.

Jade groans, face palming as he thinks. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighs deeply. "I'm gonna regret this..." he mutters. Turning around, he stalks calmly across the wooden beam, until he was right above the two fighting demons. He stands above them for a moment, before leaping effortlessly from the beam, landing right behind the two demons. Before either could react he sweeps a leg underneath them, knocking them to the ground. Jin and Yin yell in surprise, both letting go of the calabash. It goes flying into the air, before something snatches it midair. A long, scaly green tail coils itself around it, slowly bringing it closer to Jade. The snake demon takes it, his tail swaying softly from side to side as he turns to the two demons on the ground with a cold glare.

Jin and Yin quickly get to their feet, getting into defensive stances. "Oi! Who are you!? Give us back our calabash, that's our catch!" Yin yells, as Jin nods next to him. "Yeah, what he said!"

The snake demon doesn't respond, his cold glare only hardening as he turns to face them fully. The air is tense, as a silence hangs over the three demons. The gold and silver demons start to sweat, feeling uneasy about this unknown yet familiar demon. His cold demeanour was unsettling. Jin clears his throat. "Who are you?" he repeats firmly, sticking by his brother's side. "Tell us who you are, or we will unleash our ultimate power onto you!"
"A-and you don't want that!" Yin adds.

Jade's expression doesn't shift, as he continues to stare coldly at the two demons, the calabash still in hand. Finally, he lets out a sigh. "I suggest you two leave. You won't want to be here when the kid gets out." he states cooly. Jin and Yin share a look, before Jin scoffs. "'Gets out'? That kid ain't getting out of there! We made it impossible for him to escape!" he boasts, crossing his arms. Yin nods. "Yep! He doesn't have an anchor to help him escape! Not like the Monkie Kid and his golden staff."

Jade raises a brow. "Who said anything about needing an anchor?"

With no warning, his grip on the calabash tightens enough to cause cracks. Jin and Yin's eyes widen as the cracks begin to glow a faint green, the glow becoming stronger and stronger with each passing second. Even Jade's eyes widen slightly, and he quickly drops the calabash, taking a step back.

The calabash shatters with a blinding green light, the force strong enough to knock Yin and Jin back. Jade covers his face with his arms, skidding across the floor a few feet. As the glow subsides, the snake demon thought he caught a glimpse of a dark figure disappearing out of the corner of his eye. Yet when he turned to look, he found nothing.
Chen falls to his knees, breathing heavily and shaking. One of his hands was cut and bleeding, and he had a massive bruise forming on his cheek. He looks around, confused and disoriented. "W-what-"

Jade's brows furrow in confusion, looking down at the young man. Did the two demons beat him up before putting him in that calabash? He glances over his shoulder briefly, noticing that Yin and Jin were slowly creeping away. He sighs, turning back to Chen. "Kid? Are you okay?" he asks gently, slowly approaching the young man.
Chen's attention snapped to Jade, and for the briefest of moments, the snake demon could see fear in his eyes. But just as quickly as he'd seen it the fear was gone, replaced by anger.
The young man quickly staggers to his feet, getting into a battle stance. "What was that?! What just happened?!" he yelled angrily, keeping his distance from the snake demon.

Jade holds up his hands in a non-threatening way. "Woah, woah, calm down. I'm here to help." he says softly in an attempt to calm the young man down. He then gestures to the two disappearing demons. "But if you're wondering, those guys are the ones responsible for trapping you in that calabash." he explains with a light chuckle. Yin and Jin freeze, before quickly jumping out of the giant hole in the wall, leaving Jade and Chen alone.

Chen was still breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room as if searching for something. Jade's brows furrow in confusion. He had no idea what exactly happened in the calabash, but now that the young man was out, it seemed like it had really shaken him up. The snake demon shakes his head, taking another step forward. "Hey, are you alright? Do you need-"

The young man takes a step back, glaring at him. "Don't." he warned, and Jade stops in his tracks, eyes widening in realisation. The Gold and Silver demons' stupid plan revealed the young mans ancestry. Oh boy.

Chen takes a deep breath, rubbing his face. "They were lying, right? Tell me they were lying." the young man asks, wincing as his hand pressed the bruise on his cheek. Jade watches him, a look of pity on his expression. He rubs the back of his neck, looking away. "I...don't know. I don't know what went down in there. But whatever happened, you might have to talk to your dad about it." they say half-truthfully, avoiding Chen's gaze.

The young man stares down the snake demon. He knew they were lying. He knew that he was holding something back, and it made Chen angry. But he knew they were also right. Pigsy had some explaining to do. And honestly, he didn't want to deal with any more demons tonight.
Chen lets out a frustrated sigh, before moving around Jade, heading for the exit without another word. The snake demon doesn't stop him, only giving the young man a sympathetic glance, which Chen ignores. He exits the abandoned house, walking into the cool, night city air.

– – –

Back at Pigsy's Noodles...

Inside the small restaurant, the gang were all having fun celebrating Mk's and Mei's win on the Great Wall Race. Tang, Pigsy, Sandy, Rey and the two youngsters were crowded on one table, eating noodles that Pigsy had cooked in celebration for their win.
The shop was warm and bright, filled with excited laughter and chatter as they talked. Mei held up the trophy proudly, and Rey excitedly gushed at how cool it was and congratulated the two.

Pigsy watches them, before glancing down at his phone at the messages he'd sent to Chen, asking him where he was. It was odd of the young man to not respond, and the chef was getting worried for him. He was about to mention something to Tang when a familiar figure finally entered.
Pigsy looks up, about to welcome the young man standing in the doorway when he stops himself. Chen looked...awful. His hair was a mess, he had a bruise on his cheek and a split lip, his clothes were all dirtied and tattered and...was that blood on his hand?!
"Chen! What happened?!" Pigsy asks, quickly getting to his feet and rushing over. It looked like he'd just gotten into another street fight, and at that assumption, Pigsy was ready to scold the young man for being irresponsible. "Kid, did you get into another street fight?! What did I tell ya about that?! You could've gotten seriously hurt!"

Chen looks up at him with a tired but determined expression. "Pigsy. We need to talk. Privately." he says firmly. Pigsy pauses in his berating, and at this point everyone else had turned to see what had happened, watching the interaction. The way Chen was glancing around, it was unusual to see.
Pigsy let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, kid. You have a lot of explaining to do." he scolds, making his way to the kitchen and gesturing for Chen to follow. Chen nods, brows furrowing slightly. "Yeah, and I think you do too." he mutters under his breath.

The gang watches them enter the kitchen quietly. Once they are gone, Mk turns to the rest of the group. "What just happened?" he asks, pointing a thumb to the kitchen doorway. Everyone shrugs and shakes their head, also baffled by it all.

–

Inside the kitchen, Pigsy reaches into a cupboard, pulling out a first aid kit. "Alright Chen, what happened? Which punk did this to you?" he asks, walking back over to the young man with the first aid kit and a wet cloth to clean the wounds.
Chen leans against the counter, arms crossed and completely oblivious to the injuries. As if they didn't hurt or bother him at all. He hadn't responded the entire time, a dark scowl on his expression. Now this behaviour was something Pigsy was used to, since Chen always used to come back from his fights like this. Although the last time had been a couple of months ago at this point. The chef reaches out, grabbing Chen's hand and preparing the wet cloth. "Honestly Chen, I don't know why you keep doing this to yourself-"
The young man quickly yanks his hand away, snapping out of his thoughts. Pigsy stops, finally looking at Chen in confusion and concern. "Chen?"

Chen was staring at Pigsy, a mixture of anger and pain, as well as...distress?
The young man exhales, looking away. He hesitates before asking his next question, as if he didn't actually want to ask. "Pops, where did you find me?" he asks bluntly. Pigsy becomes even more confused. "Chen, you know that I-"

"Don't fucking lie to me." he snaps, and Pigsy freezes, eyes widening. Chen turns back to face him with a scowl. "Where did you find me?" he asks again, more firmly this time. Realisation dawns on Pigsy.

Somebody told him.

 

 

---

A/N: Ok technically if you look up Niúzǎi it will come up as "cowboy" ewjhcsnjahms-

I dont usually have my characters swear in my books to try and make it kid friendly, but i think Chen should get to just this once. As a treat. 

Also anyone get the title? it wasnt FULL disclosure, it was BULL, as in WHAT IS THIS BULLSHI- (you can tell i didn't know what to call it)

 

Chapter 14: Red Rain (One Shot)

Some time before the events of “A Hero is Born”…

–

“You lied to me!” Chen yelled angrily, taking a step closer to the young man and his gang. “You promised you’d get me into the boxing ring if I did these fights for you, and that you’d pay me! You’ve been using me this whole time?!”

It was a dark and rainy night, and Chen was standing in an alleyway arguing with the Golden Kitsunes, a gang he worked with and had formerly thought of as his friends.
The man in charge, Kai, turns to him with a bored look. He was only a few years older than Chen, but he looked down on the younger man like he was nothing but a mere child. He glares down on Chen, raising a brow while a small smirk forms on his lips. “How long did it take you to figure that out, Blazing Beast?” Kai chuckles. Chen’s blood boils, hands clenching into fists as Kai continues.

“Look, Chen. Sorry you had to learn the hard way, but that’s just how it is in life, alright? You’re here to waste time with people who’ll use you as entertainment. Lucky for you, you get to do what you love with your friends! You get to fight, just like you always wanted! So just suck it up, get over it, and move on. We got another match scheduled tonight, and you’ll be fighting in it, m’kay?” Kai scolds him, turning away. This only infuriated Chen more.

Without thinking, the young man grabs Kai’s shoulder, swinging him around and smashing his fist into the leader’s face. Kai staggers back with a pained yell, clutching his bleeding nose. The other three men freeze, staring at the two with wide eyes.
Kai takes his hand away, seeing the blood coming from his broken nose. Immediately, he glares at the young man. “How dare you-”

Chen folds his arms, ignoring the blood on his hand, feeling slightly satisfied. “Suck it up and get over it already, snobbish prick.” Chen remarks as he gives the leader a smug grin. But he wasn't finished with Kai yet.
Kai glares at the young man, wiping the blood from his nose. “You’re gonna regret that, Chen.” he growled. He raises a hand, and one of the men behind him charges forward, aiming to tackle Chen to the ground. Chen easily side steps him, grabbing the back of the man's gold jacket and yanking him back. He rams his knee into the man’s gut, and the man is left winded. Chen lets him drop to the ground, glaring at the man he thought was his friend. “You’re forgetting who I am, Kai.” Chen growls, crossing his arms. “You just crossed the champion.”

Kai chuckles, putting his hands in his pockets. “Who was the one who made you the champion? Not your family, that’s for sure.” he states, taking a few steps forward to stand over the young man. Chen scowls as the man towers over him, showing no fear.
“You’d be nothing without me. I made you who you are. Without me, you’d still be that weak and helpless little kid running from your fears. You need me.” he snickers. He takes a step back, putting his hands up. “But if you fight for us again, I think I can find it in my heart to forgive you.” he smirks, placing his hands back in his pocket in a casual manner. The man who had previously charged Chen slowly staggers to his feet, quickly moving away from the young man.

Chen’s face scrunches up in anger and disgust. “Fat chance, you moronic twit. I'm not working for you anymore.” he growls. The man before him glares back for a moment. The three men behind him take a step forward, but Kai raises a hand to stop them. “You really wanna do this, Chen? Walk away now, and you’ll never get to do these fights again. Didn’t you love the attention, the fame? If you walk away, you’ll be known as nothing but a wimpy kid.” he states, a small grin on his stupid face.

The young man doesn’t budge, glaring at Kai. “I won’t be if I take you down before I go.” he spat, arms crossed. Kai raises a brow. “Is that a challenge? Well then…” this time, instead of sending one of his goons to tackle Chen, he removes his own jacket, chucking it to the side. “Challenge accepted. Let’s see if the champ is as good as his coach.”
Chen gets into a fighting stance as Kai steps forward, the older man rolling his shoulders.

The two circle each other, the three other gang members watching carefully. Much to Chen’s frustration, Kai had that cocky smirk on his face. The younger man couldn’t wait to wipe it clean off.

Chen makes the first swing, to which Kai easily dodges by dropping down, aiming a punch straight for the younger man's gut. Chen backs up, and Kai takes this chance to continue his attacks, throwing punches and kicks at the younger man. Chen is left on the defence, blocking and dodging Kai’s attacks, looking for an opening. Some of Kai’s attacks manage to get the younger man, and at one point he was left with a black eye.
Kai aims another punch at Chen’s head, leaning forward. As he side steps the strike, Chen takes this as his chance to swing a punch at Kai’s side. His hit connects, and Kai grunts in pain, stumbling slightly. Chen takes this as his chance to kick the back of the older man's leg, causing him to collapse to his knees.

Seeing his victory in sight, Chen grins, crossing his arms as he towers over Kai. “Had enough yet?” he asks cockily. At that, Kai chuckles, clutching his side, and Chen raises a brow. Why was he laughing?
“You’re an absolute idiot, Chen.” Kai sneers. Before Chen could react, the older man jabs his elbow into Chen’s stomach. Kai grabs onto Chen’s shirt collar, hauling him over his shoulder and slamming him into the ground.

Chen’s head slams into the wet pavement, and for a minute his vision goes blurry, seeing doubles. There was a sharp pain on the young man's forehead, and he swore he could feel something wet and sticky dripping down the side of his head.
Kai’s foot was planted firmly on his chest, keeping him on the ground. He still had that cocky smirk on his face, as he glared down at the younger man.

“You really thought you could beat your teacher? I taught you everything you know, Chen. But I didn’t teach you everything.” he presses his whole weight onto Chen’s chest, making it harder for the younger man to breathe.
“Look at you. You could’ve been the greatest, but you decided to be petty. You’re pathetic, Chen. Without us, you’re nothing.” he sneers.

All Chen could see was red. With an angry yell, Chen grabs onto Kai’s leg, pulling him to the ground. The older man was taken by surprise, and topples over. Chen takes this as his chance to get up, throwing a satisfying punch right at Kai’s nose. It made contact and the older man was knocked out cold within seconds. The three men watching yell out in surprise, eyes wide as Chen slowly gets to his feet, towering over the unconscious Kai. He turns to glare at the three men, who in turn quickly drag their leader away, getting away from the young man as fast as they could.

Chen stands in the middle of the alleyway alone, glaring after the men long after they disappear. The rain poured down, drenching him and leaving him soaked, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care about the pounding head-ache or the pain in his eye, hands or gut. He could barely think straight from how angry he felt. Kai, someone he’d known since he was 15, lied to him, and betrayed him.
After a few minutes, the young man leaves, staggering out of the dark alley and into the night, the rain still pouring down.

He didn’t get very far, however, when the headache became worse. He sat down on a curb, holding a hand to the gash on his head. He wanted to get home, but he didn’t think he’d make it without passing out. So Chen stayed there, waiting for the pain to pass so he could continue home.
He could feel the blood dripping down his hand, mixing in with the rain as it fell to the pavement. That bastard got him good, but Chen felt a smug satisfaction at the knowledge he’d beaten the older man, just like he’d promised.

He closes his eyes as he sat there, the rain falling on him and the lights of passing cars flashing by.

After a few minutes, Chen felt the rain stop. He looks up, and is surprised to see an umbrella being held over his head. His gaze quickly shifts to the person holding it, and he’s taken aback.
The large blue man with a mohawk and wearing a yellow raincoat looks down at Chen, eyes filled with concern. A small blue cat with a similar appearance sat on his shoulder, and it lets out a small curious meow. The young man recognised the man immediately, and he quickly looks away. He hasn’t seen him for a few years now, so the fact that he was standing here, seeing him like this? It filled him with shame.

Sandy tilts his head. “Hey, Chen! Long time no see, ey?” he greets. When Chen doesn’t respond, he squats down next to him. “Hey, is everything alright, Chen? You look terrible.” he says worriedly. He reaches out, putting a reassuring hand on Chen’s shoulder. He doesn’t appear to notice the gash on Chen’s head, the one the young man was trying to cover up.
Chen turns away from him, avoiding eye contact. “I’m fine.” he mutters. But Sandy didn’t believe him.

“Chen, you’re not “fine”. I want to help you, but I can’t if you won’t let me. Let me help, and I promise I won’t tell Pigsy.” he says. Chen freezes. His father would be upset if he found out he’d been fighting again…
The young man lets out a sigh. “Fine…” he grumbles, slowly getting to his feet. Sandy smiles gently, and lets the young man lean on him for support. The two of them walk down the street, the rain still pouring down around them.

– – –

Chen sat on the couch, looking around. He was wrapped in a warm blanket, wearing new clothes while his old ones were hanging up. The young man noticed a few splotches of blood, but he didn’t know whether they were his own or Kai’s. And frankly, he didn’t care.
The gash on his head had been treated, and he was holding an ice pack against his black eye. Sandy was in the kitchen area, preparing two cups of tea, while the cats at his feet scurry around him, meowing loudly. A few walk over to Chen, sniffing him before jumping on the couch next to him.

As Sandy comes back over to him, carrying a tray with two cups of tea, Chen looks away awkwardly. “Uh…thanks, Sandy. For helping me, I mean…” he mumbles. Sandy smiles kindly. “No problem, Chen. Anything for my nephew!” he chuckles. Mo, who still sat on his shoulder, meowed in response, as if agreeing with Sandy’s statement. Sandy gives Chen a cup of tea. “Here, drink this. It’ll help calm you down and de-stress!”
The young man looks down at the cup of tea, taking a hesitant sip. Sandy sits opposite him, and some of the cats around jump up onto his lap. Although, one cat in particular jumps right onto Chen’s lap, much to his surprise. A small black cat, with emerald green eyes, looks up at the young man. Meowing loudly, she curls up into his lap, and begins to purr.

“Awe, it looks like Shu really likes you!” Sandy points out, as Chen slowly starts to pet her. The young man already starts to feel relaxed, as he pets the cat in his lap. “Yeah…”

“So, Chen. Do you want to tell me what happened?” the blue man asks, tilting his head curiously. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” he adds.
Chen thinks for a minute, looking away briefly. Shu’s purring becomes louder, and a few of the other cats come up and rub against his leg. The young man felt safe in his uncle’s home.

“I got into a serious fight…” he starts, before hesitating. Sandy nods, urging him to continue as he takes a sip of his tea. Chen exhales quietly, before continuing, telling his uncle what happened.

“So, I found out that this guy who I thought was my friend had lied to me…”




– – – –


Rain: Rain can symbolize many things. It can represent unhappiness, rebirth, foreboding, determination, the breaking of a drought, and a pause for introspection.

Red: Action, strength, passion, energy, courage, confidence. Anger, danger, revenge, aggression



-- -- -- ---


A/N: Forget how cringe the dialogue is lmao i didn’t get any better in writing while on my hiatus i was taking a BREAK i never said I’d get better at writing fight scenes or dialogue-

-Kai is around 25 years old, and he’s based off of an older design (plus name) of another character. The reason why I went with Golden Kitsunes as the gangs name is because it’s a bit of foreshadow :3. I also dont know why he thought he could beat someone who’s only 5 years younger than him. 

-NONE OF THAT FIGHT SCENE OR ARGUMENT WAS ORIGINALLY GONNA BE IN THE SCRIPT AND IM SO THANKFUL I KINDA PUT OFF WRITING IT-

-Also just for fun, Chen’s former street fight name was the Blazing Beast or some shit ksdhjdd

-If it’s not clear by now, Chen hates feeling helpless or being referred to as weak lmao.

-A little tidbit on why Chen and Rey bonded lmao both were manipulated by those they thought were their family/friends (although granted Rey’s was a more serious matter oof-)

-Also yes, Chen did come off as a bit of an asshole in this one. it's meant to show how he had (kinda) chilled out and learnt to rely on his friends and family. 

-and finally: DO YOU REALISE HOW HARD IT IS TO COME UP WITH INSULTS WITHOUT SWEARING??

Chapter 15: Ice Ice Baby

The noodle shop was quiet, everyone having left after Chen's arrival. The mood had shifted greatly, and Pigsy, Tang and Chen were in no mood to party or celebrate. This was serious. But Mk and the rest of the gang gave them space, resorting to celebrating at the Sea-Crate HQ.

Chen was now sitting at one of the booths with Tang, waiting for Pigsy to come back from retrieving something. What, he didn't specify. The young man was quiet, staring at the untouched bowl of noodles in front of him. He'd changed into more comfortable clothes, now out of his wrecked racing outfit. His hair was tied back into a bun, and he held an ice pack to his cheek for the massive bruise. His hand was bandaged and clean, the stray pieces of glass removed, and the cut on his lip was almost entirely gone.

Tang sits across from him, arms folded in front of him as he glances between the quiet Chen and the noodle shop doorway, where Pigsy had left to go back home and fetch the mysterious item. He clears his throat, turning to face Chen fully. "So, did you...want to tell me what happened?" he asks.
Chen doesn't respond, that scowl still on his face. Tang sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "Chen, we need to get to the bottom of this-"

"And we will when Pigsy gets back." Chen snaps, cutting off the middle-aged man. "I want answers, Tang. That thing told me that Pops knows something. And it was right." he mutters the last part angrily, removing the ice pack. The bruise had stopped swelling and was slowly disappearing, much to Tang's surprise. But he shakes it off. "What 'thing'? What did it tell you?" he asks gently, trying to get more information on what happened.

But before the young man could say anything more, Pigsy entered, a hand in his pocket. A tense silence falls over the trio as the chef sits down next to Tang, opposite Chen. He looked down in dismay at the untouched bowl of noodles in front of Chen, but he let it slide, realising that the young man wouldn't exactly have an appetite.
Rummaging in his pocket, he pulls out a small cloth parcel, placing it on the table. "Alright, Chen. What did the punk tell you?" Pigsy questions, keeping a hand on the parcel.

Chen glances between the parcel and Pigsy briefly. He lets out a sigh. "They said I was related to the Demon Bull Family. And that you were lying to me." he states bluntly, getting straight to the point. At his statement, Tang and Pigsy's eyes widened, both sharing looks.
The young man catches onto this, brows furrowing. "So they were telling the truth? You knew I was related to them?" Chen growls, hands balling into fists. At this, Tang raises his hands, shaking his head. "No, no, Chen. We didn't know you were related to the Demon Bull Family. We just..." he hesitates, glancing over to Pigsy for help.

"Then what happened? Why have you been lying to me about where you found me?"

The chef sighs, rubbing his neck. "I guess it's time I told you how I found you, huh?" He says quietly. "It was outlandish, which is why I didn't tell you. I wanted to tell you eventually, but after Mk found the staff, I when would be a good time." he rants, avoiding meeting Chen's gaze.
Chen raises a brow, staring at Pigsy expectantly. "Explain. Now."

– – –

20 years earlier...

"Dang lousy kids. Always calling in sick. This is the 14th time in 3 weeks!" Pigsy grumbles under his breath, as he drives through the rainy night. He glances around him, finding himself in a dense forest, with no sign of civilization in sight. This irked the pig demon, since he was doing his last delivery for the night. But he's been driving for 2 hours now, with no sign of a house or anything.
He looks down at the GPS, giving it a hard tap. The screen glitches out before turning off, and the chef realised that it was broken. Dang it, he was lost!

The rain was pouring, and Pigsy was having a hard time seeing through the windshield of his truck. Cursing under his breath, he stops in the middle of the old dirt road, waiting for the rain to stop.
He looks out the window. The only thing he could see were the vague shapes of trees through the heavy rain, and nothing else. It was literally a jungle out here.
With a heavy sigh, the chef leans back in his seat. The only thing he could do was wait it out.

A few minutes goes by, and the pig demon could feel himself start to drift off. There was no way that person was still waiting for their delivery, so after the rain lifts he'll just head back to the shop. Eventually, he falls asleep.

–

The pig was snapped awake from his slumber by a light knocking on his window. It takes him a second to gather his bearings and realise where he was, but once he did, he felt uneasy as he looked out the window. He was still in the middle of the jungle, and it was still dark. The rain had stopped, leaving everything eerily quiet. But that wasn't what had freaked him out.

Someone had just tapped on his truck window.

Pigsy scans the surrounding area, searching for any sign of a person. He wasn't going to leave this truck until he was certain that whoever was out there didn't mean harm, which there was a slim chance of since he was LITERALLY out in the middle of nowhere.
Yet there was no one around, not even a trace of a person.

However, his eye catches something in the distance. A faint blue glow, coming from within a cave a bit of distance away. The chef squints, trying to make out what it was but to no avail.
He turns on his truck, and slowly drives forward to get a better look at it.

Pigsy finally parks his truck at the entrance of the cave, and slowly and cautiously steps out, looking around. There was still no sign of anyone around, but the pig demon was still on edge. Reaching into his truck's glove box, he pulls out a flashlight. Switching it on, he cautiously steps inside the cave entrance, swinging the light around to see where the blue glow was coming from.
He didn't have to walk very far to spot the blue glow, coming from deeper within the cave.

He shouldn't be doing this. This could end badly. Horribly, even. But Pigsy couldn't help but be curious about what this weird thing was. It was like something was drawing him in, urging him forward. So, against his better judgement, he continued on, walking deeper into the cave.

His flashlight lands on nothing but rocks so far, and the occasional small critter scurrying out of view. The glow in the distance was becoming stronger the closer he got, almost lighting up the surrounding area. Pigsy glanced over his shoulder, just to make sure that he could still see the entrance of the cave, to which he thankfully could.

Stepping around a small corner, Pigsy stops dead in his tracks, eyes widening in disbelief.

Before him was a huge chunk of ice, sitting perfectly unmelted in the cave. It glowed brightly in the darkness, lighting up the surrounding area in a dull blue light. Yet this wasn't the only thing that surprised the pig demon. No, it was what was inside the block of ice that shocked him.

Curled up in a fetal position with its eyes closed, an infant lay trapped inside. Its hair was a curly black mess, a small bracelet with intricate carvings was wrapped around its wrist, and it wore a purple and gold outfit that looked ancient to the pig demon. It was well preserved and appeared to be sleeping peacefully, oblivious to being frozen to death.
Pigsy takes a step forward, reaching out a hand and wiping the ice to see if he could get a better look at the frozen child.

Upon touching it however, a small crack appears, and the pig demon freezes. The crack grows larger, travelling along the block of ice at a high speed. Smaller cracks began to form, and soon the whole ice block was covered. Pigsy takes a step back, startled, as the block of ice glows even brighter, almost blinding, and the ice cracks grow larger. It looked like it was about to explode.

Pigsy ducks for cover as the ice shatters, bits of ice flying all over the cave. The cave falls dark, as the ice loses its blue glow, the only source of light coming from the flashlight. The pig demon shakily gets to his feet, picking up the flashlight and looking around the now dark cave.
He swings it around, the light falling onto chunks of ice scattered across the cave's floor.

"What the heck was that...?" he mutters to himself. All he did was touch it! How did him touching it cause that reaction?!

Screw this. He was leaving.

Pigsy turns to leave the cave, when he stops in his tracks, ears perked. There was a sound from behind him. It sounded like...whimpering?
The pig demon swings the light behind him, searching for the source of the noise. That's when he spots a flash of purple and gold laying on the floor in the centre of the cave.

The pig demon steps closer, eyes widening in horror, shock and concern. There lay the infant that was previously trapped in the ice, but instead of being frozen and dead like he'd assumed, it was breathing.
The infant curled up on the ground, shivering and crying loudly in the cold, helpless against the elements.

Pigsy walked closer, kneeling down next to the child and carefully lifting them up into his arms. For a second, he just...stares at them. How in the world did this kid survive in a chunk of ice? How long was it in there for? How did it get trapped in there in the first place? This was all just so bizarre!
He's snapped out of his thoughts by the child's continuous crying, and he quickly takes off his jacket, wrapping it around the infant to keep it warm. "Shh. It's okay, kiddo. I gotcha." he soothes. Getting to his feet, he carries the child back to the truck, taking the infant home.

Before he got it, he took one last look around. Just to make sure that there really was no one else around. But just like before, there was not another person in sight. It was just Pigsy and the infant, alone in the jungle.

– – –

"See why I didn't tell ya where I found ya? I wanted to give you as normal a childhood as I could." Pigsy says, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Chen was silent, staring down at the table. Pigsy...did have a point. Imagine growing up being told "hey! I found you in a chunk of ice in the middle of nowhere!" your entire life.

Tang nods, eating the unattended bowl of noodles Chen had neglected. "Mhm- and we DID try looking for anything that resembled that bracelet we found you with, but we couldn't identify those symbols from anywhere. We hit a dead end." the middle-aged man explains.
Pigsy opens the white cloth parcel still sitting on the table, handing it to Chen. "We took the bracelet and hid it because we found out it attracted some... unwanted attention." the chef explains as Chen takes the parcels contents.

The young man looks down at the bracelet. It was decorated with purple, gold and red beads, and had a small black charm with a familiar red symbol on it. The same symbol that Chen had seen in that calabash room where he woke up.
Tang leans over the table, pointing to the charm and symbol. "We didn't know what it was back then, but now we realise it must be a family crest of some kind. One that isn't in any history books." Tang explains, slurping at the noodles.
Chen's brows furrow, taking in all this new information. He doesn't say a word, his thumb tracing over the beads in deep thought. It didn't make sense how he got trapped in the ice in the first place, but he was relieved to know that Pigsy didn't just kidnap him from the Demon Bull Family or something. That he was just lying about finding him at a foster home.

Chen sighs, putting the bracelet down. "Sorry for getting angry with you. I just... things weren't adding up, and it freaked me out." he confesses, looking away. Pigsy shakes his head. "No, Chen. It's fine, it's completely understandable. But I do have to ask; how in the world did you find out? Who told you, and what did they tell you?" he asks, growing concerned.
The young man glances up at them briefly, sighing. "I...don't know. I don't know who it was. A lot happened, and I'm not even sure entirely what went down, either." he explains, glancing out the window.

Pigsy and Tang share another concerned look, which Chen ignored. "So the crest. Do you think it could be from the Demon Bull Family?" Chen asks, trying to change the subject. At this, Tang pushes his glasses up, deep in thought. "Well yes, I suppose it could be. But what makes you so sure that you're related to the Demon Bull Family?" he asks. Chen gives him a deadpan look, leaning back against the seat. "I already told you. Someone- I don't know who- had told me inside something called a calabash. If you don't believe me, we can go back to where I was attacked. I think I saw a board there or something that had my face on it." he points out. Tang's eyes widened in recognition.
The two older men nod, getting up from their seats. Pigsy crosses his arms. "Alright. Then let's go take a look." he says firmly.

– – –

Chen guides the two men to the abandoned house, where he had woken up and was freed from the calabash.
The trio look around, and the first thing they notice is how broken down the house was. It looked like no one had lived here for a good few months at least. Cracks covered the walls, there was graffiti written over one side of the wall, and another wall had been completely demolished.

Chen looks around, spotting the one thing he came here looking for. "There it is." he says, pointing to a board with a few photos, writing, and notepads. The three approached the board, and they could clearly see that in the centre there was a photo of Chen from the race earlier that day.

The young man looks over the photos, realising that the others were of the Demon Bull Family. There were tidbits of information on the notes, but what got the trio's attention was the heading written in big, messy red marker:
"Task: Brainwash the Monkie Kid's Brother"

Pigsy's attention falls to a large open book on the table, filled with more notes and a list. He reads through it, growing angry and concerned.

"1. Trap Monkie Kid's brother inside calabash
2. Brainwash him into thinking he's always lived with the Demon Bull Family
3. Return him to the Demon Bull Family and get filthy rich!"

Tang looks over the board, pointing to the photo of the Demon Bull Family with some writing under it. "It says here that Princess Ironfan had assigned these demons the task to brainwash you using the calabash. Can it actually do that?." he points out, and Chen folds his arms, looking away. Pigsy groans, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So it's true then. You really are-"

"Don't." Chen spat, silencing the pig demon. His face is scrunched up into a scowl. He couldn't believe he was related to those foul, destructive monsters. They were his enemy! They tried to kill him and his family, and now they were trying to brainwash him?! They really thought they could get away with that?!

Pigsy looks at Chen for a moment, letting out a quiet sigh. "Alright, we got our answers, then. Let's get outta here before those punks come back." he says, heading toward the exit. Tang follows suit, but Chen lingers behind for a moment, looking around. He takes one last look at the board, fists clenching in anger, before turning and leaving.

As they walk, Pigsy turns to Chen, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Did you wanna tell the others about this?" he asks. Chen's brows furrow, shaking his head. "Not tonight. I don't need to ruin their night anymore than I have." he grumbles. "Besides, I just want to go home. Night, Pops. Tang."
He walks away, leaving the two men in the street. His apartment wasn't too far away now, thankfully.

Pigsy was about to go after him, when Tang stopped him. "Give him some space. He needs time to process this, Pigsy." he says quietly.

– – –

Chen opens the door to his apartment, and is immediately greeted by Shu. The black cat darts up to him, rubbing against his legs and meowing loudly in greeting. She looks up at him expectantly, emerald green eyes shining in the darkness. Sighing, Chen picks her up, letting a small smile grow. "Hey, Shu. Sorry I'm late." he coos, holding her close. "Just had a...really rough day."
Shu lets him pet her for a while, before she begins to squirm in his grip, wanting to be let down. He lets her go, walking into the kitchen to get her food. She follows closely behind, as the young man pulls out a can from the fridge.

He couldn't believe that both the race AND the Calabash incident happened on the same day. It all felt so weird and surreal. All this new information, and yet he still had a million questions. How was he related to the bull family? How did he get trapped in that ice? Was he really abandoned, like that figure said? If so, why did the demon bull family want him back now?

Nothing made sense.

Giving Shu her food, Chen heads straight to the bathroom to shower. He's had a long day, and right now he just wants to forget everything that's happened and go to bed. Although he'd probably have a hard time sleeping after all this.

– – –

"Damn those stupid demons!" Jade hissed, kicking at an empty can. "He knows! He's gonna figure it out, I just know it! He's gonna go looking for answers!"

The snake demon paces anxiously in the dark alleyway, pulling at his hair. He was panicking. "I should've just left him! Now he's gonna go looking for answers, and he's gonna tell Wukong-" he tries to calm himself down, taking deep breaths. "Oh buddha I am screwed." he mutters, rubbing his eyes.

He couldn't have Wukong knowing he was out. It would ruin everything his mistress worked so hard to achieve. Knowing the Monkey King, he wouldn't care about trapping him in a box anymore. He'd go straight for the kill.

He takes another deep breath. "It'll be fine- it'll be fine! The kid promised not to tell him! That's enough, right? Then no one has to get hurt yet!"

He pauses, a feeling of dread forming in the pit of his stomach. The kid won't keep his secret, not after tonight.

"I need to get rid of the kid..."


– – –

A/N: CAN the calabash actually brainwash people? No clue, but I thought it'd be cool and kinda funny if Princess Ironfan gave Yin and Jin the task to do it. And they chose the calabash because, ya know, they're Yin and Jin.

Also sorry it's kinda rushed, i actually had no clue how this chapter was gonna go lol. 

 

Chapter 16: Who Is Following?

"Dang it, Mk! Where is that kid?!" Pigsy mutters, trying to reach Mk via his phone. Mk had gone to deliver noodles, and he hadn't come back yet. The pig demon wasn't worried yet, but the young man was falling behind on his deliveries. Chen ignores the chef, walking around the kitchen and getting the rest of the orders ready.

It had only been a day since the Great Wall Race. A day since Chen, Pigsy and Tang found out the young man's origins. And for some reason Chen had refused to take a break all morning. He had been up early that morning, making orders with his pops.
He still held that same scowl on his face from the previous night. He's been on autopilot all morning, trying (and failing) to distract himself from his thoughts by working.

He's eventually snapped out of his working trance when Pigsy's voice yells out to him. "Hey, Chen! I can't reach Mk, so I need you to deliver the noodles!" he orders, handing Chen the undelivered noodles. The young man stares down at them for a second, before walking toward the door. "Aight. Be back in a bit, then." he says blankly, disappearing outside.

He gets into the tuk-tuk, and he takes note that Mk's own vehicle isn't there. Maybe he got caught up with something, like a fight with a few demons. Maybe even the Demon Bull Family again.

If that's the case Chen would give anything to be in HIS place right now, just to get back at them for trying to brainwash him.

His grip tightens on the wheel, and with an angry huff he turns on the tuk-tuk, driving out onto the street. He doesn't bother putting on his earphones to listen to music anymore, trying to focus on the road.

All the while, a figure in a hood watches him leave from a nearby rooftop, scaly tail swinging back and forth impatiently. The sun glints off of a small silver object in their hand, before they quickly conceal it in their sleeve. They follow after the young man and the tuk-tuk, parkouring across the rooftops with ease to keep up.

- - -

After about an hour of delivering noodles Chen was finally finished. He'd just dropped a bag off at the doorstep of some sketchy alleyway door, to which no one had answered. Good thing they paid in advance, because Chen sure as heck wasn't gonna stick around this place.
He quickly turns to leave, oblivious to a dark figure clinging to the building wall above him.

The hooded figure leaps off of the building, landing silently behind the young man. Their red eyes glow brightly in the dim alleyway, as they silently approach Chen from behind. From their sleeve they brought out a small weapon, and with a flick of their wrist the weapon extends into a Guandao. From behind the figure a large, translucent serpent appears, mouth hanging wide open as if to devour the unknowing young man.

Spinning it once in their hand, they lift their weapon high above their head, ready to bring it down on the young man's head.

This was it. They had to do it now, while the kid was alone.

As they're about to bring down their weapon, they freeze, a realisation dawning on them.

This was only going to make things  worse  for them. When Wukong found out that the kid is missing, he's gonna hunt down the one responsible-

They slowly lower their weapon, watching the young man walk away with growing frustration.

This is why they can't be trusted making their own decisions. This is why they  needed  their Lady.

The translucent snake disappears as the figure shrinks their Guandao once more, putting it back in their sleeve. No, they couldn't kill the kid.
Their only hope was to talk to him.

-

Chen gets back into his tuk-tuk, about to drive off when he hears someone clear their throat. The young man turns his head back to the alleyway, spotting a familiar demon standing in the sunlight, a smile on his face and a bag of noodles in his hand. "Hey, kid! Thanks for the noodles!" Jade chuckles, waving the bag around. "So... how are you feeling after yesterday?" he asks politely, trying to make conversation.

The young man stares at him suspiciously. After a long moment of awkward silence, he finally speaks. "What's your deal?" he growls harshly. Jade seems taken aback, glancing off to the side momentarily. "P-pardon?" he stammers, and Chen just pinches the bridge of his nose. "Oh for the love of- Don't play dumb! What is with you?! You keep showing up in the most random places! Are you stalking me or something?" he interrogates, getting out of his tuk-tuk and marching over to the snake demon. Jade immediately takes a step back, holding his hands up in a surrender motion. "H-hey, kid, calm down! No need to get angry-" he tried to calm the young man, but Chen wasn't having it. He continues his angry rant.
"And yesterday you lied to my face about the calabash incident! You knew I was related to the Demon Bull Family! How long did you know?! And don't lie to me this time!" Chen shouts, standing right in the snake demon's face.

Jade falls silent, looking down at the young man. He could see that the young man was very upset about the new information. Of course, it'd make sense for someone like him. Everything he knew about himself had been flipped upside down, leaving him fumbling for answers and figuring out what had been truths and what had been lies.

"Well!? Answer me!" Chen shouts angrily, furious over Jade's silence. The snake demon sighs, taking another step back as he looks down at the young man calmly. "Kid, I knew because of the planning board those demons had. I think you know which one I'm talking about." he says smoothly. "Also, has anyone ever told you that you need to stop picking fights with demons? You're gonna get yourself into a fight you can't win." he says. At this, Chen scoffs, crossing his arms and looking away with a scowl.

For a while, a silence hangs over the two, and Jade glances around awkwardly, rubbing his neck. Finally, Chen speaks up once more, his voice a lot more quiet this time. "Sorry for getting angry. And...thanks. For getting me out of that calabash, I mean..." he mumbles, his gaze fixated on the ground.
At this, Jade gives the young man a small grin. "No problem, kid. Although, it's a wonder you didn't get out of there yourself. You have a lot of power in you, I can see it. You need to find a mentor to help you harness that power. If you do that, it'll make you a LOT stronger. You need someone who has experience in battle and demonic abilities." he states casually, hopping up onto a dumpster to sit. He already knew that Chen had Sun Wukong as his mentor, but the snake demon didn't exactly see him as a good teacher. He needed to find a better one.

At his words, Chen gets an idea. He turns to the snake demon, who was digging into his noodles excitedly. "Oh, these are good! Compliments to the chef!" Jade chuckles. He's about to help himself to more noodles when Chen gets into his face, surprising the demon.

"You can train me!"

Jade immediately spits out his noodles, coughing into his sleeve as he gawks at the young man. "Wait-what?"
Chen was looking up at him expectantly, a hint of excitement on his face. The snake demon hadn't anticipated this. He was just giving the kid a suggestion, not making an offer! "Kid, I really don't think that I'd be-"

"Think about it! You're a demon, right? Who better to train me to fight and harness my powers than another demon!" Chen exclaims, a big grin on his face. Jade stares at him with wide eyes, starting to sweat. Oh boy. "Look, kid, I'm not the best person for the job. Aren't you friends with the Monkie Kid? Why don't you ask his mentor for help?" he suggests, trying to subtly steer the young man away from the absurd idea.

At this, Chen crosses his arms once more, looking a little dejected. "I am taking lessons from him. He's been teaching me self defence, but he hasn't gotten into the power stuff yet. Keeps telling me to "control my temper", but I can't just wait around till he decides when I can learn more about my powers. Besides, he's always busy with Mk, so why not make it easier for him by bringing in another mentor?" he says excitedly.

Jade stays quiet, a blank expression on his face. Okay, maybe Wukong has matured a little. Only a little.

"Sorry, kid, but I'm not teacher material." the snake demon finally responds, looking away. "I'm not the right person for the job. You're gonna have to find someone else." he states.
Chen's expression falls, a look of disappointment crossing his features. He quickly shakes his head, determined. "Please? You're the only demon who hasn't killed me yet! If you help me, I could help you with something!"

Jade cringes at his first statement, but quickly composes himself.
He looks over the young man, deep in thought. He wasn't gonna give up, that much was obvious. But the snake demon thought over it. Maybe this way, he could keep an eye on the young man, make sure he doesn't go telling people of his existence, and maybe even when his Lady is released...

The snake demon scratches his chin in thought, and he could see the young man staring at him hopefully out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he spoke.
"Alright. You've convinced me." He says, giving Chen a small smile. "All I ask is that you don't go telling people about me, just like last time. Understood?"

Chen grins. "You got it! So, when are we gonna start? Today? Right now?" he asks excitedly, ecstatic at this news. Jade shakes his head, holding up a hand. "Hold up, kid. Not today. I have things to do. And besides, you had a rough day yesterday, and i don't wanna rush it. Give it till next week, alright? Give yourself some rest." He says. At this, the young man rolls his eyes, crossing his arms as he calms down.

"Fine."

Jade nods. "Great! Now shouldn't you be going? I think your father is wondering where you are." He points out, gesturing to the phone that was vibrating on the tuk-tuk seat, the name "TANG" on the screen. Chen looks over, picking it up.
"Not my dad, but he sure does like to act like it." The young man states, texting Tang back. "But you're right. Got a bit carried away there. So...see you next week? Where did you wanna train?" He asks. Jade thinks for a minute.
"What about that empty dojo downtown? It's not too far away from your work, right?"

Chen nods, a wide grin growing on his face once more as he put his phone in his pocket. "Sounds good to me! You better keep your promise." He states in a joking manner, getting back into the tuk-tuk. Jade has a small, friendly smile on his face as well, as they hold their noodle delivery close. "As long as you keep yours."

At this, the young man chuckles. "Oh ho ho ho! Trust me, I never break a promise." The young man grins, starting up the tuk-tuk. "Till next time, Mr. Jade!" He shouts, driving away.

Jade watches him leave, caught off guard. The kid... remembered his name? That... certainly surprised him.

Shaking his head, he wanders back into the alley, still holding the bag of noodles as he disappears.

-- -- --

As Chen drove back to the Noodle shop, he thought over his decision. Sure, it was a stupid decision, but he needed this new training. He needed to become stronger, to become better. And obviously training with the one and only Monkey King wasn't enough if he couldn't get out of a stupid calabash on his own. Or fight back against whatever was inside it....

No, he needed to work harder, even if it meant taking lessons from a sketchy demon that he's only met a couple of times before. The same demon that saved his butt from being either brainwashed or killed.

--

Chen makes it back to Pigsy's safely, the pig demon waiting for him with a disappointed scowl. "Chen! What took ya so long?! We're falling behind on orders!" He points out, gesturing to the growing pile of orders sitting on the bench.

The young man looks over the pig's shoulder at the deliveries, confused. "Mk isn't back yet?" He asks, confused. Pigsy replies by shaking his head.

"Do ya know where that dang kid is? He hasn't been answering my calls all afternoon." He grumbles, pulling out his phone to show Chen the last message he'd sent. At his question, Chen shakes his head. "No, I haven't seen him."

The pig demons face contorts into a look of worry now. He looks back at his phone, then rubs the back of his neck. "I thought you would've seen him while you were delivering..." he mutters worriedly.

Chen glances between the large pile of deliveries then back to his father. Mk and Chen had no training with Monkey King today, so Mk being missing was a red flag.
He lets out a sigh. "I'll continue with the deliveries, and I'll keep an eye out for him. You stay here and call everyone, ask if they've seen him." He states, grabbing the deliveries. At this, Pigsy nods, quickly typing away on his phone as Chen heads towards the door.
"Text me when you find him." He calls over his shoulder, heading to his tuk-tuk.

--

"C'mon Mk, where are you?" Chen mutters to himself. He was halfway through his deliveries and he hadn't seen any sign of the young man. Pigsy hadn't texted him, meaning he hadn't found Mk yet either.

Chen turns a corner, and slams his foot on the brakes when he spots a familiar figure standing in an alley. He whips his head around just in time to catch the mechanical bull quickly disappear into the shadows.

What was that  thing  doing here?!

The young man immediately gets out of his tuk-tuk, chasing after the figure. If that thing was here, then the Demon Bull Family weren't too far off, right?

He soon catches sight of the bull clone, high up on a rooftop staring down at him. It stood stock still, wrapped in a cloak and wearing a hat that covered its horns and face, but the young man recognised it almost immediately.

Chen's hands clenched into fists as he scowled back at the clone, gritting his teeth. The two have an intense stare down, before the clone finally turns and leaves, disappearing from Chen's sight.

The young man scoffs, glaring after it. "Coward." He mutters angrily. The Demon Bull Family were nothing but cowards, hiding away and not facing him directly. Next time he saw Red Son, he was going to give that edge lord prince the biggest beat down of his life-

The young man stomps back to his tuk-tuk, muttering curses and threats under his breath as he drives off.

This was why he needed another mentor. So then he's stronger, he's more prepared, and he won't lose again.

--

After another hour, Chen was finished delivering the noodles. There was still no text from Pigsy, meaning Mk had not been found. Now Chen was getting worried. He contemplated calling the police, if Pigsy hadn't already. Maybe ask Sandy to take him to Flower Fruit Mountain to see if he's with Monkey King?

As he walks back to his tuk-tuk, he spots a familiar vehicle on the opposite side of the street. The young man's eyes widen, and he quickly approaches it. It was Mk's tuk-tuk.

He quickly looks around for any sign of his brother. That's when his gaze lands on the building Mk's vehicle was parked in front of, and his brows furrow in irritation and fury.

Oh, he did NOT-

The young man marches towards the entrance of the arcade, slamming the doors open.

Inside, there were several people playing on arcade machines, but Chen was only looking for one person in particular.
His gaze then lands on who he was searching for, and he lets out a frustrated sigh.

There stood Mk, perfectly unharmed and absorbed in one of the games. He was grinning from ear to ear, having the time of his life.

Chen walks over to him, arms crossed as he scowls down at his brother. "Mk."

Mk jumps in surprise, whipping around to face the voice. When he sees its only Chen, he lets out a sigh of relief. "Whew! It's just you! I thought you were Pigsy for a minute-"
He wasn't able to get another word out when Chen whacks him on the back of the head, earning a yelp from the boy. "Ow! Hey! What was that for?!" 

"Mk! We've been looking everywhere for you! Do you even realise how long you've been in here?!" Chen shouts, as Mk rubs the back of his head. The boy thinks for a minute. "Uh...a few minutes?"

"Try a few hours!" Chen snaps, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You had Pigsy worried, ya dingus!" He scolds. Mk rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Geesh, sorry!" The young boy says, looking away for a minute. A sly grin crosses his features when he turns back to Chen. "Looks like he wasn't the only one worried, though." He chuckles, elbowing Chen. "Were you worried about me, Chen?~"

This earns the boy another whack to the back of the head, and he lets out another yelp.
"In your dreams, monkey brain. I knew you were either off fighting a demon or getting distracted." Chen scoffs, turning away from Mk as he crosses his arms. "Now let's get back to the Noodle shop. You have a lot of deliveries to catch up on." He states, dragging poor Mk behind him. The young man whines, but follows behind Chen.

--

Across the street, watching from the shadows, General Ironclad watches the two young men intently.

Princess Ironfan watches from the cameras, safely back at the base. She scowls at the screens at the sight of her long lost son being 'friends' with the Monkie Kid.
It frustrated her even more when she realised they acted more as brothers than anything else.

She looks away from the screen, her gaze instead turning to her husband watching over the bull clones mining away to reach the ancient power source.

It was cruel of fate to tear up her family in such a way. First, her husband had been trapped under a mountain for centuries, and then one of her precious children had been taken away from her. She was left alone with Red Son, searching for a way to free her husband and search for Niúzǎi. Neither had been successful.

But that all changed when her brilliant son figured out how to remove Monkey King's staff.
And then Niúzǎi appears, as if rising from the dead. The son she believed had perished centuries ago.

Yet here he was, healthy and unharmed, and friends with the Monkie Kid.

Princess Ironfan turns back to the screen, watching Chen and Mk get back into their respective vehicles and drive back to Pigsy's Noodles.

"We'll get you back, Niúzǎi. That's a promise."

-- -- -- --

A/N: Chen will keep true to his word. I think y'all know why he wouldn't go back on a promise ehejej

Yeah this WASNT how I was gonna get Chen to train with Jade, it was gonna be an offer but then I thought "hey what if this happened instead?" And I went with it nsndbd

 

Chapter 17: Clear My Mind

"If you want to take a hit you gotta have a firmer stance! You're just gonna get knocked over that way!" Monkey King states matter-of-factly as Chen holds his arms up to bar the great sages kick. The defence works, but not without sending the young man flying backwards.

Chen falls on his back and is left winded, coughing and gasping for air. The Monkey King lands before him, holding out a hand for Chen to take. "You're doing great! But maybe we should give you a break, hm?" he suggests with a smile.
The young man begrudgingly agrees, taking Monkey King's hand and letting him help him to his feet. MK watches from the side, his staff in hand. It was now his turn to train, while Chen took a break.

As the young man walks pass, MK leans towards him. "Hey Chen, are you alright?" He asks, raising a brow. The older boy waves him off absentmindedly. "Yeah yeah, I'm fine." He mumbles, not even glancing up or looking in the boys direction.
MK pauses, mouth open as if he was about to ask something else but he quickly shuts it, instead walking over to Monkey King.

Chen walks over to a boulder, making sure he gave the duo enough space to spar. Their training sessions got a LOT more intense than Chen's, and if he were being honest he was feeling a little jealous. MK got to use his powers, yet Chen couldn't even activate his own on command. And it annoyed him.

But now that was going to change.

Chen sits down on a boulder, as MK and Monkey King begin their spar. It starts off with a few simple strikes, before quickly escalating to the duo having to leave the little cove and train on the mountains.
As they go out of sight, Chen readjusts the bandages on his arms, getting lost in thought.

Today is the day. He'll no longer be weak. He'll become better, stronger, and more powerful. He'll be able to not only protect himself but his friends too...

A scream cuts through his thoughts, and Chen quickly looks up to see MK falling to the ground, having been struck down by the great sage. He crashes to the ground, causing a huge gust of wind and dust to fly up. Chen quickly covers his eyes, and when the dust clears he looks down to see MK laying in a centre of a small crater. "Ya good, MK?"
The young man lifts up a hand, giving Chen a thumbs up. "Never... better..." he coughs.

Monkey King lands on the ground with a grin, teleporting over to MK. "Better. Way, way better! You're totally getting the hang of this, bud!" he praises, picking up Mk and spinning him around before placing him back down on his feet. Chen raises a brow at the obvious favouritism, but doesn't say anything.

"Aw, really?" MK asks, beaming up at his idol. The Monkey King nods, standing up straight. "I mean, it does make sense. You are getting trained by me! Now, we just gotta work on your focus!" he explains.
"Yeah, I am the best at focus- WHAT DO YOU MEAN "WORK ON MY FOCUS"?!" MK shrieks, realising what the great sage had said.

As the young man tries to argue with the Monkey King about his "ridiculous" statement, Chen's phone vibrates, telling him he has a new message. He pulls out his phone, checking the text. It's from Pigsy.

Pigsy: "Where are you? I need you and MK back now!"

Chen looks up to check MK and Monkey King, seeing that the great sage was currently giving the young man some "insightful" lesson about focus. He doesn't pay attention to what the monkey is saying, however, and looks back to the screen.

Chen: "Finishing training. Will be there soon."

With that he pockets his phone, getting to his feet and stretching. He winces as a particularly bad bruise on his arm acts up, but he ignores it. It'll be gone sooner or later anyway. Since he was a demon and all.

He still had to get used to that news.

"Hey, monkey brain! Pops wants us back at the shop." he states, walking over to MK and Monkey King. At that, MK checks his own phone realising that there were a couple of messages from Pigsy for him too. "Oh! Right! Right! Right!" he chuckles, bringing out his staff once more. "See you later, Monkey King!" he calls out, heading toward the exit, Chen right behind him.

Monkey King looks at them, a little surprised as he pauses his eating, his hand still in the peach chip bag. "Uh, I actually wanted to-"

Before the sage could even finish his sentence, MK grabs Chens arm, dragging him out of the cove. Chen braces himself as MK slams his staff into the ground, but he still let out a scream as the boy launches the two of them into the air, heading back to the city.

That was another thing he had to get used to; getting randomly launched into the air like that.

———

"Hey, uh, MK. You mind explaining to me why I have TWO HUNDRED ORDERS OF NOODLES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DELIVERED YET?!"

Chen peers his head around the kitchen doorway at the yell, only to be met with the sight of several undelivered noodles sitting on the counter. Not again...

MK chuckles nervously, grabbing Tang who had been innocently eating his (stolen) noodles on a nearby stool. "I thought Mr. Tang was gonna do it?" He says sheepishly, much to Pigsy's irritation. The pig man starts to rant about how distraction was MK's greatest weakness, and when he turns to the boy once more he finds MK playing on his phone, not listening to a word he says.

Chen rolls his eyes at his brothers behaviour, and finishing up the order he was doing, he gets ready to help MK deliver the undelivered noodles. This was gonna take longer than he wanted to, and at this rate he'll be late for his first lesson with Jade.

When he exits the kitchen, the young man is met with the sight of MK begging to keep his job.

Well that had escalated quickly.

Without saying a word he takes a few bags of noodles, heading out of the shop to his tuk-tuk. He could still hear Pigsy scolding MK as he left.

—

For the next few hours, Chen zipped through the city streets delivering noodles, trying to stay on time while MK did only gods knows what. Hopefully actually doing his job without getting distracted.

He lets out a sigh as he stepped out of his tuk-tuk for his last delivery, bag of noodles in hand as he stepped up to the front door of an old dojo. He knocked on the door, checking his phone to make sure he got the right address.

The door opens a crack, and for a split second Chen catches sight of dark hair and golden eyes. He didn't get a good look before the door slams shut again.

The young man is blinks, surprised. "Um... hello? Pigsy's Noodles. I have your order." He calls out, before double checking his phone. He got the right address- why weren't they taking their order?

As he waits, there's voices talking on the other side of the door, of what Chen could only assume to be an older male and a young kid. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but the older male didn't sound too happy.

Chen knocks again.

This time the scolding stops, and the door opens again. In the doorway stood the same man who had opened the door seconds ago. Chen couldn't place it, but he swore he looked different than before. Maybe it was the lighting, but he thought the man had a red marking across his eyes earlier...

The man gives Chen a smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise my son had ordered noodles. Your arrival took me by surprise." He says apologetically, glancing over his shoulder at someone inside. A child's voice chuckles awkwardly. "Sorry..."
Chen smiles as well. "No worries, sir. Here are your noodles." He says in his best customer service voice, handing the noodles to the man.

The man thanks him, taking the bag before closing the door. Chen stands there for a moment, before shaking his head, heading back to his tuk-tuk and driving off.

Finally, he could go train with Jade.

———

Chen parks his tuk-tuk outside the spot he and Jade had agreed to meet; an old dojo that conveniently wasn't too far from Pigsy's Noodles. He climbs out of the small vehicle, looking up at the old building. The door was partly open, indicating Jade was already inside.

He steps inside, being met by the smell of dust and mold. Chen's nose scrunches in disgust, surprised that this place hadn't been demolished already.

Taking a quick glance around the old and trashed dojo, he spots Jade sitting on a placemat on the ground, legs crossed and eyes closed. Their hands rested on his knees, scaled tail wrapped tightly around him. They made no motion to show he heard Chen enter.

"Hey, Jade? I'm here. Are you even awake?" Chen asks, as he steps further into the room, being careful where he trod. Surprisingly, there was one area that was clear of broken glass and old wooden beams, showing that someone had tried to clean up a bit.

Jade opens his eyes, turning his head to see Chen. "Oh- hey, kiddo. Didn't hear you come in." He chuckles awkwardly, standing up. They too look around at the trashed place. "Yeah, I did try to clean up a bit. Only got as far as this, though. I've been busy..." he trails off, scratching his neck.

Chen hums in response. "I'm guessing we're cleaning before we start today?" He questions. At that, Jade quickly shakes his head. "Oh no, I'll clean the dojo. Our deal is you're here to train! Remember?"

Chen raises a brow, before letting out a sigh and crossing his arms. "Then tell me where we're supposed to train?"

Jade looks around again, trying to spot a clear space large enough to train, but found none. "We, uh..."

"You're not good at planning ahead, are you?" Chen points out, finding the broom that Jade had obviously used to clear the space before hand. The snake demon doesn't answer, which confirmed Chens statement.

Chen gets to work, sweeping broken glass and kicking away the broken wooden beams that were in his way. After a few seconds he turns back to Jade, only to find that the demon hadn't moved and was staring at him. "You gonna help, or...?"

"Huh? O-oh, yeah. I'll uh, be right back..." Jade mumbles, disappearing through a door that lead deeper into the dojo. He returns a few minutes later with another broom. There must be an old cleaning supply closet, Chen figured.

The two get to work, clearing the small space enough for a training session. With the two of them and Chens instructions, it didn't take them long.

The young man wipes his brow, his jacket tied around his waist as he looks around the now a bit cleaner- but still trashed- place. "There, now we can start the training session."

Jade nods, having snapped out of his little trance. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Alright! Uh, first things first- let's see what I'm dealing with, shall we?" The snake demon smiles awkwardly, walking over to an old training dummy. "Have you been able to gain any control of your powers at all this week?" He asks.

Chen follows him, shaking his head. "Nope, same as before. It only works when I'm in a high stress situation."

Jade nods in understanding. "Mhm, I see. Well, I don't really want to put you in a high stress situation right now, but I DO have an idea-" with that he pushes the dummy to the centre of the room. "I want you to imagine this as something you hate- something that gets your blood boiling- and hit it with everything you've got. I just want to see what I'm working with."

Chen glances at the dummy, then to Jade, unamused. "I'm not doing that." He declares, finding the idea stupid. Jade sighs. "You only have to do this once, okay? I haven't seen your powers fully yet, so I don't know what I'm dealing with."

The young man grumbles to himself, before turning back to the dummy. He imagines the face of his ex friend from the Golden Kitsune club on the dummy, and starts to throw punches.
He continues this for a while, and when he sees that it's not working, he starts to get frustrated. He changes the image to the members of the demon bull family, which did seem to work for a while, since he found it to be quite satisfying throwing the punches.

Jade watches from the sidelines, hand on his chin as he watches for any of the telltale signs of the power he'd seen that day in the warehouse. But there was no green lighting, no nothing. "This doesn't seem to be working as well as I thought..." he mumbles, before clearing his throat to speak to Chen. "Okay, uh, can you think of anything else? What makes you really angry and upset? What scares you the most?"

Chen pauses, thinking. He stares at the dummy, as his mind wanders to all the times he's activated his powers so far. Almost all of those times, his friends had been in danger. When he felt weak, powerless....

"You're just a scared and weak little demon."

The strangers words filled his thoughts, making his blood boil. He wasn't weak. And he was going to prove it.

Jade observes Chen carefully, brows furrowed together as he spots a familiar green glow surrounding the young man.

Without even realising it Chen had swung a punch toward the dummy, the image of the identical stranger in his minds eye. The mocking smile plastered on Chens own face still fresh in his mind.

His fist made contact with the dummy, and Jade had to side step out of the way as the dummy was sent flying into a wall, startling the snake demon.
It hits the wall hard enough for it to crack and the two tense up as the old building shakes at the sudden impact. But it held strong, managing not to fall on top of the two demons.

Jade chuckles, breaking the silence. "Okay! That was... intense. Remind me not to get on your bad side." Jade chuckles. Chen doesn't say anything for a moment, staring at the dummy. "Yeah..."

Jade nods, going over to inspect the dummy. "From that punch alone you managed to cause a lot of damage. You have a lot of pent up power that needs to be let out, but without proper training that's near impossible. I think right now, we need to have a calmer mindset for you to connect to your powers fully." he explains, looking back to Chen. "We can't have you keep relying on your anger and stress to bring out your powers, since it'll be unhealthy for your mental health in the long run."

Chen blinks. "You... are much more informal than Monkey King."

Jade chuckles, standing up straight as he turns to face Chen. "Well, last I checked Sun Wukong wasn't the greatest at sharing information. It's a wonder he's a mentor to two promising students in the first place." He points out.

Chen nods, mulling over the snake demons words.

"Alright! So I've decided for today that we're going to try and connect with your powers. Here, take a seat." Jade sits down on the mat, gesturing for Chen to sit down too by patting the spot opposite him. The young man does so, sitting down.

"So, do you know what I was doing earlier?" Jade asks, crossing his legs as his tail sways casually beside him. Chen raises a questioning brow. "Uh... sleeping?"

"Ha! Nah, not at all. I was meditating. It helps clear my mind and be calm." Jade explains. "We're gonna try to meditate today. We need to have a clear mind when we want to use our powers. Here, close your eyes and do what I'm doing-"

Chen does as told, although it felt weird doing absolutely nothing. He fidgets a bit.

"You have to stay completely still. Let your mind go blank for a few minutes, and let yourself relax..."

Chen tries, copying the snake demons position. This felt too weird for the young man.

"Let the sounds of the city fade away, and focus... and think of a place that makes you calm."

The young man sighs in frustration. This was harder than he thought.

Jade peeks an eye open, seeing Chen's face all scrunched up in concentration. He couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Don't try so hard. Let your muscles relax, and take deep, slow breaths. We're in no rush, kiddo."

The snake demon watches as Chen's breathing slowed, finally relaxing. He keeps talking.
"We'll try this again. Try to think of your favourite place. Somewhere quiet, somewhere you enjoy being..."

Chen's eyes were closed, and Jade could see that it was working since he'd stopped fidgeting.
"Do you feel that energy flowing through your veins? That's your power. Let it flow through you. Embrace it, let it take form..."

The snake demon watches Chen carefully. They soon spot what they were looking for. A green glow starts to surround Chen, and Jade could see a faint outline of horns forming on the young man's head through the green energy.

Suddenly, Chen is snapped out of his trance, the green energy quickly dissipating. Jade watches him, confused for a moment. What happened?

—

"Hey, bud! Buddy, are you there?"

The Monkey Kings voice calls out to Chen, causing the young man to snap out of his meditation session. He looks around, surprised. "Monkey King?"

"Heya bud!"

Chen looks up, seeing the Monkey King standing right in front of him. He was glowing, waving at Chen. "Oh, good! My astral projection does still work!"

Chen stares at Monkey King in shock. "Wait what- how are you here?" He asks, confused. Monkey King grins. "Good question! I'm actually not! Only you can see me!"

"So... like some sort of telepathy?" Chen asks, to which the sage gives him fingers guns. "Exactly! Now- Wait a minute- were you training?" The monkey asks suspiciously, tail flicking back and forth.

Chen falls silent, remembering he was in his training attire. He leans over slightly to look at Jade, who happened to be sitting behind the Monkey King astral projection.

The snake demons face was pale, realising that Chen was somehow talking to the great sage. He quickly shakes their head, sweating profusely as they make a zipping motion on his lips, signalling for Chen to not give away his presence.

Chen turns back to the Monkey King. "No. Just forgot to change after our training session this morning."

The Monkey King nods. "Ah, alright! Now, I just came by to tell you that I wanted to talk to you about something. Can you come by my Shame Temple this afternoon? Oh, and can you bring my correct order too? Thanks bud, byyye!" With that, the sage disappears, leaving Chen confused on what just happened.

There's silence in the dojo, until Jade clears his throat. "So, uh, the Monkey King? What did he want?" He asks awkwardly. Chen sighs, getting to his feet. "He wants to talk. But honestly I think he just mostly wanted me to deliver an incorrect order." He states, looking out the window to see the sun was setting. "I guess I better go before it gets too late."

"Oh- alright!" Jade gets to his feet. "Anyway, you did great for your first lesson! From now on I want you to meditate for, let's see... maybe an hour? Try to connect with your power more. It should be easier to use each time you connect with it."

Chen nods, giving Jade a lazy salute. "Will do, then." He states. "Same time tomorrow?"

Getting the snake demons confirmation, the young man leaves the old dojo, getting into his tuk-tuk.

Jade watches him leave, surprised Chen did meditation so well on his first try. Perhaps the river demon had something to do with it?

Shrugging, Jade turns back to the dojo, heading back inside.

———

After taking a detour back to Pigsy's Noodles to get Monkey Kings correct order, Chen was on his way to the sage's Shame Temple, following the directions on his GPS. The trip took longer than he expected, but he was able to get there before the sun had fully set.

He looks up at the temple gates, knocking three times. A few seconds later it was opened by the monkey man himself, looking down at him with a smile. "Hey, you made it! Did you bring my order?" He asks. Before Chen could answer Monkey King reaches out and takes the bag in his hand, looking inside. "Ah! Thanks bud! MK got my order mixed up. Come on in!" The sage steps aside, walking further into the courtyard. Chen follows, feeling a bit awkward since MK wasn't there to fill in the silence. Now that he thought about it, he and Monkey King had never been alone together...

The monkey in question didn't seem bothered, sitting down on the steps and motioning Chen to sit down next to him. "Here! I added something for you too." He says, pulling out a container of noodles for Chen.

"Uh... thanks?" Chen sits down as Monkey King starts eating his own noodles. "So... you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah! How've you been, recently?" He asks casually, to which Chen becomes confused. "What do you mean ' how have I been'?"

"You know, how is everything recently? You been hanging out with MK after work? Haven't been burning yourself out?" He carried on, trying to start a conversation.

"You called me out here... for a chat?" Chen asks, getting a bit annoyed. Monkey King pauses, seeing Chen's expression. "Well... yeah. I wanted to talk to you because I've noticed you've been... quiet, these last few sessions. Is something going on, bud?"

Chen scowls, not wanting to talk about what's been going on with Monkey King. He barely knew the guy, after all. "It's nothing." He states matter of factly, getting to his feet.

Monkey King follows his lead. "Alright, well, have you at least talked to MK?" He asks, tilting his head in concern. When Chen doesn't respond, he sighs.

"Look, bud. If you won't talk to me, could you at least talk to MK? He's getting worried about you, ya know. He told me something happened last week."

Chen stops, glancing back at Monkey King. "Then he can talk to me." He states, a hint of anger in his tone. The sage stares at him. "Bud, there's no need for you to get hostile." He says calmly. The young man scowls at him a moment, before taking a breath to calm himself down. "Right, sorry..."

Monkey King sighs, looking away as he scratches his neck awkwardly. "Okay. Look, Chen. I know we don't talk much other than training. But if you're going through something, you should at least talk about it to MK, alright bud?" He says, walking closer to Chen. "The kid's worried about you. He's your brother and he cares about you a lot."

The monkey places a hand on hiss back gently, surprising Chen's as he gives him a light pat. Looking back at the great sage, he found the Monkey King smiling back at him.
The young man sighs. "Alright. I'll... think about that." He mumbles. "I gotta go, anyway. See you later, Monkey King."

The Monkey King nods, letting Chen walk away. He took notice that Chen hadn't even eaten the food he'd ordered, but he decided not to say anything about it, only hoping that Chen would think about what he said. He'd been way too quiet recently, and more frustrated than normal.

He didn't know what had happened to Chen, but he hoped he'd at least talk to someone.

———

(Later that night...)

Chen lay on his bed, Shu sleeping on his stomach as he stared up at the ceiling. The cat purrs loudly as the young man absentmindedly pet her, his thoughts elsewhere.

Events from the last few weeks played on loop inside his head, reminding him of all the things he'd wished he never found out from that stupid calabash. He would've preferred to live life blissfully unaware than know that he was the son of his enemy, the Demon Bull King.

He thought over his doppelgängers words as well, and even though he hated it, he started to wonder how his life would've been if he hadn't been supposedly kidnapped.

His mind was a blur of thoughts, emotions and "what ifs".

His phone buzzing snapped him out of his thoughts, and Chen reaches out and grabs his phone, holding it to his face.
It was a message from MK. The boy just asking where he went and what he's doing now.

Chen types out a simple reply, explaining he had to take an order to Monkey King. He was about to put his phone back down, when he remembered what Monkey King said.

The young man grumbles to himself, feeling stupid for what he's about to do.

Chen: hey mk, can I talk to you for a minute?

He sends the message, then waits. MK types back quickly, much to Chen's surprise.

Monkey Brain: sure! What's up?

Chen sighs, before typing out his response, telling MK of the events the week prior, and almost telling him everything that had happened.

Almost. He left out a few details that MK didn't need to worry about.

And thus, he spent the rest of his night talking it out with MK, surprised to find that he felt a little better.

—————

A/N: God damn when I started this fic I didn't know how much Chen and (past) Monkey King have in common???

Also what I'm trying to show here is Jade struggles to think for themself. He's always had someone telling him what to do before.

I didn't know how to end this chapter lol

 

Chapter 18: Skeleton Key

"Concentrate on how much power you want to use! There we go!" Jade smiles proudly, watching as Chen easily broke one of the dummies in half using super strength. The young man pants for breath after the work out, swinging his arms as he looks down at the dummy. "How'd I do?"

"Great! You've been picking up this thing way quicker than I thought! The meditation must've helped a lot, eh?" Jade states, as Chen grins, proud that he was finally getting somewhere. "Yeah, I guess it has."

The two sat down on the mat for a break, and as Chen looks around he took note that the old dojo was much cleaner than his first visit. Jade must've done some proper cleaning and repairs on this place.

"So-"

Jade's voice brings Chen's attention back to him, and the young man turns to the snake demon.

"Since you've been doing so well, I feel like we can do a bit of friendly sparring, just to see how you go with your powers in battle." Jade suggests, taking a sip of his water bottle. Chen's about to answer when his phone alarm goes off, signalling the end of the lesson. He takes out his phone, checking the time.

"Maybe next time. I gotta go to work. Pigsy told me there's going to be a special guest coming to see MK." He explains, getting to his feet. Jade nods in understanding. "Ah, alright! Just, uh, remember to keep meditating, alright?" He asks.

Chen was already rushing out the door. "Got it, teach! Catch ya later!"

With that, the boy was gone, leaving Jade alone.

The snake demon gets to his feet, stretching a bit. He had to admit, he was a bit disappointed that Chen couldn't spar with them, since it was obvious the young man was doing much better. But there was always next time, right?

Jade moves into another room of the dojo, heading toward the bathroom. He had managed to get the water working in this old place, just so he'd have somewhere decent to live. The technology of this day and age will never cease to amaze him.

Turning the tap on he splashes some water on his face, before looking into the mirror. As he looks up at his reflection, they're met with the sight of a manic smile behind them. Their blood runs cold, a familiar chill running down his spine.

"Well, well, well! What do we have here? If it isn't my old partner." A voice says cheerily behind him, the smile never disappearing or fading for a second.

Jade stands taller, turning to face the figure he'd seen in the reflection. "Chief."

The Chief of War before him looked way different than when he'd last seen him. Instead of the attire he was accustomed to, he was wearing a black suit with blue stripes. But his familiar lifeless eyes stared back at Jade, a wide grin stretched across his face.

"Ah, it's been so long since somebody's called me that." He says with a grin. "And it's been a while since I've seen you. How was that coffin? Dark? Cramped? Perhaps a little claustrophobic? I know how you feel about tight spaces."

Jade doesn't say anything back, instead changing the subject. "If you're here, does that mean our lady...?"

The man chuckles, shaking his head. "Oh, not yet! But she'll be back very soon. But while we're here, was that the Demon Bull Kings off spring I caught skipping out of here? You know how our Lady will feel if she finds you associating with the enemy."

Jade tenses up, jaw clenching slightly. "It's not what it looks like-"

"Oh, don't worry! I won't do anything to him yet. After all, we wouldn't want our dear old friend the Monkey King coming after us yet, do we?"

Jade nods, glancing off to the side to avoid looking at his partner.

"Still, I'm sure when our Lady returns she'll want an explanation on why you're becoming close to him."

The man chuckles once more, placing a hand on Jade's shoulder. His hand felt cold, as if a corpse was touching them.

"Just remember where your loyalties lie, Jade Warrior." The man hisses, before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke.

Jade stares at the spot the man had been, a pit of dread forming.

His Lady was returning, and when she does Chen will most likely be destroyed if he couldn't convince the young man.

... and for some reason Jade didn't want that to happen...

What had he gotten himself into?

———

"Thank you for this amazing turnout!" The Mayor starts, as he stood at a small podium set up in the small noodle shop. Chen sat on a stool next to Pigsy and Tang, watching as Mei cheers excitedly for her best friend. "Woo-hoo! Let's hear it for Monkie Kid! Hero of the city!"

The mayor smiles widely, holding up a strange looking key. "As mayor, I hereby give Monkie Kid the key to our fair city!" He declares, stiffly turning to MK standing next to him, handing him the key. MK gleefully takes it, looking down at it as a strange pulse emanates from it. He takes a moment to look it over, before turning back to the mayor. "Um, what does this key do, exactly?"

Chen face palms as the Mayor explains to the boy.

"Oh, you'll love this. It has the power to open anything!" He says with a wide grin. Mei gets excited, climbing onto the podium. "Ooh, anything? Like a pet shop full of puppies?!" She asks excitedly.

The mayor stares at her with unusually wide eyes, slightly unnerving Chen. "Yes! Or the door to a lions cage, or an orphans piggy bank..." His voice becomes lower, and Chen had to lean forward just to hear the last thing he adds. "Or an imprisoned mystic power source.... Whatever you like!" With that he was back to being loud, making Chen wince slightly as he leans against the podium. "Today, you can do no wrong! Cause- I'm the mayor!" He declares with a cackle, before suddenly disappearing in a puff of blue smoke, surprising everyone in the building.

Mei leans on the podium. "Huh. I'm starting to think, that's maybe not the mayor." She says. Chen hums, looking around the shop. "I think he was some sort of magician posing as the mayor." This causes Mei to giggle.

MK was too busy looking at the key to take notice of their conversation. "Wow, a key that can open anything!"

Chen catches sight of the excited grins stretched across Mei and MK's faces, and gets to his feet. "Hey, before you run off we should-"

Before he could say anything else, Mei and MK each grab one of his arms, and quickly drags him out of the noodle shop door. "Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Mei yells excitedly.

MK beams at Chen, seeing the young man's surprised and annoyed look. "C'mon, Chen! We get to do whatever we want! And I think you need a distraction after... well, you know." He declares.

With that the duo run to the arcade, which happened to be locked that day. As MK opens the door, Chen thinks it over.

He probably could use a break...

———

Chen leans against his bike, watching MK and Mei get attention after winning several prizes. The young man had to admit, he had fun. These last two weeks have been hectic, and some time with his best friends was exactly what he needed.

"Mei! Chen!" MK yells, shaking Mei's shoulders. "Okay, hear me out! We knew the key could magically unlock anything. But maybe, it can also magically lock anything too!"

Chen and Mei share a glance, the young man face-palming for a second time that day. "You literally just described all keys." Mei says, as Chen flicks the boy on his head. "Obvi."

MK scoffs, waving them off. "Sure, yeah, fine. But do you know what this means? Having this key, this power. It's so much responsibility..." MK holds up the key, a mischievous grin on his face.

"But I know what we need to do!"

———

Chen, MK, and Mei stand on the balcony above Pigsy's Noodles, watching with anticipation as Pigsy walks closer to his shop, carrying a bag of groceries in his arms. He hums a tune to himself, oblivious to the snickering kids above him.

Placing the bag down he goes to open the door, only to find it locked. "What the?"
Rolling up his sleeves he prepares himself, lifting the door with all his might, yet once again it doesn't budge. All he manages to do is crack his back.

Chen, MK and Mei all watch as Pigsy runs around the building, trying to find an entrance to his shop only to find everything, from the doors to the windows, is locked.

MK wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I wish we had this key all the time! I don't think I've had this much fun in forever!"
Chen pats him on the back. "You said it! Man, I missed doing this stuff with you guys." He chuckles.

Their fun is short lived as an explosion blows a hole through the wall behind them, knocking the trio to the street below. Mei lands on the street, while the two boys land in the giant dumpsters.

From the smoke and flames emerges Red Son, a smirk covering his features. "Noodle boy! Finally!"
Mei gets to her feet first, followed by MK. "What are you doing in MK's house?!"
"You better not have touched my stuff!"

Red Son scoffs in disgust. "Do you know how long I've been waiting here for you? Your house is... depressing."

Chen groans as he sits up, rubbing his head. What the hell was that?

"I almost feel bad taking things from you. Buuuut I'm going to need that magic key."

Chen freezes, eyes widening. Was that? Oh, it is.

"YOU!"

Chen stumbles to his feet, yelling and cursing as he throws bits and pieces of garbage off of him, clambering out of the bin to face the demon prince. "YOU GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Red Son freezes, eyes widening in shock. "Niúzǎi?"

"You lot have been avoiding me for weeks! Don't think I didn't notice your little bloody robots following me around! Come down here and fight me you coward!" Chen yells angrily, about to climb back up to the balcony.

Red Son stumbles back a bit, scowling at the young man. "I still can't believe you're Niúzǎi." He mutters. "Out of all the peasants in this town-"

"Stop talking and get your sorry behind down here or I'll MAKE you come down here! What? Too scared to fight me now? Worried that I'll beat you this time?!"

Mei puts a hand on Chen's shoulder. "Chen, what are you doing-"

Red Son scoffs in disgust at Chen's angry yells, collecting himself. "As much as I'd love to fight, I'm afraid that my parents and I have other plans." He states. With that his hand bursts into flames and the key that had been laying abandoned on the street flew into his open palm. "Yoink! So long, noodle boy!" He cackles, teleporting to a vehicle hidden in the alley, and zooming away.

Chen growls, his anger getting the best of him. "You're NOT getting away from me this time!"

Before Mei or MK could say anything, Chen had already hopped onto his bike, recklessly speeding after Red Son.

Mei stares after the two demons, confused. "... what just happened?"
MK groans, rubbing his eyes. "It's, uh, a long story. We should go after them, get the key AND Chen back."

"Uh, YEAH we do! He has a lot of explaining to do!" Mei whistles, summoning her bike and chasing after the two boys.

"Wait for me! No, Mei it's all good! I definitely don't want a ride. It's totally fine!" MK mutters sarcastically, pulling his staff from his ear and following his two best friends and enemy.

———

Red Son sped down the street, barging into cars and knocking them aside. The wreckage left behind allowed Chen to know where the demon prince went.

Chen growls as he catches sight of the large vehicle, speeding his bike up till he's side by side with the prince. "Hey, flame head!"

Red Son quickly looks over to him, groaning. "Of course it's you! What, you want another beat down? Sorry to disappoint but I don't have time for your games!"

Chen scowls. "Oh, I'm not looking for another beat down. I'm getting pay back for that calabash!" He yells, moving his bike close enough till he could reach the vehicle. With an angry yell he lashes out with a kick, hitting the side door and leaving a dent.

"Watch it! I JUST made this!" Red Son screams. Chen scoffs. "You don't want me to ruin your car? You deserve more than that for trying to ruin my life!"

—
Mei catches up just in time to see Chen arguing with Red Son, the two screaming at each other and barely watching the road. Mei decides to take this as her chance to speed in front of Red Son, drawing her sword.

Red Son notices her soon enough, having to dodge her sword from hitting his tires. "Can't you and your little peasant friends let me plot in peace? Just ONE TIME?!"

A thump is heard on his tank, and the demon Bull prince quickly looks in his rear view mirror to see Chen had jumped onto the tank.

"Oh COME ON!"

Red Son tries to squash Mei with his vehicle, to at least try and get rid of one of the two. But Mei easily dodges. "Stop wriggling!"

"Does it get boring? Us beating you all the time? You know we're gonna get that key back, right?"

Chen climbs to the passenger side door, about to grab the handle when the larger vehicle lurches to the side, almost throwing the young man off and causing him to have to cling on for dear life. Red son pushes a few buttons, his vehicle dropping a smaller race car onto the road. Whatever was left starts hurtling toward Mei with Chen attached.

Chen quickly jumps off, landing into a stand selling fruit and vegetables. Mei leaps off her own bike, using her sword to cut through the large vehicle and landing on the other side.
Chen growls as he climbs out of the squashed and ruined vegetables, ignoring the distraught owner of the stand as he bitterly watches Red Son drive away, the red-haired demon cackling maniacally. "So long, Rat and Dragon Horse Girl! Here's a tip, next time pick one animal and-"

Her taunt is cut off as MK's staff crashes into his car, destroying it instantly as Red Son is sent flying onto the road, landing face first on the pavement. He groans in pain as MK walks over, picking up the skeleton-like key. "So, looks like you reached the end of the line, Red Son." MK declares, holding the key triumphantly.

"RED BOY!"

MK cringes as he, Red Son and Mei all look over to Chen, who's marching over to them. The young man had an enraged look on his face as he made a beeline for the red-haired demon. "I have HAD IT with you! First you try and kill me and my friends, then you try and brainwash me?!"

Red Son quickly scrambles to his feet, turning to face Chen with an angry expression himself. "In my defense, that wasn't even my idea-"
"I don't care! You were still a part of it!" Chen spat, reaching Red Son and grabbing onto his jacket collar. Before Red Son or Chen could get into another fight, a large gust of wind separates the two, knocking them both off their feet.

MK and Mei rush over to help Chen to his feet, the trio looking over to find Princess Ironfan standing on a nearby building, over-looking the group. She stares down at them coldly, and Chen couldn't help but notice that it seemed more directed at his friends.
"Alright, children. Hand that key over and quit wasting my time." she states, holding out a hand.

Chen scowls, taking a defensive stance. "Why the heck do you need this key, huh?" he asks, as MK and Mei follow his lead, the two holding their weapons. Princess Ironfan's brows furrow slightly at his question, not happy with the enquiry. "That's for us to know and for you to find out, Niúzǎi." she states.
"That's not my name, witch!" Chen spat angrily, to which Princess Ironfan rolls her eyes. "I don't have time for this."

"Well we have time for this!" Chen spat, charging at PIF with MK and Mei following at his heel, determined to take down the princess.
But none of the trio could land a hit on her. Summoning her fan, Princess Ironfan easily dodged their attacks, whacking them back onto the street with a single hit.
MK drops the key, giving Red Son a chance to grab it, scuttling over to his mother as a strong gust of wind picks up. "Come, Red Son. We have things to do."
"Thanks for the key, losers!"

And with that, the two vanish, not leaving a trace behind. Chen, MK and Mei were left to pick themselves up, the young girl looking around for the stolen object. "Did they get away with the key?" she asks. MK nods, dusting himself off. "Yeah. But what I can't figure out is... why?"

"Well whatever it is they wanted it for must be bad, since a key that can open any door is dangerous..." Chen mutters, looking up at the building PIF and Red Son had been a moment before. "We better keep our guard up."

"Hey, Chen. Mind telling me why you went all crazy on Red Son back there?" Mei asks, turning to the young man. "Like, I know he's a bad guy and all, but I've never seen you that angry on, well, anyone really." she says, putting her sword away. Chen sighs, rubbing his eyes. "It's... a long story." he mutters. At this, Mei scoffs. "Well, we have the rest of the day, don't we? Last I checked, you don't got any work today since Piggy's shop is closed now." she giggles, remembering their earlier prank.

Chen and MK share a glance. "I... guess I could tell you what happened to pass the time. But I'd rather it be somewhere other than here..." Chen murmurs, looking around the street. Mei nods in understanding. "Okie dokie! Let's a go!" she declares, heading over to her bike. "Hey Chen, are you gonna pay that dude over there?" she asks, gesturing to the still distraught stand owner.

"Huh. I probably SHOULD pay him back for ruining his stand..."

--

Mei gasps, holding Shu close. "Oh my gosh! You're joking, right?!" she asks in disbelief, looking at Chen with wide eyes.

The trio had gone back to Chen's apartment, Mei and MK sitting on the couch with Shu on the girls lap, while Chen sat on a kitchen chair opposite to them. Chen had just finished explaining to Mei what had happened that night of the Great Wall Race.

"I wish I were." Chen shrugs. "But there has been some... pretty solid evidence showing that I am related to them, so it's hard to say otherwise." he explains. MK nods, reaching out to the small table where Chen had set up snacks for the two. "Yeah. Plus, Princess Ironfans reaction in the race actually explains a lot."

"So you're really a bull demon? But how? You said Pigsy just found you in ice, right? How did you even get there? I have so many questions!" Mei says. Chen shrugs again. "You're not the only one. But I'm not gonna be the one to go and ask the Bull family what happened. Not after everything they've done." Chen scowls.

Seeing how upset Chen was getting, MK pipes up. "Well, since Mei's up to date with everything, how about we do something? Like play a board game?" he gasps as an idea comes to him. "We could have another sleepover!" 

Chen thinks about it for a moment. "Sure, why not?" he chuckles, getting to his feet. He could use the company. "Plus, you'll need a place to sleep for tonight until your house is fixed, MK."

Mei and MK cheer.  "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You're the best, Chen!" MK yells, hugging Chen tightly. Chen chuckles softly, patting his back. "Alright alright, you can let go now."

MK lets go, taking a step back as he moves over to Mei. "Hey Mei! Where are those video games you got today? We can try them out tonight!" he says, as Chen leaves the room to try and find some blankets and pillows for the duo. Maybe he had a sleeping bag too.

Shu hops off the couch where she'd been sleeping, following Chen into the next room. As the young looks in the cupboards for the blankets, he could hear MK's and Mei's excited chatter, causing him to smile softly.

Gods, he felt so lucky to be their friend, their family. He couldn't imagine a life without knowing them.
Shu meows, brushing against Chen's leg. The young man bends down, giving her a pat as Mei's voice calls out from the next room. "Hey, Chen! Can we dye your hair?! I got some here!" she calls. Chen rolls his eyes. "No."

"Aw, come on! When can I dye your hair?!" 
"Never."
"You're no fun!"

Chen chuckles, walking back into the room with Shu on his heels. MK was already setting up the controllers for their gaming session, while Mei was pulling out the games. 

-- 

Outside, a figure watches the trio intensely from the shadows, his tail flicking back and forth quickly. He chuckles as he watches them.

"Well, things just got a whole lot more interesting."

Chapter 19: Macaque

(Flashback)

"C'mon, Chen! Take him down! Go for the finishing blow!" Kai yells, his voice ringing out above the crowds. 

Chen wipes the blood from his nose from where his opponent had struck, seeing him laying on the ground. His opponent tried to get to his feet, but Chen put a stop to it, leaping on top of him and holding him down. 

The coach counts down before blowing the whistle, claiming Chen the winner. At this Chen finally gets up, turning to see the Kai talking to someone else, receiving a package of money. The man then walks over to Chen, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You did it, "Blazing Beast". You made me proud." he says with a grin, ruffling his hair as he guides him away from the fighting area.

Chen chuckles. "Really? Do you think I'm ready to join the boxing ring yet?" he asks, looking up at Kai excitedly. Kai chuckles, shaking his head. "Not yet, Chen. But soon. Then you'll be the best boxer Megapolis has ever seen. That the world has ever seen." he promises. "Just keep making me proud, and you'll be big someday." 

"You think so?"

"I KNOW so."

----

"You know, when I found out I was going to be trained by the Monkey King, Great Sage, equal to heaven, I had no idea... that I'd be stuck here hammering walls 12 hours a day!" MK yelled in frustration, stopping his work and throwing the hammer he'd been using. "Why am I doing this again?!"

Monkey King doesn't respond right away, blocking an attack from Chen's wooden training staff. The sage was teaching the young man how to use weapons, which was a very different to what Chen was used to. 

"Oh, so I can make a nice little breakfast nook. Get some light up in here!" Monkey King says cheerily, taking a step back and blocking another attack from Chen. "You're doing great, buddy! Just remember to always expect the unexpected. Otherwise you'll be open to-" he spins his staff, catching Chen off guard as the wooden staff flies out of his hands, landing a few feet away. "-surprise attacks."

Chen blinks in disbelief, looking up at the sage. "Hey, that was uncalled for!" he yells, but Monkey King merely shrugs. "You're thinking too much about predicting what I'm going to do next. Remember; not all opponents are the same. They all use different tactics and skills to get their way. You're not fighting just humans anymore, Chen. You'll be fighting demons with years of experience in different techniques. You gotta keep adapting."
Chen rolls his eyes, but he knew Monkey King had a point.

"Hey! What about me!" MK asks. "I'm meant to be Monkie Kid! Not Construction Boy! How am I supposed to do the hero stuff if I don't know the fighting stuff!"
At this, Monkey King chuckles, spinning his staff. "Oh? You want to know the "fighting stuff", huh?" he asks. He approaches MK, eyes glowing a bright gold. Chen took this as his cue to step back and watch.
"Like this?"
Monkey King throws the staff, smashing a hole straight through the very wall MK was working on. The boy gasps, eyes sparkling in admiration. "Whoa! Yes! Exactly like that! I am ready for some awesome!" he cheers excitedly. Monkey King laughs, surprising both Chen and MK. 
"Look, bud. You can't rush this stuff. You'll get there. You just need practice." he explains. But MK wasn't so sure. 

"But this isn't practice!" he. exclaims, holding up the hammer he'd been using. At this, the sage groans, turning back to MK with a stern expression. "I'm never going to teach you something you don't need to know, okay?" 
MK huffs, looking to Chen. "Chen? You don't agree with this, do you?" he asks. Chen pauses, glancing between MK and the Monkey King, who'd also turned to look at him with a raised brow. "I don't know, don't ask me. All teachers are weird in their teachings, in my opinion."

Monkey King chuckles, while MK huffs in defeat. "Okay. Now, this priceless, ancient mural is not going to destroy itself. So remember: Step into the strike. Chen, you're next." he states. At this, Chen turns to Monkey King, confused. "Wait, what?"
"You're gonna be trying this next. Don't question it, just do it."

Before Chen could question further, MK's phone rings, distracting the two young men. MK quickly answers the call, seeing Mei's name on the screen. When he answers, her worried and distressed face comes up. "MK! Chen! We really need your help!" she yells, turning her phone to show them a giant, shadowy monster was attacking the city.

Seeing this opportunity, MK gasps dramatically. "A monster attacking the city? That's terrible!" he cries. "Dang. Guess I got to go do some boring hero stuff instead of...this. Okay, bye!" he yells, grabbing Chen's arm and running out with Chen in tow.
Monkey King sighs in annoyance, but doesn't say anything, merely watching his two students leave.

--

MK and Chen arrive back in Megapolis within a minute, much to the discomfort of Chen. Once they stop next to Mei, Chen had to take a minute to stop himself from throwing up. "MK, give me a warning next time you decide to try and break the speed record!" he growls out, heaving. MK chuckles. "Aren't you used to that by now?"
"Not being flung through the air on nothing but a pole!"

"MK! Chen! What took you guys so long?!" Mei asks. MK scratches his neck. "Sorry, Monkey King was making me do boring stuff. That the bad guy?" he asks, gesturing to the ominous, purple monster looming over their heads. 

Chen straightens up, looking up at the strange beast. "Whoa, that's a big one..." he murmurs. MK chuckles. "Nothing we can't handle, right Chen? Be right back!" he yells, charging forward. Chen rolls his eyes, but follows his lead. "Here comes-"

"No, wait!"

"Monkie Kid!" 

As soon as MK finishes his sentence he is immediately thrown back to the ground by the purple monster, followed by Chen. The two hit the ground, easily defeated. 
Mei looks down at her two friends, cringing. "Oh, yeah... we tried that." she explains, gesturing to Sandy hovering over a defeated Pigsy. Chen sits up with a groan, right as a dark figure flies overhead. The trio look up in surprise. 

"Is that-"
"Monkey King?"

It was difficult to make out who the figure was, but it looked an awful lot like the Monkey King. Chen watches on as the figure strikes the monster down with one hit, causing it to shrink and run away. 
"What is Monkey King doing here...?" he wonders aloud. MK leaps to his feet, running over to the building. "Who cares?! That was awesome!"

MK quickly climbs up the building, with Chen following behind on the ladders and balconies leading up. 

The younger boy made it to the top first (even after falling off) and starts to fanboy over Monkey King's cool fight, only to stop abruptly. When Chen reaches the top, he understood why. The figure wasn't Monkey King, but a dark-furred monkey. 
"Oh- this is awkward. You're not Monkey King." MK says sheepishly, as Chen pulls himself over the barrier to join the boy. 

The monkey chuckles, scratching his neck. "I get that a lot. Monkie Kid, right?" he asks, crouching on a pipe. MK gasps. "How did you-"
"Your staff kind of gives you away, dude. Not just anyone can wield that thing." he points out, gesturing to MK's staff. 

Chen hums, walking over to stand next to MK. "Yeah, we know. Who exactly are you?" he asks suspiciously, looking the monkey up and down. Has he seen this guy before?
The monkey chuckles again, standing up. "Macaque! Actually, the "Six-Eared Macaque" is, you know. My full name. What abut you? Haven't seen you around before." the simian asks, eyeing him curiously.

"The name's Chen. And I'm this doofus's side kick." Chen explains, making a point by wrapping an arm around MK's shoulders. Macaque raises a brow, nodding. "I see. Well, I better get going. See you around, kiddo's." he waves, walking off. 
MK darts back over to Macaque, surprising both Chen and the monkey. "CAN YOU TEACH ME THAT AWESOME THING!" he begs, eyes practically sparkling. 

Macaque chuckles awkwardly, taking a step back. "Don't you already have a master? I thought Monkey King was teaching you." he asks. At this, Chen raises a brow. How'd he know that?

MK coughs awkwardly. "Ah, yeah, yeah, no he-he is." he chuckles, before falling silent. Chen steps in. "Yeah, he is. How'd you know?" he asks. Macaque merely shrugs. "Word spreads, you know. Especially when it concerns two young, potential heroes and a living legend." he explains with a smile. Chen thinks this over, realising that he was right.  

"But concerning the teaching thing, I wouldn't mind. I already have a student of my own, and can teach you guys as well. You can never have too many teachers, right? I'm sure Monkey King would agree. It's not like he would want to hold you back." 

Chen and MK glance at each other, before Chen guides MK back to talk with him. "You're not considering this, are you?" he asks quietly. MK looks away, scratching his neck. "Well..."
The young man glances back to Macaque, who was idly standing behind them, head tilted curiously as he watches them. "I don't know about this guy. Something just feels awfully familiar about this whole situation." he says. He kept getting deja vu, but he couldn't place his finger on it...
MK waves him off. "C'mon, it can't be that bad! He seems like a cool guy, right?" he asks, and at this Chen shrugs. "I guess..."
"Then it's fine! You can go back to Monkey King and break some walls down, but I'm gonna go check out Macaque's training. Maybe he'll teach me that thing he did!" he whispers excitedly.
Thinking it over, Chen sighs in defeat. "Alright. I'm gonna come watch, just to see what he does, though." 

MK grins, before turning back to Macaque. "Yeah! Monkey King would be totally cool with this." he says, answering Macaque's earlier question. The monkey chuckles, placing a hand on Chen and MK's backs and begins to guide them along. "Alright, then."

--

Chen winces as MK is thrown into a rack full of weapons, crashing to the floor. Macaque, MK and Chen had arrived at an old dojo, where Macaque and MK had gotten to training right away. MK was quickly bested by Macaque, the monkey standing  over him with his staff pointed at him. "Not bad. Don't get me wrong, but I was kind of expecting a little more from someone with your power." Macaque points out. Chen stood silently by the side, eyeing Macaque warily. 

MK was offended by the monkeys statement. "Hey, hey I've got more! I can give way more than that! I can do better!" he promises. Macaque raises a brow, but smiles. "Okay. Maybe show me next time." he suggests, before walking over to Chen, leaving MK to pick himself up. "What about you? Can you do better?"

Chen's brows furrow. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?" he asks, glancing over to MK. Macaque didn't even seem to hold back, while MK did. Macaque shrugs. "You'll never know your true potential unless you give it your all. But if Monkey King isn't doing that... maybe he's just being too soft, not letting you reach that potential." 
The young man pauses, looking at Macaque. The monkey stares back with a friendly smile, but Chen felt a bit peeved by his statement.

"Are you implying I'm not strong enough to fight you?"

"I'm not saying anything. But I guess it's your choice if you don't want to." the monkey shrugs. At this, Chen stands up straighter, getting off the wall he'd been leaning on. "No, no. I've changed my mind. Let's do it." he says. Macaque tilts his head slightly, a small smirk falling on his lips. "Alright. Let's see what you've got." 

Chen picks up one of the fallen staffs on the ground, moving  to the centre of the training mat. MK quickly moves out of the way.
The two start to spar, Chen giving it his all and trying to remember all the moves Monkey King had taught him so far. Macaque easily dodges and blocks his attacks, and he seemed just as eager to fight. 
"Not bad. But I still think you could learn a thing or two." Macaque states. He pushes Chen's staff up, forcing him to stumble back and leaving an opening. Then with one sweep he swings his staff, striking Chen in the gut and throwing him back. Chen cries out in pain, panting from the workout. Macaque walks over to him. 

"Maybe this is a little harsh, but I feel like you could've done better than that. It seemed like you were holding back on me." he points out.  Chen scowls as he gets to his feet, but he couldn't blame anyone but himself for something he agreed to do.
"You know, you could learn a little more from me. I can teach you both how to be stronger." he suggests. Chen thinks it over, before turning to Macaque. "Alright. Deal." 

Macaque grins. "Great. See you tomorrow, then." He says, before walking off, walking into another room of the dojo. MK and Chen leave, rubbing their sores. 

--

(A few days later...)

Chen sits back, bandaging up a new cut that was dealt from Macaque's staff, watching MK hammering at the wall Monkey King wanted to get rid of. Even after a few days, he still couldn't shake off the feeling of deja vu, as if he's been in this situation before. 

"Stop holding back, Stop trying to be nice. Your first strike should be your last strike. Every time you attack, give it everything you've got."

Macaque's words ring in Chen's head, tightening the bandage to conceal it from Monkey King. This all just felt too... familiar.

"Other people are going to tell you to be patient. They are slowing you down. You have power inside of you. Use it. Take the power and destroy. Remember, you don't use a weapon. You ARE a weapon." 

A loud crash jolts Chen out of his thoughts, and he quickly looks up to see the wall MK had been working on... was gone. Even Monkey King was stunned by the amount of power MK had used. 
"Whoa! How'd you learn to do that?" he asks, before gasping, turning to MK. "Have you been running around with other mentors?!" he asks accusingly. Chen sweats, hoping the sage wouldn't turn to him next.

MK turns away, a dark, focused expression on his face. Chen stares at his brother in concern as MK answers Monkey King coldly. "Patience and focus. Isn't that what you said?" 
Monkey King looks down at the boy sternly, not liking his attitude. "Look, kid. Using that much power, your body can't handle it-"
"You just don't like that there's someone who's actually teaching me what I need to know." MK snaps back, surprising Chen even more. That didn't sound like MK...

And that's when it clicks.

Macaque's cool, friendly attitude. The monkey taking the two boys under his wing, promising to make them stronger, better fighters. 
The harshness, the urge to be better, sneakily turning them on the people they trust.
MK's personality switch....

Chen's been here before with the Golden Kitsune's.

Chen quickly follows after MK, leaving Monkey King alone. "MK, wait!"

MK had already made it out of the cave, and was about to leave on his staff when Chen reaches out and grabs his shoulder. "MK, please don't go back to Macaque. I should've seen it before, but he's-"

"What? Teaching us what we need to know? Don't tell me you're with Monkey King on this too." MK spat, shaking Chen off. Chen's eyes widen in surprise, taken off guard. "What? No, MK, you don't understand. Kai had-" 
"Save it. I don't want to hear another excuse." MK interrupts, and before the young man could say anything more MK was gone, launching himself into the air with the staff and leaving Chen behind on Flower Fruit Mountain.

Chen looks up at where MK disappeared in disbelief. "The heck?! MK you little- AGH! You didn't even give me a chance to talk!" he yells out in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

Now he realised why the situation was familiar, and he couldn't even warn his brother that Macaque was possibly using him. 
There was only one way for MK to realise that Macaque was bad news, and that was if he found out on his own. 

But Chen wasn't going to just let it happen. No, he was going to put a stop to it before it got too far. But first he had to get back... somehow...

Groaning in annoyance, Chen marches back to the cave to see Monkey King in deep thought. He coughs awkwardly, getting the sage's attention. "MK had just left me. Would you mind... giving me a lift?" he asks, scratching his neck.

Monkey King glances at the hole in the wall MK had made, before sighing. "Sure thing, bud." he says, summoning his cloud. "Jump on." 

Chen nods, climbing onto the cloud. It felt soft, but sturdy to stand on. But when Monkey King started moving, the young man had to grab onto him to avoid falling off. 
Soon they were speeding over the ocean, heading toward Megapolis. 

"So... were you running around with another mentor too?" Monkey King asks, glancing back to Chen. The young man looks away. "Um... maybe?"
Monkey King sighs, falling silent and thinking to himself. Chen couldn't see his face, but he could already tell he was upset. 
"Look, I'm sorry Monkey King. This guy, he just... he got into my head. I should've known he was bad news from the start-" Chen says quickly, but Monkey King interrupts him.

"It's fine, bud. But I still can't believe you both two-timed me on training." he pouts childishly, crossing his arms. "But then again... I can't really blame you. If it really is who I think it is, then it's not your fault. He has a way of doing stuff like that. As long as you stay away from him from now on, we can just forget this ever happened. I'll deal with him."

Monkey King lands on top of Pigsy's Noodles, letting Chen down from the cloud. Chen looks up at Monkey King. "Uh, thanks again, Monkey King. I'll try to, you know, be a better student..." he mutters, looking away. 
The sage tilts his head, and for a moment he thought the monkey was just going to leave. To his surprise, he felt Monkey King ruffle his hair. "Don't think too much about it. Now, I'm gonna go look for MK. You wait here, ok?"

"Sure thing, Monkey King..." 

The sage nods with a smile, before flying off on his cloud once more, leaving Chen on the roof. The young man watches until he's out of sight, before quickly decending off the roof, heading toward Macaque's dojo.

There was no way in all the realms that he was going to sit back while MK was with that lying, manipulative bastard.

--

Chen soon arrives at Macaque's dojo, and from inside he could hear MK and the monkey training. Instead of heading inside, the young man decides to wait outside. If he couldn't convince MK that Macaque was up to no good, then the boy just had to find out for himself the hard way.

Leaning against a wall, Chen crosses him arms and waits.

A couple of minutes go by and the sounds inside stop, followed by silence. The, Macaque and MK exit the dojo, the young boy exhausted. Macaque must've really gone hard on him today...
Chen gets up, walking over to the two. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" he asks, trying to keep it casual. 
MK turns to Chen, brows furrowing slightly in annoyance. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to come back here." he points out. At this, Chen shrugs. "I never said that. So, what are you two doing now?" he asks again.

Macaque raises a brow, keeping unusually silent as MK answers. "Oh, Macaque and I were just gonna do something." he explains. Chen tilts his head curiously. "Oh, really? Well, I'm coming too." he declares, about to follow the two when Macaque places a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping him in place. "No, this is something MK needs to do on his own. He doesn't need a babysitter hovering over him." he states, turning to look at MK with a smile. "Isn't that right, MK?"

MK glances between them, before nodding. "Uh- yeah! Whatever it is, I can handle it. I don't need your help this time. You can stay here, Chen." he says, the young man staring at his brother. How did MK not see that Macaque was trying to seperate them?

But then again, he couldn't really blame him when he did the exact same thing.

Scowling, he looks off to the side. "Fine. Whatever." he mutters. Macaque grins, patting the young man on the back before walking toward MK. "Alright, then. Let's go, kiddo."
"Yeah! See you later, Chen!" MK says, before following behind Macaque like an eager puppy.

Chen glares at Macaque's back, and for a split second the monkey turns his head back to the young man, shooting him an impish grin. But just like that it was gone, and so were the two of them, leaving Chen alone for the third time that day.

"Dammit. Now I know how Pigsy felt whenever I snuck off to hang out with the Golden Kitsune's..."

Chen waits a bit, before following after them, wanting to know where exactly Macaque was taking MK.

--

Lightning crashes in the distance, spooking Chen . He looks around, trying to catch his breath. He had been following Macaque and MK for what felt like forever, Chen realised that Macaque had taken his brother to a secluded mountain, far away from civilisation.
On top of one rock pillar in particular, the young man could see the smoke monster MK and Chen had tried to fight a few days prior. 

From his position behind a boulder, he watches as MK and Macaque talk, the boy looking doubtful about something. He couldn't make out what they were saying, and that frustrated him. 
Macaque seems to tell MK something encouraging, before pushing MK towards the direction of the monster. Chen's eyes widen in shock, realising that Macaque wanted MK to fight the monster. 

He couldn't let MK do that by himself, not after what happened last time. That thing could kill him! He needed his help!

The young man was about to step out of his hiding spot and confront Macaque when he feels something wrap around his leg. He quickly looks down, and is surprised to see a shadowy hand clinging onto his ankle, keeping him in place. He tries to shake it off, but it has a firm hold on him. 
Another hand comes out from the wall behind him, grabbing onto his shirt and yanking him back against the shoulder. Chen tries to yell for MK's help when another hand covers his mouth, followed by several more grabbing onto him and holding him down.

 A monkey-like face emerges from the shadows next to him, giving him a familiar yet sinister grin. It brings a finger to its lips, signalling for Chen to be silent. 
It then points to the distance, and when Chen turned his head to look he watches in horror as MK goes in to fight the monster alone. 

He spins his staff, lunging towards the monster with a determined expression. The monster turns its head to watch him carefully, and as MK swings his staff. The monster doesn't move, using its powers to block the attack. MK keeps attacking, hitting it with everything he had.

"I am the weapon!"

As MK attacks the monster it begins to shift and morph, becoming smaller and smaller. The staff shoots right past it, and from his angle from the ground Chen had to squint to see just what it had shifted into. 

The monster had revealed itself to be Macaque.

Both MK's and Chen's eyes widen in shock and horror, and before the younger boy could react or defend himself the monkey had punched him in the gut, drawing out a glowing stone. MK falls to the ground, landing in front of the first Macaque that had guided him to the mountain. His staff lands next to him, the younger boy left winded. 

Macaque chuckles as he walks by MK, ruffling his hair. "You know, you really are a good kid." he says, disappearing into a shadow on the ground. 
"Super nice..."

The stone, which Chen realised was MK's powers, was still in Macaque's hands. He absorbs it, taking it for himself. A shockwave throws MK into a rock, the staff flying towards him and pinning him in place.

"Thank you for giving me all of Monkey King's powers." The monkey grins as he turns back to MK. 

As Chen watches from his place, the shadowy hands holding him down pull, and the young man realises too late that he's sinking into the ground with them. He tries to fight them off, but it's already too late. He disappears into a shadow portal, re-emerging in front of Macaque and MK. 

MK is shocked to see the young man, while Macaque turns his head to look at Chen with a menacing grin. "I thought we told you to stay put, kid." he tuts, as if scolding a disobedient child. "You don't like listening, do you? Just like your old man." Chen fights against the shadow clones holding him down, trying to break free. "How did you-"

"What? Know that you followed us? You're not that quiet, kiddo." Macaque points out, revealing three of his six-ears briefly before hiding them again. "You should've stayed away, Chen."

MK strains to move the staff, gaining Macaque's attention. He cackles at his failed attempts with a wide, mocking grin. "Huh? Oh, no! Can't you hold the magic staff anymore? Well, you know what that means! There really isn't anything special about you." he taunts. He pushes the staff further into the rock, keeping MK in place. Seeing this, Chen grits his teeth. "Get away from him you mother-"
A shadowy hand quickly silences him, muffling his threats. Macaque doesn't even look his way, leaning in closer to MK. "You're just some kid with a heavy stick."

"Enough!"

Macaque is suddenly thrown back, and he had to catch himself. He lands back on his feet, a dark scowl on his face as he turns back to the two boys. A figure stands protectively in front of them, and MK and Chen look up in surprise. 

"Monkey King!" MK cries out in relief, only to be silenced by Monkey King's glare. Chen knew they'd both be getting an earful later. 

"Monkey King! It's good to see you, bud!" Macaque mocks, the cocky grin returning. But it appeared more forced. Monkey King shifts his glare to Macaque, not pleased in the slightest. "Are you ever going to get sick of living in my shadow? It's time you give back what you stole." he demands. 

This causes Macaque's eyebrow to twitch in irritation, but after taking in a breath he laughs at the sage. "You are such a gem. It's gonna be so satisfying killing you with your own powers!" he snarls, lunging forward. Monkey King doesn't hesitate, and the two clash together in battle. 
Monkey King draws Macaque away from MK and Chen, caught in an intense fight.

Chen struggles to free an arm, the hands still holding a firm grip on him. He tried to use his powers, but they didn't seem to be working at all, which frustrated him immensely. "MK, are you okay?" he asks, lifting his head to look at the boy. 
MK was still trying to remove the staff, but upon hearing Chen's question he looks at him, slumping over. "Yeah. Maybe...no, not really... you knew, didn't you? You saw it coming."

Chen tilts his head from side to side, unsure how to phrase it. "Well, kind of? I definitely wasn't expecting this." he says, pointing his head in the direction of Monkey King and Macaque's battle. 
"I'm sorry, I should've given you a chance to talk, but I was just so frustrated-" MK rants, and Chen shakes his head. "Hey- let's talk about it later. Right now we gotta get outta here. Can you lift the staff?"
MK shakes his head. "No, I can't-"

The two are cut off as Monkey King yells in pain, both quickly turning their attention to the fight to see Monkey King had been punched straight through several rock pillars, and was being piled on by Macaque's clones. Macaque cackles, and Chen realised the monkey had tricked the sage by shapeshifting into MK.

"Seriously? You fell for THAT?" Macaque cackles, glancing over to MK still struggling to remove the staff. He chuckles, as shadows begin to swirl around him, the purple monster forming once more. "Sorry, kid. Nothing personal."

Chen's eyes widen as Macaque conjures up the smoke monster, realising what the monkey was about to do. 

"MK!"

The young man struggles and fights against the shadows holding him down, green sparks glowing around him. 

He couldn't lose MK. He wouldn't lose MK. He won't let it happen.

With a yell the shadow clones disperse, and Chen charges forward right as Macaque brings a fist down on MK to finish him off. He puts himself between the giant hand and his brother, blocking the attack. 

"If you want to take a hit you gotta have a firmer stance."

"Concentrate on how much power you want to use."

Jade's and Monkey King's words ring through his head, his eyes glowing green as he uses his super strength to stop Macaque's attack. 
Macaque chuckles, not letting up." Oh ho? I knew you were holding out on me! But is that all you've got?! Or are you really that weak!"

Macaque uses more force, and Chen cries out in pain as he struggles to keep him back, his feet sliding against the ground. Chen's eyes widen in fear, realising that the both of them were about to be crushed. "No, no, no, no, no, no-"

That is, until another pair of hands appear next to Chen's bringing a stop to Macaque's attack once more. Chen glances up to see Monkey King beside him, teeth gritting together as he helps hold Macaque back. 

"Come on!" Macaque taunts. "Show me the real Sun Wukong! The old you would've leveled this whole mountain range to stop me! But you're scared of hurting a couple of kids?! Pathetic!"

Chen winces as Macaque keeps up his attack, and he glances over his shoulder to see MK still struggling to move the staff. He wanted to help him, but he feared that if he moved they'll all be crushed, since both he and Monkey King were struggling to keep Macaque back.

"C'mon, staff! I can't, I'm not strong enough..." MK says, about ready to give up. At his statement, though, Monkey King snaps at him, surprising Chen. "Kid! We're definitely going to have words later. But it's time for the hero stuff!"

This sparks something inside of MK. Chen watches in awe as his brother manages to move the heavy staff, golden sparks flying around him as his powers start to return. He gets to his feet, lifting the heavy weapon with effort. He steps forward into the strike, throwing his staff.

The staff flies over Chen and Monkey King's heads, heading straight towards Macaque and the smoke monster. The staff hits its target and Macaque is blasted away, causing an explosion.
Monkey King rushes forward, shielding both MK and Chen.

--

Monkey King let out a sigh of relief, looking out at the sunrise. MK and Chen sat on a rock beside him, the trio taking a moment to rest after the intense battle. 
"You did it, bud. You remembered what I told you." The sage says to MK. Chen glances at MK, who was looking down at his staff with a sad expression. He pulls his brother into a side hug, to which MK gladly leaned against him.

"I'm sorry, Monkey King..." MK says quietly, and at this, Monkey King turns to them. "Oh, oh, you totally should be! I still can't believe you both two-timed me on your training! Don't think you're getting out of this one, either!" he sulks pointing accusingly to Chen. 
Chen glances away, chuckling awkwardly. "I know."

MK was quiet. "I just wanted to be good enough. Like you..." he admits, and this causes Monkey King's expression to soften. He sighs, crouching down next to the young boy. "Hey, your heart's in the right place, kid. We can work on the rest." he reassures. 
Chen ruffles MK's hair. "We're going to have a serious talk when we get back home."

"Who taught you how to use your powers like that? Was it Macaque?" Monkey King asks Chen suspiciously. At this, Chen hesitates.
"It was, um, self taught?" he says, glancing back to the sage sheepishly. Oh, he definitely wasn't going to tell Monkey King about Jade now.

Monkey King huffs. "You do realise how risky that is, right? That could've gone seriously wrong in several ways!" he points out. Chen shrugs. "Yeah, well, you weren't teaching me anything."

Monkey King falls silent, realising that Chen was right. He sighs, taking his hand away from MK. "Alright you got me there..." 

The trio sit silently for a while, as the great sage gives MK a reassuring pat on the back. MK turns to Monkey King. "You're still gonna keep training us, right?" he asks. Monkey King chuckles."Of course, bud! And I've got something special in mind."

--

Back on Flower Fruit Mountain, Chen and MK were doing chores for Monkey King. While MK was over excited, expecting to learn some secret kung fu move, Chen was not as pleased. "C'mon! If I wanted to do spring cleaning, I would've just gone back home." he grumbles, sweeping the dust in the cave. 

"Hububub! Less talking, more cleaning." He says as he lays back on his cloud, eating out of a packet of peach chips. Chen rolls his eyes, but continues to work.

--

(Back in Megapolis...)

Jade takes a long, quiet walk along a building roof through the night, looking down at the city bellow him. The bright and colourful lights made the scene beautiful, but the snake demon had to admit that he missed seeing the stars in the sky at night. 

He'll have to leave the city some time. Maybe he should do that now while Chen is on his week-long training with the Monkey King.

As they stand there alone, a faint whispering starts from all around. They stiffen, listening to the familiar whispers. 

Was that...?

Jade looks around, and that's when he spots them: and army of the Demon Bull King's bull clones marching through the streets, causing chaos and destruction in their wake. Except this time, they were different.

Instead of glowing purple like he'd seen them, they were now glowing an eerie, familiar blue. A ghostly presence Jade was all too familiar with.

"She's back."

 

Chapter 20: The End Is Here!

Chen sleeps on the passenger side of MK's tuk-tuk, as the younger boy drove them back home to Megapolis after their week-long training session with Monkey King. MK had his ear phones on as he parks outside Pigsy's Noodles, oblivious to the eerie empty streets and the bull clones stalking behind the duo.

MK nudges Chen awake, the young man awaking with a start. "Wake up, sleepy-head! We're back!" he states, as Chen blearily opens his eyes to look around. The first thing he notices is how the place looked abandoned.
"Um, MK?"

MK doesn't seem to hear him as he gets out of the tuk-tuk, finally taking off his headphones as he calls out to the rest of their friends. "Hey, yo! Guess who's back from their training with Monkey Ki-"

He's cut off as a bunch of bull clones emerge from the shadows, surrounding the two young men. One of them lands in front of MK and roars in his face, causing the younger boy to jump back in fright. Chen scrambles out of the tuk-tuk, standing by MK's side and getting ready for a fight. The rest of the clones charge toward them, reaching out to grab the boys. 

Their attack is thwarted when a familiar food truck rams into the bull clones, sending them flying. Chen looks up at the food truck to see Pigsy, Sandy, Tang, Mei and Mo, all in different dystopian attire. MK gasps. "Guys! Whoa! You look so awesome!" he cries out. Chen glances between them, confused and slightly concerned. "What's going on here?"

Mei scratches her neck. "Yeah, so, uh, some stuff happened while you two were away. Got kinda intense." she explains. Chen nods, looking around the street. "I can see that. Wait- where's Rey?" he asks. Mei gestures to the back of the food truck. "In the back. All this apocalypse stuff really isn't for them. Big baby." she chuckles. There's scuffling from the back of the truck before the back doors of the truck is slammed open, Rey's head peeking out. Their hair was a mess, and it looked like they hadn't slept in a long time. "I heard that!"
"You know I'm right!" Mei shoots back, and Rey lets out a defeated sigh, shoulders slumped. "Yeah..."

"But I left you with one of my boys!" MK points out, and Tang moves aside to show an MK clone in the passenger seat of the food truck. "Oh, he's been super helpful." he says sarcastically. At this, the clone shrugs. "I don't know what to tell you, guy." 
With that the clone explodes, spreading hair everywhere.

"So what happened?" MK asks. Mei starts to tell the boys what happened when Tang interrupts her, wanting to tell the story. Mei groans, but lets him continue.
"Well, after you left, the Bull clones attacked. But they were different, more powerful than before. We believe it's all tied back to the Demon Bull King himself. MK, Chen, he's conquered everything."

As Chen listens, he couldn't help but feel enraged. He was getting real sick and tired of the Bull Family. His fists clench at his sides, and he had to take a breath to calm himself down. 
"Where is he? Where's DBK?" MK asks, a determined expression on his face. Sandy holds MO in his arms as he answers, glancing up at the mountain. "We're not sure. But there/s pretty scary noises coming from the mountain." 

The gang quickly climb into the food truck, and Chen is about to follow them when he remembers something. Jade was out there, and if DBK is more powerful than before, what if he found and attacked Jade? He's on his own out there.
"Chen, you coming?" Mei asks, looking back at him. Chen hesitates, torn between looking for Jade and staying with the gang and fighting with them. 

"MK, do you think you and the others can handle DBK without me?" he asks. This confuses MK. "Uh, what?"
"Do you think you can handle DBK?" he repeats, more urgent this time. MK glances at the others. "Uh- yeah? I think so? Why?"

Chen glances back at the city streets, taking a step out of the food truck. "I gotta go do something. You guys go on without me." he says. Pigsy frowns. "And where exactly do you think you're going?"
The young man hesitates again. "I gotta go check on someone. They might need my help." he explains vaguely. At this, Mei raises a brow. "Oooh, a love interest? Off to be their knight in shining armour?" she teases. 

At this, Chen cringes. "What? No! Geez Mei, now is not the time! You better get going if you want to take down DBK." he states, before running off down the street. Pigsy yells out to him but Chen ignores him, determined to find Jade and make sure he was okay.

--

"Jade! Are you there?!" Chen yells out, looking around. The young man had arrived at their training dojo, and upon entering he found the place wrecked. Broken objects were strewn around the place, ranging from training equipment to parts of the dojo itself. 

And so far, there's been no sign of the snake demon.

"Jade! C'mon, where are you?!" The longer there was no reply, the more stressed Chen became. Now the young man really was worried that something had happened. 
Just as Chen was about to leave and look for Jade elsewhere, he heard a robotic growl from behind him. He quickly turns around to find a bunch of bull clones staring him down, their eyes glowing an eerie blue. A stark contrast to the usual purple Chen was used to seeing.

One roars at him, it sounding more like a ghostly shriek before they charge at him, Chen immediately gets into a battle position, charging to meet them. Green sparks glow around him as he starts to fight the bull clones, smashing some to pieces with his bare fists. 

As he continues the battle, he realised more and more were showing up. There were now too many for Chen to handle. He backs up, quickly looking around for a weapon. That's when he spots a broken street light laying not too far away from him. Without thinking he grabs it, swinging the large pole t the bull clones. He manages to hit several, sending them flying. 

But that was one something landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him as he hits the ground. Chen wheezes, trying to get to his feet. The weight becomes heavier, and the young man realised several bull clones were holding him down, dog piling on top of him. 

"Get off of me! Pieces of stupid junk! I'll tear you apart!" he curses, trying to push them off. The bull clones don't listen, and start to drag him with them. In an attempt to get them off, Chen grabs onto whatever he could, an arm, a leg- anything. But whenever he pulled one off, another took its place. He was overpowered.

All of a sudden, the bull clones were blasted off by a powerful source, sending them all flying. Chen covers his head as large pieces of debris zips over his head, a loud hiss filling the air as dust blows about. 
When the dust clears Chen looks up, seeing a faint a large snake-like figure disappear into nothing.

"What in heavens name are you doing here?!" 

Jade steps out of an alley, rushing over to Chen and helping him to his feet. His expression was one of concern and worry, looking Chen over. "Are you really that stupid?! It's not safe!"
Chen scowls, not liking Jade's attitude. "I was looking for you!" he yells.

Jade shakes his head, grabbing Chen's hand and guiding him into an alley as he looks around warily. "You shouldn't be out here by yourself! The Demon Bull King's clones have been searching for you for the past week!" he says. "You should've stayed with your friends!" 

"You are my friend!" Chen interrupts, surprising Jade. The snake turns to the young man, eyes wide. "What...?"

"I came out here looking for you because I was worried! You're out here by yourself- I didn't know you could handle the bull clones on your own." Chen explains, taking a deep breath. Jade is silent, in complete shock at his statement. "Oh..."

Chen looks away, letting out a sigh. "We better get outta here before more of those clones come back." he says, walking around Jade and further into the alley. Jade looks after him, hesitating. He looked troubled and conflicted, but he followed Chen. 

--

MK had defeated the Demon Bull King very quickly, much to the surprise to Chen and Jade. The two had hidden out in the dojo's secret attic, which Chen had no clue had existed. That was where Jade had been hiding when Chen came to search for him. 

The two exit the dojo to find several bull clones laying on the ground, the blue glow coming from them gone.
Chen walks over to one, kicking it to make sure it was powered off. "Well, that's over with..." he mutters. Jade hums, looking around. 

The young man had noticed how silent Jade had been the whole hour they had been hiding, only answering when necessary. It confused him. What exactly had Chen said or done to make him this quiet?

"I guess I better go find my friends. Are you gonna be okay on your own?" Chen asks the snake. The snake demon finally turns to him. "Hm? Oh, y-yeah, I will. You better get back. I'm sure your friends are worried about you." 

Chen nods, shooting Jade a smile. "Alright. See you later Jade." he says, before leaving Jade in the dojo. 

--

Chen returns back to Pigsy's Noodles, only to find the Monkey Mech outside. As he looks up, the early morning sun glints off the shiny metal, almost blinding him. But he could vaguely make out several small figures sitting on one of the mech's shoulders. 

How was he supposed to get up there?

The young man thinks for a minute, before an idea comes to his mind. MK has that super jump. What if he just tried that? He should be able to make it if he tried.

Taking a moment to hype himself up, Chen takes his chance. He crouches down, before leaping. He yells in surprise as he flies through the air, quickly approaching the shoulder his friends were on. 
But as he nears he starts to slow down, hovering in the air for a moment before starting to fall. He scrambles to grab onto the metal, but it was impossible to grab onto the smooth surface. 

Just as he was about to fall back to the ground a large hand grabs onto his jacket pulling him up. "Woah! Careful, Chen! That was impressive!" Sandy compliments, setting Chen down next to him and Rey, who was nervously re-adjusting the charm bracelets on their wrists. It seems like they were still shaken up from the whole fight.
 Chen chuckles nervously, adrenaline rushing through his veins. "Yeah... just remind me not to do that again."
A slap lands on the back of his head, and Chen yelps in pain, rubbing his head. "Hey!"

"Why the heck did you run off like that?! What if those bull clones decided to kill ya, huh?!" Pigsy scolds, as MK and Mei giggle in the background. Chen glares at the two. "Sorry, pops."

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it! You're gonna be the one mopping the floors for a week, young man! I ain't having you running off on your own whenever there's a tyrant trying to take over the city!"
"Alright, alright, I got it, geez..." Chen grumbles. 

"So how did the fight with DBK go? Did you beat up Red Son for me?" Chen asks, turning to MK and the rest. MK pauses. "Actually, they helped me take down DBK."

"Wait, what?!" 

--

(Back at the old dojo...)

Friend.

Friend. 

Chen had called him his friend. Why would he even consider Jade his friend? They were just.. Jade. A liar, a snake. A demon that could eat him whole if they so chose.

Yet he still called them his friend.

Jade sat inside the dojo, legs crossed as his thoughts and emotions swirled inside his mind. Regret, guilt, frustration... it was all so confusing.

Why was he even thinking of this? He shouldn't be thinking. He should be sticking to the plan. He has to make his Lady proud when she returns. 

He owes it to her.

 

----

A/N: disclaimer I don't ship Jade and Chen. 

Chapter 21: Revenge Of The Spider Queen

"You call this a training session? I've barely broken a sweat!" MK boasts, as he and Monkey King train. Chen sat to the side, arms crossed as he watches in amusement. "Don't get too cocky, monkey brain. You know Monkey King can beat your butt if he wanted." he teases.
"Chen's right. A battle is no place to be arrogant, you gotta stay humble." The sage agrees. At this, MK scoffs. "Says you two!"

MK manages to push Monkey King to the edge of a cliff, cornering him. "Ha! Who's gotta be humble now?" he asks, charging forward as he spins his staff.
Monkey King grins, suddenly leaping forward. He stops MK's attack with his foot, surprising the boy.

"Still you."

Swiftly kicking the staff from MK's grasp it flings into the mountain, causing rocks to fall which land on MK. Monkey King flats over on his cloud, jumping down and pulling MK from the wreckage. "Okay! Class commencing. How'd I win?" he asks, placing the boy down on his feet.

MK raises a brow, scratching his chin. "Uh...you buried me under a rock slide?" he questions. Chen cackles in the background, finding this amusing.
"Yes, BUT why were you standing in the way of the rock slide?"

"BECAUSE YOU PUT ME THERE!" MK yells, but is quickly silenced as Monkey King ruffles his hair with a laugh. "No, no, no, no, no, no. I got you where I wanted you by putting myself where you wanted me. It's called misdirection."

MK hums in thought, running a hand through his hair to fix it up. "Seems like a shady lesson." He points out. At this, Chen cackles again, causing Monkey King to glower at the two boys. "Too soon, buddy."

MK flops onto the ground, laying on his back. "I'm never gonna be as good as you!" He whines. At this, Chen gets to his feet, walking over to his brother. Monkey King stood over the boy, a wide smile on his face. "Not with that attitude! Class dismissed!"

"Yes!" MK cheers, leaping to his feet. Chen smiles, taking note of his phone vibrating in his pocket. He already knew it was Pigsy asking where the two were. Tonight was the New Year's festival, and the pig man needed all the help he could get.
"Alright, we better get going. We're expected to be back for the festiv- EY!" Chen yelps as a cushion is thrown at his face. He heard MK's muffled yells as well, and assumed the boy got the same treatment. He quickly pulls it off to glare at the culprit Monkey King. "Hey! What was- woah..." his eyes widen in surprise.

Monkey King was busy making more cushions, foods, and even a small table. "Whoa. How long have you been preparing this?" MK asks. The sage smiles, sitting down on the cliff edge. "Come on, it's New Years, bud. Let's watch some fireworks."

Chen and MK glance at each other. "Oh, we'd love to, Monkey King." MK pipes up. "But we really should get back to our... friends..." he trails off as Monkey King looks back to the sky, and both the boys realised the same thing. Monkey King had no one to celebrate New Years with.
Chen sighs, moving over to sit next to Monkey King with a smile. "I think Pigsy can survive another hour or two without us."

"Yeah!" MK adds, sitting on the other side of the sage. The monkey looks at them in surprise, but Chen could see that he was grateful. He chuckles, ruffling the boys hair. "Thanks, kiddos."

--

In Megapolis, people were celebrating the New Years. Cheerful laughter and chatter filled the busy city streets, everyone excited for the festival.

Pigsy's food truck was crowded with hungry customers, the pig man overwhelmed with orders. Mei and Rey are busy helping him, trying to fold the dumplings. She hums in annoyance as it keeps falling apart. "I feel like this would be easier if I had fingers."
Rey hums in agreement, struggling to fold the dumplings. They look around to ask Pigsy for assistance, but see that he's busy handing a bowl to a customer. "Thank you! Great happiness and prosperity this Lunar New Year!" he says cheerily, but they could see through the pig mans fake, stressed smile.

Tang notices this and leans over to whisper to the two cousins. "Hey, is it just me, or is Pigsy more...stressed than normal?" he questions. Rey shakes their head. "Yeah, it's because MK and Chen aren't here." they say a bit too loudly.

Pigsy snaps his head in their direction, overhearing their conversation. "THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT! WHERE ARE THOSE PUNKS CAUSE THEY SURE AREN'T HERE!" he yells, and Rey flinches as their hearing aids screech in their ears from the loud volume, quickly fixing them up to avoid hurting their sensitive ears.

"They're training with the Monkey King!" Mei informs, taking a broom to imitate MK's staff. "MK said "New year! New MK! I'm gonna take my training to a whole new level!" Chen just decided to join him today." she adds on, waving her hand dismissively.

Pigsy scowls, snatching the broom from her. "Gimme that!" he snaps, breaking the broom in two. "'New Year, new MK. Keep going like this, he and Chen are gonna be newly unemployed! That kid is getting just as bad as his brother! If neither of them get here soon-"

Pigsy was cut off as a bunch of sweets and treats fall on top of him, muffling his screams. Rey looks up to see none other than the gentle blue giant, beaming down at the group with a bright smile. "Good cheer and happy New Year! Look at all these delicious goodies! I got enough to share!" he informs cheerfully.

"Ooh! Thanks, Sandy!" Mei says, taking a treat from the pile. Sandy looks around, noticing two people missing. "So uh, where's MK and Chen?" he questions, scratching his head. Pigsy finally frees himself from the pile of treats, steam practically coming out of his ears.
"Would you guys screw around somewhere else?! I got a a business to run so if you ain't gonna help, go bother some other noodle shop owner!"

Getting a bit overwhelmed with the pig mans yelling, Rey takes a finished delivery bag from the counter. "I'm just uh, gonna go deliver this for you Pigsy." they inform. Pigsy huffs, crossing his arms after fully climbing out of the pile. "Good! At least someone's helping me around here!"

Chuckling awkwardly Rey leaves the food truck with the delivery, looking at the address on the receipt as they walk through the busy crowds.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of red eyes watches them curiously from the shadows, green tail swaying behind them.

-

Jade watches the young person walk through the crowded streets, following them closely and observing. He'd been waiting for Chen to arrive back from his training with Monkey King when he caught sight of the newbie.

He recalled Chen mentioning this friend, but he never thought much of them. However, seeing them face to face, he was immediately intrigued. Especially when he caught sight of the charm bracelets that they were wearing. He recognised the symbols on them.

Those were charms that young demons who couldn't control their powers wore. And Rey had three of them. How did this individual get their hands on them? And why? This was a dragon, not a demon...

This group truly was an odd bunch.

Suddenly, horrified screams fill the air. Jade quickly looks around to see a bunch of tiny spider bots crawling around, attacking people. All the humans start running for their lives, causing a stampede.

Seeing this the young dragon panics, running into an alley way to hide. Unfortunately for them, the spider bots spot them running away, and follow after them.
Jade stays on top of the building, about to run away too when he stops. He looks back to the alley the dragon disappeared, before groaning to himself.

"No- no! You're not gonna help this kid! It'll only end badly for you in the long run!" he scolds himself, pacing back and forth. He tries to tell himself the whole city was under attack, and Rey was unfortunately just one of its victims. He had no part of this.

But something deep inside him was telling him he HAD to help them. He just had to.
Growling in frustration they turn around, rushing to the place Rey had been seen last.

When they reach the alley, Jade soon spotted the young dragon surrounded by a bunch of spider bots. They were shaking, the delivery they had been carrying long forgotten as the contents lay on the ground. The bots had them cornered, blocking off all exits.

From his point of view, the snake demon could see that Rey was panicking, their chest rising and falling rapidly as they start to hyperventilate.
The spider bots creep closer, and Rey quickly looks around to find an object to fight them off. "S-stay back!" they yell, their voice high-pitched and shaky.
Of course, the spider bots don't listen, and they lunge toward the defenseless dragon.

As one of them leaps towards Rey's face, ready to latch onto them, Jade jumps down from the roof of the building and lands in front of Rey, slicing it in two with his Guandao. He turns to face the stunned dragon, red eyes glowing fiercely in the darkness. "RUN!" he yells. Rey didn't need to be told twice, making their escape.

Jade turns back to the spider bots, taking note that there were more now. They chitter and whir, all their focus solely on him. The snake demon takes a breath, knowing he had to give Rey time to get away.

And so the battle began. Jade fended off the spider bots, using his Guandao to pierce through the metallic beasts. A giant phantom snake forms behind him, either chomping on the robot critters or smashing them into a wall. The snake demon held up his own, easily demolishing the spider bots.

After estimating and assuming Rey was long gone, Jade gets ready to leap to safety, when all of a sudden strong webbing wraps around his limbs, entrapping him. His eyes widen in shock, trying to use his weapon to free himself when it was yanked out of his grasp by one of the spider bots.

The snake demon was pulled into the air, the webbing dragging him to the massive spider mech hovering over Megapolis.
As he fights and struggles to free himself something hits him in the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

—

"Happy New Year!"

Monkey King and MK cheer together as the fireworks go off, lighting up the night sky. Chen chuckles at their antics, nibbling on one of the pastries that was set on the table. He couldn't place why, but they tasted strange to him. Now that he thought about it, where did Monkey King get these pastries?

"Over a millennia, and fireworks are still the best thing humans have invented!" Monkey King declares, pulling out a few strands of hair and blowing on them. They change into pastries, and Chen stops chewing his food, staring at the sage.

"Uh- are we eating hair right now?" MK asks, looking at his own food. The sage shrugs, waving off their concerns dismissively. "It's better not to think about it."

Chen spits out the food, now grossed out by this new revelation. "Bleh! Ugh, why?!"

"Speaking of hair!" Monkey King says, ignoring Chen's offensive behaviour. "Chen, bud, you need to either cut your hair or tie it up. It's getting a little too long for you to leave it out like you do." He says with a smile, ruffling the young man's hair.

Chen huffs, still annoyed about the pastries, but he couldn't deny that Monkey King was right. It was now down pass his shoulders whenever he left it out. "I'll have to decide what I'm gonna do with it soon."

"Has it always grown this fast?" The sage questions curiously. Chen nods, chuckling. "Yeah, it does."

"Hey, what happened to the fireworks?" MK asks, looking up at the empty sky. Chen and Monkey King follow his gaze, seeing that the boy was right. The darkening sky was now quiet.

MK uses his gold vision, gasping dramatically when he sees something in the distance. "The city!"
"THE FIREWORKS!"

MK turns to Monkey King with a disappointed expression, and while Chen looks between them and the city in confusion.

"Oh- also, people getting hurt! I guess..." Monkey King adds, not really meaning it. Chen rolls his eyes. "Can someone PLEASE tell me what's going on? I can't see with special vision like you two do." He points out.

"Oh right- the city is under attack! C'mon, Chen! Let's go take care of business!" MK pipes up, grabbing Chen's wrist. He's about to jump off the cliff they stood on when Monkey King grabs them both, sitting them on his cloud.

"Wait- what?"
"What're you-"
"No one messes with MY New Years. Let's go!" Monkey King interrupts the two, and he guides his cloud into the sky, heading toward the city of Megapolis.

As they drew nearer, Chen could finally make out the chaos and destruction that MK and Monkey King had seen. People were running and screaming, while small spider bots chased them down, trapping them and latching themselves on. Some people were wandering aimlessly with spider bots on their backs, acting like mindless zombies.

Marching slowly throughout the city was a giant spider mech, towering over the buildings. Monkey King hums in thought as he spots it. "Huh. Looks like Spider Queen crawled out of her cesspit." He declares.

MK, seeing the spider bots, starts freaking out, clambering on top of Monkey King and Chen to get away. "EW! SPIDERS! GET IT AWAY FROM ME GET IT AWAY!"

"OW! STOP MK! YOU'RE PULLING MY HAIR!" Chen yells, trying to get MK down. Monkey King starts losing control of the cloud, and to make MK stop he dumps the two boys on a nearby building. "Get off, MK!"

Chen and MK get to their feet, seeing that Monkey King hadn't stopped. "Wait, what are you-"
"Where are you going?!"

Monkey King sighs, turning to the two boys. "If MK can't handle a little spider, how are you supposed to help me with that?" He asks, gesturing to the giant mech. "I'll handle this one, bud. You guys just hang tight."

"Wait, what about me? I'm not scared of some little spider!" Chen points out, annoyed. Monkey King looks back at him. "Look Chen, I know you want to help. But we only just started training with your powers. You're not gonna be a match for the Spider Queen. You guys just stay here. I'll be back."

"Wait! We can still-" MK tries to object, but Monkey King was already gone, leaving the two boys on the roof of the building.

"Help..."

Chen growls in frustration. "Come on! You're not even giving me a chance here!" He yells at the sky. Of course, he never got a response.
"Come on, MK. Take us to that mech."

—

Jade groans as he comes to, opening his eyes. Everything was blurry, and for a few seconds he couldn't see properly. His head pounded, the start of a migraine forming.

As he tries to look around, a sharp, electrifying jolt shoots through him, and he screams in pain, trying to break free of his confinement.
After a few seconds the electricity stops, and the snake demon gasps, his muscles burning and aching.

"Well, would ya lookie here! Our little snake friend finally decided to wake up." A taunting voice giggles, and Jade looks around to see the Spider Queen looking up at him.

It was only now that Jade realised he was hanging upside down from the ceiling, stuck in the Spider Queens webs. He kicks and struggles against them, but when he does, another jolt of electricity courses through his body, causing to scream in pain once more.

Spider Queen chuckles, watching him with sadistic glee. "Oh I wouldn't try that, sweet thing." she coos, reaching up to grab the snake demons chin and forcing him to face her. "These special webs were designed to hold much more powerful demons than you." She states, a smirk gracing her lips. "Too bad you're not at the top of that list, huh Jade Warrior?"

"My Queen."

Spider Queen lets go of Jade's chin, turning around to face the small voice. "What is it?" She asks, clearly annoyed at the interruption.
Jade turns his attention to the small girl standing behind the spider demon. Her hair was cut to the shoulders, and she wore a blue and white dress that fell to her ankles, with a clip in her hair that resembled small horns.

The girl looks up at the snake demon, and Jade felt that all too familiar chill crawl up their spine.
He knew exactly who he was looking at.

"The Monkey King and his protégé's are on their way." The small girl informs, not even looking at the snake demon. At this news, Spider Queens smile brightens once more. "Well, why didn't you say so? Let's go greet them, shall we?" The spider says gleefully, walking from the room.

The girl turns to follow her but stops, turning to Jade. The snake demon stiffens as the small voice finally speaks to him, cold and full of anger.

"You have a lot of explaining to do."

With that she turns and leaves, leaving Jade alone with a sense of growing dread.

-

Jade discreetly tries wriggle free of the webbing, but so far it has proven impossible for the snake demon. Every time he'd move too much, he'd get a strong electrical shock. Other times it'd go off at random, leaving him exhausted.

These webs did more than just shock them. It was also draining him of their life force, leaving them weak.

That's when Jade heard a loud thump from outside. They tense up, looking towards the wall where it had come from.

The snake blinks, their vision changing to heat vision. Now able to vaguely see figures through the wall, Jade soon spotted who the culprit was. He freezes at the sight of them, eyes widening in fear.

Sun Wukong was right on the other side of the wall, and he was confronting Spider Queen.

He couldn't make out what they were saying, but it didn't take long for the two of them to start to battle.
For a while, it seemed like Monkey King was going to win.

Jade almost didn't sense the two faint figures land on the outside of the mech, but he quickly swivels his head to look. It took a minute to realise who they were, since they were so faint through the metal walls.
Chen's familiar aura shined through, followed by MK's. It seemed like they too were watching the fight between Spider Queen and Sun Wukong.

Jade observes as Sun Wukong throws Spider Queen at a wall, and she takes this as her chance to disappear into the shadows. The snake demon could see her clearly, but obviously the sage could not.

The Monkey King suddenly lunges towards another, much smaller figure, expecting it to be Spider Queen.

But the small figure, who's body heat was glowing a bright blue, dodges his attack with ease.

Jade jolts as there's a loud crack in the wall from Wukong's punch, his heart racing. He was worried for a moment that the sage was going to demolish the metal structure keeping them seperated, but luckily for them it stood strong.

Jade lets out a sigh of relief, only to scream out in pain as the electricity strikes once more. But this time, through his own screams, the snake demon could just make out the cries of agony of Sun Wukong coming from the other room.

—

MK and Chen were sitting on top of the Spider Mech, the younger boy using gold vision and narrating to Chen what was happening.
"Monkey King just attacked this weird skeleton thingy- wait, he missed- how did he miss- what is that?! Monkey King! Look out!"

Chen stiffens as MK continues talking, growling in frustration at the fact he couldn't see a thing through the damn mech walls like MK.

MK falls silent, leaving Chen in suspense. He was about to ask what was happening when a scream of agony echoes through the mech, making his blood run cold.
A large, powerful blast knocks the two boys off of the mech, sending them falling to the ground below.

They hit the ground, the wind being knocked out of them. Chen groans as he gets to his knees, helping MK. "MK, are you ok? What the heck happened?" He asks as the two boys get to their feet.

MK clutches his staff tightly, starting to freak out. "M-Monkey King! H-he just- the Spider Queen just- and the bone thingy-" he stammers, at a loss.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Calm down- take a deep breath." Chen says, grabbing MK's shoulders and turning him to face him, concerned for his younger brother. "Tell me what you saw."

MK takes a deep breath, trying to steady his shaky breathing. "Spider Queen captured Monkey King. H-he was winning, and then-" he stops, too shocked to speak.

Chen's eyes widen in shock. Before he could ask further questions, the two heard something approaching. When they turn, they see a bunch of spider bots heading their way. MK lets out a shriek, hugging his staff tightly.

"We need to get out of here!"

Chen grabs MK's arm, dragging him behind him as he begins to run. He looks around, looking for a place to go. He kicks a few bots away when they get too close, determined to protect himself and his brother.

As they ran, something lands on Chen's head. He yells, dropping MK's hand as he frantically tries to pull whatever it was that landed on him. But it clung on, determined to stay. He grabs it's legs, feeling the cold metal under his palm as he tries to yank it off. "Get off!"

"Hang on!" MK yells, swinging his staff. It's strikes the critter, sending it flying and smashing into a wall. Chen looks up to see the critter was another spider bot.

MK was shaking as he clutches his staff, freaked out even more. Chen takes a deep breath, freaked out himself, and quickly pulls MK into a tight embrace. "Thanks."
Pulling away he once again he grabs his wrist, and the two boys start racing through the city again, trying to find help.

—

(Earlier...)

"Your food might have permanently damaged my taste buds! Why would you ever sell anything this hot?!" A customer shrieks, repeatedly banging the service bell of a spicy food stand.

A hand grabs onto the customers wrist, stopping their annoying ringing. The server glares down at them in unspoken fury, on the brink of snapping. But instead he puts on a bright smile, giving the customer a cheery attitude. "Oh, dear customer! The spice level was no mistake. I, Red Son, have devised the perfect culinary experience!" The fire demon declares, pulling out a chart.

"If you would direct your attention down to this chart here, it clearly ranks the spice level from "Very Hot" to "INFERNO!" You ordered "Very Hot", so-" Red Son is interrupted by the infuriated customer, neither noticing the shrieking people in the background. "But it's the lowest one!"

This infuriates Red Son. "Oh, so I guess I'm meant to make barbecue for peasants with little, unworthy, disappointing taste buds that shame their fathers. Is that it?! Huh?!" the fire demon snaps. The customer leans over the counter, grabbing him by his shirt. "Look, I want to speak to the manager."

Red Son's hand clenches into a fist, taking a deep breath. "Fine- fine! It's your funeral." He declares, pointing behind him. The Demon Bull King, who'd been busy preparing some food, turns to the customer with a deadly glare that could kill.

Seeing this, the customer back-pedals, stammering over their words. "Uh- I-I actually didn't need taste buds anyway so thank you for your service and have a prosperous and fulfilling New Year!" with that they run away screaming, almost getting stepped on by a giant mech leg.

Red Son face palms, shaking his head in disappointment. "Father, you can't just scare away every single customer that complains." He states, turning to his father. "This is our chance at something great!"

"GREAT?!" DBK roars in outrage. "I am the Demon Bull King! What would you have me be? The king of street food?!" He asks, gesturing to the meat and dishes around them. Red Son stammers, trying to keep his calm.

"Well, yes? I mean, after our most recent humiliating defeat I thought a fresh start was exactly what we needed!" He exclaims, wrapping an arm around DBK's face. "Just you and me working together, father and son! No evil plans, no... talking bones..." Remembering the incident, Demon Bull King growls. Red Son chuckles awkwardly, letting go of his fathers face. "Sorry, fresh wound..."

"Enough!" DBK snaps, slamming his fists on the counter to silence his son. "I may have failed as a conqueror, but I will NOT be made a FOOL!"

All of a sudden the roof of their stall is ripped off, the Spider Queen's mech standing right over them. Red Son gasps, stumbling back. "Um- father?" He gestures to the giant mech.

DBK turns to look, only to be snatched by webs. The demon bull tries to pull them off, but more surround him. With one pull he's hauled into their air, being carried towards the spider mech.

"Father!" Red Son yells. He's suddenly tackled to the ground by a creeping spider bot. It tries to bite him, aiming to inject her with its poison but the fire prince holds it back.
With a fierce yell he burns it up, the bot shattering to pieces with a fiery punch until there was nothing but a small case holding its venom. He grabs it, before running back to the stand where he hid her jet.

"I'm sorry, father. I will come back!"

—

Wukong struggles against the webs, only to be brutally shocked once more. He's been trying to free himself for some time now, but the webs were too strong.

The door creaks open, and the sage looks up just in time to see Spider Queen dragging in the Demon Bull King's unconscious form. The spider giggles to herself as she places the bull in the centre of the room, making sure he was restrained.

"How long do you think this is gonna hold us, princess? You're webs aren't THAT strong-" Wukong starts, only to be shocked by the webs again. Spider Queen chuckles, turning to the monkey.
"Talk all you want, Monkey King. I'll be the last one laughing when I finish taking over this city."

"In your dreams, princess."

"It's Queen to you! You won't be the King after today. Oh and by the way, I found a little friend of yours." She says with a grin. "It's been a while since he's seen a little sunlight, but I'm sure you'll recognise this pale face."

She points to the ceiling. Following her gaze, Wukong soon spots another bundle of webbing stuck to the roof, conveniently out of the way of his sight.

He had to squint to see in the darkness, but when he did, his eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

There, hanging upside down on the ceiling looking back at him, was the familiar face of Shé Wángzǐ*. His red eyes peer down at him, observing the monkey from the darkness.

"What?! How did you-" He blurted, before quickly shutting his mouth upon seeing the Spider Queen's smug reaction. She wanted to rile him up.

The sage smirks, putting on a cheeky demeanour once more. "Well, I didn't realise you'd go this far to get a reaction out of me. Do you have a crush on me or something, princess?"

The smirk is immediately wiped off her face, quickly changing to a scowl. "Laugh and joke all you want, Monkey King. Just you wait. By the end of the day, I'LL be the new ruler of this city."

"Sure, sure."

DBK stirring catches their attention, and the two turn to see the bull opening his eyes, snapping to attention. "What!? What is this?! Who dares-"

Spider Queen chuckles, lowering herself from the ceiling in front of the bull. "Why me, of course."

As they talk, Wukong glances back to Shé wángzǐ, seeing that the snake demon was now looking intently at DBK and Spider Queen. He scowls at the snake, angry that he was showing no reaction what so ever to the monkey other than a blank stare.

The traitor wouldn't even look at him.

"I did manage to capture an old friend of yours." Spider Queens voice interrupts his thoughts, and Wukong glances over just in time to see that she'd turned DBK's head in his direction.

He grins at the bull, already seeing the anger building up in him. "Sup, Bull King? You too, huh?"

"MONKEY KING!" DBK roars in a blind rage, struggling against his restraints. This only causes it to shock everyone tied up in the webs, causing them to yell in pain.

Spider Queen cackles sadistically, watching the show.

Her laughter is cut short when the door bursts open and two of her henchmen, Huntsman and Syntax, followed by the little girl, enter the room.
"My Queen. I have news regarding-" Syntax starts, only to be interrupted by Huntsman. "My Queen! I have news regarding Red Son!"

"Useless offspring..." DBK mutters under his breath, but everyone overheard. Spider Queen hums, a smile on her face. "Mhm. Go on."

"He actually, uh, got away..." Huntsman explains, avoiding the queens gaze. Hearing this DBK perks up, his mood doing a 180. "I didn't doubt him for a second! You will NEVER catch him!" He cackles.

Spider Queen wasn't pleased by this turn out, turning to her henchmen with a glare. "Find him! NOW!" She snaps, and the two henchmen quickly retreat to follow her orders. "Yes, my Queen."

The little girl, who'd been standing to the side quietly, finally speaks up. "My Queen. What about the Monkey King's protégé's? Perhaps they should join their master." She says, turning to the sage. Wukong glares back, hiding the growing dread and worry for his students.

"Yeah, and those kids too! Can't have any problematic children causing me problems!" Spider Queen states, walking away. Leaving Wukong, DBK and Shé Wángzǐ together with the other demons she'd captured.

—

At the docks, Pigsy, Sandy, Tang, Mei and Rey, who'd made it back to the group in time, made it to Sandy's boat, the gentle giant trying to get it started. Tang looks back at the city, seeing how the mech seemed to be getting closer. "Ah! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" the man urges. As Pigsy starts to drag the anchor up, Mei looks at Tang in disbelief. "What about MK and Chen?" she asks, clearly worried for her two best friends. Rey nods in agreement, looking back at the city to see if there was any sign of their friends.

"They're with the Monkey King!" Pigsy interrupts as Sandy starts the boat. "They're safer than anyone!"
Tang looks back at the city, letting out a laugh. "Ha! Try turning us into spiders when we're in the middle of the o-" he starts to taunt, only to stop short upon seeing the thousands of spider bots hiding in the shadows, their beady eyes staring at the group. "-cean..."
Tang! You jinxed us!" Rey whispered, horrified.

A tense and horrifying silence fills the air, just as Sandy's boat starts to malfunction. Mei laughs nervously. "Um- Sandy? We gotta get going soon!" she says.
Rey could hear Sandy talking to himself, before peeking his head out with a worried, apologetic look on his face. "I don't usually have this problem! Honest!"
"We're all gonna die." Tang whispers, making Rey gulp in fear upon the realisation.

"Now, now, my pets. Be patient!" a gravelly voice speaks from the shadows, and Rey looks in that direction. From the darkness, one of Spider Queen's henchmen steps out, grinning evilly at the group. "Daddy's gonna have his fun."

Rey and Mei cling onto each other, terrified. As Mei and Pigsy yell at Sandy to get them out of there, Rey was too panicked to think straight. Their chest tightens, finding it difficult to breathe as a second, larger spider demon steps into view behind the first one. They vaguely remember Mei drawing her sword, still holding her cousin close.

Suddenly, an ear-piercing scream fills the air, causing everyone to look up at the sky. Rapidly approaching was MK and Chen, the two of them screaming. They both hit the ground, forcing the spider demons to step back. As they get to their feet, Chen takes a defensive stance upon seeing the spider demons, while MK quickly turns around to the boat with a look of relief. "Guys! You're okay! I thought you turned into gross spider thingies! They're everywhere!" he dry heaves, trembling as he clutches his staff. "I can still feel them crawling all over me!"

"MK! Focus, dang it!" Chen snaps, turning his brothers head in the direction of the spider demons. MK shakes him off with a disgusted groan. "Yep! Working on it!"

Chen and MK face the spider demons, and to the young man's shock instead of seeing an expression of shock or surprise, the demons had a look of amusement on their faces. Huntsman started talking into an earpiece. "We found the Monkey Kings students. Exactly where you said they'd be." He says with a grin.

"Oh no..." MK's face pales, while Chen freezes in place. They were looking for them.

MK reacts first by grabbing Chen, dragging him toward the boat. The spider demons chase after them, closing in quickly. Pigsy grabs MK's hand, and the young man gives him a boost up before grabbing onto Rey's out-stretched hand, clambering to safety as Pigsy yells at Sandy to do something. Tang kneels down next to MK, trying to calm the panicked boy. Chen tries to hide his fear, taking a defensive stance next to Mei as he faces the spider demons.
Sandy finally comes out, holding a small remote in hand. "Found it!" he cries out before pressing the button. A moment of silence follows, and Mei interrupts it. "Uh, Sandy?"

"Give it a minute!"

"We don't HAVE a minute!" Chen snaps, turning his attention back to the approaching spider demons. They had almost reached the boat by now.

All of a sudden a loud boom is heard, startling everyone on board. They all turn their attention to the distance to see a large drone rapidly approaching. Sandy grabs everyone on board the boat with ease, throwing them onto the drone and to safety. Chen could hear the spider demons shouting something, but he couldn't make out what over the sound of the loud engines.

As soon as they were safe, Sandy turns to the group, who were still laying on the deck of the drone. "So, what do you guys think? Been saving her for a rainy day!" he exclaims, and Chen sits up to look around. Rey had fallen next to him, the person laying face down and refusing to move.

Mei gets up, taking out her phone. "Real cool, Sandy! It's awesome for taking in..." she trails off as she goes to record the city, only to see the destruction from the spider demons. "...the horrifying vistas."

Rey hurriedly gets to their knees, looking around before their gaze lands on Chen. Ignoring their own well-being, they look the young man over. "Chen! MK! Are you guys okay? What happened? We thought you guys were with the Monkey King!" They say worriedly, before looking around in search of the sage. "Where is he?"

Chen looks at his friend, brows furrowed as he thinks of what to say. But MK beat him to it. "Spider Queen captured Monkey King." He explains quietly. At this, everyone was shocked. "What?!"
"That's not possible!"

"Yeah, her and this weird skeleton thing. She got him, and then I- I didn't even try to help. He lost, and then-" MK trails off, still in shock. Rey turns to Chen, equally shocked. "This isn't true, right?" They ask nervously.
Chen looks away, a dark angry scowl on his face as he gets to his feet. "Yeah, it is. She took down Monkey King." He mutters simply, fists clenched as he begins to pace. "There's no hope for us."

Mei looks at the two boys in surprise, walking over to them. "What? That's crazy talk! C'mon guys! We got this! We can beat her-"

"She beat the Monkey King, Mei! We don't got this!" MK snapped out in frustration, surprising the girl into silence. Realising what he did, he quickly backed up, looking away guiltily. "I'm sorry, it's just..." he sighs, sitting down. "I don't know what to do." He says quietly. Mei looks over to him, then turns her attention to Chen. The young man was too busy pacing back and forth, small green sparks of energy surrounding him.

"We could've helped him... I could've done something..." Chen mutters to himself over and over, beating himself up for not doing anything in the moment Monkey King needed help.

Pigsy kneels down next to MK, placing a hand in the younger boys shoulder. "Kid, no one ever knows what to do. Not really." He says gently. Mei nods, smiling at her best friends. "But we're going to figure this out."
"Together." Tang pipes up. MK looks up at them, considering their words. But to Chen, it all just fell on deaf ears.

"That's right, kiddos. Just as soon as we deal with that!" Sandy shouts in a panic, pointing to the sky. Everyone follows his finger to see a large jet falling towards them, the pilot screaming his lungs out.
Everyone ducks for cover except for Sandy, who protectively jumps in front. He punches the jet, busting it into pieces. And accidentally catching a familiar, red-headed fire demon.

"Red Son?!" MK shouts in disbelief, causing Sandy to quickly drop the demon bull prince. Red Son didn't even have time to react before Chen pounced on him, pinning him down. "What the hell are you doing here?!" He shouts, gripping the front of Red Son's jacket and shaking him. "You here to take us back to the Spider Queen, huh?!"

"Get off me you demented rat!" Red Son shrieks, his fist bursting into flames as he goes to punch Chen. The younger man easily catches it, unfazed by the flames as he lashes out at Red Sons gut.
And thus the two began to wrestle, rolling around in the deck of the drone as they try to land a hit on one another, hurling insults at each other as they block each others attacks.

Watching them in stunned silence for a moment, the others quickly take action, Sandy and Rey prying Chen off of Red Son while Mei, Pigsy and Tang all hold the demon prince down. The gentle blue giant holds the furious Chen in the air, preventing him from getting away. Red Son wasn't pleased by this turn of events, either. "Get off me, you filthy peasants!"

"Let go of me, Sandy! I can take that matchstick any day!"

The group ignore the two boys complaints, as MK faces Red Son. "What are you doing here, Red Son?" He interrogates. Mei nods, piping up. "Yeah, spill! You one of Spider Queen's henchmen now, huh?"

At this accusation, Red Son was offended. "Henchmen?!" He seethes, throwing everyone off. "Not that any of you would care-"
"You're right! We don't!" Chen spat, and Red Son shoots him a deadly glare as he continues. "But my father was captured by that eight-legged freak! So, if you'll excuse me, I'll just steal this ship and be on my way."

"Wait, what?? That's not-"
"YOU'RE NOT-"

Red Son groans in frustration, rubbing his face. "Ugh, fine! Will you let me steal your ship so I can go save my father and also the world from this spider menace, please?" He asks more politely. This doesn't help, however, as the gang all start yelling at him that he couldn't steal the ship. All except Sandy and Rey, the latter standing quietly to the side while Sandy considered the demon's reasoning.

The red-headed demon gestures to his own broken jet. "Well, I can't use mine! It's busted!" He points out angrily. Chen scoffs, crossing his arms as Sandy holds him above the ground. "Good! You deserve it."

Red Son scowls at his unwanted input, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a green vial. "But what I do have is this." He states, holding it up for the group to see. Rey peers their head over Sandy's shoulder curiously. "What is it?"

"It's Spider Queen's venom, you nitwit. It's turned everyone into her slaves, but I can make an antidote! However, I'll need supplies. And the only place to get them is..." He points to the sky, and everyone follows his gaze in confusion. MK gasps, eyes sparkling with wonder. "Space?"

"NO, YOU NOODLE BRAIN!" Red Son yells, rolling his eyes. "The Celestial Realm!" He informs. Tang gasps, getting into the red-headed demons face. "The Celestial Realm?! The realm of heavenly deities and immortal beings?!" He asks excitedly as Pigsy tugs him back by his scarf. Red Son rolls his eyes. "Sure."

"So if we help you get to spa- uh, the Celestial Realm- you can fix all of this?" MK asks, his question sounding genuine. Everyone turns to the boy, not liking where this was going. "Kid, you're not seriously considering this, are you?" Pigsy asks. MK looks away, scratching his neck. "Well...."

"WHAT?!"
"MK, are you serious?! It's Red... Boy!"
"He's literally a demon!"
"Oh, pretty rich coming from Pig man and the blue thing!" Red Son shot back at Pigsy. Chen scowls, turning to face MK. "MK, you're joking, right?! If you think for a second I'm going to work with this half demon princess-"

"You keep your trap shut, you rat! You can't talk like that if we're related!" Red Son shot back. Sandy and Rey share a confused look. "You're what now?"

"Oh ho ho ho, trust me! If I had a say in who I was related to I'd GLADLY choose not to be family to you!" He yells, struggling against Sandy's hold.

As the rest of the group argue, MK was silent, thinking it over before finally making up his mind. "Let's help him."

"Huh?!"

"What other choice do we have? Look, Spider Queen won't see this coming. It's the best plan we got! So I say, let's help a demon rob the Celestial Realm."

—

Chen watches Red Son carefully as the red-haired demon finishes drawing up a spell on the open deck of the drone, not trusting him one bit. 
Sandy had eventually put the young man down on the promise that he'd leave Red Son be to help them, not taking no for an answer. As Red Son straightens and looks down upon his handiwork, Chen follows his gaze to look down at the strange markings and symbols left on the ground. "So what exactly is that?" he asks suspiciously. Red Son turns to give him a disapproving scowl. "If you were paying attention, you'd know that once this is activated, it'll create an inter-dimensional portal to the Celestial Realm." he informs, a hint of disgust at Chen's lack of knowledge. The lack of respect makes Chen's blood boil.

"And how exactly does this work?" Tang asks curiously, wanting to know how exactly it will get them to their destination. Red Son rolls his eyes. "If I tried to explain how mystical inter-dimensional travel works to a bunch of peasants, it'd melt your brains!" he states matter-of-factly, tapping his skull to further prove his point.

"Don't speak to my dad like that flame-head!" Chen spat, Rey quickly grabbing his arm to stop him from marching over to the bull prince. Red Son scoffs. "Oh shut your trap you rabid animal-"

"Would you two quit it?!" MK intervenes, causing the two of them to turn to the boy. "Look, we we don't have any other option. We have to trust him." he starts, only for Red Son to chuckle at his attempt to persuade his friends. "Great speech, Noodle Boy. Super motivational." he says sarcastically. Chen scowls as the demon turns back to the symbols, dramatically preparing to open the portal only to be interrupted by Tang. 
"Uh, are we sure mortals can travel to the Celestial Realm?" he asks. Red Son rolls his eyes. "Of course they can!"
"Safely?" Pigsy pipes up suspiciously, to which Red Son shrugs. "Sure. Probably."

"Probably!?"

Before anyone could stop him Red Son flies the drone through the portal, causing everyone to scream. They safely emerge on the other side, the only casualty being Sandy's hair on fire. Red Son turns to the group. "I did say it'd melt your brains." 

Chen was about to speak up when Sandy's excited gasp cut him off, and he turns his attention to what the gentle giant was looking at. Everyone's eyes widen in amazement at the sight in front of them. A giant golden palace surrounded by clouds and mist lay before them, the sunlight making it appear more heavenly and divine. 

"The Celestial Realm!" Rey whispers beside Chen. "I never thought I'd ever be able to see it-"

Pigsy's voice cuts them off. "So some special pills, a fancy peach, and a furnace. Where are we gonna find these things?!" he questions the red-haired demon. Everyone turns to him, and Red Son hesitates. 
Mei gasps. "Red Boy doesn't know!" she points out. At this, Red Son turns to her with a scowl. "I know they're here somewhere! I'm a demon! It's not like I've been here before!" he states. At this, Chen laughs through gritted teeth. "So- we followed you here for nothing?! Just great! What's the plan now, huh? We'll just run around like headless chickens and hope we stumble across the things we need?!" he asks sarcastically, practically head-butting the red-headed demon. Red Son's hair flares, showing his growing anger. "If you'd stop whining and just listen-"

"Actually, I think I know where we can find them!" Tang interrupts, and the two turn to him. Tang pushes his glasses up his nose, clearing his throat. "In the legend, Monkey King stole-"
"Stole? That doesn't sound like the Monkey King I know." Sandy pipes up. Tang clears his throat, correcting himself.
"Borrowed the Peaches of Immortality from the Heavenly Orchard. So unless they did the sensible thing and moved them, they'll still be there!" 

Chen rolls his eyes. Of course Tang knew where everything would be. His gaze lands back on Red Son, a dark scowl on his face as he eyes the red-haired demon warily. He unconsciously rubs his arm, remembering the time he was trapped in the calabash only a few weeks ago. 
He didn't care if Red Son was helping them now. He knew it would only be a matter of time before he and DBK would go back to their old ways and try to take over the city. Again.

"...but my guess is it's in the Jade Emperor's throne room." Tang's voice interrupts his thoughts, and Chen snaps back to reality, realising he had stopped paying attention. Whoops.

Red Son stretches, getting onto the railing of the drone. "Alright, then. I'll be off to grab that peach. Toodles!" he states, leaping off only for Mei to snag onto his coat, hoisting him back onto the drone. "What? Hey! Like we'd just let you wander off on your own!" she declares, holding him tight. Chen snickers at the sight of the dragon girl holding the demon prince like a cat. 
The red-haired demon manages to pry himself free, glaring at Mei as he brushes himself off. "You just wait here like an obedient little- OW!" he yelps as Mei bites his hand. "I'm keeping you were I can see you!"

Chen notices Rey cringe at the sight of their cousin biting the demon, but Chen found it hilarious.

"I'll go for the pills." Pigsy says. "They're just regular looking pills, right? Round-kind-of-shaped-like pills? You know, like normal pills?" He turns to Tang, who sighs. "I better come too..."
MK states that he's going to go get the furnace, but when Pigsy asks if it's such a good idea to go alone, the young man leaps off without any consideration. 

Chen watches him leave, concerned. "I'll... just go with Mei and carrot head. Someone's gotta keep an eye on him." He states, glaring in Red Son's direction. Red Son returns the look with a glare of his own. 
"I'll, um, just stay on the boat with Sandy. J-just in case he needs help with something, ya know?" Rey says awkwardly, standing next to Sandy and Mo. 

"Then it's a plan. You guys get the items and get back here as fast as you can. Rey and I will stay back here and knock some sense into the engines." Sandy beams. Chen nods, and he, Red Son and Mei all leap off the drone, heading toward the Heavenly Orchard.

As they leave, Rey turns to help Sandy with the engines. As they work, they notice Mo attacking something. They approach him, crouching down to get a closer look. "What do you have, little guy?" Rey questions curiously. Adjusting their glasses, they realise it's a small mechanical spider of some kind. They feel their skin crawl. "Um, Sandy?"

"What is it?" Sandy asks, walking over to Mo and Rey. "What you got there, Mo? Some kind of ominously beeping spider-themed tracker?" he asks. The small device suddenly exploded, surprising both of them. 
"Should we be worried about that?" Rey asks nervously, glancing up at Sandy. Sandy was visibly nervous as well, but he smiles at the young dragon. "Um, I'm sure it's fine..." He reassures.

--

Chen, Red Son and Mei hide behind a tree as a few maidens carrying baskets of fruit pass by, giggling and gossiping amongst each other. Once they were gone, they sneak into the garden, the young man looking around warily for anyone nearby. The trio were quiet were a while, until Mei finally broke the silence.

"So, I heard you helped MK beat your dad." she says. Red Son stammers, turning to her with a glare. "That was one time!" he shouts. Mei giggles as Chen growls out a "Be quiet!" But Red Son ignores him. 
"My father, the Great Demon Bull King, was...not himself..." He trails off, but upon seeing Mei's surprised expression he huffs in anger, hair blazing. "But in no other instance would I ever assist that sorry excuse of a hero!" he states. 

Chen scoffs. "You're assisting us right now, idiot." he points out. Mei gasps, realising he was right. "Yeah! You are a hero!" she declares.
"Huh?"
"Wait what?"
"Red Son! Hero of the city! Saving dads! Saving the world! Saving spicy barbecue one bite at a time!" Mei says dramatically, shoving her phone in Red Son's face to show off his poster for his food stand. "Buy two, get one free-"

"WOULD YOU GIVE ME THAT?!" Red Son snaps, taking her phone and breaking it, only for her to pull out another one. "Let's just get this peach-"
"And get this over with! Finally! A good idea that came out of your mouth!" Chen gasps dramatically, speaking in an annoyingly high-pitched voice to get on the red-headed demons nerves. Red Son scowls. "Alright, what is your problem?! You're not still angry about the whole brainwashing thing, are you?" he scoffs in disgust. At this Chen scowls, furious that the demon was just brushing the whole incident off like it was nothing.

"What the hell do you mean "still angry"?! Of COURSE I'm still angry about you hiring some demons to brain wash me! In fact, I'm MORE than angry!" Chen spat, getting right in Red Son's face. The red-haired demon had to take a step back. "Instead of, oh I don't know, trying to talk to me like a NORMAL person that I'm some missing family member, you tried to get two morons to brainwash me into thinking I was a part of the family! I mean come on?! Who the hell does that?!"

"As if you'd have listened to any of us!" Red Son shot back. "We're enemies, remember?! I bet you wouldn't have even given us a chance to explain!" he states. Chen pauses, knowing he was right. "Well- yeah, probably not- but that's not the point! You still tried to brainwash me! How long did you think that trick was gonna work, anyway?!" he argued, jabbing a finger at Red Son's chest. Red Son retaliates by pushing Chen back, causing him to stumble. "I don't know! It wasn't even my idea! I barely remember you! It was all mother!" 

"Do you think I care whether it was your idea or not?! You were still in on it!" Chen growls, anger and hatred lacing his tone. Before he could step closer to the demon prince, Mei steps between them. "Alright girls, we get it! You both hate each other! Chen, you need to chill out. Right now, we need to focus on saving Monkey King and the city, alright?" Mei states. Chen growls, but knows she has a point. He steps back, crossing his arms in frustration. Red Son mimics, both boys avoiding looking at each other. Mei smiles. "Great! Let's go! Heroes on a quest!" she declares, running ahead of the duo.

Chen watches her leave, before turning to Red Son and leaning in close. "I want to make one thing clear, Flame head. No matter what happens today, I'm not going to forgive you after everything you and your family have done. I don't care if we're related by blood, I am not your brother. I never will be. Got it?" He hisses, keeping his voice quiet so Mei wouldn't hear. 

Red Son scowls, pressing a finger to Chen's forehead and pushing him back. "You've made yourself crystal clear, rat. Today we're allies, but once all this is over I never want to see your stupid face again."
"Glad we're on the same page, cow brain." With that, Chen follows after Mei, Red Son keeping a few paces behind. 

Unbeknownst to the duo, a large figure watches them from the tree, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

--

Back inside the Spider Mech, Jade twists and turns in the webbing he's trapped in, trying to find a weak point. Luckily Spider Queen had left the room for a while, but he could feel Wukong's gaze on him, analysing and judging his every move. Jade tries to ignore it, focusing on trying to escape the webs and get away before Wukong could. Only Buddha knows what'll happen if the monkey got out first.

"Hey, snake breath! Are you gonna stop ignoring me? Or are you too cowardly to face me?" Wukong states, trying to get on the snake demons nerves. Unfortunately for him, it doesn't work. Jade continues to ignore him.

DBK scoffs. "There's no point, simian, the snake's mind is no longer his own. Nothing you say will make them react to you." he remarks. Wukong rolls his eyes "Pssh, c'mon! I'm the Monkey King, remember? I can get on anyone's nerves! I mean look at you!"

Jade lets them bicker, continuing to work at the webs.

--

Chen stands back as and watches as Red Son stands on Mei's shoulders, the two working together to get a peach from one of the many trees. Red Son grumbles and mutters to himself as he reaches up, trying to get a hold of one of the branches. 
Mei keeps a firm hold on Red Son's legs. "You know we'd be able to get a peach sooner if you'd help us out, right Chen?" She points out. Chen rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "Mei, I get it, you're strong. But I don't think your strong enough to hold two full grown demons." he points out. The dragon girl hums, thinking about it. "You never know, I could!"

"Whatever you say, Mei." Chen chuckles, crossing his arms as he watches them. Unknown to him, a large figure slowly and sneakily approaches him from behind. He doesn't notice the presence until a massive shadow falls over him, blocking out the sunlight. Raising a confused brow the young man turns around, only to be grabbed by his face, his yell of surprise muffled by a giant hand. He's lifted off the ground, left frantically kicking and unable to see what was happening around him. It only took a few seconds to realise he couldn't breathe either.

Chen could barely hear what was going on around him, vaguely hearing the voices of Mei and Red Son chatting behind him. To get away, the young man pries and pulls at the fingers, aiming to hurt whoever had a hold on him. It works, because the demon yelps in pain and grabs onto Chen's jacket, hoisting him in the air and letting go of his face, giving him back the ability to breathe. "Damn you, you little beast!" 

"What do you think you're doing with my best friend?!"

Chen looks up to see who dared grab him, only to find one of the Spider Queen's henchmen. The spider demon Goliath grins, holding up Chen by the scruff of his jacket. "You three are coming with me." he states, turning his attention to Mei and Red Son, the latter still sitting on the dragon girls shoulders. Chen growls, kicking at the spider demon. "Like hell we are!" 

Before the spider demon could respond, a wall of flames hits him in his face, causing him to scream in pain and drop Chen. The young demon falls to the ground on his back, grunting in pain from the rough landing. "You got me in my favourite eye!" Goliath yells as he goes to blindly punch the one responsible. Mei dodges out of the way, still holding Red Son on her shoulders. "C'mon lets go!" Mei yells to Chen, ignoring Red Son's yells to put him down.

Chen quickly scrambles to his feet, following Mei back to the drone with the spider demon right on his heels.

--

Rey and Sandy step back as the former pushes down the cover with effort. "Alright, that should do it, right?" they ask, looking up at the gentle blue giant. Sandy nods with a smile. "Yep! We'll be good to go-"

"SANDY!"

The two quickly turn to see Pigsy and Tang running toward the drone, the pig man carrying a bottle with golden pills. "Pigsy! Tangy! You got the pills!" Sandy says excitedly. Rey looks up to see what they were running away from, eyes widening at the sight of a familiar purple figure running towards them. "Yeah, and they also brought company!"
"They followed us here!" Tang yells. Sandy and Rey share a concerned look. "I guess we did have to worry about that tracker..."
"Where are the others?" Pigsy asks, looking around. That's when a fain tscream rapidly approaching catches their attention, and the group look up to see Mei, Red Son and Chen racing toward the drone with another spider demon right on their heels. They make it to the drone just in time, Mei still carrying the red-headed demon. 
"Start the engines! It's time to go!" Tang says, but Pigsy cuts him off. "What about MK?"

"Sandy! Start the drone!" Another voice screams. The group turn to see MK not being chased by a spider demon, but by two large Lion Guardians. They could see he also had the furnace.

Sandy starts up the engines and takes off, MK riding his new mechanical beast being able to make the leap and land safely on the drone. The drone speeds away, returning to the mortal realm.

--

The team travel back to the familiar skies of the mortal realm, taking a moment to regroup before heading towards Flower Fruit Mountain.
As the drone speeds through the sky, one of the first things Chen had noticed was MK's enthusiasm and hope had seemed to return, relieving Chen. The second thing he'd noticed was that Red Son was now avoiding him, sitting on the drones raised platform out of the way. But if Chen were being honest, he was also avoiding the bull prince after what happened in the Heavenly Orchard. The young man just couldn't wrap his head around why Red Son had helped him out with the Spider demon. He could've just escaped back to the drone with the peach, but he didn't. Was this some kind of manipulation tactic? To get hm to trust him? What did it mean?

As the young man paced the deck on the opposite side of the drone, he felt a an arm wrap around his shoulder, pulling him into a side hug. Chen tenses up and quickly turns to see Mei smiling at him. 
"C'mon, Chen! Why the long face? We have a better chance at beating the Spider Queen! Aren't you excited to beat some spider demon butt?" She asks enthusiastically, poking his cheek. Chen raises a brow, unbothered by her excited behaviour. He was more concerned on other things. 
"Yeah, sure, excited." he mutters indifferently, looking around at the group before his eyes landed back on Red Son. The demon prince was staring out at the ocean, the wind blowing through his red hair. 

Mei follows Chen's gaze, also noticing the demon prince. She hums, gaining Chen's attention once more. "You know... it wouldn't hurt to thank him for rescuing you with that Spider demon back there."
Chen whips his head around so fast he almost got whiplash. "What?! I'm not thanking him for that! I could've gotten out myself!" he yells, only for Mei to quickly cover his mouth with her hand. She rolls her eyes. "Sure you could, Chen. But the point is he helped you. Could you put your pride aside for a minute to at least show some gratitude?"

Chen scowls, crossing his arms. He didn't want to, but he knew Mei won't stop pestering him otherwise. "Fine... but you know this doesn't mean anything, right? We're just gonna go back to being enemies after today, anyway." he states matter of factly, truly believing that Red Son and DBK would just go back to their old ways. Mei shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. We don't know that."

"We're here!" 

Chen and Mei turn to see Flower Fruit Mountain ahead of them, where the group would move onto the next part of their plan and make an antidote. 

They land safely on the beach, where Red Son immediately gets to work, drawing more symbols in the sand with a stick before setting up the furnace. He chuckles maniacally, opening the cap of the vial containing the Spider Queens venom and pouring its contents into the furnace. "I, Red Son, will bind the powers of the Celestial artefacts with the Spider Queen's own venom, save my father, and reforge the world as I see fit!" he declares, before cackling again. Chen, watching the display while leaning against a boulder, merely rolls his eyes. 

"Red Son, that was amazing!" Mei pipes up with a grin. MK nods in agreement. "Such a good hero speech!" 
The demon prince was offended at their words, spinning to face them. "Villain speech!" he corrects. "And perhaps my best of all time!"

Chen scoffs, glancing over to Pigsy as he asks Red Son what they were to do. At this, Red Son huffs. "We do nothing. I add the ingredients in a very precise order you wouldn't understand." He states, not noticing MK disappear for a moment. Mei raises a brow. "Uh, there's only two more ingredients, Red Boy."
"And I already chucked them in." MK adds from behind Red Son, surprising everyone. He chucks the other artefacts into the furnace, much to Red Sons dismay. "What?!" 
"You're welcome!"

A puff of golden dust and smoke flies everywhere, knocking everyone over. They lay on the ground, coughing. Rey, having landed on their face, spits out sand and readjusts their glasses. When the group look up, they see the furnace glowing a warm golden hue. Getting to his feet, Chen gets up and walks towards the furnace, looking inside. Inside a golden liquid swirled and bubbled. Tang soon joins Chen, followed by MK. "Ooh! I think it worked!" he says. 

"Alright! Time to take the fight back to the Spider Queen and end this nightmare once and for all!" MK declares. Chen steps away from the furnace, turning to MK. "And how exactly are we supposed to do that?" he asks. Pigsy nods. "Yeah, those spider people aren't just ognna line up for a sip."
"And even if they did, are we forgetting about Spider Queen? She defeated the Monkey King!" Tang pipes up. "How are you..."

"We'll find a way! We always do!" MK says determinedly. Sandy hums in thought. "Well, I might have an idea." he says, before pressing a button on his drone's remote. The engine whirrs as water shooters pop out of the drone, at the ready. Mei giggles. "Oh, yeah!"
"With this, we might have a chance!" MK says. 

Everyone starts piling onto the drone again. Chen was about to follow the rest of the group when Mei grabs his shoulder, pulling him back slightly. The young demon turns to the dragon girl, who in turn clears her throat and gestures to Red Son. Knowing what she wanted him to do Chen rolls his eyes with a groan, begrudgingly walking over to the demon prince. 

Red Son had his back to Chen, making sure the antidote was securely in place. The young man stands behind him awkwardly, glancing back at Mei who briefly gave him a shooing motion and a nod, urging him to continue.

"Hey, Flamehead."

Red Son tenses up at the name, letting out a grunt of disapproval before getting to his feet and turning to face him. "What do you want, rat?"
Chen scowls but takes a deep breath. "I wanted to thank you. For, you know, helping me out with that spider demon." he mutters.
Red Son stares at him for a moment, before quickly turning away from Chen quickly. "Ugh, don't think too much of it, rat. It was a one time thing and doesn't mean anything."

Chen glares at Red Son, but bites his tongue. A simple "you're welcome" would've been nice to hear, but it appeared that that wasn't going to happen. "Alright then." he grumbles, walking away.

"Wait, Chen." 

Chen pauses, turning back to Red Son. The red-headed demon sighs, before facing him again. "I would like to apologise on behalf of the Demon Bull Family, for any pain or discomfort we may have caused with the whole calabash incident." he says, his tone rather quiet compared to his usual angry and brash one. Chen blinks, confused. He certainly wasn't expecting this. "What?"

"Didn't you hear a single thing I just said?!" And the tone was back again. "Do you realise how long I had been rehearsing that?!" 
"It sounded like you rehearsed it." 
Red Son groans in annoyance, rubbing his face. "Look, to tell you the truth I don't want to keep fighting about this. Despite my attempts to ignore the fact that you're my biological brother, I just... can't. Before I knew that information fighting you was fun. Annoying, but fun. But now it feels wrong." The demon prince leans on the railing, glaring down at the water. "So after today, let's just drop this fighting and go our seperate ways." 

Chen hesitates, glancing over to Mei. The dragon girl was still watching the duo from a distance, giving Chen a thumbs up. 
The young demon gives it a moment of thought, before leaning next to the railing beside Red Son. "You realise how confusing and... terrifying that was, right? Being stuck in a place that you didn't know with people who are your enemies, with no escape in sight. I had no idea what was going on or if it was ever going to end." he mutters, looking down at the water as well. Red Son hums. "I can only imagine."
"That had to be the worst way to find out you're related to be your nemesis." Chen adds. Red Son huffs. "My mother should've never trusted those imbeciles in the first place."

The two fall into an awkward silence, neither knowing what to say next. Chen finally speaks up. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive you or the rest of the Demon Bull Family for what you've done to my family... but maybe we could make a truce?"
Red Son looks at him, confused. "A truce?"
"A truce to stop fighting each other. No more trying to kill each other. Got it?" Chen asks, turning to the demon prince. Red Son thinks for a moment, before nodding. "I'll try. But it won't be easy with three peasants getting in the way of my plans." he says light-heartedly, but Chen couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

"So we're good?" the young demon holds out a hand. Red Son looks down at it for a moment, staring at it in thought before shaking Chen's hand. "Yes, we are." he states dismissively. Chen lets go, noticing how Red Son wipes his hand on his jacket. "Right, now that that's settled, we should get going and head back to the city."
"Right, right. I'll just go, uh help Mei and MK with... stuff." Chen says, giving Red Son an awkward wave before wandering back to Mei.

The Dragon girl hurries over. "Sooo? How'd it go?" She asks. Chen glances back to Red Son, who was "busy" securing the antidote once more. "It actually... went better than I expected."

--

Spider Queen giggles gleefully as she sits upon her makeshift throne, celebrating the Year of the Spider. She watches the parade filled with spider zombie people walk by as she eats off a food platter displayed to her. The other henchmen stand by her side, as well as the little girl that had helped the queen accomplish her mission in the first place.
"Oh, here comes the spider float! And the spider dancers!" Spider Queen says excitedly, pointing to the parade. She gestures to her surroundings, proud of herself for her achievements. "This is how you rule the world!"

She stops mid laugh when she notices something in the distance, squinting to try and get a better look. "What is that?" she asks, pointing to a cardboard cutout of Monkey King slowly approaching. Syntax, noticing the strange object, flips through his clipboard. "I don't know. It's not on the approved parade schedule." he says, equally as confused as the queen.

As the cardboard cutout came closer it falls over, revealing the team on their drone. Chen stood upon the drones deck with the rest of the group, confused. "I can't believe that worked-"
"Of course it worked! MK's plans always work! Well, most of the time." Mei chuckles. MK upon hearing this turns to them with a dramatic gasp, offended. "Hey!"

"Kids, now's not the time to be goofing around!" Pigsy interrupts. MK clears his throat. "Right, right. He turns to the Spider Queen, pointing to her with a determined grin. "If it isn't Spider Queen, throwing herself a party. Prepare to meet your doom!" He cackles. Red Son looks up at him proudly. "Now that's a hero speech!"

"Wow MK,  you're handling your spider phobia so well!" Mei congratulates. Chen looks at MK, noticing how he's actually sweating quite a lot. "Barely."
"I'm internalising a lot of stuff right now. Release the antidote!" MK yells. Immediately Sandy, Mei and Rey all press the buttons on their controllers, releasing the golden antidote. It floods the streets, covering all the spider zombie people and curing them. Spider Queen looks around in growing anger, seeing her spider bots falling to the ground and her zombie subjects be free from her control. "What?! No!"

Mei grins. "It's working! Let's finish this!" She says. Everyone jumps off the deck of the drone, landing in front of the Spider Queen and her henchmen. All except for Rey, who Sandy had to grab and jump down with. "Your reign of horror is-" MK stops mid sentence and starts to tremble as Spider Queen gets up from her throne, towering over them. "over...."

Spider Queen laughs, and Chen stands protectively beside MK. "Oh, Monkey Boy! You're nothing without your master. There's nothing that can stop me! Nothing!" She declares. The spider demon starts to power up her mech. Seeing this MK leaps forward to stop her but is too late. He swings his staff but his attack is blocked by the Spider Queen. With ease she shoves him back, sending him crashing into the wall. Everyone shouts to the boy in concern, turning to see if he was ok. 

Seeing MK being thrown back, Chen growls as he charges forward, determined to take down Spider Queen.

"Chen!"
"Wait!"

 He leaps towards her, summoning all his power and focusing his energy into the punch, aiming for her. But just like MK, she stops him with ease. Green and purple energy flies as his punch collides with the Spider Queen's open palm, the power too much for the young man to handle. He's surrounded by a a green light, the force of the energy enough to cause everyone to fall or stumble back. 
The green ball of energy Chen has become falls to the ground, sparking and shifting before it slowly dissipates, and the group could barely make out the shape of the young man laying on the ground, knocked out cold from his own power surge. 

--

Inside the Spider Mech DBK, Wukong and Jade all felt the strange power surge. Jade quickly uses his heat vision to try and see through the mechs walls, noticing a familiar figure laying at the Spider Queens feet. But the young man looked... very different, and the snake demons brows furrow in concern. "Uh oh..."

Wukong heard the snake demon speak under his breath, and uses his own gold vision to see what finally caused the other demon to speak. Only to have a clearer view of Chen laying on the ground with his new appearance. "Oh boy. He's gonna have a rough time with that when he wakes up. Wait-" he quickly turns to the snake, squinting suspiciously at them. "Why are you so concerned?"

The snake demon falls back into silence as the fight continues outside, and Wukong lets out a frustrated groan. "Really!? Again?! How are you like this?!" He huffs, as another shock from the webs causes them all to scream in pain. As they recover, DBK turns to Wukong in annoyance. "I already told you, simian. He's not the demon you thought you knew from your pilgrimage." He growls through gritted teeth, trying to restrain Spider Queen's attempts to use his powers. 
Wukong rolls his eyes, but knew the bull demon had a point. If he wanted to get under the snake demons skin he couldn't rely on the lies he'd been given in the past. Well, if he couldn't get under the snake demons skin, he'll just have to go back to DBK.

"It's a shame, really. You being trapped here. No one to protect poor Princess Iron Fan." he drawls, watching DBK. It has it's desired effect, since he growls in growing fury, pulling on his restraints as purple sparks of energy fly. "My wife doesn't need protecting! She will decimate all in her way!" he yells.
Wukong looks up to see the webs starting to break, smirking as he sees his plan finally paying off. "Oh yeah? How about your half-baked son? Spider Queen's gonna eat him alive!" he eggs on. DBK's eyes glow a bright purple, becoming even more enraged. 
This time the monkey decides to poke the demon one last time for good measure. "And what about your other son? Too bad you never met him since by the looks of it, he's gonna be the Spider Queens easiest meal so far!"

The webs snap as DBK lets out an enraged roar as he breaks free, just about freeing every other demon captured. The monkey looks down at his webs, seeing them tearing. "Ha! It worked! Excellent- whoa!" he yelps as the Demon Bull King grabs him, slamming him into the groundout of pure anger. "Buddy! I was just getting you angry so you can-" 
"I know what you were doing, simian!" The bull demon snarls, ripping the webs off of Monkey King. 

Wukong sits up as DBK walks away, surprised his former sworn brother hadn't torn him apart. "Wait, where are you going?" he asks, getting to his feet. DBK doesn't turn to face him as he responds. "To find my half-baked s...sons." he growls, barging through the walls of the Spider Mech. Wukong chuckles, scratching his neck. "I've honestly missed that guy!" he says. Suddenly remembering the snake demon still hanging upside down on the ceiling he quickly turns to face them, only to see the broken webs that had once held him captive swaying in the cold breeze. He scowls, realising that the snake had gotten away. "Coward..."

From behind him, the monkey senses a familiar presence making herself known. He turns to face her. "So, you thought you had all the pieces right where you wanted them." he says. The little girl merely smiles at the sage. "There are so many moves I have yet to play." she replies simply, confident in her claim. At this, the Monkey King growls. 

"You and that snake should've stayed buried."

Wukong charges at the bone demon, only for her to disappear into a cloud of blue smoke, surrounding the sage. "I will rip the very memory of you from this world." a voice hisses in his ear. The Monkey King freezes in place as visions of the inevitable future fills his head, all revolving around the Lady Bone Demon ruling the world, and using his student as her tool to do so.
He goes to punch the air where the girl had been standing, only for there to be nothing. She was gone, but Wukong knew it would only be a matter of time before she put the rest of her plan into action.

--

Chen opens his eyes, his head pounding and aching. "What just hap..." he trails off as he looks around, his head feeling rather heavy. He soon noticed that everyone was encased in Spider Queen's webs. And upon looking down- or, well, up in his case- he realised he too was trapped in webs, hanging upside down next to Red Son and Mei. He tries to break himself free, hissing in pain. "Ow-"

Mei quickly turns to Chen. "Chen? Oh thank sage your awake- hey, stop moving so much-" she hisses, trying not to get Spider Queen's attention. Red Son looks over too, his face contorted in concern and... was that shock and confusion? "Why are you looking at me like that, Flamehead?"
Now that he thought about it, Mei was looking at him in the same way. A mixture of concern, shock and confusion. 
"Why are you looking at me like that? What's wrong? Did I get a black eye or something?" Chen asks. Mei pulls a face. "No, well- it's just you got a little- um..." she trails off, not knowing how to explain. Red Son groans and roll his eyes. "Were you thinking at all when you decided to use ALL of your power to attack the Spider Queen?" he asks. "Because by the looks of it, you've never used that much power before and-"

"You've just gone through a little transformation, sweet thing." Spider Queen's voice rings out, and Chen quickly turns to see the spider demon approaching them. He scowls as she walks closer, refusing to show fear. The Spider Queen merely grins at his defiance, using one leg to ruffle his upside-down head. "Too bad you decided to give your loyalty to that damned monkey, otherwise you would've been a good  soldier in my army." she tsked, roughly shoving his head back and causing his neck to hurt. "Sadly, we can't have you and your little friends running around anymore."

She walks away, and Chen has no time to think about what the Spider Queen said as she approaches MK, who was also stuck in webs. "After all I've won and lost and won again, you think I was really gonna let some boy take it from me?" she hisses, raising one of her legs and preparing to take him out. "Bye bye, problem child!"
Before she could bring her mechanical leg down on the poor boy, the sound of the spider mech powering down fills the air. Spider Queen's grin is wiped off her face as she turns to her mech. "No! My powers!"

There's an explosion from the mech and a figure bursts out, falling through the air right for Spider Queen. "I AM NO ONE'S SLAVE!" DBK roars. Spider Queen barely had enough time to get out of the way before he lands, sending everyone flying back. Sandy, Pigsy, Rey and Tang were freed from their webs and get to their feet. Chen watches in growing shock as DBK approaches him, Red Son and Mei. He reaches out, pulling Red Son free from the webs before turning to Chen, stopping mid reach to stare at him in shock and confusion for e moment before pulling him down from his hanging position, also freeing him from his webs as he sets him down. Chen took a moment to catch his breath, staring up at the Demon Bull King in shock. "Uh....hey?" he greets awkwardly. This was the first time he's come face to face with the bull king.

DBK doesn't say anything, turning away to face the Spider Queen instead. Mei, who was still trapped, looks up at Chen. "I honestly thought he was gonna say something about that." she says before trying to break free of the webs. Chen groans as Red Son frees Mei easily with his fire powers. "Say something about what, Mei?!"
Once Mei was free, she turns Chen around to face the building window. Chen stops to stare, completely forgetting about the Spider Queen as he stares at his reflection in shock. 

Staring back at him was a familiar face. Large bull horns sat on either side of his head, fluffy ears barely poking out of his thick hair and short grey fur covered his arms, neck and legs. a long tail lay limp behind him, and he was surprised he didn't notice it earlier. "...oh."
"Yeah..." Mei trails off, scratching her neck awkwardly. Chen now understood why she didn't say anything. Even he was left speechless.

Spider Queen's laughter brought them back to the present, and they quickly turn to look at the spider getting to her feet. "All of you together can't beat me! I am the Queen!" she yells, grinning widely. 

"Oh yeah?" 

Everyone looks up to see Monkey King walking down the wall of a building, picking up the staff sticking out before leaping to the ground with a confident smirk. "Well, I'm the King." he states, freeing MK. He helps him to his feet, and the group turn to face the spider demon once more.
Spider Queen, realising she was out numbered, glares at them. "If I can't rule this world..." she uses her web to lift her back onto the mech. "No one can! I'll level this whole city!" she yells, bringing up one of the spider mechs legs. Monkey King and MK nod to each other, before both of them leap up to confront her.

"What are they doing-" Chen watches as Monkey King throws MK at the mech, they boy using the staff to destroy it with one powerful hit. Everything happened too quickly, after that. MK was falling, even when the Monkey King caught him in his bird form. DBK had leapt up and grabbed them both as the base exploded. 
Seeing the wall of flames from the explosion quickly approaching, Chen grabs Rey to try and shelter them. He's surprised, however, as the flames go around them. He and Mei look up to see Red Son protecting them from the flames.

As the flames finally die down, Chen lets Rey go and looks around. Several buildings were destroyed, the explosion leaving almost nothing standing in the near vicinity. "Wow... we really need to stop destroying the city."

"Whoa! Look!" 

Everyone turns their attention to the sky, the aurora lights greeting them. They gasp at the beautiful lights, realising that the fight was finally over. 

--

MK, Monkey King and DBK had returned back to the group, the group now enjoying the rest of New Years together gathered on a rooftop. MK and Monkey King sat by themselves, Rey stood with Mei and Tang, while Chen was... awkwardly standing next to DBK and Red Son. He crosses his arms and taps his foot, not sure what to say. 

"So. You're, uh, the old man. Nice to meet you?" he says, holding out his hand to DBK. DBK hums, looking Chen over before awkwardly shaking his hand, his grip crushing as the young man winces in pain. "Like wise, Niúzǎi." 
Chen chuckles to hide the pain, rubbing his sore hand. "I, uh, would prefer if you didn't call me that..." he murmurs, but it was loud enough for the demon king to hear. Red Son pipes up. "He'd prefer it if you called him Chen, father." he explains awkwardly. DBK huffs. "Very well, then, Chen."

"Hey! Daddy Bull King!" Mei calls out, causing the three of them to turn to her. "You're baby Red Boy did real good hero work today!" she says teasingly. At this, Red Son hurriedly gets to his feet, his face bright red. "No! No! For the last time, I am not a hero!" he yells, causing Mei to laugh. Chen smiles at his friends teasing. "I don't know, Flamehead. What you did today seemed pretty heroic. Saving the city, saving your dad, saving us-" he was cut off as Red Son shoves his new tail into his mouth. He quickly spits it out but it was too late. He was left coughing and hacking to try and get the fur out of his mouth as Red Son turns to DBK.

"Father, let's never tell Mother anything that happened today?" he suggests sheepishly. DBK hums, ignoring Chen's frantic attempts to get fur out of his mouth. "Agreed. Come along... Son."
Chen wipes his mouth one last time and turns to glare at Red Son, who was giddily cherishing the moment. He quickly composes himself, about to teleport off when he stops, turning to Chen. He hesitates. "You know, you could come with us, Chen." he says. The young mans glare disappears as he looks at Red Son in surprise. "What?"

"Of course it's completely up to you this time, but if you want you could come live with us. We could teach you more about your powers, and, well, we could try to be a family again." he trails off, looking away. "But if you don't, then that's understandable." 
Chen hums. "That sounds... rather nice, actually. But I already have my family." he explains, gesturing to the rest of the group. Seeing Red Son's expression shift to slight hurt and regret, he quickly adds. "But then again, it wouldn't hurt to get to know you guys, too. Who knows? Maybe in the future, we can be a family too. But right now, I want to stay here in Megapolis." he explains. "Just drop by whenever you're visiting Megapolis, Flamehead." he adds teasingly, nudging Red Son. The demon prince pushes his elbow away in annoyance, but Chen could see the relief in his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, Rat." 

With that, Red Son and DBK teleported away, leaving the rest of the heroes to celebrate New Years. Chen turns back to the rest of the group, only  to see Monkey King was gone. "Wait, where's Monkey King?" he asks. The rest of the group look around, noticing the missing monkey. Tang notices a box of treats and greedily picks it up, seeing the note left by Monkey King. "Well, don't mind if I do!"
Mei gasps. "Ooh! Yummy!" she says, about to grab one of the treats. Both MK and Chen go to stop her, recognising the treats immediately. "Wait! Don't eat that!"
"Tastes like hair." Tang says as he chews, causing Chen to chuckle. "Well you're not gonna believe me when I tell you this-"

--

Jade runs through the empty streets of Megapolis, almost to the outskirts of the city. He'd been running since he finally broke free of the Spider Queen's webs, not wanting to give Sun Wukong or the Demon Bull King a chance to catch up to him.

But once he reached the opposite side of the city he finally comes to a stop, trying to catch his breath and calm himself down. His was shaking, being so close to the two demons who'd trapped him inside that damned coffin all those years ago. What if they did it again? What if they DIDN'T do it again and went straight for the kill? He'd never be able to fight them off-

The snake demon tries to take deep breaths, feeling the panic starting to set in. "It's fine- it's fine! I got away! Now I just need to- uh- find somewhere to hide- yes! Hide! Where no one can find me-"
His ranting is interrupted as a familiar chill runs up his spine and he freezes, turning around. 

"It's good to see you still in one piece, my Jade Warrior." 

The girl from the Spider mech stood there facing him, her expression one of disappointment and disgust. Jade tenses up, before quickly getting to his knee. "M-my Lady..."
The Lady Bone's Demon's expression doesn't change as she steps closer, walking around the snake demon. "Tell me, why didn't you come find me?" she queries. Jade hesitates, glancing over his shoulder to look up at her. "I-I was trapped, my Lady-"

"I mean after you escaped, snake." she snaps, silencing the snake demon. "Your partner informed me you have been roaming around with the Demon Bull Kings offspring. Why is that?" 

Jade hesitates, choosing his words carefully. "Th-the younger prince is powerful, my Lady. I thought that he'd be a good ally-"
The Bone Demon turns her head to look at him, her gaze cold and unforgiving. "And what have you been told about that, Jade Warrior? You leave the planning to me, remember?" 
The snake demon lowers his gaze. "Y-yes, m-my apologies, my Lady..."

The Lady Bone Demon glares at him for a few moments more before sighing, stepping closer to the snake. She lifts his chin, looking in their eyes. "Although, bringing the youngest demon bull prince to our side could benefit us in the future."  she hums in thought. "But I've seen his loyalties to his friends. If you can convince him to join us, then perhaps I won't have to dispose of him." 
Her grip tightens on Jade's chin, causing the snake demon to wince slightly. "Is that understood, Jade Warrior?" 

"U-understood, my Lady." 

"Good." With that, she finally lets go. "And remember this, Jade Warrior. You're my creation. Your soul purpose is to serve me and my vision to make the perfect world. Understood?" 

"Yes, My Lady." Jade says quietly but clearly, keeping his gaze lowered. He knew his purpose, and why he was created. But deep down, he felt conflicted. What if he couldn't convince Chen to join them? Would he have to kill him?

But he's just a kid, he shouldn't be having these thoughts... whatever his Lady needed him to do, he would do it. No matter what it is. 

"Good." the Lady Bone Demons voice was barely a whisper, and when Jade looked up he saw the girl was gone, no trace of her left other than the blue mist that was quickly dissipating. Getting to his feet, Jade turns and hides in the city.

-----

"This is an outrage!"

A man yells in his boss's face, slamming his fist down on the desk. The boss sighs, readjusting  her glasses. "I understand your frustration, Mr. Li-"

"This is the second time in the span of TWO WEEKS the city was almost destroyed by those damned demons! TWO! We can't keep relying on this "Monkie Kid" everytime the city is in danger! He's unqualified to be a hero!" Mr. Li shouts, pacing around the room. "What if next time he can't save the city?!"

The boss hums in thought, knowing that her employee has a point. She looks down at the familiar documents Mr. Li had slammed down upon her desk, looking over the familiar face of their subject. "Are you sure he's ready to take on his role, Mr. Li?" 

"He's ready, Mrs. Bai. Why, he's been training for this his whole life! Do you really want to let him go to waste and be replaced by this immature child?"  

Mrs. Bai mulls it over before nodding. "Very well, then. It's time to send in Subject SWK06." Mrs. Bai says dismissively, waving Mr. Li out of the room. Mr. Li smirks triumphantly as he leaves. As he walks down the halls heading back to the holding cells, he starts yelling at the other employees, wanting to get everything ready as soon as possible.

"We'll see if he's better than this "Monkie Kid"."

 

 

 

 

----

 

A/N: if you couldn't tell ive been plotting and scheming on this one for a WHILE. Also who's y'all's fav character of mine so far? I'm curious bebejwbdbs

*Shé wángzǐ is supposed to mean "Snake Prince" but idk how accurate that is

Monkey king went from "this other kid is a danger to my apprentice" to "your honor they are both my sons" and that was completely unintentional. Maybe he saw some similarities between himself and Chen idfk know lol

i dont know how many of you guys actually know this but i have a tiktok (which I've had for a couple of years now lol) my tiktok name is just alilweirddragon, and right now im posting LMK au stuff like spoilers, crossovers, and future characters that'll show up in the book if you're interested

Chapter 22: Keep You Friends Close

"And then Monkey King was all like "Well I'm the King!" A-and then-" MK ranted excitedly, retelling the tale to Mei and Tang. The two share an amused look, before Tang clears his throat. "Yeah, we know MK. We were there, remember?"
MK chuckles. "Right right, sorry. But you gotta admit, Monkey King was so cool! Even if he did get captured and we had to save him and the city..."
Mei nods. "Yep! Oh! And Did you see Chen's new look? It's awesome! The bull horns, and the tail! I bet he loves them!"

A loud crash comes from the kitchen, followed by pots and pans falling to the floor and Chen's angered yells. "OW! Stupid horns!" There's a beat of silence before something else is knocked over, causing Chen to groan in frustration again as Pigsy starts yelling. "Chen! Watch where you're swingin' that thing! You almost ruined this batch of noodles!"

Tang, MK and Mei all walk into kitchen to see the mess that had unfolded. Chen stood by the kitchen sink, a bunch of unused pots around him while a trash bin was sprawled on the floor, the garbage everywhere. Pigsy was clutching a pot of freshly cooked noodles to his chest as if his life depended on it, glaring at the young demon. Tang, Mei and MK share a confused look as Pigsy lets out a sigh. "Chen, why don't you go do some deliveries? I'm sure MK's running behind on them." he points out, shooting MK a look.
Chen grumbles under his breath, turning to leave as his tail swings behind him. "Sure, pops..." he mutters. As he leaves his tail accidentally knocks into the back of Mei's legs, almost causing her to topple. The young bull quickly apologises before hastening out the door, grabbing the undelivered bags of noodles on the counter.

Pigsy lets out another sigh. "He's been knocking things over with his fancy new horns and tail all day. I'm already running behind because he knocked over three batches of noodles this morning!" he complains, looking around the wrecked kitchen. MK and Mei back out of the room, leaving Pigsy with the mess.
"Go easy on him, Pigsy. It's not every day you magically transform into some kind of half demon. He needs time to adjust." Tang says as the pig man puts down the pot of noodles, reaching down to pick up the pots. "I know, I know. Ugh, maybe I should apologise..." he mutters.

--

"Stupid horns- stupid demon DNA!" Chen hisses as he speeds through the streets of Megapolis, too angry and frustrated to realise how fast he was going. Before he knew it, he'd already missed the turn off to his first location. So he had to turn his tuk-tuk around.

Parking outside he grabs the first delivery, getting out of his tuk-tuk. Except his horn snags on the roof of the vehicle, snapping his head back. "Ow! Dammit!" He yells, turning around. His tail whips around with the rest of him, accidentally knocking over a nearby pedestrian. Chen quickly turns to them. "Crap! Sorry- I didn't see you there-" he rushes, helping the person to their feet.
The pedestrian huffs, shooting him a glare before walking away. The young demon sighs, his fluffy ears flopping down in defeat. Realising what his ears just did, his face turns red in embarrassment.

"I hate this..."

He walks up the steps to the first house, knocking on the wooden door. A few moments pass before a young man opens the door with a smile. "Oh good! You're here! I was wondering where you-" he stops, staring at Chen with wide eyes. Well, more specifically his horns and the ruffled fur sticking out of his uniform.
Chen pauses, not sure what to say to make the man stop staring. He coughs awkwardly. "Your noodles, sir?" he says, holding up his delivery. This seems to bring the man back to reality, as he laughs nervously. "S-sorry! I hadn't realised old Pigsy hired someone new." He says, taking the bag.
Chen was about to speak up, but after practically throwing the money at the young demon the man had slammed the door shut, leaving Chen speechless. "Keep the change!"

After a moment he takes a step back. Well, at least the noodles were delivered, and he got payed. That was all that mattered.
He walks back down the steps, carefully climbing back into his tuk-tuk. Making sure he wasn't sitting on his annoying tail and his horns weren't going to ruin the roof of the tuk-tuk, he starts up the engine and was about to drive off when he hears an old familiar voice.

"Oh my sage- is that you, Blazing Beast?"

Chen tenses up, growling under his breath. "Wonderful..." the young man doesn't turn around, instead turning his tuk-tuk to drive off when the familiar figure steps in front of him. He scowls, rolling his eyes. "Get out of my way, Kai." he hisses through his teeth.
The leader of the Golden Kitsune's raises a brow, smirking at Chen as he looks him up and down. "Well if it isn't my little star! How has my fighter been?" he asks sweetly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What do you want?" Chen growls, his ears flattening in annoyance. Seeing this reaction, Kai grins. "Aw don't be like that, Chen! Is it really so bad I wanted to say hi to an old friend?"
"Yes." Chen says blanky, turning his wheel to go around Kai but the man simply moved back in his way. "Out of my way, I have work to do."

Kai chuckles. "Right, you deliver noodles for the pigman again. That's such a shame- such a downgrade from working for me." he sighs dramatically. Chen scowls as Kai continues. "But you know, you could always come back. I saw the footage of you fighting those Spider demons." Kai says as he leans on the bonnet of the tuk-tuk, much to Chen's annoyance. "It was very impressive, but I could put it to better use! I'll pay you better, and you won't have to be stuck delivering dumb noodles for that little shop anymore-"

Chen slams on the reverse brakes, backing his tuk-tuk and causing Kai, who was still leaning on it, to fall onto the pavement. Chen snorts as his former friend angrily gets to his feet. "What the hell was that for?!" he yells, dusting off his gold jacket.
"You know why. Now get out of my way before I run you over."

Now Kai was furious. "What, you think you're too good now, huh?! I made you what you are! You'd be nothing without me! You'd still be losing all your fights if I hadn't taken you under my wing!" he spat, leaning closer to Chen. "But then again I guess it was a good thing you left, because look at you now. You're nothing but a demon brute trying to fit into society."

Chen stiffens, his eyes narrowing in anger. "What did you just call me?"

Pleased that he'd finally got a desired reaction out of the young demon, Kai smirks. "Oh come on, bull boy. You can't tell me you don't see it? With your fancy new features, practically everyone who sees you only thinks of one person! Tell me, which bull demon tried taking over the city again?" He asks smugly. Chen growls, his fist tightening on the steering wheel as he tries to control his anger. He knew what Kai was getting at.
"With all these demons attacking us again out of the blue, some are obviously gonna have a bad face from now on. And because you're a bull demon, people aren't gonna see you the same anymore, buddy! All they're gonna see is the monster scum you've become-"

An object is thrown at Kai and the older man lets out a yelp as he dodges it, looking back just in time to see a bag of noodles splatter into a wall, the force behind the throw causing it to become a pile of mush on impact. When he turns back to the young man, Chen hadn't moved from his tuk-tuk, but Kai could tell from his body language and his deadly glare that he had ticked the demon off BIG time.
Chen's tail whipped around angrily, thumping against the seat of the tuk-tuk as the young demon finally stood up slowly, staring Kai down while his eyes glowed eerily green.

"Unless you want to be the next pile of goo stuck to that wall, I suggest you get. Out. Of. My. Way." he growls, his voice calm and quiet despite his obvious threat. Not wanting to push the young man anymore, Kai steps out of the way of the tuk-tuk. "Whatever, demon." he spat, glaring at Chen as he hurried away.

The young demon takes a moment to compose himself, his fist shaking from the anger and rage he felt. After a few minutes he slowly sits back down in his tuk-tuk, his blood still boiling from that encounter as he starts the vehicle, driving away.

——

Chen sighs as he finishes delivering the noodles, and dropped by the noodle shop to get another order of the delivery he had thrown, not specifying to Pigsy why there was a delivery missing.

As he drives back home, Chen's thoughts wander to Jade. He hadn't seen his second mentor all week, and they hadn't left a note or anything for the young demon in the dojo. He wondered if the snake demon was alright after the Spider Queen attack. "I'm sure he's fine..."

All of a sudden his phone starts to buzz. He pulls it out for a moment, answering the call when he recognises the ID as Rey's. He places his phone back on the seat while he drives, his headphones sitting awkwardly on his head. "Hello?"

"Oh hey! Chen! Uh, you're not busy, are you?" They ask, their voice sounding more high pitched and nervous than usual. Chen glances at the phone briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "Well I am driving, but I'm finished my deliveries. Is something wrong Rey?" He asks, a little concerned.

"No! No! Well, not really, but I was wondering if you could come to the library? I need help with something, plus I wanted to tell you something weird that happened when the Spider Queen attacked." They say quickly. Chen hums. "You chose to tell me over Mei? I'm flattered Rey." He jokes. He made out the other persons laughter over the phone. "Well, Mei, um, isn't exactly great with books."

"Alright then, I'll be right over." Chen says, turning his tuk-tuk around.
"I'll open the door for you!"

Rey hangs up, leaving Chen curious on what they wanted to talk about.

——

Chen pulls up in front of the library, getting out and walking up to the door. He lifts his hand to knock but the door opens before he could. Rey's face peeked through the doorway before they open the door for the young demon. "Oh good! You're here! Come in!" They say, letting Chen inside.

Chen enters and looks around, noticing one of the library tables was covered with books, some laying opened while the rest were stacked high on top of one another. At first he assumed it was a visitor but when Rey makes a beeline for the same table he realised that it was his usually "neat and tidy" friends mess.

"Rey? Are you okay?" Chen asks as he joins his friend, looking down at the books. He picks up one titled "Demons and Ranks", noticing "Journey to the West" on one of the piles. Rey was flipping through one of the books. "Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine now. But, uh, I needed some help looking for something." They explain. "And I wanted to tell you what happened when, you know, Spider Queen attacked." They cough, slamming the book shut and placing it on the table. Chen raises a brow. "So?"

"So... when the Spider Queen attacked I was alone. But what I didn't want to tell the others was that I was... rescued." Rey explains slowly. Chen hums, looking at his friend in surprise. "Well that was lucky. Who was your saviour?" He asks, placing the book he'd been looking at on the table. Rey scratches their neck awkwardly. "Well, that's the thing. I don't know who they were. But they weren't a human, that's for sure."

"Oh, really? What were they then?" Chen asks absentmindedly, flipping through another book. He wasn't great with books either, but he assumed Rey wanted his help because he had a better attention span then Mei or MK. "And why did you need my help?"

"They were some kind of snake demon."

Chen stops, quickly snapping his head around to look at Rey, who was busy flipping through another book as they continue. "I don't know if they were some kind of ancient demon or something, but they were carrying around a Guandao. I-I vaguely remember reading something where a snake demon was mentioned in a book ages ago, but I need your help looking for it again because for some reason I can't find it-" Rey was cut off when Chen turns them around to face him, a serious look on his face. "Did they have grey hair with a white streak? And a cut under their left eye?" He asks, brows furrowed.

Rey looks shocked, eyes wide. "Yeah, they did. How... how did you know?" They ask, their voice full of confusion as Chen lets them go, now very concerned. "It's a long story- but have you told anyone else about this?" He asks. Rey shakes their head, much to the young demons relief.

"Good... do you know what happened to him, by any chance?" Chen asks a bit more quietly, now very concerned for his snake friend. Rey shakes their head. "N-no, I uh didn't stick around. Why?"

Chen sighs, taking a seat. "Like I said it's a long story, so you might want to sit down for this one..."

——

A little while later....

".... And now I don't know where he is." Chen finishes explaining. Rey hums in thought at Chen's story, in deep thought. "That's... interesting." They say, tapping their fingers on the table.
Chen nods, crossing his arms across his chest as he leans back in his chair. "Yep. Man, it feels good to finally be able to tell someone about Jade. See why I asked you if you told anyone?" Chen says. Rey nods, their brows furrowed deep in thought. "This doesn't make sense..."

"You alright Rey?" Chen asks, snapping his friend out of their thoughts. They look up at him, laughing awkwardly. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine! Just thinking, is all. So you've been taking magic lessons from this guy for a few months?"

"Yep. He's actually been really helpful. Honestly, if it weren't for him...." Chen trails off, thinking back to the Macaque incident. He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. You promise not to tell anyone about Jade?"

"Oh- sure! I guess it's the least I could do after he saved me from those spider bots." They chuckle, standing back up as they start to put the books away. "If he shows up again, could you introduce us? I'd love to get to know him."
Chen thinks for a moment, smiling softly. "Sure, if he's up to it."

Chen's phone rings, and he pulls it out to see messages and missed calls from MK and Mei. He tilts his head. "Huh. It looks like Mei and MK wanna hang out with us. Did you wanna head over to MK's place? I could give you a lift." Chen offers. Rey shrugs. "Well, I gotta put these books back. You can go and I'll meet you there, I-I don't want to hold you back-" they start only to stop as Chen picks up a pile of books. "Nope, we can't have that. Where do these go?" The young demon asks, waving one around in his hand. Rey pauses for a moment before pointing to another section of the library. "Over there. But are you sure? You don't have to help clean up my mess."

Chen heads over to the section Rey had pointed to. "Nuh uh. I'm not leavin' your introverted butt here by yourself while Mei, MK and I are having fun." He states, helping Rey put the books away. Rey smiles fondly, turning back to put their pile away.

The two work together in mostly silence, other than the occasional question from Chen asking where the books are kept. After a few minutes they were finished, and the two leave the library for the night.
Chen drives the two of them to MK's house, Rey having to make sure they don't accidentally sit on Chen's tail or get bumped by his horns.

——

At MK's house...

"And that is why I think that Ao Bing and Nezha's whole story is interesting and sad- they were both just kids and didn't have a choice or say in what happened to them-" Rey ranted, the other three barely listening as Mei sneakily put bows in Chen's hair and tail, the young demon oblivious to her as he tries to beat MK in Monkey Mech, the younger boy easily beating him. "Oh, c'mon! You had to have cheated!" Chen yells, throwing his controller down. MK snickers. "Or I'm just better at video games then you~"

"My turn!" Mei yells, picking up Chen's controller. "Let's see if you can best me! The ultimate champion of Monkey Mech!" She smirks, and the two begin to play.

Rey sighs, realising their friends weren't listening. They pull out their phone, noticing a new news article that was posted that morning. "Oh hey- did you guys see this? It looks like there's a new hero in the city." They say, holding up their phone. Chen turns to look, taking note of the title and the blurry image of this so called "new hero", although the only thing he could see was a blurry half face and what looked like a gold mask on the other half of their face. "Huh, weird. What sort of costume is that? Bet they aren't as good as MK, though. Wait what the-" Chen says before noticing the bow on his tail. "Mei! Did you put this here?!"

Rey raises a brow at their friends comment, before shaking their head and looking back at their phone. Chen continues to yell at Mei, the latter giggling maniacally as she continues battling MK in Monkey Mech. Only for a pillow to be thrown at her head and causing her to shriek.

The young dragon glances at the window absentmindedly. They stare at the city, taking in the lights and the passing cars and late night pedestrians.
As their gaze wonders a shadow moves into an alleyway. Rey blinks and readjusts their glasses, their eyes squinting to try and see better. But whatever it was was now gone.

"Mei what the hell?!"

Rey jolts and turns back to their friends, seeing that Chen was now pulling all his bows out of his hair, face bright red in embarrassment. They snicker, trying to cover up the sound.

But they couldn't help but feel a bit sad and alone, even in a room full of friends...

————

A/N: I've only seen the 2019 nezha movie oof-

Chapter 23: Sleep Bug Vs... Monkeys?

"Whatta you mean vacation?" MK asks Monkey King, the sage busy scurrying back and forth to pack a bag full of random items. Chen watches from the side, ignoring the buzzing of his phone as a notification came through.
"Come on, bud! I promised myself when I found a successor I'd go see some friends! Take a tour of my old stomping grounds, just cut loose y'know." Monkey King says, putting on a pair of sunglasses. "Ooh! Gonna need these."

"So you're just gonna leave MK to defend the city alone? Don't you remember what happened with Macaque? And the Spider Queen?" He asks, letting his annoyance show. The Monkey King scoffed. "He won't be alone! He'll have you, remember?" Chen rolls his eyes. "That's not my point-"
"But you can't just leave!" MK interrupts. "What if some one attacks the city? What if Spider Queen comes back?!" He yells, starting to panic. Chen turns to Monkey King, gesturing to the panicking MK with a "see what I mean?" look.

Monkey King chuckles, finishing packing his things. "You guys will figure it out!" The sage says with a smile. "It's adorable how nervous you two are."

"I'm not nervous."

"Whatever you say buddy- but you don't need to be! You've both come a long way!" He says, ruffling the boys hair. "And you know, the next step of your journey you must do alone." He says dramatically. There's an awkward pause as those words sunk in. "Alone?" MK asks worriedly.

Monkey King grins. "But don't worry! I'll check in, give you some training tools, remote lessons, ah, we'll figure it out! Oh and Chen, I forgot to mention but while I'm gone I'll give you some tips on how to tap into your elemental powers!"

Chen's jaw drops. "Wait what?! What do you mean elemental-"

"ALRIGHT I GOTTA GO! MONKEY KING OUT!" Monkey King yells as he blasts away on his cloud, leaving the two boys speechless.

"WHAT THE HELL?! EVERYONE NEEDS TO STOP DROPPING INFORMATION ON ME LIKE THIS!" Chen yells, his voice scaring away the nearby birds and monkeys.
MK groans. "Fine! He can just leave! At least I know my friends won't abandon me!" He says, grabbing onto Chen. "C'mon Chen! Let's go back to the Noodle shop where our friends who won't abandon us are!" He huffs. Chen sighs, rubbing his eyes as he follows MK back to Megapolis.

As they get back to MK's tuk-tuk, Chen pulls out his phone to check his notifications. "Huh, what's this "Sleep Bug" game?"

———

"Can you believe it?! He just left us like that! No heads up or anything!" MK grumbles, driving the tuk-tuk back to the shop. He was about to grumble some more when a loud snore is heard beside him. He looks over to see that Chen was asleep, his tail draped over his stomach as he rests. MK hums. "Huh, that's weird. He mustn't have slept well last night."

He pulls up in front of the shop, leaving Chen in the tuk-tuk as he heads inside. "Can you believe Monkey King just-" he stops with a gasp, realising his friends were no where in sight. "My friends abandoned me..."

He was about to run back to his tuk-tuk in search of them when he noticed Mei sleeping on the floor. "Oh thank goodness!" A quick glance around showed that Tang and Pigsy were there too, just asleep like Mei.
"Tang! Mei! Pigsy? Wake up!" He yells, trying to wake them. It was all in vain, for they wouldn't wake up at his attempts. MK takes a step back, looking over his sleeping friends in concern. Running outside MK returns to the tuk-tuk, Chen still asleep. He shakes the young demons shoulders. "Chen! Everyone's asleep and they won't wake up! What do I do?!" He yells.
Chen let's out another snore, and MK let's go and watches as he slumps back in his seat.

The young man takes a deep breath. "Cool, cool, cool- okay. Everyone is asleep, and Monkey King is gone. It's just me and my thoughts. All alone..." MK says, his panic starting to take over as he curls up on the ground. "This is fine..."

——

"It seems like years since the big sleep hit. Months, weeks, possibly as much as half an hour. Time has become irrelevant..."

MK walks down the street pass the many sleeping people, pushing a cart that carried a sleeping Pigsy as he searches for another person who could be awake.
He reaches out, moving Pigsy's mouth as he mimics what he hoped the pig man would say. "Chin up, kid. You'll always have your Pigsy. And I'm not going anywhere, son."

The young man tears up. "Thanks dadsy- ugh! Who's calling me?!" He complains as his phone goes off in his pocket, before realising that meant someone had to be awake to call him. He scrambles to get his phone, excitedly pulling it out of his pocket. "Oh wait! Ha ha! Oh it's just some game..." he mutters, looking at the screen where a small pixelated creature was dancing. A voice introduces the game. "Sleep Bug! Download it now from the AppStore!"

MK hums in thought, looking at the app then to Pigsy. "Sleep Bug..." he mumbles, before gasping in realisation as he looks at Pigsy's phone. "What if this is somehow connected?!"
Searching the area at the remaining sleeping people, he realised all their screens showed the exact same thing. "Think, MK! Everyone's asleep, they were all playing the game, the game is called sleep bug... the game put everyone to sleep! I have to delete that game..."

As MK continues to mumble and rant to himself and figuring out what was going on, a figure watches from a nearby rooftop. They lean against the barrier, tail swishing behind them as they listen. Scoffing to themself, they flick their brunette hair away from their eyes theatrically. "Took you long enough, Monkie Kid. Some hero you are." They snicker, putting a black and gold staff away. They shape-shift into a extravagant bird in a cloud of gold dust, flying off into the sky and leaving MK behind.

MK, after figuring out that he had to head to the Cloud, uses his staff to make a hover bike, zooming towards the Cloud.

——

MK makes it to the Cloud in no time, tumbling off his hover bike onto the steps. He looks up at the large doors, humming in thought as he looks at the paintings of the Guardians of Knowledge. "No guards?" He goes to lean against the doors, not noticing the sky glitching from red to blue. "Something is definitely up-"

The young man yelps in surprise as he phases right through the door, falling onto the floor on the other side. He groans as he gets up, rubbing his sore head. "This is the worst day of my life!" He complains, looking around.
Immediately he is captivated by how large the Cloud was. He walks around in thought. "How am I gonna find the game?" He wonders to himself.

A robotic chirp catches his attention, and he turns to see the same green creature from the sleep bug game, except this time it glitched red every few seconds as it ran away. "Ah ha! Red means bad! Eh, sometimes it means good. Meh you know what? That's probably it. Le go!" He chases after the virus, trying to catch it.

The man eventually manages to corner it, pulling out his staff with a grin. "Ha! Found ya, bug! Thanks for making it easy for me! Time to bring my friends back!" He says, spinning his staff as he was about to smash it with it. That is until another voice interrupts him, catching him off guard. "Well, well, well, the one and only Monkie Kid."

MK turns around, seeing a figure standing behind him. The figure takes his head set off, moving to hide something behind his back. "You should be asleep."
The young man gasps. "Another person! Wait-" his eyes scan over the man's purple skin and robotic spider-like legs, recognising him. "One of Spider Queen's goons! Wait, why should I be asleep?"

"Uh, because my sleep bug bug game that sent the whole city to sleep?" The spider demon says, shocking MK. "THAT WAS ON PURPOSE?!"

"Of course!" Syntax says, pushing the boy away with one of his robotic legs. "Now did I need to put the whole city to sleep just to incapacitate the two guardians here? Perhaps not. But! In for a penny, in for a pound. Either way, you don't have the mental dexterity to debug my game! You're just a mother board with a decent GPU and NO central processing unit."

MK had zoned out halfway through the spider demons speech, not understanding a single thing he was going on about. "GP.... What?"

Before the demon could speak further, another voice scoffs and buts in, surprising both of them. "Pfft- he's calling you stupid, genius."

Syntax and MK both look up, spotting a figure standing confidently on top of the shelves. They smirk, jumping down onto the ground in front of them and flicking the red ribbon that decorated his hair.
MK looks at the new figure in surprise and shock. "Monkey King?"

Although the new figure looked similar to the sage, it was obvious at a second glance that he was NOT the great monkey. It was an anthropomorphic monkey, much like Monkey King, with peach skin tone and a light reddish-pink heart shaped face marking. Brunette hair covered his head and right arm, while his tail swung lazily behind him. A singular red ribbon decorated the back of his head, a mimic of Monkey Kings own ribbons, while his outfit consisted of a yellow and blue shirt with cloud markings and blue pants.
But what really caught MK off guard was the strange yellow marking that completely covered the monkeys left face and arm, which seemed to glow.

The monkey smirks. "Nope, even better. The name's Lixin, and you must be MK the "famous" Monkie Kid. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but to be honest... I don't really care." He says, his tone condescending as he holds out a hand to shake MK's hand, his fangs bared in an obvious fake smile. Confused and shocked, MK shakes his hand, trying to shrug off the monkeys rudeness. "Uh, who are you exactly? Some sort of Monkey King wannabe?" He asks, gesturing to the monkeys outfit.

Lixin rolls his eyes, his nose scrunched up as if offended by the question. "Of course someone as incompetent and immature as you wouldn't put two and two together." MK frowns, offended by his words as Lixin continues. "I'm the new Monkey King!"

"Wait, what?"

"Sun Wukong isn't around anymore. Hasn't been for 500 years, so someone has to take his place." Lixin states matter of factly, not noticing Syntax trying to sneak away, or so it seemed.
MK was flabbergasted at the monkeys statement. "What?! You can't be the new Monkey King! There's only one Monkey King! And I'm his successor-"

At this Lixin bursts out laughing, easily pulling a strand of hair out and blowing on it in Syntax's direction. MK watches in even more shock as a clone pops out, dashing towards Syntax and causing the spider demon to take a defensive stance as the clone starts its attack.
Not even batting an eye the monkey turns back to MK, a smug smile on his face. "Oh really? And where is the "great and wonderful" Monkey King now?" He asks, leaning in closer to the young man.
MK hesitates, scratching his neck. "Well, he's uh, on vacation right now-"

"Really? He's been on vacation for a very looooong time, hasn't he? Why would he need another one so soon? If you ask me, he's just grown lazy in his old age. That's why I'm here to take his place, and keep Megapolis safe from the demons set to destroy it." Lixin says matter of factly. MK shakes his head. "Yeah well, whatever- we gotta save the city now, so let's get this bug and-"

"Sorry, what part of this exchange implied I wanted to work with you?"
"OKAY WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

As the two boys continue to bicker amongst themselves Syntax, who was still being attacked by the clone, finally managed to stab it in its right eye and make it explode into a pile of red hair. He huffs in annoyance, brushing himself off. "You're lucky I have better places to be." He hissed.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to let this slide."
Pulling out his phone, he deactivates the sleep bug game from the guardians phones, waking them from the spell before disappearing into the shadows and leaving the two boys to continue their argument. "That should keep them busy."

As the two boys continue to argue, two figures appear right behind them. They stop, turning to see the two Guardians of Knowledge glaring down at them.

"Only those marked in the Great Ledger of Knowledge and Time shall be deemed worthy to enter this Temple of Wisdom," they say in sync before raising their weapons. "And live!"

MK yelps in fear and surprise as they strike at him, dodging the sharp blades before retreating. Lixin, on the other hand, steps out of the way of the blades as MK runs away, digging into his pocket. "Right right, of course- my apologies, good sirs." Lixin says in a much more polite tone than earlier, pulling out a VIP card. "I would've shown you earlier but I was in a teensy bit of a rush saving the city, and you two were asleep."

The guardian who'd stayed behind looks down at the card in surprise, nodding in approval. "No problem! Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Lixin." The guardian says before joining his twin to find MK.
Lixin smirks, his hands placed on his hips as he looks around. "Now, to find that virus..."

As he looks around, his gold vision activated in his left eye, he spots the bug running around in one of the aisles. "There you are."
Pulling out his staff he leaps towards the aisle the virus was seen, landing at the end. He skids a moment, catching himself as he turns to face the aisle... only to find the virus gone. "Oh for sage's sake-"

The monkey pulls out a few strands of hair, blowing on them and creating clones. He sends them further down the aisles to search for the virus.
After a few minutes he heard a commotion as one of his clones finds the virus. Lixin rushes to the area, noticing a few of his clones had it cornered. They pounce but the virus evades easily and runs away, annoying Lixin even more.
For the next few minutes the monkey chases the sleep bug, trying to destroy it with his staff.

He finally manages to corner it. "Ha ha! I gotcha now, virus! Time to save the city-"

"GET BACK HERE BUG!"

Lixin flinches, spinning around to see MK had caught up to him. His eyes narrow, clutching his staff tightly as he turns to the young man, not noticing the bug had slipped away once again. "What are you doing here? I thought the Guardians of Knowledge would've "escorted" you out by now."
MK huffs proudly, holding up a card. "I got a card now! Ima registered member! Wait- where'd the bug go?"

The monkey turns to see the bug is gone once again. His teeth clench in anger but he takes a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Be the hero, Lixin. Smile like a hero..."

He scoffs and chuckles as he turns to MK. "It's around here, and it would've been gone by now if you hadn't distracted me." He says matter of factly. MK's brows furrow in annoyance. "Whatever. Since you're having so much trouble getting this bug too, why don't we work together? It'll be easier-"

"Again, what makes you think I want to work with you?"

MK groans. "Alright! Fine! If you want to be like that then go ahead! But ima get to that bug first!" MK states before running off to look for the bug. Lixin rolls his eyes before heading in a different direction.

——

"Come here little bug! Where are you?" MK calls out, rounding a corner and seeing the bug in the aisle. "There you are! Oh man, that spider geek was right- I don't know how to un-hack this! What would Monkey King do? "You can do this, MK! It's time to stand on your own two feet, bud!"" He looks around, noticing a book about hacking. "I got it!" He says excitedly, holding the book up in the air.

He stands slamming the bug with the book, and in no time the virus disappears. MK yells in victory as everything returns to normal. "Aw yeah! And they said being a nerd didn't have its advantages! Who's the GPU now?!"

"What did you do?! Where's the virus?!"

MK turns to see a furious Lixin standing behind him. The young man stands tall, his chest puffed up in pride. "I just rescued the city! Again! Boo yeah, baby!" He pumps his fist, but the monkey didn't share his enthusiasm. "Are you serious?! How?! Stop trying to steal my job!"

MK frowns. "I didn't- seriously what is your problem? Why do you hate me so much? The city is saved now, it's not such a big deal-"

"My problem? My problem is some boy thinks now that he's got all these fancy powers, he can just go around and fight demons without a care for the peoples safety or for public property. Do you even realise how many buildings the government has had to repair because of your incompetence?"

MK pauses, thinking it over. "I mean, it's not always my fault, you know- anyway, where have you been whenever the demons attack?" He counters, crossing his arms with a smug "hmmmmm?"

Lixin's eye twitches and he takes a deep breath again. "That's none of your business, Monkie Kid."
"Ugh, why are you being so weird and defensive? We just met!"

Before Lixin could reply he goes silent as the ear piece in his ear starts talking, a faint angry voice coming from the speaker. Lixin shoots MK a glare before turning away, talking quietly to the ear piece. "Yes sir, the virus has been disposed of- well no, it wasn't me- I was- he just-" he falls silent again, as MK looks at him in confusion and wondering who he was talking to. After a long moment of silence and the voice still talking Lixin sighs. "Yes sir, I'll be there." With that he straightens, turning to look at MK with an angry smile. "Well would you look at that? My boss wants to see me back at HQ, since he didn't go on vacation or anything. See you around, Monkie Kid."

With that Lixin summons a cloud and hops on, flying out of the Cloud and leaving MK in the dust.
MK scowls at the monkeys retreating back. "Oh I don't like him."

———

"And even though I was all alone and I had been completely abandoned by everyone," MK shoots a quick glare at his friends before continuing. "I used my brain and saved the whole city! I did great! And there were no negative consequences at all!"

Chen, Mei and Tang glare at MK as he told his story, all three surrounding a Pigsy wrapped head to toe in bandages. The bull demon threw his phone at MK, causing the young man to yelp in pain as it strikes his head. "Ow! Hey!"

Chapter 24: Shadows And Tricksters

Chen looks around, realising he's in a room full of mirrors. He looks around desperately for an escape, but only sees multiple reflections of himself. His  new  self.  Memories  of a few months prior flash across his minds eye, reminding him of the doppelgängers words.

Visions  of his own face tormenting him inside that damned calabash, then almost  killin g him while he was too helpless to do anything.

A small giggle sounded out around him, causing a chill to run up Chen's spine. His fur stands on end, giving away his fear.   He whips around, looking for the reflection that was different.

He found it smirking  back  at him, the same damn smirk he'd seen before months ago, but with these recurring dreams he keeps having... it just feels like yesterday. It looked no different from before, it's hair still in a braid while his was out a nd level with  his shoulders. The reflection tilts its head. "Well, well, well, long time no see, buddy! How've you been?"

Chen's fists clench in anger, and without giving the reflection another chance to speak he punches the mirror, smashing it. "Get out of here!" He yells, watching with satisfaction as the mirror cracks and falls apart, the smirking reflection disappearing. But it was only gone for a moment before it morphs into another reflection, giggling hysterically while clutching its stomach. "Aw! I thought you'd be more happy to see me!"
"Why the hell would I be happy to see you?! Get out of my head! I know this is a dream!" Chen snaps, twisting around to punch the mirror again.
A hand shoots out from the mirror and grabs a hold of his fist mid punch, but the force behind the punch was enough to cause the other mirrors to shatter to pieces. Chen's eyes widen in shock as the glass splits like water, the figure stepping forth with the same taunting expression as it stands before the young demon.

"You can yell at me all you want buddy, but it's not gonna do anything." The doppelgänger states matter-of-factly, twisting Chen's wrist and causing him to cry out in pain. "I'm you, remember? And you can't just tell yourself to leave, can you? I mean how  stupid  is that!" It laughs, still twisting.
Gritting his teeth from the pain, Chen manages to land a blow on the figures stomach, pushing him back and forcing him to let go. The doppelgängers back hits the mirror behind it, wincing and groaning in pain.

"You're not me, demon! I don't know who or what you are, but you're not welcome here!" Chen spat angrily. The doppelgänger chuckles, standing up straighter and brushing off the broken glass from its shoulders. "Oh you sweet naive child. There is no other demon here. Just you and your inner turmoil."

The figure takes a step forward, smirking as it notices Chen take a step back. "You can't get rid of me. You could bury me in your memory, sure, but I'll always be here." It taps its head. "Just waiting for you to break down."

Before Chen could react, it lunges forward in the blink of an eye, grabbing him by the throat and holding him in the air. Chen coughs and gasps, feeling his windpipe being crushed.
The figures grin widens, eyes glowing an eerie green as his hand starts to crack and glow the same colour, only tightening its grasp when Chen tries to pry its grasp away.

"You can't escape the beast. You can't escape yourself."

—

Chen snaps awake, bolting up in bed as he clutches his shirt, trying to calm his rapid heart beat. Shu, who'd been sleeping on the bed with him, jumps up in fright.

The young demon tries to calm his ragged breathing, his tail absentmindedly wrapping around him as he closes his eyes. "It was just a dream... just a dream..."

"Mrow?"

Chen opens his eyes, noticing Shu was now sitting in front of him. He reaches out a hand, gently petting her head. "Sorry bout that Shu. Just a bad dream...." He mutters. Shu doesn't seem to care, instead climbing onto his lap and curling into a ball. The young demon smiles softly, settling back down. But he knew he wouldn't be sleeping after that.

——

"-And that's how the Monkey King joined the pilgrims!" Tang explains, eating out of his bowl of totally not stolen noodles. Chen rolls his eyes as he does the dishes, wearing a pair of gloves to make sure he didn't get any unwanted fur in the water. His tail sways unconsciously behind him, tapping against the counter gently every now and again."You've already told me about how Monkey King joined the journey, Tang. I had to listen to you tell MK the tales of Monkey King and his pilgrim friends over a hundred times, remember? I just asked how Monkey King learned to transform. I want to know for... reasons." He says the last part awkwardly, turning back to look down at the sink as his ears flattened slightly. He tries to keep his gaze down on the plates as Tang talks.

Tang huffs, not picking up on the young man avoidance on his reasoning as he stirs the food in his bowl. "Then I'm sure I've already told you and MK that part of the story.  Anyway, Monkey King learned how to do his 72 transformations from his teacher, Master Subodhi, remember?" He chuckles to himself, taking another mouthful.

"And... how long did that take him to learn?"

Tang pauses in is chewing, finally realising where this was going. The older man turns to look at Chen, who was avoiding his gaze and was suspiciously too focused on his chores. But Tang could tell from Chen's flattened ears and now stiff tail curled around his legs that the young man was anything but focused. Something was bothering him.
Tang hums in thought, pushing his glasses up his nose as he thinks on how to answer. "Weeeell... it DID take Monkey King several years to learn all his transformations...." he trails off, and the older man could've sworn he heard a frustrated sigh come from Chen. But with the clanking of dishes on the sink, it was hard to tell.

"Thanks Tang." he says quietly, not trying to be malicious but his tone made it sound so. The two fall into an awkward silence, Tang trying to find words as he watches Chen work. He'd always found it hard to comfort the boy, even after all these years because of how stand-offish he comes across when he's upset.

Tang clears his throat, putting his finished bowl of noodles down on the counter with a soft clink. He fully turns his chair to face Chen, noticing how the young man's shoulders hunch and his ears unconsciously swivel to face him, showing he was listening. "You know Chen, you're new look isn't bad. It's actually amazing how-" he starts before Chen's voice cuts him off.  "Tang, please not now. I don't... I don't want to talk about it right now."
"Oh- uh, okay..."

There's more silence for a while, the only thing breaking the silence the sloshing of water and the clink of plates being stacked as Chen works. Tang's brows furrow, watching the young man. He sighs again, rubbing his hands together awkwardly. "Chen-"

"CHEN!"

The two jump in surprise as Pigsy comes back, having left a while ago to collect more supplies after finding he'd run out. He strolls inside, his hands full with heavy bags before the pig man dumps the bags onto the counter. "MK's called in sick. Ya mind takin over delivering for the day?" He asks, pointing to some undelivered orders.

"Sure thing, dad." Chen agrees, taking off his gloves and throwing them away. As he does so he notices how some fur came off with them. Great, he sheds too. Just another inconvenience to add to the list of reasons to dislike his new form.
Pigsy huffs in annoyance. "It's cuz he keeps staying up late! I swear if he doesn't stop pulling stunts like this, I'll get rid of that damned arcade machine..." he grumbles, getting a bowl of noodles ready to take upstairs to MK. "And hurry it up Chen! We're runnin behind!" Pigsy snaps at Chen's retreating form, whacking Tang's hands away from the bowl of noodles he's holding with the still hot spoon, causing Tang to flinch back and shake his hand.

"Alright alright, geez..." Chen scowls in annoyance, taking the undelivered noodles then heading out to his tuk-tuk. As he packs the food and gets in, he makes sure his horns don't tear the roof of the tuk-tuk. He really had to do something about that.

———

Chen stops in front of the old dojo he and Jade had claimed as their training hut, a bag of noodles in his hand. He stood frozen for a moment, a sliver of hope starting to fill him as he stepped inside. No, this couldn't be, could it?

"Jade?" the young bull demon calls out, looking around the dojo. Dust had started to collect in the small area last time he'd checked, but this time it looked unusually clean. "Oh sweet sage- Jade I swear to Buddha if you're not here-" Chen starts to mumble angrily under his breath. A creak of floorboards cuts him off, and the young demon whirls around to see Jade stepping out of the shadows. "Oh hey, you brought my noodles- OW!"

The snake demon yelps in pain as a painful punch is delivered to his shoulder, causing him to cringe away and hold his now bruising shoulder. "What was that for?!"
Jade looks back to Chen, only to be suddenly brought into a hug by the younger demon. "Where on earth have you been?! I thought the Spider Queen kidnapped and ate you or something!" he says aggressively, but Jade could here the relief in his voice.

The snake demon falls silent, not used to the affection especially from Chen. After a moment Chen pulls away, giving Jade another less painful punch on the shoulder. "Don't scare me like that again! I thought I'd have to hunt down Spider Queen to avenge you or something." the young man says half jokingly, giving Jade a genuine smile. But even Jade knew that Chen would be willing to do something that stupid.

How far this young man was willing to go for his friends and family confused the snake. Who would throw their entire life away for someone else?

"Wait- how did you know I was kidnapped by the Spider Queen?" the snake questions as Chen gives him his noodles. Chen chuckles, gesturing for Jade to sit down on one of the mats. "Rey actually did. They told me how you saved them from those spider bots."
"Oh- did-did they?" Jade laughs nervously, gripping his noodles tight as he sits down next to Chen. "Um- who-who else did they tell?"

"Just me, surprisingly. Don't worry, I told them of your situation." Chen explains. "Where have you been, anyway? You just left without a word, and I was... concerned something had happened to you." The snake demon scratches his neck awkwardly, looking away as he sets his noodles aside with a sigh. "Yeah, about that.... I had to take a break, ya know? Dealing with the Spider Queen was tough, and I just needed some time away."

Chen hums in thought, raising a brow. "Alright, but you could've left a letter or something. I really thought you'd died."
"Yeah, I know now... anyway, enough about me! I see you've gotten a whole new look! Looks pretty great on you, if you ask me!"
The younger demon wasn't so pleased to hear this. He scowls and rolls his eyes. "That's easy for you to say. You don't have to deal with all... this." He says, gesturing to himself.
Now this left Jade confused, turning to Chen. "What's wrong with this?" he asks, watching as Chen's tail taps irritably on the wooden floor.

Chen falls silent, brows furrowed as he contemplated something. Jade tilts his head, sensing something was wrong with the young man, He places a gentle hand on Chen's shoulder, causing the young man to look at him. "Kiddo, what's wrong?"
The young demon pauses, his nose scrunching up as he thinks over his words. "It's just-" he sighs, leaning his chin on his hand. "Can... can I tell you something?"
Jade was taken aback by Chen's quiet, vulnerable tone. "Oh- yeah, sure kid."

The young demon glances at Jade, his ears lowering. "I just... I don't like my new form. Everybody's saying "oh how great and cool it is", but... I can't help but feel like this new transformation could... lead to something else." Chen looks away again. Jade raises a confused eyebrow. "Something else?"

Chen looks down at his hands, fidgeting with them as his tail starts to lash more violently against the ground. "Well it's just- what if I turn out to be an evil demon like my father? Or the Spider Queen? What if the transformation was just the start, and now it's only a matter of time before everybody I know and care about start to see me as a monster like them? I-I just-" he sighs in exasperation, looking at Jade. Seeing the snake demons concerned and stunned expression though, Chen immediately regrets opening his mouth. "I- forget it, it's stupid-"

He goes to stand up, but Jade's grip tightens on his shoulder, forcing him to sit back down. He turns to the snake. "Kid, you do know evil doesn't run in Spider Queens and DBK's blood like genetics, right?" Jade asks gently. Chen hesitates, glancing to the ground. "I, uh-"

"Chen, it was their own actions that lead them to become the demons they are today. As you see with the Demon Bull King now, they could've stopped at any time." He informs matter of factly. "But putting that aside, kid you're NOT them. You're not just a copycat of DBK who'll inevitably follow in his destructive footsteps. You're Chen, new demon form or not. You shouldn't let their image ruin how you see yourself. And with the friends who have your back, I'm sure you won't be making the same mistakes as them."

There's silence for a moment as Chen thinks over his words. Jade ruffles the young demons hair, chuckling awkwardly. "Just keep that in mind, alright? Now you better get going before your boss gets suspicious." Jade says, causing Chen to snap back to reality. "Oh- right right." He mutters, getting to his feet. He hurries towards the door, before stopping in the doorway. "Thanks, Jade." With that he was gone, leaving the snake demon alone. Jade smiles softly, as he watches him leave, before returning to his noodles.

———

As Chen drove his tuk-tuk through Megapolis, he thought over Jade's words. And to be honest? Having someone to listen to him and reassure him felt good, even though he hated to admit it. He hadn't wanted to trouble the already troubled snake demon-

"Help! Somebody help me!"

Chen's eyes widen and he brakes the tuk-tuk hard as a ginger-haired kid runs in front of him, tripping and falling onto the middle of the road. His tuk-tuk stops mere inches away from the kid, who was curled up on the ground in a ball and covering his head.
The young man leans out of his tuk-tuk, heart racing and adrenaline puming at the realisation he'd almost hit a kid. After catching his breath he grabs the kid by his arm, hauling him to his feet as he starts to scold him. "Kid! Watch where you're-"

A familiar cackle rings through the air, silencing Chen immediately. A chill runs up his spine as he lets the boy go, quickly looking around for the source . The young man soon spots the familiar shadow simian sitting on top of a nearby building, grinning from ear to ear as his tail sways lazily behind him. The young boy scrambles to his feet to hide behind Chen, as the young man gets into a defensive position.

"Hey kiddo! Been a while- love the new look! You're really startin' to look like your old man!" Macaque laughs again at his own statement, but Chen found it un-amusing as the boy cowers further behind him. The young demon glances at the kid, noticing how the boy was shaking as he looks up at the simian in terror. "Please help- he's been stalking me all day!" The young boys voice quivered, close to tears as he grips onto Chen's shirt.

This pissed Chen off, as he wraps a protective arm around the young boy and turns back to Macaque with a intimidating glare. "Why are you following him ya creep?!" He spat, determined to protect the frightened boy. At this, Macaque laughs out loud, holding his hands up in surrender. "Relax kid! I wasn't gonna do anything! I thought it'd be entertaining to tease a couple of humans!" He explains, barely containing his grin as he stands up. Chen stiffens, pushing the boy behind him further as he prepares himself for anything. But Macaque merely continues.
"Everybody needs a little entertainment in their lives once in a while, kid! Wasn't that what you used to do? Entertain the mortals with your "fights"?"
Chen scowls, bristles raised. "Get lost, Macaque! Or else-"

"Or else what? You'll beat me with your little baby powers?" Macaque smirks, seeing how his words were getting under Chen's skin. "You're way too easy to rile up, kid. But I'm not here for a fight." Macaque says with a snicker, as a shadow portal appears beneath him. "See ya later, Chen!
Maybe next time you'll be able to fight me."

With that he was gone. Chen was stunned. He... certainly wasn't expecting that. A quick look around them showed that no, Macaque wasn't trying to ambush them, and it truly seemed like he was gone.

The young boy wrapped his arms around Chen's torso, surprising him. "Oh gosh- thank you sir! I thought he was going to eat me!" The boy exclaims, refusing to let go of Chen. Chen laughs awkwardly as he tries to pry the boys (surprisingly strong) hands away. "Hey, no problem kid. Now do you mind? I kind of have to head back to work-"

"No wait! You're just gonna leave me alone? With that guy still running?! What if he comes back!" The boy yells, causing some people to pass by to stop and stare for a minute.
Chen glances around. "Well, uh.... Where are your parents? Maybe I can-" he starts, but the boy furiously shakes his head. "My dad is working, and he doesn't exactly like it when I come to his work- can't I stay with you for today?" He asks hopefully, looking up at Chen with puppy eyes.
Now Chen was conflicted. Sure, he could leave the kid, but with that hot topic wannabe running around...

He sighs. "Alright, hop in." Chen gestures to his tuk-tuk, much to the boys glee as he climbs into the passenger seat as the bull demon gets into the drivers seat. "What's your name?"
"Érzi. Míhóu de érzi." The boy states, his gaze darting to an alley before looking around the tuk-tuk.
"Well pleasure to meet ya, Érzi, I'm Chen. Just put your seat belt on then we'll be on our way." He says, putting on his own. Érzi mimics, having a little trouble but managing to figure it out. "Now Érzi, I've still gotta work so I'm gonna take you to Pigsy's Noodles to hang out. That sound alright with you?" The young demon asks as he starts the engine. Érzi nods. "Better than being chased by that monkey!"
At this, Chen chuckles. "Yeah I suppose it is." He starts driving back to Pigsy's Noodles, the boy asking questions all the way.

——

"So what kind of demon are you?" Érzi asks, tilting his head with curiosity. His eyes scan over Chen's horns and ears, down to the fur sticking out of his uniform till they landed on his tail. Chen keeps his eyes on the road as he answers back. "Bull."

"Like the Demon Bull King?!"
Chen purses his lips, nodding. "Yep. Exactly like the Demon Bull King."

"Woah! That's so cool! Are you guys related?! The Demon Bull King is awesome!"

Chen pauses, glancing down at the boy in surprise. "You... don't think he's scary? Or intimidating cuz he's a bad guy?" He asks slowly, turning his attention back to the road. Érzi shakes his head. "Nah! I mean it was scary when he started attacking the city- but then when Spider Queen attacked he saved my favourite hero!"

Chen chuckles, remembering how DBK did save Monkey King and MK. He guessed in a child's eyes, if someone saves someone else, that means they must be good. "Let me guess, is it Monkey King?" He asks teasingly.

The boy pauses, flabbergasted. "What? No, it's the Monkie Kid! MK is amazing! He's always saving everyone AND is cool! When I grow up, I wanna be just like him!" Érzi exclaims, doing dramatic hand gestures. Now Chen was even more surprised. Oh this boy is gonna be in for a treat when they get back to Pigsy's Noodles.

"Alright, we're here." Chen says, pulling up in front of Pigsy's Noodles. As he parks, Érzi jumps out of the tuk-tuk, eagerly waiting for Chen. He once again glances at some dark alleys, which Chen assumed he must be still jumpy after being chased by Macaque.

The two enter, immediately being greeted by Pigsy. "Afternoon, kiddo! What can I getcha?" Pigsy asks, leaning on the counter to look down at the twelve year old. Érzi hesitates, so Chen steps in. "I'll get him something, pops." He assures, causing Pigsy to look at him in slight confusion. "I'll explain in the kitchen. Hey Érzi, why don't you go sit at a table while you wait?" Chen suggests. Érzi nods, going to sit at a table.
Pigsy and Chen step into the kitchen, leaving Érzi with Tang and Mei.

"Alright, mind tellin me what's goin on? Why are ya baby sitting this kid?" Pigsy asks, crossing his arms. Chen sighs, getting to work. "Macaque was chasing him."
"What? Why?"
The bull demon shrugs. "I don't know. As soon as I showed up he disappeared. The kid was too freaked to go back home, so I brought him here to hang out until his dad gets off work." He explains. Pigsy hums, thinking it over. "That's certainly... odd."
"You tell me."
Chen finishes Érzi's noodles, leaving the kitchen. "But what I do know is this kid's gonna have a field day when MK comes back."

He enters the shop once more, walking over to Érzi. "Here ya go buddy. One bowl of noodles for ya. Do you want anything else?" He asks. When Érzi shakes his head, Chen takes a seat across from the boy and pulls out his phone, texting MK.

Chen:  monkey boy some1 wants to meet u

He puts his phone back in his pocket, leaning back in his chair. He doesn't notice Mei coming up behind him until she pops her head around the back of the seat, startling him. "Sooooooo who's the kid?" Mei asks as she gestures to Érzi, who was too occupied with the noodles to notice her.
After composing himself and shooting Mei a small glare, he sighs, lazily pointing to the boy. "This is Érzi. There was a little incident with another certain demon, so I'm looking after him."

"Ooooooh I didn't realise you were the babysitter kind, Chen." Mei teases. Chen shrugs. "I mean I get enough practise with you and MK, so...."
"Wha- hey! I don't need a babysitter!"

Chen cackles as Mei starts whacking him, holding his arms up in defense.
By now Érzi was staring at them with interest, having heard the name of his hero. "Did you say-"

"I'M HERE I'M HERE-" MK bursts into the small noodle shop, out of breath. Why? Chen had no idea why. But as Érzi turns to the door and sees his hero, he was ecstatic. "Oh my sage- NO WAY! It's you!" He yells, getting to his feet and rushing over to MK, excitedly holding out his hand. MK stops in his tracks. "Huh-"

"You're the Monkie Kid! I'm your biggest fan! I'm Érzi- oh! Can you sign this?" Érzi reaches into his pocket, pulling out a hand drawn picture of MK posing with the Monkey King staff.
Chen watches as MK's expression turns from one of surprise to pure glee and flattery, taking the picture in his hands as he looks down at it with wonder. "Woah, a fan? Holy- this is- wow! It's nice to meet you Érzi! I'm MK! But you probably already knew that-"

Chen leaves the two by themselves for a sec. He pops his head in the kitchen. "Hey Pigsy, are there any more deliveries today?" He asks. Pigsy turns around from his place. "Yep, there's still a few left. Is MK back yet?" He asks. Chen looks back at Érzi and MK, noticing how Mei was now taking a picture of MK and the ginger haired boy with his newly signed picture. He smiles. "Yeah, but I'll take over for him for the next hour." He says, taking the deliveries. Pigsy was confused and annoyed but didn't question it.

As Chen passes by Tang, he leans in. "If you watch the kid for an hour I'll give you extra free noodles."
"Oh ho ho ho- deal." Tang chuckles. With that Chen heads over to Érzi. "Hey buddy, I gotta go back to work- but Mr. Tang and MK are gonna watch you till I come back, kay?"
Érzi was even more excited by the news. "Okay!"

"Ya know if you ask I'm sure Mr. Tang could tell you stories of MK and Monkey King." He says before stepping out the door.

———

(An hour later...)

Chen sighs, exhausted as he stops at the front of Pigsy's Noodles. The sun was setting, and he knew he had to get Érzi back home soon. Hopping out of the tuk-tuk he enters Pigsy's Noodles once more, being met with the sight of Érzi quietly sitting next to MK and Mei as Tang told the story of the Spider Queens attack in great detail. Pigsy was wiping down the counter, done cooking for the day and ready to close the shop.

"And so everyone helped take down the Spider Queen- oh hey Chen." Tang greets. Érzi turns back to Chen, now with a look of pure awe. Chen didn't think much of it as he stretches. "Hey guys. Alright Érzi, I think it's time I get you home." He says. Érzi nods, getting to his feet. "Thank you for having me today!" He says as he stands next to Chen.

Saying their goodbyes, Chen and Érzi climb into the tuk-tuk together once more. "Alright Érzi, you tell me where you live and I'll drop you off."
With Érzi's instructions, he starts to drive.

".... You didn't tell me you were the guy that helped Monkie Kid take down Red Son and Spider Queen." Érzi says out of the blue. Chen shrugs, keeping his eyes on the road. "Meh, didn't seem that important. MK's your favourite, remember?" He says with a smile.
"I think the other heroes are cool too!"

Chen chuckles, noticing the address. It was familiar. "Oh- this where you live?" Chen asks as he parks outside a small dojo. The two get out and walk up to the small building, Chen getting deja vu. It wasn't the same dojo he MK and Macaque had trained in, but it looked similar.

Érzi nods. "Yeah, we live here. It was all dad could afford, surprisingly." Érzi says, walking up to the door. Chen follows, standing behind the boy as he knocks on the door. "Hey dad! I'm home!"

There's some movement behind the door before it opens, a familiar man standing in the doorway. Chen recognised him as one of his customers from a few weeks prior.

"Érzi! There you are! Where have you been?" The man asks in a concerned tone as he pulls Érzi into a hug. "Do you realise how late it is- who's this?" The man asks, letting go of the boy. Érzi turns to Chen. "This is Chen! He saved me from a demon today!" The boy explains, as Chen waves sheepishly. "Hey-"

"Oh hello, I recognise you. You work for Pigsy's Noodles as one of the delivery boys!" The man says, holding out his hand. "Well thank you for taking care of my son- I know he can be a handful." He chuckles at his own words, Érzi pouting behind him. "You have my gratitude."
Chen shrugs. "Its no problem, sir. Glad I could help."

"Sorry if this is so sudden and rude, but if you don't mind... may my son hang out with you during the week days? He doesn't exactly have anyone else to be around, and I'm always working..."

Chen was a little surprised. "Oh, uh- I'll have to ask my boss, but I'm sure if he behaves himself he'll be ok with it." The young man says. The man grins, his teeth a little sharper than they should be. "Oh thank you, young man. I promise, he'll be on his best behaviour. Right Érzi?" He says, turning back to look at the young red head. Érzi nods excitedly. "Heck yeah! Oh my sage thank you Chen!"

"I'll drop him off in the morning then." The man says. Chen nods. "Uh ok- see you in the morning then, sir. See ya tomorrow buddy."
The man closes the door, and Chen walks back to his tuk-tuk. He couldn't put his finger on it, but that guy gave him the heebie-jeebies. Shaking it off he drives off, heading home.

———

A/N: idk if renting a dojo is cheap (doubt it) but pretend it is lmaoo I'm too lazy to research.

 

Chapter 25: No Surprises, Please

"Are you're sure he's fine with this?" Rey asks, re-adjusting the strap on their bag as they look up at the old dojo Chen and Jade had been using for months now.
"Of course! C'mon Rey, we already went over this." Chen sighs, wrapping an arm around Rey's shoulders to try and reassure them. "Plus I think Jade's actually been looking forward to this." That was a lie, since it was... kind of hard to figure out what Jade was thinking, especially when he puts on his "poker face", but Rey didn't need to know that.
But hearing those words seemed to do the trick, for Rey perked up a bit. "Alright- let's do it then."

"That's the spirit!" With that, Chen lead the nervous Rey inside, not noticing a smaller figure trailing behind them.

"Hey Jade! Ya here?" Chen calls out, letting go of Rey as he leads them inside. Rey trails behind quietly, looking around curiously as they clutch their satchel. The space was nice and tidy today, meaning Jade had actually taken Chen's advice and cleaned the place regularly.
The young demon walks into another room, leaving Rey to look around in the main room. As they walk around, they trip over a part of carpet sticking up. They yelp as they fall to the ground, their bag flying from their grasp and the contents inside spilling out. As Rey gets back to their feet they rub their head, opening their eyes to look around.
But everything was blurry. Their glasses had fallen off.
A bit panicked and embarrassed, Rey scrambles around to find their glasses.

They're surprised when someone taps their shoulder, whirling around to see a blurry figure holding something that vaguely resembled their glasses. "Oh- thank you-" Rey says, reaching out to grab them and put them on. Looking up they expected to see Chen. What they hadn't expected to see was a pair of bright red eyes looking down at them.

"Hello there. Uh... these must be yours?" Jade asks, holding out Rey's bag and the book that had been inside it moments before. Rey's cheeks turn pink from embarrassment, getting to their feet as they brush the dust off their clothes. "O-oh um- y-yeah, those are mine." They mumble, taking back their bag and the book from the snake demon. "You must be Jade?"
"Ah ha- yes, that's me. It's nice to officially meet you, Rey." He glances down at the bands on Rey's wrist before his eyes wandered to the book in their hands. "That looks intriguing.... Mind if I ask what it's about?" He asks, gesturing to the book.
Rey's eyes light up excitedly. They figured it was just to start a conversation and make things less awkward, but they didn't mind. But by sage they'd never miss an opportunity to talk about one of their favourite stories.

"Oh! It's one of my favourite books, actually! It follows the story of a protagonist who had been raised in a cult, and upon realising that the cult is actually evil she goes on a journey of self discovery and adventure and-"
As Rey info dumped on their favourite subject, Jade listens intently,nodding along as he's drawn into the story. Neither notice Chen walking back into the room, having heard Rey talking to someone.

"-it's an amazing plot, ugh! I just can't get over it- oh sorry, was I talking too much?" Rey asks, suddenly going quiet upon realising they hadn't stopped talking like they'd intended. Chen was even standing next to the doorway, looking quite smug with himself, which only made them more self conscious about their ranting. But Jade was just standing there, listening.
Jade shakes his head. "Oh no, it's alright! It's actually quite an intriguing story- you wouldn't mind if I borrowed it, would you?" He asks. This news made Rey grin from ear to ear. "Oh of course you can!"

As Rey and Jade chatted, Chen decides to go into the next room. He knew Jade and Rey would get along.

As he starts putting some mats and objects back where they belonged, something creaks shut behind him. His ears flick to attention, immediately looking around for the source of the noise. He could still hear Jade and Rey talking in the next room, so it definitely wasn't them.
Now I'm edge Chen's eyes narrow as he looks around. He does a double take when he notices a cupboard door he specifically remembers opening moments ago to put things away was now shut.
Without a moments hesitation Chen darts toward the cupboard and yanks it open, not giving anyone inside a chance to react. There's a small scream of surprise and fear from the child hidden inside, the bull demon taken aback by the sight before him. "Érzi?!"

Érzi looks up at Chen with wide eyes, face pale at the realisation he'd been caught. "Uh- hi, Chen. Funny meeting you here?" He laughs sheepishly, giving a guilty smile as he stands up.
Chen was still a little taken aback, wondering how on earth Érzi had managed to sneak in here without anyone noticing. He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Jade's voice blurt out from behind him. "Uh- who is that?"

The bull demon turns to see Jade and Rey standing in the doorway, watching as Érzi climbs out of the cupboard. Chen clears his throat. "This is Érzi- we've been babysitting him at the shop, where he's supposed to be right now." He explains, giving Érzi a stern look. Érzi looks away sheepishly, scratching his neck. "Sorry, I was bored-"

"What? No no no no- that's a kid! Do you realise how NON secretive kids are?!" Jade says, starting to pace the room. Chen watches on as Jade starts to mumble to himself, certainly not expecting this paranoid behaviour.
"Woah woah, chill- it's gonna be fine Jade." Chen tries to reassure, but Jade shakes his head. "It won't be "fine"! You have no idea what's at stake here Chen! Especially since he's-"

"Oh for sage's sake Jade! He's twelve, not five! If we just explain your situation he'll understand!" Chen snapped, getting fed up with the snake demons behaviour. The snake demon stops his pacing and as he turned to Chen he swore he saw a hint of... anger? But it was gone before the bull demon had time to process it. Jade inhales slowly, his tail twitching slightly as he thinks for a moment. "Alright, alright- you're right. He's not...." he glances down at Érzi, who was staring at Jade in stunned silence, looking like he'd been caught red-handed. "Sorry, I just... don't do little kids." he says, clearing his throat and looking away.

"Yeah, we can tell."

Chen mutters, kneeling down in front of Érzi with a reassuring smile. "Sorry about that. He does get a little uh... weird, at times." The bull demon explains, glancing at Jade out of the corner of his eye. The snake demon had gone into the next room, Rey glancing between Chen and Jade with a "what just happened" expression.
"Uh...okay... who's that? And what's his deal?" Érzi asks, snapping out of his shock and was now staring at the doorway in absolute bewilderment and unease. Chen couldn't exactly blame him. "That's Jade, he's my friend and my mentor."
"I thought Monkey King was your mentor?"

Chen chuckles, standing back up. "Oh he is, he is. It's just... he wasn't teaching me things I wanted to learn, so I kinda started taking lessons from Jade over here behind his back." He reveals, which causes Érzi to gasp dramatically. "You've been doing it behind his back?! Why didn't you tell him?!"
"That's the thing- Jade's kinda "on the run" from Monkey King because of a stupid thing years ago. Nobody other than Rey and I know he's here, and now you do to. So you have to promise not to tell anyone about Jade, okay?" Chen asks seriously. Érzi squints suspiciously, glancing to the doorway Jade had disappeared through a few minutes prior. "Okay..." he says slowly, fiddling with his shirt as he was deep in thought. Chen grins, patting Érzi on the shoulder. "Atta boy! I think Jade's had enough for today- do you wanna head back to the Noodle shop?"

"Very much." Érzi says with a hint of relief. The bull demon nods, turning to Rey. "You coming too?" Rey nods, taking still holding their book in hand. "Yeah sure- can you just gimme a sec?"
"Sure thing. Hey Jade! We're going home now!" Chen calls out. The trio waited in silence for a reply but there was none, which didn't really surprise Chen. Especially after the outburst he just had.

--

He's a threat, Jade Warrior.

Jade shook his head, as if to try and get rid of the voices. "I know I know- but he's just a kid. He's harmless."

Undoubtedly, but you know that's not who we're concerned about. Do you really want our Lady's hard work to go to waste? If he gets a whiff that our Lady is back, he'll be gone before you and I can say "for sage's sake". Our Lady already has the Spider Queen wrapped around her finger. Don't mess this up for her, Jade Warrior. You and I know what happens to those who disappoint our Lady.

Jade sighs, his shoulders slumping at the realisation that he'll definitely need to work harder from now on. "I understand, Chief. I'll keep close tabs on him too."

Good. It better stay like that, Jade Warrior.

"Hey, Jade?"

Jade looks up at the doorway where Rey stood. The snake demon sat cross-legged on his mat, seemingly meditating. The dragon steps inside as Jade gets to his feet. "Hey, kiddo. Sorry about earlier- I was just, um-" Jade pauses, trying to come up with an explanation. But Rey shakes their head, not needing one. "No no, it's, uh fine. I mean with your history it's kind of understandable? Anyway I was just here to give you the book to borrow- you can just drop it off or wait till my next visit when you're finished reading it." Rey explains with a smile. "Chen, Érzi and I are gonna go back to Pigsy's for the day."

"Oh, uh- thanks. I appreciate that." Jade replies awkwardly, taking the book. He looks down at the cover as Rey leaves. Even after that little outburst they were still gonna come back?

....

Man he doesn't understand these kids.

-----

After dropping Rey off at the library and back at Pigsy's Noodles, Érzi rushes inside to see if MK and Mei were still around, Chen following along behind. Upon entering, the bull demon notices that the only ones present were Tang, Pigsy and Sandy. No sign of MK and Mei, meaning they must've gone to the arcade.

"Hey Mr. Pigsy and Mr. Tangy!" Érzi greets as he sits down on a stool. Chen goes to the kitchen to make the boy a bowl of noodles, leaving the boy with the adults.
"Good evening, Érzi! I was wondering where you ran off to."
"It's good to see you back Érzi. I thought you went with MK and Mei?" Pigsy asks, to which the boy shook his head and explained that he had spent the day with Chen and Rey. What they did, he didn't elaborate. As Érzi waits for Mk and Mei to return Sandy, the gentle blue giant he is, turns to greet the small boy.
"Hello there young one! You must be Érzi! Pigsy and Tangy here told me all about you!" Sandy greets with a bright smile, putting his cup of tea down to shake the young boys hand. "The name's Sandy!"

Érzi swivels his chair to face Sandy curiously, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you sir!" Sandy chuckles at the boys politeness as Chen comes back in with Érzi's meal. "Like wise!"
Chen places the bowl down in front of Érzi, sitting on the other side of him as Sandy, Pigsy and Tang start to chat again (mostly chat, Pigsy and Tang were bickering like an old married couple). "So did you want to do anything else today? Maybe go to the arcade and see if MK and Mei are there?" Chen asks. While stuffing his face with noodles Érzi nods eagerly, getting excited at the thought of going to the arcade. If he had a tail, Chen could've sworn it'd be wagging right now.
"Alright then, finish your noodles and we'll get going." he says. It was probably better than making the boy stay here all day.

When Érzi finishes his noodles in surprisingly record time, the duo leave the noodle shop and decide to walk to the arcade. Érzi rushes ahead, not seeming to care about the dangers as he was too excited to get to the arcade to see MK and Mei. Chen rolls his eyes, trying to quicken his pace. "Slow down buddy, you're gonna fall over or something-"

A car speeds pass Chen, freaking the bull demon out as it whizzes by over the speed limit. He whips his head toward Érzi's direction, realising that the car was swerving towards the boy running on the sidewalk.

"ÉRZI!"

His heart stops as Érzi freezes in place, everything moving in slow motion as he sees the car coming right at him. Chen didn't even think as he lunges forward, using his powers to boost his speed. He grabs Érzi and pulls him close to protect him as he shields him from harm, intending to take the brunt of the impact.
Everything went black for a moment before they hit the pavement, a few feet away from where the car almost hit Érzi.

Chen's heart was pounding as he sat up, still clinging onto Érzi as he looks around in a daze. How did they...?

He shoves the thought aside as he grabs Érzi's shoulders at pushes him back to look at him and make sure he wasn't hurt. "Érzi? Are you okay buddy?" he asks, trying to keep the shakiness out of his voice as he checks the boy over. Érzi was quiet, staring off into space for a minute. His face was pale, and it looked like the boy was about to cry. "W-we almost died-"

"OH MY SAGE ARE YOU GUYS OKAY?!" A voice yells.. Chen looks up to see a young man get out of the car that almost hit them, panicky himself. "I'm so sorry! I was in a rush and i got distracted when I got a text- oh sage-"

Chen scowls, ears flattening in anger as he lets Érzi go and gets to his feet, marching angrily over to the man. "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING CRAB BRAIN! YOU ALMOST KILLED US!" He screams, adrenaline high as he grabs the man and shoves him back. He didn't care that passerby's were staring, having stopped whatever they were doing to see what all the commotion was. The man was still trying to apologise but Chen was having none of it. "What are you?! Some brainless chicken?! There's a reason there are laws! What do you think would've happened if I hadn't reacted fast enough?! You selfish, fish-brained piece of-"

"Ow! Hey let go of me man!" The man yelled, trying to get Chen to let go. The bull demon was about to hold onto his jacket tighter, not wanting him to get away when he noticed something. The jacket in his hands had smoke coming off of it. He quickly let go and the man scrambled back, his jacket singed and burned. And Chen's hands were glowing a bright neon green.
He and the crowd that had formed were stunned, the bull demon looking down at his hands in shock. What was happening to his hands?

"Ch-Chen?"

Chen looks back to Érzi, seeing the boy was still sitting in a ball on the ground, shaking like a leaf. "I-I think I want to go back to the Noodle shop now..." He says quietly. Chen's rage immediately turns to guilt and concern for the boy. Shooting a scowl at the driver he turns back to Érzi, his hands going back to normal within seconds as his rage disappears. He helps the boy to his feet, leading him through the crowd back to Pigsy's Noodles. To try and calm the boy down until they got there, he drapes his red jacket over Érzi.

It didn't take them long to get back, and as soon as they stepped through the door Pigsy was the first to notice. "You're back early- are you kids okay?" he asks, looking over the two boys. Chen nods, leading the silent Érzi to one of the tables. "Yeah, we're okay. But we almost got hit by a car." he explains briefly, turning back to the boy to ask if he wanted some noodles, but Érzi merely shook his head.
Pigsy, however, immediately flew into a rage at this news. "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WERE ALMOST HIT BY A CAR?! WHAT WAS THAT BIRD BRAIN DRIVER DOING?!' he screamed. Érzi quickly covers his ears, and upon seeing this Tang puts a hand on Pigsy's shoulder. "Calm down, Pigsy. You're scaring the boy."

Pigsy scowls but listens, grumbling curses under his breath. Chen puts on an episode of Monkey King: The Animated Series before going into the kitchen to talk to Pigsy. Sandy, who was still seated at the counter drinking his tea, gets up and walks over to Érzi, setting a new hot cup of tea in front of the boy as he sits down to keep him company. "Here you go little guy- it'll help calm your nerves." he says with a gentle smile.
Érzi shakes his head, pulling Chen's jacket up to cover his head. "N-no thank you. I don't like tea..." he says quietly. Sandy smiles. "Oh that's alright! How about I make you a cup of hot cocoa instead?"
At this the boy pauses, staring at the phone screen for a moment before slowly nodding. "Okay..."

"Alright! Be right back little buddy!" Sandy says light heartedly, leaving Érzi alone to watch his animated series.
Érzi could hear Pigsy, Tang and Chen talking in the kitchen, the fathers concerned about Chen's safety and scolding him for his careless actions. But he could tell that they were relieved that the both of them were okay.

Érzi wraps the jacket tighter around himself, shaking even more at the realisation he really could've died. But Chen had risked his life to save him. Of course, the bull demon probably hadn't seen the portal that appeared underneath them right as the car was about to hit them, but he still threw his life away for him.
The boy was grateful he was still alive.

"Here you go, little buddy! A nice cup of hot cocoa to make you feel better!" Sandy says, putting the cup down in front of Érzi. The boy takes it, trying to steady his shaky hands as he takes a sip of the hot drink. "Thank you..."
"Any time!" Sandy says cheerily. Mo, who'd been sleeping on Sandy's shoulder, hops down and curls up next to Érzi to keep him company.

 

----

A/N: A short boring chapter this time oof god DAMN why is everything I'm writing sounding robotic???
Also fun fact the second part wasn't scripted and that was more fun to write, so... just giving that boy a little trauma and a fear of death!

 

Chapter 26: Dumpling Destruction

Everyone was inside Pigsy's Noodles, the workers busy cleaning the space up for the day. MK was mopping the floors in the main area, while Chen was inside the kitchen spraying and wiping down the working station. Mei and Érzi were waiting for the two boys to get off work, the young boy watching his new favourite animated show on Chen's phone. Tang was eating a bowl of noodles as usual while Pigsy was cleaning the counter.
Mei starts taking pictures of MK and Chen working, the flash on. The bright sudden light was annoying to Chen's eyes, but seeing as she was harmlessly taking pictures he tries to ignore it. As she turns back to MK, MK tries to tell her to stop for a moment. "Mei would you- hey cut it out- At least get my good side!" MK exclaims as he starts posing for the pictures. Chen snickers as one bright flash ends up causing MK to trip over and drop the mop. "Noooo!"

"Oh the great Monkie Kid hath dropped thy mop! Whatever shall thee do?" Chen jokes, turning back to his work. The stupid joke causes Mei and Érzi to giggle, Mei going back to posting her new pictures on social media.
MK rubs his eyes, looking around in surprise before loudly exclaiming "Monkey King?!" Chen looks up to see MK talking to... seemingly himself.

But his concerns change to surprise as a familiar gold hazy figure appears in front of him. "Hey, there you kids are!" Monkey King greets cheerily, waving to Chen and MK. "Oh good you guys aren't dead yet! That's a relief!" He chuckles, wiping his brow in a relieved motion. MK starts to freak out, checking himself over to make sure he really wasn't dead. "Dead?! What?! What's happening to me?! Is this what dying is like?!" He falls to his knees dramatically. Chen shakes his head, patting MK's shoulder. He guessed this was the first time Monkey King had used telepathy on MK. "Relax, monkey brain, it's just more of Monkey King's mystic monkey business." he explains. He remembered freaking out a little when it first happened to him.

Monkey King nods in agreement, a wide grin on his face. "Exactly! Don't worry, a little telepathic communication never hurt anybody! I think..." Monkey King mumbles the last part to himself, but MK and Chen both heard it. The two young men turn to him suddenly. "We heard that!" MK exclaims.

"ANYWAY! Everything's fine! Well, mostly fine- so, listen- we got a bit of a problem." Monkey King starts. Chen and MK were about to ask what it was when a woman screaming could be heard outside. "What is that?!"

Every one exits the shop to see what the woman was talking about, and it didn't take long for them to figure out what's wrong. Looking up at the unusually hot sky, the group could see something massive and on fire coming down onto the city, much like a meteor. But the unmistakable smell of cooked food filled the air, throwing away the assumption of it being a giant rock. That and it wasn't rock-shaped. Mei taps her chin in thought. "Is that a-"
"Giant dumpling?" Pigsy interrupts, looking up at the flaming dumpling in disbelief. Tang was already drooling at the sight of it.
"As delicious as it is TERRIFYING...."
"Where did it even come from?!" Érzi asks, having never seen anything like it before.

"So yeah, me and the boys got into a bit of a food fight up here in the celestial realm. Anyway long story short I need you guys to handle the tiny itty bitty giant dumpling before it falls to earth and destroys everyone!" Monkey King explains. Chen and MK look away from the giant dumpling to stare at the Monkey King in disbelief. "What?! You're just gonna leave us to deal with it?!"
"How are we supposed to stop that?!" MK asks. Chen turns to his brother. "MK that's not the only question we should be asking-"

"Ah, you'll figure it out!" Monkey King interrupts Chen, waving him off. "I probably got something that could help you back at my place. Anyway I gotta go! Believe in yourself and you can do anything! Okay bye!"
"HEY WAIT JUST A MINUTE-" Before Chen could say anything Monkey King was gone, causing Chen to groan in frustration. "Seriously?!"

"S-so what's going to happen?" Érzi speaks up, tearing his eyes away from the giant dumpling to look up at Chen and MK worriedly. MK looks up at the giant flaming dumpling with determination. "Alright!"
MK pulls the group into a huddle. "This will undoubtedly be our most perilous mission of all time!" He declares, pulling out his book and crayons as he starts to scribble out their plan. "A journey to the room where Monkey King keeps all his junk to find, uh, something! To stop the celestial dumpling from destroying the world!" As he draws out his plan everyone aside from Mei and Chen were laying on their stomachs, dragon girl already getting bored of MK's explanation and Chen, having no room to sit, stood over Pigsy to look down at the book.
As MK finishes explaining he slams his book shut, he places a hand on Mei's shoulder. "And there's only ONE person with the smarts, the bravery, and the heroically awesome hair to be my wingman on this mission of certain death!" Mei starts to get excited, until Tang pipes up behind her. "I mean it's ME right?!"

MK shoves Mei aside, instead, leaning on Tang's shoulder. "I mean obviously!" The two laugh, and Chen and Pigsy share a look. "You're kidding, right?"
"Yeah, are you sure you want to bring Tang along on this mission?" Chen asks, knowing how lazy Tang can get. MK chuckles. "Oh I kid you not, my sweet sweet Chen and Pigsy! Mr. Tang and I are the experts on Monkey King! So yeah, this makes sense." Chen hums, realising the logic in his brothers explanation. "Huh, I guess you're right..."

Mei gasps, offended. "MK! This is so obviously a mission for just you, me and Chen! I even got a sweet new jet!" She proclaims, pointing to the said jet beside her. Érzi blinks, looking to the place Chen, Tang and MK had been standing moments before only to find them gone. And so was the jet. Pigsy, Mei and Érzi look up in time to see MK, Tang and Chen already zooming off toward Flower Fruit Mountain on Mei's jet. "Sorry Mei! Can't hear you over my awesome new hoverbike! KABOOM!"
"Catch you guys later!"

Mei yells in frustration as they disappear into the distance. She yelled a bunch of nonsense that Érzi didn't understand, something about the best action movie?
Once she was finished her tirade, she huffs in frustration and crosses her arms. "Fine! I'll just have my OWN adventure! How about THAT huh?!" she grumbles, marching off to her bike while still muttering curses under her breath. Érzi turns to Pigsy, a little concerned. "Uh- are we gonna die?' he asks. Pigsy sighs, ruffling the boys hair. "Nah, MK and Chen will save our butts. We just have to sit back and wait." He explains, heading back inside the Noodle Shop. Érzi hums, not quite believing him as he follows the pig man inside. "I don't think I can just "sit back" and wait...."
Pigsy shrugs. "Neither can I kid, but what can ya do?"

As Pigsy and Érzi wait inside the shop for MK and Chen to return, occasionally glancing out the window at the giant flaming dumpling in the sky slowly getting closer and closer, Mei bursts back in through the door, startling them. "GUYS! GUYS! That weird monkey king hero copycat is back! And he was last seen heading towards Flower Fruit Mountain! We should TOTALLY go follow him to see what he's up to!" she exclaims, waving her phone around like crazy. Once she stopped shaking her phone, Pigsy and Érzi could see the picture of the monkey hero MK had come across a week or two prior. Pigsy shrugs. "Nah, I'm good waiting here. But you just want to follow him cuz he's going to Monkey King's Mountain, don'tcha?" he asks skeptically. Mei rolls her eyes. "Pfft- maybe."

"I wanna come!" Érzi says, getting to his feet. Mei grins, pulling the young boy into a side hug. "Yeah boi! Let's go check out this so called new monkey king!" she says, before dragging Érzi behind her as she rushes to her motorbike. Making sure he was wearing a helmet she hops onto her bike and drags him to sit behind her. "Hold on!"
Érzi yelps as Mei speeds off, tracking down the new hero using the small device on her bike. The young boy clings onto her for dear life, terrified at the notion of falling off at this speed.

--

"You'll wanna hang a left and land up at the top of the mountain!" MK yells to be heard above the wind from behind Tang as they approached Flower Fruit Mountain. Tang drove the hoverbike while MK sat behind him, and Chen squeezed in behind MK.
Tang scoffs at MK's words, pushing up his glasses. "I'm pretty sure I know how to fly a futuristic hoverbike!" he says, starting to fly down, and down, and down...

"Uh, Mr. Tang? MR. TANG? I SAID THE TOP!" MK screams as they start speeding towards the ground. Chen tries to reach around the front to pull the hoverbike up, but it was too late. The trio crash into the ground, sending sand flying and monkeys scattering. Chen and MK spit sand out as they get up from the crash. Chen gags, coughing and hacking up sand as Tang gets to his feet, brushing sand off his clothes. "Like I said, i know how to fly. Anyway! I presume it's this way?" With that he walks off, leaving Chen to suffocate from all the sand he inhaled while MK pat his back to try and help him. If he wasn't currently dying, Chen would've been in a screaming fit by now.

After getting as much of the sand out of his body as he could, Chen and MK follow Tang to Flower Fruit Mountain. MK scratches his neck awkwardly. "Ya know, I'm starting to think maybe I should've brought Mei..." MK says aloud. Chen scoffs, crossing his arms as he shouts Tang a glare. "Oh really?" he points out sarcastically, still cranky that they had to walk to the mountain instead of flying.

At MK's words Tang chuckles. Oh pfft! Don't be silly! Who else would know the difference between the legendary-"
"Yeah yeah we get it! You know more! BUT you also caused us to CRASH on the BEACH!" Chen butts in angrily. Tang merely pats Chen's head, careful not to bump his horns. "That you're half correct, my boy! Come now! Onward to the peak of Mount Huaguo! That's where Monkey King's cave is, by the way." he adds, snickering to himself. Chen glares at Tang, slowly turning to face MK who had a look of regret on his face.

--

Before long Mei stops, having pulled out her phone to make sure all the sightings were leading to this location. Érzi shakily gets off the bike, a little stiff and shaken, as if he'd never been on a bike OR went that fast in his life, which he probably hadn't till then. But Mei seems oblivious to him as she looks around. "Now where is-AHA! There he is!" she exclaims, pointing to a figure standing by the waters edge.
The figure was looking off into the distance as he seems to be talking to someone on an earpiece. He spun his black and gold staff in one hand, his tail flicking back and forth agitatedly.

"Let's go!" Mei says, grabbing Érzi's wrist and rushing over to the monkey. "Hey! You! Monkey hero guy!"
The monkey turns, stopping his conversation into the earpiece as the two approach. He puts on a smile as he sees Mei, turning to face her fully. "Hello! Nice to meet you citizen- sorry, no autographs right now! I have to go save the city!" Lixin explains, swiping his staff to create a cloud. But Mei waves that off. "Wait! Just a quick picture! I want to show MK that I met you!"

At the mention of MK though, Lixin's smile turns more... forced. "Oh, you're the Monkie Kid's friend? That's great..." he says, before his eyes lower down to Érzi standing behind Mei. He freezes, staring at Érzi coldly, which makes the young boy shuffle nervously.

Lixin clears his throat, turning back to Mei with a smile. "I'm sorry ma'am, no pictures. I have to go right now. But I'll be back, rest assured. Just give me a few hours and I'll be back for that social media clout!" he explains, hopping onto his cloud before zooming off into the distance. Mei gasps, offended he left so suddenly. "Rude!" she huffs. "Guess it's time to head to Flower Fruit Mountain and follow him! C'mon Érzi!" Mei turns back to her bike, pressing a button on the panel. Érzi watches in amazement as it changes to a hoverbike in just a few seconds. "WOAH! That's so cool!" He gasps, which causes Mei to cackle. "I know right?! Let's go follow that monkey and see what he's up to!"

"HECK YEAH!"

--

Chen walks in front of MK and Tang as they trek up the mountain, the former carrying their father on his back. Tang seemed unbothered by MK's struggling. "CHEN! Can I have a little help over here??" MK asks, taking another strained step.
Chen glances over his shoulder at his brother and Tang, looking them up and down before continuing his hike. "Nah, I think you got it." MK groans in despair, following after the bull demon much, much more slowly.

Finally, the duo make it to the waterfall that lead to Monkey King's home. MK pants heavily, finally being able to recover from the long hike. Tang sighs, pushing up his glasses. "Why thank you, my young friend! I thought we were done for back there when my weak ankles began to give me trouble!" Tang exclaims dramatically, showing off his perfectly fine legs. Chen rolls his eyes at this display.
"YEAH! AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STEPS!" MK snaps back, frustrated by Tang's laziness. Tang huffs, patting MK's head as he climbs off of the younger man. "Well, childhood injuries do pick rather inconvenient times to flare up again, do they not?"

MK growls at Tang as the older man walks towards the waterfall, jumping over stones to avoid treading in the water. Chen leans closer to MK. "You still glad we picked him to come with us?" He didn't even wait for an answer before walking away, leaving MK to glare daggers into the back of his head.

Tang is the first to reach the waterfall, looking upin awe and excitement. "The Shuilian Cave!" he gasps, looking back at the boys excitedly. "That's the name of the MOnkey King's cave-" he starts to say before MK cuts him off. "YEAH! WE KNOW!"
"We come here all the time, Tang."

Tang merely shrugs before reaching out toward the waterfall. A glowing symbol forms, zapping Tang back into MK and Chen. The two boys let out before being struck down, pushed back into the water. MK sits up, coughing up water as Tang rises beside him. "Ah yes, I thought that might happen." he murmurs, scratching his chin. But MK knew that was the complete opposite. "Ugh! Only the Monkey King can get through the magical barrier! But also me. Because I'm the Monkie Kid!"
MK marches up to the waterfall. Tang was about to follow suite before stopping and turning to Chen, who was laying face first in the water, bubbles floating up to the surface around his head. "You coming Chen? We don't have all day, you know." He says, grabbing Chen's tail and tugging it. The bull demon groans, pushing himself up out of the water. "Tang I swear to the great sage-"

Before he could continue MK had opened the barrier. Tang walks around MK with a smug smirk as he steps inside, and Chen grumbles under his breath as he forces himself to his feet, following MK and Tang into the waterfall. None of them see the figure creeping behind them.

Tang looks around in awe at the Monkey King's cave, ignoring the fact that Chen was still rubbing his sore head. MK pumps his fists, turning to Tang. "So! What do you think we should be looking for? Like a magic crossbow? Or a canon?! Or a-"
"A vase."

MK and Chen pause, blinking at each other for a moment. "Excuse me?"
"Come again?"

Tang groans dramatically at the boys lack of understanding. Pointing up to the sky, he begins to explain. "That giant dumpling looks to be more of a *Guângdōng zhōu, meaning it is potentially filled with some kind of delicious soup. Simply blasting it won't do."
Chen hums, glancing up at the giant dumpling. "Right, so how exactly is a vase supposed to help?"
Tang sighs, patting Chen's head like one does to a small child asking silly questions. "Well, Chen, the legends say Monkey King sought help from Guanyin, to defeat a demon I... don't remember the name of. She used a vase that contained pure water, enough to flood a whole mountain range! It seems logical that we should use that to suck up the soup, and save the world from third degree burns."

Seeing his logical, MK and Chen nod in agreement. "Sounds good enough to me! We can probably find that with all of Monkey King's other junk! Behind this giant door!" MK says, turning toward a giant door. "-That I've never even noticed before!"
Chen crosses his arms as he looks up at the giant doors. "Well then, let's go find it then." he states, but keeps his distance and watches as Tang walks up to the doors and reaches out once more to open them. He doesn't say anything as the older man is zapped back by ANOTHER magical barrier, merely stepping aside out of the way this time. "Ha, called it. There's no way Monkey King wouldn't have some kind of barrier for a room full of powerful artifact! And here I thought you were the smarty pants, Tang,"
MK sighs in annoyance and opens the doors.

But Chen's smugness turns to dismay as the doors open to reveal piles and piles and piles of junk, in apparently no order whatsoever. It was all just....chaos and disorder. MK groans in frustration at the sight of the massive pile of junk. The only one who seemed to be happy was Tang, who excitedly started running around the room, listing off artifacts he recognised. "The legendary Demon Revealing Mirror! And the Fire-Tipped Spear! Oh oh! And! AAH! MONKEYCOPSLIMITEDADDITION1982ACTIONFIGURES!" He turns to Chen and MK, a wide grin on his face at this find. "... this could take a while."
"Yeah well we don't have a while! So get digging!" MK states, swan diving into the pile in search for the legendary vase. Chen sighs, starting to sift and search through both the legendary artifacts and random clutter Monkey King owned.

--

Lixin makes it to Flowerfruit Mountain, having gotten a little lost out at sea. There was no signal on his earpiece way out here, so he couldn't exactly ask his boss for directions. He lands on the beach, watching as some random wild monkeys scramble out of his way as he jumps off his cloud. "Alright! Now to find that cave." He states, looking up at the mountain. He hums, trying to remember the coordinates hs boss had given him. "I just need to find that waterfall and then-"

"HEYO MONKEY BOOOOY!"

Lixin jumps in surprise, seeing the same dragon girl and... "boy" he'd seen earlier, flying in on a hoverbike. Mei hops off of the hoverbike, rushing over to him. "Hey! You can't just run off like that! I have questions! AND I wanna take a few pictures with you!" she states, pulling out her phone and proceeding to take a few pictures with flash on, which resulted in blinding the monkey. She was about to post them online but groans in annoyance. "Oh come on! No signal? Really? Monkey King you need to fix that when you get back!"

Lixin rubs his eyes, rubbing the golden marking on the left side of his feet. "Look, civilian, I don't have time to chat. I have to save the world from a giant flaming dumpling." he says matter-of-factly, pointing to the sky. Érzi waves him off as Mei pulls Lixin and him in for another photo, this time without flash on. "Oh you don't need to worry about that! MK's already here looking for a way to stop it!" he says excitedly.

But at this news, Lixin's fur bristles in annoyance, turning to the young boy. "What? What do you mean the Monkie Kid's already here?" He asks, trying to sound polite through his gritted teeth. Mei types something into her phone, not eve looking up at the annoyed monkey. "Pfft- he's here to look for something to get rid of that giant dumpling in the sky, doy!"

Lixin scowls, his tail flicking in irritation. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he turns back to Mei and Érzi. I suggest you two citizens head back to Megapolis now. I'll return for a discussion later, after I've saved the city." he states.
Mei and Érzi share a look, before the dragon girl starts laughing. "Yeah, right. We came all this way to find out what your deal is, and we're not leaving until we get it!"

Lixin sighs, getting annoyed with the two before him. "For Sage's sake- fine, you leave me no choice." he mutters, pulling out a few strands of his hair. Mei raises a brow, confused by his words. "Wait, what-"

Before she could say anything a bunch of Lixin's clones pop out of no where and start to grab at Mei and Érzi, surprising the two of them. "WHAT- HEY WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?!"
Lixin shrugs, getting on his cloud. "I'm sorry, but I can't waste anymore time!" he shouts as he zooms off to where he assumed Monkey King's cave was.

Mei growls in annoyance, punching one of the clone. "YOU STUCK UP MONKEY! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU IMA- HEY STOP THAT!" Mei shouts as a clone grabs her wrist.
She draws her sword, slicing at a clone and causing it to poof. She looks over to Érzi, noticing him kicking another clone in the chin and causing it to explode into hair. She realised that the clones weren't really trying to keep them trapped- they were just slowing them down to keep them out of Lixin's way. She slices another clone. "Well fine then! If he's gonna be a snooty hero who thinks he's better than everyone then I don't wanna talk to him! You need a little help Érzi?"

As she frees herself from the clones, there's a flash from beside her. She looks up in surprise, seeing that all the clones around them had poofed back into hair, Érzi standing among the strands that still floated to the ground. "Woah- what happened?"
Érzi looks around, scratching his head. "I uh, don't know- they all just poofed all of a sudden." he says innocently. Mei sighs. "Probably some sort of monkey thing- Mk can do it too. c'mon, let's go back to Megapolis. We don't need to talk to that dumb Monkey King copy anyway.

"Oh thank goodness- after MK saves the world can we play at arcade? You know- if he saves it?" Érzi asks sheepishly. Mei grins, pulling Érzi into a headlock and ruffling up his hair. "Sure thing! And don't worry about it- I'm sure the guys have it completely under control- but it totally would've been cooler if I was the one to go with them." She scoffs. She lets out a yelp as her hand hits something sharp and spiky in Érzi's hair.

Érzi rubs his head. "Oh sorry- must be a stick in my hair." he chuckles, pulling out a stick out of his hair that didn't seem to be there a few minutes ago. Mei cackles, taking a picture. "What do you do kid? Climb trees?"
"Yep!"
"Man lucky- play in the dirt all you can now then!"
"Will do!"

The two get back on the hoverbike, Mei making sure that Érzi was wearing his helmet before speeding off into the sky.

--

As Chen had his back to MK, lifting up a particularly heavy box of what appeared to be swords, he heard MK yell in fear and surprise. He whips around to see Huntsman, one of Spider Queen's henchmen, attacking the Monkie Kid.
Chen turns to Tang, who had stopped to watch the fight. "Keep looking for that vase! I'm gonna help MK!" he yells before darting off before Tang could speak. The bull demon notices Huntsman shoot a web toward a circular mirror on the ground, snatching it and yanking it towards himself. "Oh no you don't!"
He leaps towards the mirror, MK getting the same idea as he spots the boy with the fire-tipped spear. MK reaches it first, jabbing the webbing and stopping the spider demon from grabbing it. But what MK hadn't seen was that Huntsman was charging right at him. He was about to punch MK in the gut and send him flying before Chen intervenes, catching the spiders fist and pushing him back. Huntsman growls, glaring down at Chen. "Outta my way, punk!

Chen refuses to listen, instead holding him there as MK leaps up behind him, ready to hit Huntsman from above with the fire-tipped spear. But upon noticing his plan the spider demon reacts quickly, tightening his hold on Chen and spinning around. Chen was caught off guard as he's swept off the ground, letting out a yell as Huntsman throws him full force towards MK in the air. The two boys collide, being sent into a tower of Monkey King's junk. The clutter shakes and creaks, starting to fall.
Huntsman snickers, picking up the mirror. However the tower of junk collapses on top of him, causing him to lose the mirror once more.

MK and Chen crawl to the top of the wreckage, their body aching from being crushed. As they get to their feet, looking frantically for the spider demon, Tang calls out to them. "MK! Chen! I can't find the vase anywhere!"
MK had had enough at this point. "DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING?!" he shouts, activating his gold vision. As he does so, Chen looks around warily for any sign of Huntsman. MK points to a box in the corner. "There! That crate is full of them!"
"Why didn't you do that sooner?!"
"Because I forgot I could! Okay?!"
"MK WATCH IT!"

Chen yanks MK out of harms way as Huntsman bursts out of the pile of garbage, headed straight for MK. His sharp robotic limbs miss the boy by a hair. But Huntsman wasn't finished. Using his webs he grabs pair of sharp blades, using his webs as whips to attack the two boys. MK manages to shield the both of them with his staff, but barely.
One of the blades was heading straight for Tang.

Suddenly the doors fling open as another figure darts inside, heading straight for Tang. They snatch Tang by their scarf, the blade missing by an inch. Chen heart stops, looking over for just a second. He sees a monkey figure putting Tang down, brushing the dust off his clothes. Chen didn't have time to question it before Huntsman had thrown something else in his direction.
The bull demon dodges before being struck in the gut by a heavy object, causing him to cry out in pain as he's flung back into a wall.

"OH MY SAGE- SORRY CHEN! I SWEAR I WASN'T AIMING FOR YOU-"

Groaning in pain he looks down to see... MK's staff trapping him against the wall. MK must've thrown it in the fight. He pushes and kicks at the staff. "Come on! Come ON! Stupid stick! MK what the heck?! AIM BEFORE THROWING!"
"HEY THE SPIDER GUYS FAST OKAY?!"

"I can smell your fear, boy!"
"IT'S MY CONDITIONER!"

Chen looks over to Tang for help, only to see... the new monkey guy was scrambling around amongst a bunch of vases, looking for something. Tang was carefully inspecting the vases one by one, trying to find Guanyin's vase.
As Chen watches them in confusion, he suddenly snaps his attention back to MK as he lets out a yelp. He looks over to see the boy is pinned to the wall by Huntsman, a sword clutched in the spider demons spare hand as he gets ready to slit MK's throat.
"TANG! Hurry!" MK yells in a panic. Tang scrambles around for a weapon as Chen is left stuck between MK's staff and the wall. "EY! SPIDER FREAK! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

As he looks around, Chen sees the monkey guy still had his back turned to MK. "Hey! Hey you! Help him!" he shouts, gaining the monkey's attention. Lixin turns around, glaring in Chen's direction before looking over to see MK about to be stabbed by the spider demon. As the two talk he lets out a groan, getting to his feet. "Just my luck I'm the one that has to save the Monkie Kid." he mutters, but he purposely wasn't being quiet. Chen scoffs. "Hey! That's my brother you're talking about golden boy!"
Lixin doesn't listen, instead drawing out his staff and throwing it towards Huntsman. It hits his wrist, causing him to drop the sword with a hiss of pain. He whips around to face the threat, only to have to let go off MK completely as a powerful beam almost hits him.

Chen stops his struggles momentarily, looking up to see Tang holding some sort of gun. It transforms back into a sword within moments, becoming too heavy for Tang to hold on to as it falls back to the floor. There's silence for a moment until Tang clears his throat, speaking up. "Uh- yeah! And there's more where that came from! Now get outta here and let us save the world!"
Huntsman huffs, standing up as he faces Tang and MK. "You know, you've got a point. How about a truce, just this one time?"

Chen's eyes widen in surprise. That was... unexpected. Wait, weren't he and MK talking a minute ago?
As Tang and MK ask him what kind of villain he is, Chen spots the monkey guy charging up to Huntsman from behind. "Hey- what are you doing dude?!"
Huntsman turns just in time to dodge Lixin's staff aiming for his head, the monkey swinging down hard enough to cause the ground to shake when it hits.
"HEY WHAT PART OF "TRUCE" DON'T YOU GET MONKEY?!" Huntsman spits out, using his webbing to wrap around Lixin. The monkey is ensnared, and Huntsman throws him into a wall within seconds.

The spider demon growls as he turns back to MK and Tang with a glare. Tang coughs awkwardly, pulling at his scarf. "Uh- that guys not with us- did you still want to do that truce?"
Huntsman scoffs in disdain and uses one of his webbings to grab the mirror and the other he sticks to the roof. "Until next time, Monkey Boy."

"Hey! He's a Monkey MAN!" Tang retaliates but Huntsman was already gone. MK looks up at Tang in awe. "This is the greatest team up ever!"
As the boy starts geeking out over the sword, Chen clears his throat "MK, do you mind GETTING YOUR STUPID STAFF OFF OF ME?!"
"Oh right- sorry." MK chuckles, hurrying over and pulling the staff out of the wall, freeing Chen. Chen stands up straight, before hissing in pain. "ACK- yeah, that's gonna hurt for a while." he coughs.
As MK and Chen manage to walk over to Tang, who was looking over the vases. He holds up a blue one with pink flower petals around the base. "This is it! The legendary vase that will-" before he could finish, a hand snatches it out of his grasp, surprising all three. Tang, MK and Chen blink, looking over to the figure running away with the vase.

It was Lixin. And now he was zooming away on his cloud. "KEEP OUT OF MY WAY! AND STOP TRYING TO STEAL MY JOB!" He spat before disappearing back out the doors. MK gasps, pointing at Lixin. "Wha- hey! Get back here with that vase!"
"GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF OR I'LL-"
"My bad- that wasn't the legendary vase." Tang says, picking up another vase. Chen and MK turn back to Tang in surprise and annoyance. "WHAT?!"

Tang holds up a silver vase with green leaves. "Yep! That's it! That's the guy!" Tang states assuredly. Realising that they were running out of time MK grabs Tang and Chen, zooming out of the cave toward the somehow fixed hoverbike, which Chen later realised MK must've fixed with his Monkey Mech powers. "THEN LET'S GO!"

Chen yelps, holding on tight to his brother as they zoom back to Megapolis.

--

Mei and Érzi had made it back to Megapolis, and were currently standing on the roof of Pigsy's Noodles with the pig man himself, looking up at the giant dumpling that was about to strike the city in worry. Érzi fidgets with his blue scarf. "MK's gonna make it, right? You said MK's gonna save us."
Mei and Pigsy share a concerned look, which didn't go pass the fretful boy. However Pigsy gives him a reassuring pat on the back. "Yeah, they're gonna save the city. Don't you worry about it, kiddo."
Érzi wasn't so convinced, however. Hearing something, he glances at the darkest corner of the roof worriedly.

"GUYS!"

The trio look up to see Tang flying the hoverbike back to Megapolis, MK waving frantically to them from behind him and Chen clinging onto his brother for dear life once more. Érzi lets out a sigh of relief, the whispering he heard disappearing as he looks up to MK. "They made it!"
"We told you, kid. No need to worry when you got us around."

Tang crashes the hoverbike into a building next to the Noodle Shop, scrambling onto the roof they ignore the concerned looks Pigsy, Mei and Érzi gave them. Pigsy is the first to speak. "Did ya find something to stop this thing?" he asks. MK nods, grinning from ear to ear. "Sure! I mean... maybe?" he looks to Chen and Tang, who only shrug. MK shrugs, grabbing Tang's wrist and lifting it in the air. "Okay Tang- the vase!"

"VASE?! Why didn't you grab a magic crossbow?! Or a canon! Or-" Mei begins, only for Tang and Mk to start explaining their reasoning at the same time. They stop and laugh, realising they were talking over each other. Chen crosses his arms. "Yeah something about there being soup inside the dumpling."

"Well what are ya waitin' for ya morons?! Hurry it up!" Pigsy shouts, pointing at the sky at the giant dumpling getting closer.
With a nod Tang and MK get into position, pointing the vase towards the giant dumpling together while everyone else stood back. MK uncorks he vase, and instantly a wave of water streams out, headed straight to the dumpling like a whirlpool. It sucks the flaming dumpling in, the force so powerful Tang accidentally lets go and flies back. MK is left alone holding the powerful vase, but not even he with all his Monkey King strength could do it alone. He yelps as he starts sliding back, only for Chen, Pigsy and Mei to come up behind him to hold him in place, supporting him as he sucks the giant dumpling into the vase.

All is silent for a moment, everyone looking down at the vase as MK puts the cork back on. Mei leans over MK's shoulder, breaking the silence. "So did it wor-"
The vase explodes, cutting her off as half the city is covered dumpling soup.

Once everyone had recovered from the explosion, MK sighs, looking out over the soup-covered city. "Sometimes, all you can do is your best."
"We probably should've grabbed a few more vases, huh?" Tang asks, to which MK and Chen shrug. "Probably."

--

Lixin makes it back to the city before MK, landing on a roof. He looks up at the giant blazing dumpling, which had gotten way too close for comfort.
As he catches his breath a voice speaks through his ear piece. "L1x1n, did you find the vase?" The male voice asks in annoyance. Lixin holds up the vase, knowing that his boss will be able to see it through the city's cameras. "Yep! Ready to go! Now how do you work this thing- just take off the lid and point it up to the sky?"

There's muttering on the other end of his earpiece before his boss's shrill voice screams through the microphone, causing Lixin to jump and almost drop the vase. "WHAT?! What do you MEAN it's the wrong vase?! L1X1N! You should've sent us a photo for confirmation! What were you doing on that mountain?!"
Lixin pales, looking at the vase in his hands in dismay. "But- the civilian said-"

"Civilian?! What civilian?!" His boss shouts, wanting an explanation. Lixin flinches, realising he really messed up. "The civilian that was also after the vase- he and the Monkie Kid were there looking for it and he said this was it-"

As he explains there's a huge gust of wind, and the monkey looks up to see a whole whirlpool of water twisting into the sky, sucking the giant blazing dumpling in and dousing the flames before disappearing completely for a few seconds, that is until there's a giant explosion that covers half the city, including landing on Lixin and covering him in dumpling soup. He tries to wipe away the disgusting soupy dumpling, extremely grossed out.

Lixin could hear his boss groaning in frustration, knowing that his boss was going to throw one of his fits. "L1x1n, get back to the base now." he says, his voice dangerously low. Lixin's shoulders droop, realising he failed another mission thanks to the Monkie Kid.

"Yes sir..."

The earpiece goes silent. Lixin looks back to the sky, growing increasingly frustrated at the Monkie Kid's heroism. This was supposed to be HIS job, not some dumb kid's with no experience! And his friends certainly weren't helping when they got in his way!

He's the hero, not that Monkie Kid.

------

A/N: *Guǎngdōng zhōu. forgive me if its wrong and tell me the right name cuz i couldn't find the transcript anywhere and i tried looking it up to make sure it was correct (kinda why i avoided using some words cuz my brain wasnt braining and the words werent processing lol) in fact if anything's wrong please tell me fjsnjsv

 

Chapter 27: KITNAPPED!

Érzi and MK were hanging out on Sandy's boat, playing a Monkey King themed card game of Uno. Mo slept on Érzi's lap, unbothered by the duo playing their game.

"HA! UNO!" Érzi says gleefully, waving his one card in the air triumphantly. MK sighs in defeat, looking at the five cards in his hands. "Man, losing to a twelve year old... good thing I have an extra trick up my sleeve. BAM!" He slams down a skip card, then another and another. Érzi's giddy smirk falls as MK places all his cards down, finally slamming the last one down: a +4. "GREEN!"
The ginger boy looks down at his blue 4 in dismay as MK cheers. "HAHA! YES! I WIN!"
Érzi scowls, throwing his card and crossing his arms. "Screw you MK!"

Sandy, coming up on the deck of his boat upon hearing the commotion, walks over to Érzi and gives him a reassuring pat on his head. "Aw come on little buddy! Don't use that kind of language. I know it sucks to lose but you have to remember to be a good sport, alright?"
Érzi huffs but nods. "Okay..."

"That's the spirit! Now! It's time to teach you boys the most important lesson of them all!" he declares, pulling out a bunch of ingredients. "How to make sleepy-time tea! Even if you don't drink it, it wouldn't hurt to know how to make some for a friend or family member!"
MK and Érzi jump to their feet, ready to make some tea. MK punches the air enthusiastically, causing the younger boy to cackle and follow his lead as Sandy keeps talking. "Follow my instructions exactly! And you'll make the BEST sleepy-time tea you've ever had!"

The two boys work together to make the tea, following Sandy's instructions. However, MK wasn't quite listening to Sandy's words when it came to the sleepy-time tea leaves, and instead of putting a pinch of the leaves in the tea, he ends up pouring two whole boxes in. Érzi wasn't paying attention to how much MK put in either, already getting the cup ready to give it to Sandy.
"Serve in your cutest, favouritist tea cup and enjoy" Sandy grins, looking down at the tea proudly. "Thanks, little mans!" He takes a sip, pausing as he notices how strong it tasted. "You DID add just a pinch, right...?"

"Eh, what's that Sandy?" MK asks as Sandy collapses, fast asleep and he starts to snore. Érzi's eyes widen in panic when Sandy falls over. "OH MY GREAT SAGE DID WE JUST KILL HIM?!" he yells, standing over the gentle blue giant in a panic. MK chuckles, giving Sandy a pat as he places a sleepy Mo on top of him. "Aw the big guy must've tuckered himself out! Don't worry, we're gonna keep him safe!" MK states, as a golden portal forms above him and Sandy. "Nothin' bads gonna happen- not on my watch!"

"Um- MK? What's that?" Érzi asks, pointing to the portal. MK looks up, and Mo lets out a terrified meow and runs away as a large wooden box wrapped in chains falls through the portal. It lands on Sandy before bouncing off, landing in front of Érzi. MK gasps, recognising who sent the package through the portal. "HO HO! I super special package from Monkey King?! Oh this day just got a whole lot more interesting." MK snickers to himself, as Érzi approaches and taps the box curiously. "What's inside? Some sort of cool and dangerous artifact?!"
"Only one way to find out!" MK pulls out a crowbar, and tries to pry the thing open. " Just gotta- open-" he manages to pry it open an inch when something flies out of the open space and hits him in the face. He pulls it off, realising it's a letter from Monkey King. "For MK? Hey! That's me!"

He starts to read it. "Dear MK, as you know I'm super busy on vacation. I've got a special delivery, but i won't be able to get to it for a while. You must not open it, no matter what, it's bad news..."
Érzi groans, laying on top of the box. "But I wanna know what's insiiiide! The suspense is killing me!"
"There's more." MK continues. "But, I know there's no way you're gonna listen to that, so I've also sent you a training blindfold. You must wear this blindfold all day. Only when you truly learn to listen can you take it off."

Érzi look around, finding a golden cloth that appears to be a blindfold. He holds it up to MK, who takes it with glee. "My next power! SUPER HEARING!" MK exclaims, putting it on without hesitation. "I can hear everything!"
"Can I try?"

Before MK could let Érzi have a turn, the two boys heard Mei screaming in despair. MK gasps, grabbing Érzi's wrist. "That sounded like someone in trouble! I better go help!" With a spin of his staff he launches into the air, dragging Érzi behind him but leaving poor Sandy and Mo alone with the now opened box.

--

"WHYYYYY?!" Mei sobbed in despair, kneeling on the ground in front of Pigsy and the delivery woman. Chen stood next to her, his arm crossed as he surveyed the situation. "Oh boy..."

MK and Érzi crash land behind the duo, surprising them. Upon turning around, Chen spots MK crawling on the ground with a blindfold on while Érzi merely brushes the dirt off his clothes, ignoring the new scrapes and cuts on his knees, hands and face. "Did- did you just fly here blindfolded-"

"MK! YOU HAVE TO PUT A STOP TO THIS!" Mei yells, running over to MK and spinning the blind boy to face the problem. "CHEN'S NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT!"
"Hey I'm not the one who didn't do his job." Chen says defensively, crossing his arms. Pigsy, upon noticing MK's presence, stomps over to him. "MK! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! This really is the final straw MK!"

Chen sighs as Pigsy continues to scold MK, going over to Érzi. "That was a rough landing buddy- you're not hurt too much are ya? I don't want to take you back home with a fractured skull or something." he asks, ruffling the boys hair. Érzi pushes his hand away. "Hey quit it! I'm fine!"

"If you say so. I gotta do some deliveries. Did you wanna come with me, or did you want to, uh... stay here with these guys?" Chen asks, gesturing behind him to MK and Mei sobbing as their game was taken away. Érzi's face scrunches up at the display. "I think I'll go with you today..."
"Alright! Then let's get going before Pigsy thinks I'm dawdling too much." Érzi snickers, quickly following Chen to his tuk-tuk and hopping inside. Making sure the boy had his seatbelt on they were off.

-----

Jade sat in the middle of the main room of the dojo, absorbed in the last chapter of Rey's book. They were supposed to be meditating, where his link with his partner was strongest, but with his Lady and his partner being dead silent he figured he'd pass the time reading.

It was much nicer than having to listen to the unwanted thoughts in his head.

The snake hears a knock on the door. He looks up, noticing the time. It was almost 12pm- they were supposed to be heading to the library with Rey to look at the books sequels. He gets up as Rey knocks again, heading to the door. "I'm coming, I'm coming..."
He opens the door, finding Rey on the other side.

Rey grins as Jade opens the door. "Hey Jade! You ready to go check out the sequels?" They ask, excited to share their hyperfixation. Jade smiles, stepping out of the dojo and closing the door. "Of course- I'm almost finished the first book. When you told me there was a whole trilogy I was relieved." Jade chuckles, remembering the insane plot twist but realising there wasn't enough pages left for the protagonist to resolve it.

"I know! The plot twist was insane! I didn't think the protagonist was gonna make it- until I learned there was a second and third book!" Rey rants, leading Jade towards the library. The snake demon pulls his hood up as he follows the young dragon.

This was better than sitting in the dojo all day.

As Rey rants on and Jade listens, the snake demons halts as he smells a familiar odor. He stops in his tracks, his red eyes narrowing as he looks into the dark alley. The stench of sewerage and fear fills his nostrils and if he listened hard enough, he could also hear something- the faint sound of a kid screaming.

"Jade? Are you okay?"

Jade glances to Rey, who had stopped talking once they realised the snake demon was no longer following them. Jade hesitates, glancing down the dark alley before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so.... something's wrong." He explains. Rey pauses, confused. "What?"
"You can head on to the library. I'll be there soon." He says. He's about to take a step into the alley when Rey stops him.

"What?! No way! We were gonna spend the day together- i-if you're gonna check something out, then I will too!" They state determinedly. Jade was surprised, since this seemed to be a first for Rey.

"...Alright fine." he sighs, and the two head into the dark alley, following the faint sounds of the screaming kid.

------

"Can we go to the arcade later on this afternoon?" Érzi asks as he takes off his seatbelt, turning in the seat so he's facing Chen who was walking up to an apartment door. Chen shrugs, not turning to face the boy as he sorts through the orders. "That won't be till after I'm finished work, but sure." He says, finally finding the order and walking up to the doors. "Don't go anywhere."

Érzi kicks his feet as he waits for the bull demon to come back to the tuk-tuk, watching him as he knocks on the door with the tenants order. Minding his own business, he doesn't notice a beat-up old van park quietly behind the tuk-tuk, the back doors sliding open as a dark figure exits.
It wasn't until he felt something moving behind him that the boy finally turns around, only for a potato sack to cover his head and something yank him into the back of the van before he could react.

The vans tires screech as it speeds away, this being the only reason Chen turns around to see what's going on. Upon seeing the van speeding away and Érzi missing, it wasn't hard to put two and two together.
Chen panics, dropping the delivery as someone answers the door. "CRAP! ÉRZI!"

"Hey man! What's the big idea-"

"HE JUST GOT KIDNAPPED!" Chen yells, charging towards his tuk-tuk and scrambling inside, not caring that he hit his horns on the way as he starts up the small vehicle and chases after the van. The man is left on his doorstep, confused and disappointed.

Chen speeds down the highway, narrowly avoiding crashing into cars as he chases the van. Weaving through traffic, he tries to keep his eyes on it, not wanting to lose it and risk losing Érzi. "I'm so stupid! Why didn't I think something like this would happen?! Of course something like this would happen!"

He yells in surprise as a car comes out of nowhere, forcing him to slam on his brakes. The car slams on its brakes as well, stopping in his path. Chen's ears flatten as he watches the van disappear from sight. He groans, slamming his head on the wheel. "Crap crap crap-"

"HEY! MOVE YOUR DANG CAR ALREADY!" An enraged driver shouts, forcing Chen to move his tuk-tuk as he shoots a glare at said driver.

He had to find Érzi, but how?!

------

Jade and Rey had followed the sounds of the child yelling into the dark alley, keeping to the shadows to avoid detection. The snake demon noticed how Rey looks around nervously, obviously having second thoughts about coming with him. But it was too late to back down now as they were almost there. The voices were just around the corner....

"LET GO OF ME! I'LL CLAW YOUR EYES OUT!" The child screams out of anger. There's another male voice, one Jade recognised. "Ugh will you shut it up already Goliath? It's giving me a head-ache."

"I tried! She bit me!"
"Did I ask that?"

Jade peers his head around the corner, spotting the source of the voices. It was the Spider Queen's henchmen, Goliath and Syntax, as well as...another spider demon? This one was way younger, though. A young teenage girl with white hair, wearing a raggedy hoodie. Instead of having mechanical spider limbs like the others, they were replaced by identical exoskeleton ones with fur on them. Goliath was restraining the girl in his arms while Syntax was looking at holographic screens, his goggles inspecting a vial in his hands.

"YOU JERKS HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE MESSING WITH! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU CAN'T USE YOUR STUPID ROBO LIMBS AGAIN!" 

"Fascinating- it appears one of the Spider Queen's bots somehow malfunctioned causing a biological mutation in this girls transformation." he ponders to himself, lifting up his goggles. "I'm sure the Spider Queen would be interested to know of this new revelation. Perhaps it could help in our next invasion- would you SHUT her UP already?!" Syntax snaps at Goliath as the girl continues to yell and curse, trying to wriggle free of the larger spider demons grasp.

Goliath scoffs as he tightens his grip. "If it's so easy why don't you do it?! YOW!" he yelps in pain as the girl bites down on his arm. He grabs the back of her jacket, now holding her in the air out of reach. "Would you stop that?! That's the fifth time you've bitten me in the last ten minutes!"

"BITE ME!"

Syntax groans in annoyance, shooting a bunch of webbing at the girl, quickly restraining her. "THERE. Was that so hard?"

"MOTHERFU- YOU THINK THIS'LL STOP ME?! I'LL GET OUTTA HERE AND YOU'LL-"

"Oh shut UP!" 

As the two spider henchmen begin to bicker, Jade steps back around the corner, turning to Rey. "I'll be a diversion, you go cut the kid free. Got it?"
Rey nods, clutching their bag tightly. The snake demon jumps up onto the wall of the alley, walking around the corner silently and out of the spider henchmen's view. Looking up, the dragon watches as Jade walks across the alleys walls above the spider henchmen, sneaking past them easily as he heads to the other side of the alley. Rey starts leaning over, keeping an eye on Jade so that they were ready for the signal. He's about to jump down when Rey accidentally falls over onto a trash can, knocking it over and causing a loud crash.

The alarmed spider henchmen quickly turn around to face the sound, Syntax being the first to rush over, finding Rey sprawled on the ground.

"Well well well, if it isn't the other little dragon working with that Monkie Kid."

------

Érzi's hands were tied behind his back with rope while the same potato sack was covering his head, blocking his view. But by the sound of a voice in the front and the revving of an engine, it wasn't hard to tell that he was in a vehicle of some kind. That and the way he was being jostled around gave it away.

"I got the kid, heading back to base now." A deep male voice says from the front. Ah, so there was only one of them. Well that was good, right? Nothing he can't handle.

Érzi slips his hands free of the rope with ease, rubbing his wrist before taking the sack off his head. He looks around, realising he's in the back of a van. They go over another bump, causing Érzi to yelp as he lands on his butt. "Hey! Do you have to drive so fast?! That's dangerous you know!"
"Quiet back there brat!" The man snaps, not even bothering to look back.

The van comes to a screeching halt, and Érzi almost hits his head on the inside of the van. The large man in the front gets out, the young boy left alone in the van for a moment. OUtside, three pairs of voices could be heard, all males by the sounds of it. The boy gets to his feet, preparing to fight or flee when the doors were opened.

"Geez this kid has been gettin' on my nerves these past few weeks." One voice exclaims. "At least now we can keep an eye on them-"

The doors open, blinding Érzi for a moment as light floods in. Before the boy could react one of the men gasp in shock. "FOR SAGE'S SAKE- BO YOU GOT THE WRONG KID!" One of the voices shouts. Érzi rubs his eyes, his vision coming back to him.
Before him stood three demons. One tall, muscular one with tiny horns that looked like the one driving the van, another about the same height as Chen that wore a jacket, and another, much smaller imp-looking fella. The imp-sized one was the one yelling at the big buff demon. "I TOLD YOU IT WAS A SPIDER! A SPI-DER! WHAT ABOUT THIS KID LOOKS LIKE A SPIDER?!"

"HEY HE LOOKED LIKE A SPIDER FROM THE ANGLE I SAW HIM OKAY?!" The big buff demon tries to defend himself. Érzi watches them arguing, stunned. What the hell was happening?
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! HE DOESN'T EVEN FIT THE DANG DESCRIPTION I GAVE YOU!" The small demon screams back.
The third demon cringes upon realising their mistake, turning to Érzi with an apologetic look. "Hey sorry about all this kid- this must've been really scary for ya huh?" He says awkwardly, holding out a hand to help Érzi out of the van. The boy steps out by himself, still confused by what was going on. "Uh- who are you guys? What's going on?"

The two other demons stop arguing for a moment, turning to look at Érzi. The big buff demon clears his throat, looking away out of shame. The imp-sized demon rolls his eyes. "We're the Demon Brothers, descendents of the Golden Tiger or something, yada yada that's not really important- and as to what's going on, we were trying to find some kid who keeps stealing our stuff, and this genius-" he points to the big buff demon. "Our little brother Bo picked you up by mistake."

"You said some kid that looked like they were 12 or 13 with a blue hoodie!" Bo tries to explain, but the smaller demon just scoffs. "And the spider part? Did that just fly over your dumb head?"
"Hey chill out Bolin, you don't need to be so mean-"

Bolin groans, rubbing his eyes. "Aiguo can you please take the kid back to where Bo found him? Now I gotta figure out a plan to find the ACTUAL thief...." He mutters, walking into a dingy old house, and was soon followed by Bo. Aiguo sighs, walking over to the van. "Sorry about all this kid. That thief has been stealing our supplies for months now- and we only just got a glimpse of them the other night. We've tried everything to catch them- but they keep evading our traps! You can hop up front if you want."

Érzi climbs into the front of the van, sitting in the passenger seat as Aiguo climbs into the drivers side. "Why don't you try writing a letter or something?"
"Huh?"
"Maybe they're homeless, and that's why they keep stealing your stuff. Maybe instead of trying to catch them, why not offer them a place to stay?" The boy suggests. The demon gives Érzi a weird look. "That's... not really how this stuff works-"

Érzi only shrugs as Aiguo pulls out of the small driveway, heading back to where Bo had originally taken him from. "It wouldn't hurt to try though, would it?"
Aiguo hums, now concentrating on driving. "Meh, I guess..."

-------

"Well well well, if it isn't the other little dragon working with that Monkie Kid." Syntax hisses, placing the vial he'd been holding into his pocket. "I think you and I both know we can't have you running off and blabbering our business to that monkey buffoon." he states, reaching out to grab Rey. The young dragon scrambles back. "NO NO NO GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Just as Syntax was about to grab Rey a guandao slices through the air, stabbing into the spider demons sleeve and pinning him to the wall. Goliath and Syntax snap their attention to the wall above the larger spider demon, spotting Jade pulling out another guandao from his sleeve.

Syntax growls, yanking the weapon out of the wall. "Goliath! Grab the dragon- I'll handle the snake. Nobody ruins my coat and gets away with it!" Goliath nods, putting the spider girl down. The spider girl was still trying to free herself from the webbing. "Hey you big ugly robo jerk! Get back here and untie me!"
Goliath ignores her as he starts chasing poor Rey, the dragon screaming as they run away from the larger spider. "Get back here!"

Bringing out his mechanical spider limbs, Syntax charges towards Jade, climbing along the alley's walls with ease. The snake leaps down to meet him, spinning his weapon before trying to spear the spider demon. Syntax blocks it with ease with two of his spider limbs.
"I recognise you. You're one of the demons the Spider Queen kidnapped during the invasion! That Jade Warrior!" he hissed, his goggles lighting up as he activates a laser gun.

Jade stumbles back to avoid the weapon, using his weapon as a shield as he spins it to deflect the lasers. Syntax grins, using this opportunity to attack the snake demon. "I'm sure bringing you to the Spider Queen would be a great opportunity to win her respect."

As Jade and Syntax fight, in the background Rey starts running in circles around Goliath, being smaller and more agile it wasn't too difficult. But he was still dang fast.
"Get back here you little reptile!" Goliath yells in annoyance, getting sick of chasing the dragon in circles. Of course Rey doesn't listen and runs towards a ladder leading up to the roof. They start to climb, soon followed by Goliath. "You can't run from me!"

They reach the top, disappearing over the ledge. Goliath follows quickly after, jumping up with ease. He looks around, realising Rey was no where in sight. He growls lowly, skulking around the rooftop in search of the dragon.
The door leading down and inside swings slightly, catching his attention. Realising it was the only place they could've gone on the small roof, he quickly charges inside. "I've got you now!"

As Goliath charges through the door and down the stairs, Rey cautiously sneaks out from behind the door, grateful that the spider henchman was too dumb to check there. They rush back to the edge of the roof, climbing down the ladder to the tied up spider girl.
The spider girl, who had previously been trying to bite her way out of the webbing encasing her, looks up to see Rey running over to her. "Back off bucko! I'll bite ya!"

Rey holds up their hands to show they mean no harm. "Hey I'm here to help you!" they explain, reaching into their bag and pulling out a small pocket knife, cutting through the sticky webbing. "Gross gross gross gross-"

"Shut up you big baby and just get me outta here!" The girl spat out, startling Rey enough to shut them up. Just as Rey finished cutting the last of the webbing off the spider girl, the dragon freezes as they hear Jade scream in pain.
They look up to see Syntax had stabbed one of his spider limbs into Jade's shoulder, pinning him in place.

"Come on! We can go while he's distracted!" The spider girl hisses, trying to tug the dragon away as Rey starts to panic. Syntax and Jade were too high for them to help, unless....

The dragon rips the golden band off their wrist, their hands shaking as they aim it up to the sky. The spider girl steps back, letting go of Rey. "What the heck are you doing?!" 
Dark clouds begin to form above them, the spider too oblivious to them as he was too focused on the snake demon. Jade, however, could see the sky clearly, watching in bewilderment as lightning lit up the sky, all while Rey was standing on the ground below.

"Say goodnight, Jade Warrior." Syntax snickers as he points some kind of gun at the snake demon. However, a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky, striking Syntax and his mechanical limbs. He yells in pain, both he and Jade dropping to the ground.
Once they hit the ground, Rey quickly puts the gold band back on, the thunder clouds remaining in the sky as they rush over to Jade before Syntax could recover. They help the snake demon to their feet, placing his arm around their shoulders as they begin to drag him away.

The spider girl, who had previously been standing beside Rey in stunned silence, was about to follow the pair when she stops, turning back to Syntax and rummaging through his pocket, pulling out the vial that contained her blood within. She looks at it for a moment, before smashing the vial on the ground, breaking it. "Suck on that!" She also steals his wallet before running off, leaving Syntax on the ground as thunder rumbled overhead.

-------

"You're older brother is kind of a baby, throwing a tantrum like that." Érzi says as the other demon, Aiguo, drove up to the dock- a place the young boy had requested be dropped off. Aiguo shrugs, pulling over. "He's just been stressed out recently, that's all. He means well, he can just be a bit too bossy at times. Older brothers, am I right?"
"I don't have an older brother. Or any siblings." Érzi explains, hopping out of the car. "Thanks for dropping me off Mr. Aiguo! I hope I can see you again some time." The boy says as Aiguo rolls down his window, leaning out. "No problem, kiddo. Sorry again for that whole kidnapping mess-"

Something large crashes into the roof of the van, causing Aiguo to scream in fear as fist grabs him from above and yanks him onto the roof of the vehicle. The demons terrified and shocked gaze lands on a certain enraged bull demons green one. "WHERE THE HELL IS HE YOU CREEP-"
"WOAH HEY WHAT THE HECK MAN-"

"Chen? How did you know I was here?"

Chen doesn't loosen as he looks down to see Érzi standing next to the van, unharmed. Chen drops the demon and jumps off the roof, kneeling in front of the young boy worriedly as he checks the boy over. "Oh my great sage you're okay- are you hurt? They didn't hurt you did they? I swear if they hurt you-" The bull demon turns back to the van with a snarl, glaring at the cowering demon.
Érzi waves him off. "I'm fine, geez! This was all just a big misunderstanding- they thought I was someone else." The boy explains. Chen looks back at Érzi, confused. "What do you mean- were they trying to kidnap another kid or something??"
"Well, yes and no- they're trying to catch a thief."
"...by kidnapping kids??"

"How did you find me anyway?" Érzi asks, trying to change the subject. Chen rubs his eyes, his tail flicking in annoyance. "Some random guy in a robe told me he saw the van driving to the docks, so I came as soon as I could."
"A robed guy?" Érzi asks in confusion. As they chatted, Aiguo crawls back into his van, starting it up again. "I thought you said you didn't have an older brother kid!" He says, speeding off. Chen jumps up, facing the van. "HEY GET BACK HERE WE'RE NOT DONE!"

"Chen leave him alone! He was just dropping me off!" Érzi explained in annoyance, gesturing to Sandy's boat at the dock. The bull demon turns to Érzi, his ears flat against his head as he glares at the young boy. "Érzi you have no idea what could've happened, do you? What if he wanted to eat you, huh? Or sell you off or something else?! What would I tell your dad?! "Oh I'm so sorry Mr. Míhóu, your son was kidnapped"?!"
"Hey I can handle myself!" Érzi exclaims, crossing his arms. Chen rolls his eyes. "Just like you could handle yourself when you were attacked by Macaque?"

Érzi falls quiet, looking away with an unreadable expression. Chen sighs, ruffling his hair much to his annoyance. "I was worried about you, buddy. I thought I'd have to go to your father and tell him you're gone with the knowledge that it was my fault for not keeping a better eye on you."
"...now that you put it that way, I think I finally understand Bolin."

Chen pauses, blinking stupidly as he looks down at the young boy. "Who the heck is Bolin?"

------

Jade hisses in pain as Rey pulls the bandages tight over his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "Sorry..." the dragon apologises quietly, their hands still shaking a little as they finish putting on the bandage.

Rey had dragged the snake demon to the safety of the library, the pretty loud spider demon girl in tow. The trio sat towards the back of the library out of sight, listening to the weather report commenting on the unusual and sudden storm that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The girl had found a book to her liking, something about the "most gruesome deaths in history", but at least she was being quiet now.

"Uh, thanks for saving me back there... you didn't need to kid." Jade says, rolling his shoulder to test it. He immediately regrets it when pain shoots up his shoulder, making him wince. The dragon merely shrugs, putting the first aid kit away. "I mean you did save me back with the Spider Queen's bots, so I think it's fair I had to help you out." They say, almost dropping the first aid kit as they start to take it to the back.

"You're hands are shaking kiddo."

Rey pauses, looking back at the snake demon. He was sitting down at the table, his fingers tapping on the surface nervously as he eyes the weather on the tv, the reporter talking about it's unusual nature and how the weather station was working to dispose of it to bring everyone another sunny day. "You didn't want to use your power and you still did. Why?" He asks, turning his gaze back to Rey. Rey lets out a shaky sigh. "You're my friend. And I didn't want to just sit by anymore...."
Jade hums, looking back at the tv. Just like Chen. "Well.... thanks again, kiddo..." he finally says quietly, watching as Rey disappears into the back with the first aid kit.

Rey places the kit back on the top shelf from where it came from. As they bring their arms back down, they look at the hand they'd used to summon the storm. It was barely noticeable, but there was a faint blue glow in their veins. A side effect that'll last a few hours. That and now their hand felt hot and shaky. They knew they shouldn't have done it, but they couldn't think of any other way to help.
At least this time they didn't cause a cyclone or something.

They step back in the room in time to see the spider girl starting to act up again, already finished reading her book. "I could've taken down that smaller spider demon if the big guy didn't show up!" she declares, many of the people in the library hush her, causing her to turn to them with a glare. "Bite me!"

"M-ma'am, please quiet down. You can shout all you want when we leave." Rey says quietly. The girl sits down on a beanbag, crossing her arms while her spider limbs twitch behind her, creeping the dragon out. "Well when can we leave?"
"Um... when we know for sure we're safe? But you need to be quiet in here, okay?" The girl huffs in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "What can I do till then?"
"Uh, I can boot up a computer for you?" Rey suggests. The girl tilts her head, thinking it over. "Fine."

Rey inwardly sighs in relief, going to start up a computer for her. Once that was down the girl sits down at the desk, her spider limbs moving to tap the keyboard. Rey goes to walk away when she speaks up. "Thanks for saving me back there, or whatever." Her voice was quiet and still aggressive, but Rey could tell she meant it. "No problem, ma'am! Just try to avoid those guys from now on..."
The spider girl snickers, tapping away at the keyboard as a maniacal grin comes across her face. "No promises."

Sitting back down next to Jade, Rey sighs in relief. "So... did you want to check out that trilogy now?" 

 

----------

A/N: Not me realising Goliath's name isn't actually Goliath, it's what the fans called him. I honestly don't know why i'm writing in this style recently i guess so i'm not stuck on just one pov for too long? and also so you guys can see what they're doing during the episodes? Idk should i keep writing like this? or should i put them into 2 chapters or something
(Also the spider girl being kinda Uzi coded is so funny honestly)

The next chapter will definately be more Chen focused

Chapter 28: Sweet'n'Sour

Jade and Chen stood face to face, the snake demon brandishing one of his guandao's while his student wields another. The bull demon charges first, holding the guandao like Jade had taught him to as he goes in for a strike. The snake demon easily dodges, and thus the two begin to spar. 

It didn't take long for Jade to overpower his student, forcing Chen to drop the guandao before sweeping his feet out from under him with his tail. The trick works as Chen falls to the ground with an "oomph!". "Hey! No fair!"
"You were the one who wanted to spar with my guandao's, even though the weapon clearly isn't for you." Jade states, pulling the young demon to his feet again. Chen huffs, brushing the dirt off his pants, but the grin gave way that he didn't really care. "So why did you want to practise with my guandao's?" Jade asks curiously as he puts both his weapons away. At his question his student shrugs. "You know, just for more experience and what not- hey, do you know anything about fire powers?" the bull demon asks suddenly as he puts on his work jacket. 

The snake demon pauses, looking back at Chen. "Well, not really- I don't have pyrokinesis myself. Why do you ask?" he questions, thinking it has something to do with the bull demons biological brother. Chen hums, glancing down at his hand as he remembers the incident with the idiotic driver the other day. "No reason. Oh shoot! I better get going, I'm running late- see ya tomorrow Jade!" Chen calls out with a grin as he runs out the door, barely giving the snake demon enough time to say goodbye. "Oh- bye."

Chen rushes out the door, running down the street towards Pigsy's Noodles. He hadn't used the tuk-tuk that day since MK was using the only one the night prior. The second had to be repaired due to an... "incident" with the noodle shops new rivals. But thankfully he didn't have to pick up Érzi that day, since apparently his father had a day free from work.  

He finally makes it to the noodle shop, noticing that MK was inside sitting at the counter ranting about something while holding an ice-pack to his bruised head. The bull demon glances up at the clock, noticing how he was five minutes late. Pigsy wouldn't care, right-

"CHEN! You're late!"

Ah, nuts. Chen turns around to face the pig man, who gives him a disapproving look. "Where were you? You're almost never late!" he points out. "Was it those speedy panda punks again?"
The bull demon glances at MK and the bruises on his face. "...yes."
Pigsy growls, frustrated by this news as his hands clench into fists. "Those punks with their flashy frozen microwaved junk! Convenience can never replace a traditional, home cooked family recipe." He declares, gesturing to a picture board displaying photos of his family, specifically one of a young Pigsy and his mother smiling at the camera. 

MK lowers the ice pack from his head as Chen starts putting his hair up into a bun to keep it out of the way of his work, careful not to get it caught up in his horns and ears. The bull demon stops and cringes as MK says his next words. 
"Yeah, but they do do it quicker."

Pigsy spins around to face the boy with a glare, and MK laughs nervously as he realises his mistake. "All I'm saying is, maybe you could afford to pick up the pace?" he adds sheepishly. It didn't help his case, though. As Pigsy starts yelling at MK about how HE'S the delivery driver, Chen disappears into the kitchen to cook. 

As Chen gets to work, he could hear his father go on a rant about how his noodles were carefully made from scratch with love and care. As he finishes his rant, Tang chuckles and pipes up. "Don't you worry about me, Pigsy! I'm a loyal customer!"
"More like a loyal freeloader."

Tang gasps, offended by the pig mans words. And Chen couldn't help but burst out laughing from the kitchen, making Tang even more offended. MK's voice rings out through the noodle shop before Tang could retort, causing Chen to peer around the corner with a raised brow and a smirk. "I'm telling you Pigsy! If something doesn't change, we're gonna be run out of business!" he exclaims. Chen scoffs, leaning on the doorway. "I think it'll take a little more than that to run Pigsy outta business. Like you not doing your job for one."
"You two just don't get it." Pigsy interrupts. "I poured my heart into this place! From the pots, to the utensils, even my grandmothers antique windows!" As he says this though, gesturing to the beautifully designed windows, a brick smashes through the window startling them. 
Chen immediately gets up, rushing outside to find the culprit. As soon as he reaches the door a motor bike's engine could be heard revving up before speeding away, not giving the bull demon a chance to see who was responsible for the damage.

"There's a note?" MK points out, pointing to the brick on the kitchen floor, and sure enough he was right. Pigsy picks up the note and opens it, the others crowding around to take a closer look. Tang hums thoughtfully, reading it aloud. "Attention: Pigsy's Noodles. Prepare for your worst nightmare. We challenge you to "Food Wars", to determine which restaurant truly reigns supreme. Signed, Speedy Panda."
"Did they have to throw a brick through our dang window-"

"So, someone gonna tell me what the donk "Food Wars" is?" MK asks, to which Pigsy huffs and scrunches up the note. "Food Wars! The ultimate arena for chefs to duke it out, where the victors are hailed supreme above all others! Speedy Panda, I accept your challenge!" Pigsy declares. 

----

Chen looks around the arena as the announcer talks over the speakers, noticing the crowds and crowds of people. Some were wearing Speedy Panda merch, while others were waving signs for Pigsy's Noodles. The bull demon glances to MK and Pigsy, the former looking around excitedly at the crowd. 

"Introducing first for Pigsy's Noodle Shop: Pigsy and his assistants, MK and Chen!" the narrator introduces, gesturing to the trio. Chen looks around in surprise. They had all driven here with Tang, but now the older man was nowhere to be found. "Uh where's Tang-"

A bunch of dust kicking up distracts him, Mk and he coughing as they wave the dirt away. "And their opponents: Speedy Panda Convenience Mart! And it's owners: these guys!" the narrator says. As the dust clears, Chen could see that the Speedy Panda delivery drivers were standing opposite them, and behind them...

"Remember us, Monkie Kid?" A familiar voice calls out, and the bull demon whips his head up to face the duo standing behind the Speedy Panda's. "Ugh, not these idiots..."
"We're your worst enemies, Jin!"
"And Yin!" the two demons pose, cackling maniacally. "The Gold and Silver Demons!" 

The crowds cheer, but Mk and Chen were left dumbfounded. "I'm sorry, who-" MK asks, genuinely confused about their identity. Chen face palms, turning to his brother. "How can you not remember these morons?" he says incredulously. He remembered the demons all too well from the calabash. How could he NOT? They practically dumped the largest lore drop on him in the worst way. 

Pigsy steps between the two boys and the demons, also unamused by this turn of events. "I don't even know you guys! What do ya got against my restaurant?!"  he demands, pointing an accusatory finger at the duo. Ying grins, speaking up first. "So here's the plan, right? We figure if we put your noodle shop out is business, then Noodle Boy is out of a job!" 
Jin nods along. "And if he's out of a job, he'll starve! Which will make him weak and then-"

"We'll finally be able to destroy him!" They both laugh at their devious plan, which infuriated Pigsy even more. Chen was fully on board with the Pig man, he was NOT going to let this slide after what they've done to him.

--

Chen sat on his bike next to MK, who was in this tuk-tuk, waiting for the announcer to finish talking. The first competition was a race, where Pigsy would have to toss ingredients to the two boys for the next competition and they'd have to rush to the kitchen area of the arena. Once the announcer counted down from three Pigsy practically threw ingredients at the two boys, Chen catching them pretty easily due to working in the kitchen with Pigsy for so long. But of course the stray vegetable flew a little too far out of his reach.
Once they were done MK and Chen sped off, the bull demon now noticing that one of the Speedy Panda workers was already ahead of them. 

Revving his bike, Chen speeds ahead of the worker which he didn't like, and clashed his own bike into him. Chen was able to throw him off easily, cackling like a madman. "So long loser!"
That was when he noticed a hissing sound. He looks down, realising his bike had a flat tire. "What the?! There's no way-" he looks up to see the worker speeding off, grinning from ear to ear as he went after MK. "CHEATER! THAT HAS TO BE AGAINST THE RULES!"

--

Chen glares at the Speedy Panda workers with a glare, still salty that they got to get away with that stupid cheater move. Pigsy pats his shoulder. "Don't worry, kid- we'll get the last laugh when we win the competition." 

The bull demon growls in frustration as their opponents snicker, turning to instead put his focus on the announcer. "In Round 2, competitors will put their culinary prowess to the test in a cook-off with the winner being chosen by a panel of precariously selected judges!" 

"They better not be hacked or something." Chen mutters to himself, turning to help Pigsy with the cooking part. The two rush around the kitchen, Chen helping Pigsy whenever he can while MK waited to serve the judges their meal. The young man glances between the duo then to the count down board, getting increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked by. "Pigsy we gotta move!" he claims. Pigsy scoffs, stirring the pot. "I told you, MK. Good food takes time-" he starts, only to be cutoff by the cranky bull demon. "WE KNOW MK! Don't rush us!" he turns back to the pig man. "Is this missing something? I feel like it's missing something."

"Exactly what I was thinking-" Just as Pigsy agrees, Jin "accidentally" drops a bottle into the soup, the twins giggling to themselves as Chen whips around to face them fast he almost got whiplash. "Oops! Clumsy us!" The two scurry off, steam practically blowing out of Chen's ears. 
MK starts to freak out, and Chen very much understood why. They didn't have enough time to restart the meal, it was ruined-

"That was... that was actually what it was missing!" Pigsy declares, much to the boys relief. They finish setting up, before MK rushed off with the bowls of noodles just as the gong striked, signalling the timer finished. 

--

Pigsy, MK and Chen stood in front of the judge's table with their prepared meal, Jin and Yin holding their own "meal" beside them. The spot lights turn on, facing the three chairs as the suspense builds. "Both the competitors must now present their culinary creations to our panel of judges." The announcer states as the first judge is revealed. "Introducing our first judge: Princess Iron Fan!" 

Chen freezes in place, staring at the celestial princess in stunned silence. She sat at the judge's table, seemingly looking annoyed at just being here. How the hell did they get her here? WHY was she here?

MK stands protectively in front of the silent bull demon, pointing an accusatory finger at her. "Ah, you've come to tussle with the champ?!" he declares, ready to roll up his sleeve. But Princess Iron Fan rolls her eyes at his words. "Oh, please. Like I have energy to waste on you, Noodle Boy." she scoffs, gesturing to the two idiotic demons beside the heroes. "I'm here to settle a debt and that's all. Knew I shouldn't have made that blood-oath." she mutters the last part to herself. 
Pigsy glances at Chen, noticing how silent he was during the exchange. The pig man could see that the young demons fur was bristled, his eyes glued to the princess. 

His gaze was cold, full of hatred towards the princess. Even after the small reconciling with the Demon Bull King and Red Son, he hadn't forgiven her for everything. After all, Red Son had confirmed it was her idea to try and brainwash him. And she hasn't even tried apologising for it yet. 
And when she glanced over to him, briefly making eye contact before looking away- that just made his blood boil with rage. It took all he had to not go marching up to her, to demand her reasoning. 

But he had to focus on the competition right now. Hopefully she won't run away again after this circus show was over.

"Judge number two is none other than the Monkey King!" the announcer snaps the young bull out of his thoughts, looking towards the second chair in shock as a familiar face sat there. "Monkey King?!"
"MONKEY KING!"

"I, Monkey King, fully endorse this product or sports event." The crappily recorded voice of Monkey King speaks, and Chen realised with disappointment that the Great Sage hadn't returned from his vacation. It was merely a cardboard cut out. 
What did surprise him, however, was the reveal of the third judge. For sitting in the last seat was none other than Tang, happily waving at the crowd of silent people. "And judge number 3, and apparently a fan favourite- this guy!" 
"Thanks for having me! Great to be here!" 

MK cheers and pumps his fist excitedly, and Chen couldn't help but feel relieved that Tang was one of the judges. He knew he'd never vote against Pigsy's food. However when he turned to his father, the pig man was anything but excited. In fact, he looked nervous as he held his food, knees shaking as Tang peers down at him from his high judgy throne. "Uh pops? Is something wrong?"  he asks, but he doesn't answer. MK is the one to put two and two together. "Oh, he's probably worried Tang's gonna vote against him as some form of revenge for always treating him like garbage all the time. Right? Is that it?"

OH. Oh that'd be bad. There's no WAY Tang would be that petty, would he?

"Would you shush!" Pigsy shushes him, glancing back at Tang. 

The announcer speaks up once more, interrupting any further conversation. "First up, is Speedy Panda with what looks like an assortment of mushy dim sum filled with..." he trails off as Jin and Yin reveals their food. "Mystery meat!"
"With a side of deep-fried spring rolls topped with whatever sauce was in this packet. It's edible... enough."
Princess Iron Fan looks at the meal in disgust, pushing it with her chopsticks, not even daring to try it. "I'll take your word for it..."

Even from his position Chen could see the flies hovering over the monstrous concoction of food. He gags at just the sight alone, he couldn't bring himself to think of what it tasted like. Lucky for them, Tang was the one who had to sacrifice his taste buds. 
Tang takes a bite, his expression immediately scrunching up with repulsion before spitting out the abomination of a meal. 
The Monkey King cardboard cutout doesn't move, just repeating the same lines it was programmed with. "Thank you for your interest in the Monkey King and the Monkey King branded items!"

Now came Pigsy's turn. As the announcer talks over the speaker, he steps forth with his own tray. He displays it to the judges, keeping his cool even as he gave his bowl to Tang. "This is a family recipe: Xinjiang pulled noodle soup! Qing man yong!"

Tang pushes up his glasses dramatically, taking a bite of his his dish. Chen glances away from his secondary father figure to stare at Princess Iron Fan. As she takes a bite of hers there's a split second where she pauses, savouring the delicious food as a single tear rolls down her cheek. However she quickly composes herself, crossing her arms. "There's no way I'm voting for your restaurant. My vote's for Speedy Panda." She states, making her choice. Chen scowls, catching the princess's attention but she makes a point to ignore him. 

Tang stands up, gaining everyone's attention. "Well, well, well. i've been waiting a long time to say this to you, Pigsy." He says, pausing for dramatic effect. It works, the pig man left sweating as the suspense builds. "My vote goes to..."

C'mon Tang, don't do it-

"Pigsy's Noodles!" Chen and Pigsy both breathe a sigh of relief. "Of course it does! His food is a work of genius!" Jin and Yin weren't so pleased with this outcome, vocalising their disappointment. 

"That's one vote for Speedy Panda and one vote for Pigsy's! It all comes down to judge number 3!" the announcer states, pointing to the cardboard cutout of Monkey King. Everyone looks towards the old cutout. For a moment it stands there, starting another one of it's prerecorded lines before it suddenly tilts, bending over before falling headfirst into Pigsy's dish. Everyone stands there in silence, confused for a second on what just happened, before MK quickly pipes up. "HE ENDORSED PIGSY'S! He endorsed it!" 
Apparently it counts, for Pigsy's won the second round. Chen grins, elbowing MK. "Nice."

After losing the second round, Jin and Yin glance to each other, getting an idea. Jin turns to Pigsy, grinning. "Alright, Pigsy! What say we up the ante a bit? Let's make this final contest sudden death!" 
"Yeah, loser has to close their restaurant forever!" Yin pipes up. While MK seemed a bit hesitant, Chen and Pigsy were quick to jump in. "Don't have to ask us twice! We'll mop the floor with you dorks!" 
"Prepare to lose, cheaters!" 

MK was about to speak up when the announcer interrupts him for round 3. "And now the final competition: Mascot combat!" The three heroes were left confused at the announcement, turning around to see Jin and Yin had brought out their mascot: a panda mech. MK scoffs at the sight. "Yeah, cool. Nice death machine! That ain't got nothing on our..." he pauses, grimacing as the trio turn to see their Food truck breaking down and falling apart. "Okay, so, we might have a little problem..."

Chen and Pigsy now realise their mistake. They got too cocky. Pigsy looks back at the panda mech, already giving up hope of winning this fight. "I can't believe it. I dedicated my life to that shop but now I'm gonna lose it to a couple of demons because I was too arrogant to stand down. You were right, MK. No one cares for tradition or centuries-old recipes. They're being forgotten and replaced by instant microwavable junk." He starts to break down at the realisation. Chen looks down at him, glancing at MK before the two nod in determination. They knew how much Pigsy's shop meant to him, and they damn well weren't gonna let these demons win. Chen places a hand on Pigsy's shoulder. "We're gonna stop you right there, pops. You're not gonna just give up after we've come so far are ya?" 
"Yeah, there's no way we're gonna back down now! I may not understand your irrational love for noodles, or working hard, or being angry all the time, but you are always there when we need you. So it's time for us to return the favor!" MK asserts quite aggressively, summoning his staff. "BECAUSE PIGSY'S NOODLES ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR!" 

With that the young man throws Pigsy into the air, Chen jumping up to follow suit as MK says his catchphrase. "Here... comes... Monkie Pig!" 
Well, kind of his catchphrase.

MK uses his staff to transform the broken down food truck into the Noodle Tank, stunning the demon brothers. MK, Pigsy and Chen stood a top it, ready to battle. "Us little guys are fighting back! Your tyrannical reign over the food sector in this city is over!" MK starts his hero speech, quickly backed up by Tang. "No amount of convenience will ever win the hearts of us food lovers!" 
"Tang!"
"I was never gonna vote against you, old friend!"

Jin and Yin get in their mech, the two foes getting ready to fight- when all of a sudden another demon, Jin and Yin's accountant, steps in and breaks up the two before they could fight. 
She holds up a clipboard toward Jin and Yin as they ask what the problem is, explaining how after they spent their money on the panda mech, they didn't have enough money to pay their drivers, claiming them bankrupt. 
Pigsy had to cover MK's eyes as the Speedy Panda drivers, now enraged that they weren't going to be paid, attack Jin and Yin. 

As they fought for their lives, Chen looks away from Jin and Yin to check the judges seats, which were empty. Princess Iron Fan was gone. Again. 

--

Chen enters the back area of the judge's seats, seeing it empty. It infuriated that the princess had fled without a word, again-

"Child." 

The bull demon freezes, turning toward the place he entered. Princess Iron Fan stood there, her usual unbothered and annoyed expression now unreadable. "I figured you wouldn't want to speak to me. But if that's the case, then why are you seeking me out?" She asks, getting straight to the point. 

Chen pauses, now at a loss. He honestly never thought he'd get this far. Last time they saw each other was when they were fighting for that strange key. 
Yet here she was, the Princess Iron Fan. His mother. 

"I... I want answers. I want to know why you tried to brainwash me, how we even got in this mess at all- how was I seperated from you in the first place-" He looks at her, searching for something in her unreadable expression, anything. "I- I was kidnapped, wasn't I?"

There it was. As Chen said those words, a look of grief fell over her expression before she quickly composed herself. "When I saw you at the Great Wall Race... I wasn't thinking clearly when  made that decision. For that I am sorry, child. As for how we were separated- that's also true. And I don't even know by whom." she explains, stepping closer. Chen's gaze lowers to the floor as she continues. "My friend and I searched all over the mortal realm for you, yet we couldn't find a trace of you or your kidnapper. After a century, we assumed you were killed."

Princess Iron Fan gently placed a hand under his chin, lifting the young bull demons head up to look him in the eyes. Chen could see the guilt and regret in her eyes as she looked him over. "You've grown so much... I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, my son. But maybe it was for the best." 

Chen was silent, confused by her words. But when he opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted by MK and Pigsy calling him from outside. The two of them turn to the entrance before Princess Iron Fan sighs, stepping back. "If you ever want to talk more, I'm sure that dragon girl has Red Son's phone number." she says simply, bringing out her fan. 

"Goodbye, Chen."

With a gust of wind she was gone, leaving Chen alone. For a moment he stood there, his mind reeling as he thought over their small interaction. 

"Chen? Oh! Chen! There you are!" MK says, opening the curtains. "What are you doing in here? We're about to head back to the shop- you coming?" he asks, tilting his head as he looks at his brother in mild confusion. Chen glances to the spot Princess Iron Fan had been standing moments before. "Yeah yeah, I'm coming..."

--

After winning the championship the heroes return to the Noodle Shop, where Pigsy, Tang and Chen sat at the counter while MK returned from the kitchen carrying a bowl of freshly made noodles. "Order up! I don't know if I got the broth right..." MK explains as he serves Pigsy his recipe. Pigsy chuckles, taking a bite. "It's alright, kid. You got plenty of time to learn. Hey, guys, thanks for having my back, back there..." he adds, and all three could tell how truly grateful he was. "You know it."
"Always!" 
"We'd never let ya down pops."

Another voice pipes up, surprising them all. It came from the Monkey King cardboard cutout that MK had INSISTED should come back to the shop. It's voice came out glitchy. "Believe in yourself. Even a smidge makes all the difference."

MK gasps, pointing to it. "He- he kind of said the thing!" Pigsy and Tang laugh, Chen smiling to himself. But his mind was elsewhere, thinking about Princess Iron Fan and the Demon Bull family. And for once, he felt at peace. 

-----

Jade sat peacefully in the darkness of the dojo, engrossed in the book on his lap and the only source of light coming from a candle nearby. 

All was quiet, until a familiar voice jolts the snake demon out of his concentration, causing him to quickly shove the book into his coat. 
"Greetings, partner. Our Lady awaits." the voice hisses from behind him, cold and full of... glee?

Jade turns around, seeing the Chief of War- or, well, the mayor in this time, apparently- standing there, that same creepy smile on his face. But there was something different this time. He seemed almost a little too excited. "She what?"

"Our Lady wants to speak to you, Jade Warrior." the chief of war explains, opening a portal behind him before giving the snake demon a mocking bow. "Better not keep her waiting, friend."

Jade hesitantly gets to his feet, glancing at the smiling man before entering the portal. 

The area was cold and dark, but by the smell Jade could tell he was underneath the city, within the Spider Queen's Silken Web Cave somewhere. Luckily for him, there was no sight of the Queen or her henchmen.
Using his heat vision he looks around, noticing a cave entrance ahead glowing a faint blue. He walks towards it, the chief of war following behind him eerily silently. The only reason he knew the man was there was by his heat vision. 

Entering the cavern, Jade stops in his tracks at the sight before him. There in the center of the room was a large blueprint for the Bone mech. And in front of it, with her back turned to him, was the Lady Bone Demon, hidden by her hosts form.
Jade bows down before her to show his respect. "My Lady. You wanted to see me?"

The Bone Demon is silent for a moment, not even bothering to face him. "What do you think you're doing out there, Jade Warrior?" she asks, her voice quiet. Jade falls quiet, a sinking feeling in his gut. Uh oh. "I don't understand my Lady-"

A gust of ice cold wind envelopes him, before a blue chain wraps itself around his neck and lifts him off his feet. It dangles him helplessly in the air, leaving Jade to fight for air and clutching at the blue chain in vain.
The Lady Bone Demon turns to face him, her expression cold and full of anger. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, Jade Warrior. Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your little adventures?" She hisses. The bone demon floats up to face him, not caring for the struggling demon. "You're straying away from the mission. This-" she summons the book from Jade's coat, looking down at it in disgust. "Is a distraction. You're getting too attached to those mortals. They're trying to trick you, to distract you from your true purpose. Remember why you're here in the first place?"

Jade drops to the ground, gasping for air as the chain disappears. But he barely had time to recover before his partner yanks him up by his hair, forcing him to look up at their Lady. She was back to standing in front of him. "You're here because I created you, remember? You're only purpose is to serve me. This nonsense, this "plan" to bring the Demon Bull King's offspring to our side stops now." She spat, the book in her hand being shredded to pieces by her powers.  "From now on you'll stay within the walls of the Silken Web Cave, and you're not to go near the mortals. Do I make myself clear?"

The chief of war pulls again, causing Jade to wince and hiss in pain, his voice strained. "Y-yes my Lady-"

"Good."

With that he finally let go, leaving the snake demon alone. The Lady Bone Demon turns back to her plans, back to appearing like the sweet, innocent girl she currently possessed. "And make sure the Spider Queen doesn't catch sight of you. The last thing I need is having my creation eaten before he served his purpose."

"O-of course, my Lady..." 

Jade gets to his feet, looking down at the shredded paper at his feet as he rubbed his sore neck. The Chief stood next to the bone demon, but from his place Jade could tell he found great enjoyment in what just transpired. 

The snake demon could hear voices approaching from one of the tunnel entrances, most likely the Spider Queen and her henchmen returning. He steps into the shadows, going into hiding for as long as his Lady wishes...

 

-------

A/N: Say bye to Jade everyone! Also isn't Yin actually younger or something. Also please tell me if Chen and Princess Iron Fans thing was weird or not lmao

Chapter 29: Ring-Around-A-Staffsie

A/N: *bursts through shallow dug grave* WHAT YEAR IS IT?! (no seriously how tf has it already been a year since i last uploaded a chapter TIME NEEDS TO SLOW DOWN-) 




----

 

One week. It had been one week since Jade had disappeared, again without a word.

Chen stood in the empty dojo, wondering what the hell happened to his mentor. There was obviously no sign of a fight, there was even a bowl of noodles left out that had started to go moldy, as if he'd set it aside for a while. It was as if he'd just up and left.

Without saying a damn thing.

"Any sign of him?" Rey's voice asks through his headphones, startling the bull demon. He clears his throat, looking at the dust collecting on the furniture. "No, he's still not here. I've looked all over. Are you sure he hasn't gone to the library?"
"Not since we went together the other week." Rey explains, the nervousness obvious in their voice. Chen sighs as he exits the dojo, shutting the door quietly behind him. "Alright.... I gotta go to work. Please tell me if you see any sign of him?" Chen asks, to which the dragon reassures they'll tell Chen as soon as possible if they see any sign of the snake demon.

Climbing onto his bike Chen sits there a minute, wondering what had happened. It was the Spider Queen thing all over again...
With a frustrated sigh the bull demon starts up his bike, driving towards Érzi's home.

--

After picking up the young human Chen made his way back to Pigsy's Noodle shop, where he finds MK and Pigsy busy cleaning the place, the pig man dashing back and forth like lightning as he darted from one spot to the other, making sure that everything was absolutely perfect. "Uh- did I miss something? What's going on?" The young bull questions as Érzi sits down on a stool, spinning the chair around to face them. "Yeah- is today special or something? Oh! Is it someone's birthday?"

"Wait- is it?" Chen pulls out his phone to check his calendar, only to find.... several messages and missed calls from Pigsy. "Oh...."

Pigsy shoots Chen a disapproving glare. "Apparently ya did! I've been trying to call ya and even sent you a voicemail tellin' ya to come early! There's a very important person coming today and I need all the help I can get!" Chen cringes as he scrolls through the multiple missed calls and the angry voicemail left behind. Oops. He must've been so caught up in his search for Jade that he hadn't realised he left his phone on silent. "Now look alive! This place needs to be spick-and-span! We have a very special guest coming!" Pigsy exclaims, lifting Érzi easily in one hand while the other wiped down the chair he was currently sitting on. "Kid! Don't you watch where you sit?! This thing is filthy!"

"Oop- sorry Mr. Pigsy."

Chen looks up when he noticed Tang sitting down next to him, a smug smirk on his face. "Did someone say free noodles for a special guest?"
Chen pauses, suspicious realisation dawning on the young bull demon as he slowly puts his phone away. Tang was only this smug when he had a scheme cooking up in that nerdy brain of his. So what did the old man have up his sleeve this time....

Tang looks around the clean restaurant, admiring how different it looks. "Oooh! Fancy!" He chuckles, taking a seat at the counter with the same smug smirk. Pigsy wasn't happy with this outcome, already a nervous wreck and he didn't need Tang coming in begging for a free meal. "Beat it Tang! There's only one guy eating for free today, and that's-"
"Would that be the food critic, Golden Cicada Yum Yums? Hmm?" Tang asks mischievously, pulling out his laptop to show everyone that the profile of the supposed food critic was... Tang in a fancy outfit?

Now Pigsy was panicking, meanwhile Érzi and MK were excited by this revelation, hovering around Mr. Tang as if he were a famous popstar instead of the nerdy food thief he was. "Wow!"
"That's so cool!"
"What a twist!"

Chen wasn't as convinced about the profile, but he didn't have the energy to care today. Not while he was stressed out about the whereabouts of his mentor. He almost didn't notice a certain dragon girl walking into the noodle shop. "Hey ya'll! What'd I miss?!"

Érzi turns to Mei excitedly. "Mei! You're here! Guess what- Tang is a famous food critic!" he announces, gesturing wildly to the still smug man, who was now typing out some kind of review on the shops staff hygiene. Mei gasps, not expecting this outcome at all. "No way! Really?! I didn't know that- what's his blog name?" she asks as she pulls out her phone. But as her gaze shifts to Chen for a moment, her smile falters slightly when she notices the familiar scrunched up dissociated look on the bull demons face. Leaving Érzi to ramble on about the unexpected Tang twist, she scooches over to the bull, leaning an elbow on his shoulder. "Hey, ya good fam? What's up?"

A bit surprised by the sudden contact, Chen looks up at the girl. "Oh uh- nothing, nothing's wrong. Just tired is all." he says, glancing at Pigsy glaring at Tang. MK was no where in sight anymore.
Mei hums, not convinced at all. "Uh huh...." She then gasps, getting an idea."I know what's wrong!"

"You do...?" Chen slowly looks back at her, tilting his head to cover the fact his ears visibly twitched when she said that. Does she actually know? Or-

"You need a break! You've been working waaaay too hard these past couple of months! When was the last time you had a break?" She asks, nudging him. Chen hesitates, thinking about it. When DID he last have a break? "Uh..."
"Exactly! You need to lose that stress! Have time off man! Let loose a little! Have some fun! And I know EXACTLY where to go~"
"Please don't say the arca-"
"THE ANTI GRAVITY ARCADE! C'mon! It'll be fun! Pleeeeaaaase?" Mei begs, shaking his shoulder pleadingly. "We never get to hang out anymore!"

Chen sighs, rubbing his forehead. "Mei, You know I have work-" he tries to explain, but Mei merely sticks her tongue out. "Oh c'mon! Pigsy is gonna be busy with Tangy all day." She states, gesturing to the two men in question. And so far, neither were even paying attention to the two of them. Well, that part was true...

"Did someone say Anti gravity arcade?" Érzi's head pops up between the two, eyes shining excitedly. "I've always wanted to go there! Can I come too? Pleeeeaaasse?"
Chen looks at the two pleading friends, letting out a sigh. "Fine..."

"YES!"
"Aw yeah, boy! We're gonna have so much fun!" The two cheer. Without a moments hesitation Mei snatches Chen and Érzi's arm and starts dragging them towards the door, leaving Pigsy and Tang alone. "Catch ya later Pigsy!" The dragon girl calls over her shoulder as she leads them down the street. Érzi skips ahead, his ponytail bobbing in the breeze behind him.
Chen checks his phone once again before stuffing it in his pocket, his mind still wandering back to the whereabouts of his missing friend.

——

"YOU WIN!" The arcade machine announces before tickets spew out of the slot, causing Érzi and Mei to cheer excitedly. "If we keep this up we can win that sweet one of a kind Monkey King Staff Replica!" Mei says, pointing to the front of the arcade where the ticket prizes were. One of the prizes was displayed in a glass case like it was a precious artefact, and once Érzi had set his sights on it he begged Mei and Chen to help him win it. It was well over a thousand tickets, so they decided to help pitch in. They'd already been at it for well over an hour at this point.

Chen hums in thought as he follows their gaze, standing at one of the only machines he knew he could play (barely). "Why do you want that thing? You've seen the real deal." He says, cursing silently to himself as the game declares another loss. "Damn it-"
"Well yeah but I can't use it! But this one I can!" Érzi exclaims, pumping his fist excitedly as he wins another game. "And I wanna be just like MK and Monkey King!"
"Aw little buddy really is just a little MK!" Mei giggles, nudging Chen. Chen smiles. "Yeah, it's kinda weird how similar they are."

"How many tickets do we have now?" Érzi asks, counting the tickets he just won. Mei hums as she scans the tickets. "I think about 500?" She says, to which Érzi gets more excited. "We're almost there!"

Chen shakes his head, trying to focus on the game again. He knew that the staff wouldn't be worth that much, but if it meant that Érzi got to have fun and come out with a souvenir, he didn't mind at all. The game once again declares to the whole arcade of the bull demons sore losing butt, lights flashing on the screen as a pixelated demon face laughs at him. "Oh you son of a-"

——

Érzi bounces on his heels as the employee finishes counting the tickets. "Aaaaand one thousand. Wow, you guys actually did it." She mutters. "You mustn't have a life."
"OR we're just really good players!" Mei declares, crossing her arms smugly. The employee simply shrugs, opening the glass case. "Whatever you say ma'am. Here you go kid, all yours." She says as she hands the staff to Érzi. "And here's an official information card, just in case you wanted to-"

"Yeah yeah yeah we got it." Chen waves her off, taking the card and placing it in his pocket without a second glance. "Sorry we gotta go." He says as he guides Mei and the excited Érzi out of the arcade. In all honesty after being there for hours he just wanted to get out of the loud and stuffy building. He was sweating with all this fur keeping him uncomfortably warm.
"Alright. Have a nice day."

Once they were outside Chen breathes a sigh of relief, his ears hurting. "Alright then- who's hungry? We can go to the park or something. Maybe order something from one of those stands?" Chen asks, his jacket tied around his waist. Érzi and Mei liked the idea, and so the trio head to the park.
"So how do you like the replica Érzi?" Mei asks, recording Érzi waving his new staff replica around. The boy has a wide grin on his face. "It's great! It feels just like a real staff too! Thanks for helping me win it!" He says excitedly. Chen tilts his head curiously. "You're welcome. But what makes you think it feels like a real staff?" He queries. Surely, Érzi was just over exaggerating, right?

"Feel for yourself!" Érzi says, tossing the replica towards Chen with ease. As Chen catches it, he was expecting to grab a piece of cheap plastic- not a piece of sturdy wood. It catches him off guard, nearly dropping it but he saves it as he grabs it with both hands. "Woah what-"
"That's so cool!" Mei snaps a pic as Érzi goes on. "I'm pretty sure the display case said this one was a commission piece for one of the Monkey King movies, made from Red Oak with aluminium tips." He says. Upon seeing Mei and Chen's confused expressions, he tilts his head.
"Didn't any of you read the display case's description?"

"Uh.... No?" Chen reaches into his pocket, reading the card the employee had given him. He reads it over, seeing the staff had been made with exactly what Érzi said. "What the- why would they sell it in an arcade-"
"Who cares! This is cool don't cha think?" Mei asks, taking the staff out of Chen's hands and passing it back to Érzi, taking a recording of the excited boy to post. "Hey Érzi! Can ya say all that again into the camera? My followers are gonna be so jealous!"

As Érzi goes on to excitedly explain his new find, Chen rolls his eyes and smiles, going to walk around and ahead of them. "We still grabbing lunch?"
"Ya doy! Just give us a second!" Mei says, finishing posting the video and she and Érzi rush after the bull demon.

None of the trio notice a fourth figure following behind, a hoodie pulled over their head to cover their identity.

-----

Érzi chomps down on his dumplings, the trio sitting at a park bench. Chen had bought them all dumplings from a street vendor, to which he told them to "not tell Pigsy". "He doesn't need to know about this."

"Ooh! Hey Érzi, people are lovin' your new staff!" Mei exclaims, showing the boy the likes and comments on her video. Érzi grins, shoving another dumpling into his mouth. "The internet is so cool- anyone anywhere can see what you got- and all you gotta do is post a picture!" he says, his mouth full. Mei chuckles, scrolling through her phone. "You make it sound like you're new to the internet, Érzi. You been livin' under a rock or something?" she says half-jokingly.

Érzi suddenly starts coughing, catching the two adults off guard. Chen quickly starts patting his back. "Woah- you ok? Maybe you should slow down with your food-"
"I'm fine!" Érzi says, clearing his throat a few times and getting to his feet. "I'm just gonna go- get a drink-" The boy leans his staff against the bench, still trying to clear his throat as he walks over to a drinking fountain. Chen's brows furrow slightly, watching the boy take a drink before shaking his head, pulling out his phone. That was certainly weird....

Chen and Mei were engrossed in their phones, finishing their dumplings off as they wait for Érzi to come back.
The boy comes back, looking around for his staff. "Where's my staff?" He asks. Chen and Mei look up, following his gaze. The staff, which had previously been leaning against the bench, was gone. "Uh..."

"Did someone steal it?!" Érzi panics, looking around the bench to see if it had rolled away somehow. Chen gets up to help him, but the two couldn't find it. "That's impossible- we were here the whole time!"
"I mean someone could've snatched it?" Mei mutters. "But who the heck just steals a kids staff?"

Érzi looks around in dismay. "We worked so hard to get that staff..." he says, defeated. Chen and Mei look down at the boy, before glancing at each other guiltily. Seeing Érzi's heart broken face was too much to bear. With a huff Chen crosses his arms. "Oh heck nah- we're not letting this slide. We're gonna get you that staff back!" he states, determined to make the boy feel better. Érzi's face lights up at those words, but it quickly fades to doubt again upon realising a big problem. "But how? We don't even know who stole it...."
Mei chuckles, pulling out her phone. "Leave that to me!" She grins, pulling up some kind of footage. Chen realises what footage it was, his face scrunching up. "Wait- we still have those creepy cameras on us? I thought I took mine off-"
"You DID take yours off. This one is mine." Mei waves him off, looking over the footage till they got to the park. "There! Someone snagged it here!" she exclaims, pointing to the screen where a hooded figure walked right behind the bench Chen and Mei were seated on, casually grabbing the staff as they passed. "Right under our noses too!"

Chen leans closer to the phone, scrutinizing the frozen image for a moment. Something seemed familiar about the person... "Hold up- Mei pass me your phone for a second-"
Mei hands the bull demon her phone, and Chen moves the footage back and forth for a second, finally catching sight of a familiar star constellation tattoo on the figures wrist. He groans, face palming. "Oh for the love of- c'mon, I know who took it..." Chen grumbles, handing Mei back her phone and guiding Érzi and Mei to a place he'd hoped to never step foot in again...

----

The trio stood outside the supposedly abandoned shady warehouse, out of view of the front entrance where two guys stood. Chen glares at them, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. He knew what he had to do, and he DEFINITELY didn't like it. Turning to Mei and Érzi, he instructs them to stay put. "I'll go get the staff and meet you back here. You guys just- I don't know, stay out of sight?" he asks, but Mei shakes her head. "Nuh uh, girlfriend. You're not going in there alone! I'm coming with ya! You're not facing your ex alone!"
Chen scowls at those words. "He's not my-" he cuts himself off, taking another deep breath. "Look, someone needs to stay here with Érzi. He can't go in there and see all of that, okay?" he gestures to the door.
"I can come with you." Érzi says. "What's so bad about that place?"

"Oh Érzi, you sweet summer child." Mei whispers, ruffling the confused boys head. "But yeah no you're not going in there alone, Chen."
"Oh my great sage- fine! You can come with me. But Érzi isn't coming inside." He states in a "and that's final" tone. Mei shrugs. "Alright- then what will he do?" Chen looks around. "I guess he's staying here. Érzi if anyone asks- just uh, say that Kai told you to wait here. They won't mess with that."
"Um- okay?"

Hearing him agree to that, Chen and Mei head towards the doors and the two men. As they get closer, every fibre in Chen's being told him to just turn around and walk away (for once), but he didn't want to let Érzi down.

The two men look up from their phones as they hear Chen and Mei approach, instantly recognising the former young man. "Wait- Blazing Beast? Is that you?" The first man asks in disbelief, while the second one just chuckles. "Well dang- didn't expect you to come back here after what you did to the big man!"
"Move it. I want to talk to Kai." Chen spat, moving pass the two men easily, Mei following behind. They don't even TRY to stop him, which gave the duo a bad feeling but they were already inside.

Chen looks around the familiar space, spotting mostly people hanging out and talking, drinking, sparring and anything else that people like to do in their free time. If Chen didn't know any better, he would've assumed that this was just some kind of weird party. Mei whistles as she looks around. "Geez, this place is a dump- so what did you like about this place again?"

"Don't ask."

Mei holds up her hands in a surrender fashion, shrugging before looking back around. She notices a few of the people, mostly young men, glancing at the two of them as they walk by. Some with recognition, others with surprise, and others... a hint of unease? And they were all focused on the bull demon.

As for Chen, he was looking around the space for one person in particular. Once he spots a man in the corner leaning on the wall texting on his phone with headphones on, the bull demon walks straight towards him. "Hoa."

The man's head snaps up at the mention of his name, his expression paling upon recognising the young man marching towards him. "Oh uh- Chen! Wha- what a surprise! What brings you here?" He asks, shoving his phone into his pocket and awkwardly leaning on the wall, his eyes flickering to the side as if searching for an easy escape route. As they stop in front of him, Mei could now see the same star constellation tattoo imprinted on the young mans wrist.
Chen glares at him, crossing his arms as he calmly asks the man, "Where is it?"

"Where is what?" Hoa asks. Whoever this guy was, Mei could tell that he was a terrible liar from his nervous and fidgety posture to his voice cracks. How was this guy a thief?
Chen inhales slowly, his tail twitching behind him giving away his annoyance. "The staff Hoa. I know you took it." He states. When the young man opens his mouth to say something, Chen cuts him off immediately. "And DON'T even try to deny it. We caught you on camera." As he says this, Mei pulls out her phone and shows it off to the young man.

Caught red-handed, Hoa breaks out in a cold sweat. "C-c'mon Chen- you know I need the money-" He begins, only to shut up when Chen's expression darkens. "I don't care, Hoa. Just give me back the stupid staff so we can leave."
Hoa's shoulders slump slightly, looking away apologetically. "I can't, Chen. I-I don't have it anymore."

There's a tense moment of silence between the three, the sound of the men chatting and talking behind the trio seeming to fade for a few seconds, but that could've just been Mei's brain overthinking due to the mans answer.
"... the fuck you mean you 'don't have it anymore'?" The young bull demon hisses through his teeth, his ears pinned back in pure anger. Hoa shifts uncomfortably on the spot, avoiding the other mans gaze. "I-I lost it- some kid stole it from me on my way over here."
Mei blinks, a little taken aback. Huh, karma hits in the most unexpected ways. The dragon girl glances to her friend, who in turn looked like he wanted to throttle the nearest person nearest to him. Well, she couldn't really blame him. In his view, he was in the one place he hated the most chasing after a "stupid staff" that wasn't even here.

The dragon girl places a hand on his shoulder, deciding to take it over from here. "Alright, buddyo- what did the kid look like?" She interrogates, pointing her phone at the skittish young man in an accusatory fashion. "Now you better start talkin'."
Hoa holds up his hands in surrender. "Hey hey- I swear I don't know who it was! I just saw a flash of purple and she was gone!" He explains, glancing towards Chen as the bull demon takes a step back, rubbing his eyes and muttering to himself. Mei hums in thought. "Any other details? Don't make me angry, buddy." As she speaks, she rolls up her sleeve to show she meant business. Hoa, however, didn't seem as concerned about the dragon girl and was instead watching the bull demon behind her. "I-I don't know, she was too fast- but I think she had spider legs or something."

Mei pauses, glancing back at Chen to see him meet her gaze. Did he mean the Spider Queen? But he said kid- maybe a minion they weren't aware of?

Before the two of them could say anything else, they hear a loud voice yell behind them. "Hey- who's kid is this?! How did you even get in here kid?"

Mei and Chen turn around to see a guy holding up Érzi in the air for everyone to see, gripping the back of his shirt tightly as the young boy tries his best to get him to loosen his hold. The man yelling earns the concern of not only the duo but also grabs the attention of another group minding their own business on the other side of the warehouse.

Mei and Chen quickly make their way over to Érzi and his captor, reaching them just as Érzi finally lands a kick to the mans shin, surprising him enough to let go of the boy and give him time to dart out of his reach towards his friends. "OW!"
Once Érzi was within Chen's reach the bull demon immediately pulls him close to his side, looking towards three men approaching. Mei sticks close to his side, instantly recognising the man before her. It had been a few years, sure, but the dragon girl could never forget the smug face of the dude her hurt her best friend.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here of all places, Blazing Beast." Kai teases the bull demon as he stops in front of him. The men around them look their way briefly before backing away, seeming to understand this could go really bad really quick if they stuck too close. The older mans gaze sweeps over the trio, before landing on Érzi sticking close to Chen's side. "Who's your new friend? Don't tell me you're picking up my habits, Chen." he snickers at his own poor attempt of a joke, the two men behind him stiffly laughing along.

The bull demon, however, was not amused by the blatant accusation, gritting his teeth to stop himself from snapping back. After all, he knew that's what Kai wanted.
Mei steps forward. "Can it, buddy. We were just leaving." She states, attempting to guide Chen and Érzi around Kai and towards the door. However, the older man merely steps in front of them. "Leaving? You just got here! Besides, can't I share a few words with an old friend?"

"No you can't." Chen states flatly, earning a chuckle from the older man. "Oh ho- ouch! That's harsh." Kai grins, holding out his hand to Érzi. "Hey kid, those were some sweet moves you pulled on my buddy back there. You got moxie. Maybe I could teach you a thing or two about real fighting."

Chen stiffens, pulling Érzi behind his back. "He's. Not. Interested." He spat, his tail lashing behind him giving away his true feelings. Érzi takes notice of the bull demons growing agitation, looking up at Kai as he laughs yet again, as if taunting Chen. "Oh come on! At least let him choose who he wants to hang out with!" Kai crosses his arms, leaning forward slightly. "But then again, I think we both know he'd prefer to hang out with the cool kids than the rejects. Right Chen?"

Chen's grip tightens on Érzi unintentionally, and the boy realised there was an underlying implication there. What it was, he didn't know. But he knew if they wanted to get out of here sooner than later, he had to say something.

"Uh, no thanks. I think I'm good." Érzi says, just loud enough for the trio around him to hear. Kai glances down at the boy. He stares at the boy intensely, making the boy shift uncomfortably under his gaze before the man shrugs with a smirk. "Alright then, I guess you've made your choice. But if you ever want to switch sides kid, there's always room for you." Kai moves aside, letting the trio leave. Chen keeps a tight grip on Érzi as they march towards the door, never letting his grip loosen until they were safely outside.

Érzi rubs his wrist where Chen had been holding him, looking up at the bull demon who had his back turned to the boy. Mei places a hand on Chen's shoulder, but the bull demon ignores her. He lets out a heavy sigh. "I told you to wait outside, Érzi."
He didn't sound angry, just tired. As if that interaction alone had drained his energy. Érzi hesitates, glancing back at the warehouse. "I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

"Let's just get out of here and find that staff, alright?" Chen finally looks back at Érzi, smiling softly at him. He's just a kid. He didn't know.

Érzi, relieved that he wasn't upset with him, grins and follows Mei and Chen to find his missing staff.

-----

Érzi, surprisingly, had an idea on who had taken the staff. Of course he hadn't met them, but he knew a few people who knew them.

And luckily for the trio, they didn't even have to look for her.

"How many times have we told you?! Don't steal from others!" Bolin yells at the teen spider demon seated before him, who was casually scrolling through her phone as the imp-sized demon lectures her. Aiguo shakes his head in disappointment, turning to the trio apologetically. "We're so sorry about this."

"Hey I didn't steal it from them! I stole it from some dude." Xiao Dan drawls, her spider limbs twitching as Bolin glares at her. He was about to continue his angry rant when Mei spoke up. ""It's fine! It's too bad she doesn't have it either. But do you know who took it?" She questions. The spider girl shrugs, scrolling through her phone as Aiguo shifts nervously away from the bull demon next to Érzi. 

"That annoying monkey hero that's been patrolling the city lately "confiscated" it. I mean seriously, who does he think he is, taking stuff from a kid?" The spider girl scoffs, Bolin glaring at her lazing around on her seat. "YOU STOLE IT THOUGH?!"
"And it was stolen from me!" 

"Well, thanks for telling us who has it." Chen pipes up, ruffling Érzi's hair. "We should get going before it gets too late to find him." The trio leave the demons shelter, looking around Megapolis for any sign for the new monkey vigilante. Chen looks around, the first to ask the obvious question. "So how are we supposed to find that guy anyway?"

"Aren't you forgetting who you're talking to?" Mei chuckles, pulling out her phone. "That dude is like MK- he's always being posted to social media!" She pulls up her social media and scrolls for a minute, Érzi peering over her arm to see the screen. Finally, Mei points to her phone. "Here! The latest news- "New hero rescues my cat"- man, that's kind of boring. I thought he'd be doing something more heroic or something."
Chen raises a brow at the girls comment. "I mean it was a nice gesture? I guess MK beats him to most of the crime." 

"So where is he?" Érzi pipes up, the dragon girl looking back at the phone. "This was posted an hour ago, but apparently he was last seen at the docks. Leggo!" The dragon girl grabs the bull demon and the redhead, rushing off to the docks.

Once they make it there, it didn't take them long to find the so called monkey hero. He was standing on the dock by the water, holding two staffs while talking into an earpiece. His voice was low, almost quiet as the person on the other end talked over him. As the trio walked up behind him, he turns suddenly to face them. His expression was one of surprise, but it quickly changed to annoyance before being quickly masked with a smile. "Oh, it's you guys! Can I help you with something?"

"My staff!" Érzi gasps dramatically, pointing to the said missing staff in Lixin's hand, right next to his black and gold one. The monkey pauses, looking at the Monkey King staff replica before looking back at the boy. "It's yours?"
"Yep! Do you mind giving it back?" Chen says, crossing his arms. Lixin hums, tossing the staff to the boy, who caught it instinctively. "Yeah sure here you go." He says half-heartedly, staring a little too intensely at the boy before placing his hand on his hip in a confident manner. "I noticed it was stolen and chased after the thieves. And by the way, you two are NOT very observant." He snickers, the dragon girl and the bull demon share a look. 

"Hey we tracked you down here. What took you so long to bring it back to us?" Mei asks, crossing her arms to mimic Chen. Lixin shrugs. "Oh you know, wanted to test how good your detective skills are." He states. "But hey, at least you did it within a day. I guess that could be a win." 

Chen rolls his eyes. "C'mon, let's head back before PIgsy starts worrying where we are." He says, guiding his two friends away while Lixin watches them, his tail flicking irritably behind him. 

-----

The trio head back to Pigsy's Noodles as the sun set. Mei stretches, placing her hands behind her head. "Well! Today was an eventful day! A nice break from work, eh Chen?" She elbows the bull demon. Chen rolls his eyes, smiling softly as he shakes his head. "Yeah, sure it was."

"Ah! Ah! I told you you just needed a break from work!" Mei giggles, rushing ahead of the group. "Hey Érzi! Wanna race back to the shop?"
"Heck yeah!" The two bolt ahead, leaving Chen to walk behind by himself as they race back to the shop. The bull demon sighs, looking up at the pink sky above the city. Other than the regular bustle of city life it was quite calm, peaceful even.

And even after walking around Megapolis all day, the bull demon hadn't once seen Jade anywhere.

He sighs and rubs his head, leaning against a wall to rest. He should've been looking harder, but he was just so busy from searching for Érzi's staff that he just... didn't do it. As he stood there, his mind started to wander to the other times Jade had disappeared.

Maybe Jade wasn't in trouble. Maybe he just left without a word- again. Maybe he'll come back on his own.
But at this point, Chen might just getting frustrated with whatever excuse the snake demon might make...

Finally pushing himself off the wall, Chen makes his way back to Pigsy's Noodles. If he didn't hurry up, Mei and Érzi would probably be wondering where he was...

---

A/N: theres a few reasons why i put off writing this chapter. 1. the kai scene. I have a hatred for that man. 2. the fact i was gonna put in another scene with someone else's oc but i decided not to. and 3. no motivation + working on another spin-off fic thats been taking me a while to write, but you can see the first chapter out now (i'm like halfway done with it, 10 chapters and working on the 11th by the time this will be uploaded)

Chapter 30: Shadow Play

"AGH I'M SO EXCITED! I haven't been to the movies in ages!" MK exclaims excitedly, the gang taking a seat inside an old theater. Chen raises a brow as he sits next to Mei, confused by his brothers statement. "MK, does it look like we're in a cinema?"

"Wha-huh?"

"It's a shadow play, with puppets." Tang clarifies, earning an offended scoff from the monkie kid. "Wha? Puppets? No! I thought we were seeing Kung Fu Monkey Cop: The Movie!" He says, pulling out a poster featuring said movie on one side. Mei seeing the other side, points to it. "Uh, check the back."

MK looks at it, his expression one filled with disappointment as Chen takes the poster and flicks his head. "No one said anything about going to the movies, dum-dum." MK looks at Chen in annoyance before noticing a familiar figure sitting in the row across from the group. "Oh, guys! Isn't that the guy who gave us that weird key?" He asked in a hushed voice. Mei hums in thought, thinking back to the day they achieved and lost the strange shaped key. "You mean the magic key that can unlock anything? Yeah, I'm pretty sure that is him, and I'm also pretty sure that he's still not actually the Mayor." She contemplates, scratching her chin.

Seeming to overhear them, the man creepily turns his head to face them with an eery smile, waving to the group. Chen grimaces slightly but awkwardly waves back, hissing quietly through his teeth. "Egh, creepy..."

Pigsy shakes his head, turning to the kids. "Point is, whatever we're watching, you've earned a break kid." He declares, putting himself in front of MK's view of the so called mayor. Mei nods in agreement, reflecting on the last few days. "You have been training super hard. I can't even remember the last time we all just hung out together! I missed this." She sighs. Tang looks around, seeming to notice a few people missing. "So was Sandy just busy? And weren't we supposed to babysit Érzi or..."

MK goes into a rant about how they hang out all the time, completely disregarding Tang's questions. Chen leans back into his seat, looking to the empty stage. "Oh yeah, Érzi didn't want to come to the play, said something like "his dad didn't want him to watch it" so Sandy offered to look after him so I could come."

--

"Aw they're so cuuuuute!" Érzi practically squeals with joy, being surrounded by Sandy's therapy cats. Sandy sits on a couch beside the boy, watching in amusement as the ginger haired boy pats as many cats as he could.

"This is the best day EVER!"

--

"Huh. A shadow play is certainly a strange thing to not want your child to watch. It's a magical experience! Why wouldn't you want your kid to at least see one show?" Tang muses, scratching his chin. Chen shrugs, sighing as he leans his hands on his head, his tail flicking idly beside him on the seat. "Who knows? That dude is a weird one to begin with."

"I just- I need to be ready." MK finishes, sitting back down. Pigsy tilts his head skeptically at the boys words, not noticing the lights starting to dim. "Ready for what?"
"Shhh! It's starting!" Tang squeals excitedly, hushing everyone around him. Pigsy tries to speak up when Tang pushes a finger to his lips, shushing him once more.

Chen perks up slightly as the darkness around them seems to move, followed by a shadow puppet emerging on stage from the ceiling. It turns to the audience with a creepy smile, earning terrified sounds from the audience. Pigsy and Tang cling to each other, visibly unsettled. "Uh Tang, what kind of play did you say this was?!"
Chen sits up, unsettled but also intrigued. "Man, now I understand why Érzi's dad didn't want him to watch this." He chuckles half-heartedly. Maybe the man knew this was some kind of horror shadow play.

The curtains open, revealing the puppeteer. He wore a long red and maroon hooded robe that covered his face. He begins his show with a dramatic flair, bringing out a glowing lantern. "Welcome viewers to a shadow play the likes of which have never been seen! It follows the tragic tale of a legendary warrior, and how those who bring light into this world inevitably bring darkness to those they hold dear!" As he narrates, the shadows behind him form and show a tale of two figures fighting side by side before eventually one is consumed by the darkness.

As the puppeteer continues to tell his tale, Chen notices MK gasping as he realises something. "Mei, I just realised something!"
"What?"
"I...I don't have snacks!"

Pigsy groans, seeing the boy jitter in his seat. "Kid, relax, you literally just ate!" He hisses, trying to keep quiet. But MK couldn't take it, declaring he "must get snacks" in order to enjoy the show. The pig man relents, letting the boy leave. Tang was about to ask him to grab something when Pigsy shushes him the same way he had earlier, grinning smugly.

But as soon as MK left, the very air in the room seems to shift to a more intimidating and dangerous atmosphere. The narrator grins, holding the lamp up as it glows softly, lighting the dark space and casting long shadows behind the small group. "Like light, heroes bring warmth, hope, and friendship. But they also give life to the darkness."

Suddenly the air around them seems to change. The lamp glows brighter, blinding the group. Chen covers his eyes, looking around at his friends before looking to the other audience members who were there earlier- only to realise THEY were the only people there.

They were alone with the puppeteer.

Something suddenly tugs on Chen, and the bull demon doesn't notice his shadow being dragged towards the lantern. It felt like his very soul was being dragged, and before he knew it he was suddenly surrounded by darkness.

-----

Chen didn't know how long he was in the darkness for. He, of course, tried to fight his way out with force, even attempting to use his powers- but whatever this place was, it was far, far stronger than Chen.

For a while, the bull demon could hear faint whispers and voices. Ones of his friends, all calling out for each other, as if they too were lost in this endless darkness but were too far away no matter how far he travelled. Another was MK, talking casually for a little while before his voice too disappeared.

But there were... others. Others he didn't quite recognise. A mocking cackle, a faint whisper of an ancient tale, an endless monologue of how useless the hero's warriors were trapped, unable to help.

Chen tried to ignore these ones, travelling for what felt like an eternity through the darkness in search of his friends. Everytime he thought he found them, they'd suddenly disappear, sounding further and further away. Before long, only silence reigned, accompanied by those faint, negative whispers.

After what felt like forever, Chen suddenly felt his body stop moving. The bull demon attempts to move his limbs but he was left immobile by the invisible force.

Then it started.

His body started moving on its own in sudden attacks, and Chen could hear MK's faint yells of distress as if he's being attacked. The bull demons eyes widen, trying to fight against whatever was keeping him from moving his own limbs but there was nothing to fight.
He suddenly yells in pain as something invisible hits him, knocking him back before whatever was controlling him rights his form before lunging forward again. He tries to defend himself but with nothing to fight, it was impossible. Even using his powers deemed useless, in fact whatever was controlling him seemed to be using them for whatever it was doing.

Finally, he was knocked back into what felt like a stone wall, leaving him winded as whatever was controlling him finally stopped using him to fight.

For a moment everything was still, quiet, the only sound being his own ragged breaths and a loud ringing in his ears.

And just like that, it was over. In a sudden bright flash of light he was back in the theater, albeit it was now destroyed beyond recognition. Mei, Tang and Pigsy surrounded him, all just as dazed and confused as he was, while MK rushes over to hug the group in relief. "Guys! You're okay!" Mei winces in pain, looking around. "What happened?" The emergency exit door opens and shuts, gaining the dragon girls attention as a black tail disappears. "Wait, is that-"

Before anyone could ask or confirm MK storms outside, following the mysterious figure into the alleyway. Chen straightens up, wincing at the ache in his limbs. "What the heck happened? What time is it?" He asks, stretching his sore arms. After a minute of trying (and failing) to piece together what happened, the group eventually decide to just go out and ask MK what happened.

Upon barging out the emergency door, they spot MK standing in place looking up at the rooftop, as if he was lost in thought. Pigsy was the first to pipe up. "Kid! Explain now." He demands. MK turns to the group, looking away sheepishly. "Uh okay, but we're definitely gonna need snacks..."

-----

Several hours later inside the ruined and abandoned theater, a familiar shadowy figure approaches the glowing fragments left behind on the ground. His hands glow faintly as the pieces float and glide, slowly merging together to recreate the lantern that had kept the Monkie Kids friends trapped inside earlier.

Macaque grins, catching the lantern in his hands when it's finally fixed, glancing up at the night sky through the broken roof. The stars shone above, twinkling brightly even with the city lights lighting up the whole sky. He knew he had to get back to his makeshift home soon before-

Slow clapping starts up behind the macaque, making his fur stand on end as he slowly turns around to confront the bystander watching quietly from the shadows. The person gets to their feet, taking a step towards the monkey. Macaque stiffens, recognising the figure immediately. Oh no...

"Bravo! Bravo! What a performance!" The man giggles, gesturing dramatically as if he truly were just complimenting the monkey for his dramatic play. Macaque takes a wary step back, keeping his eyes on the figure. "Thanks, last show actually. I was just heading off-"

He turns his back for only a second, but that was all the figure needed. In the blink of an eye Macaque felt a cold hand clamp around his throat, lifting him from the ground with ease. His limbs seize up, left immobile and helpless as the man grins eerily.

"Lady Bone Demon would like a word. Oh, and she'll be needing that." He looks down at the lantern still held in the shadow monkey's hand.

This wasn't good.









-----


A/N: a more shorter chapter, sorry about that. looking at my notes i really didn't have anything planned for "Game On" and "Shadow Play" 

 

Chapter 31: To Catch A Leaf

Chen lay in bed on his back, asleep and snoring away while Shu slept on his chest. That's disturbed however when his phone rings on the bedside cupboard, loud and blaring in the sleepy demons ears. He groans, reaching over and after a few failed attempts finally manages to grab his vibrating phone. He pulls it up to his face, seeing the caller was none other than Pigsy. His gaze sharpens, realising it was almost 11pm. Pigsy should NOT be calling him this late, unless it was an emergency.

He answers the call, putting the phone up to his ear. "Pops? What's up?" He asks, sitting up. Shu stirs and jumps off his chest and onto the floor, looking displeased at being disturbed. Chen reaches over to pat the cats head as PIgsy's starts talking, sounding concerned but keeping his tone low. "Chen, I need you to get over here. Érzi just showed up outside the shop before I closed." He explains. Chen freezes at this news. He had dropped the boy off at his home at 6pm, the promise that his father would return home from work within an hour.

"What happened? Is he okay?" The bull demon asks, already getting to his feet and throwing on his jacket. Pigsy says something away from the phone's speaker, talking to someone before coming back to the conversation. "The kid's fine. But he said his father didn't come back home. He was waiting outside for hours before he finally made his way here." Pigsy explains. Chen grabs his keys before rushing out of his apartment, locking it behind him. "I'll be there in a minute." With that, he hangs up.

It didn't take Chen long to reach Pigsy's Noodles. The sign was off, showing it was closed, but the lights inside were still on. Through the window, the bull demon could see Érzi sitting on one of the chairs and fidgeting with his hands, Pigsy by his side. Chen enters the shop, the pig man looking up in relief as his son entered. "There ya are. Make some noodles for him- I'll file a report." Pigsy tells him, pushing the bull demon into the kitchen before returning to Érzi. Chen listens, knowing now is not the right time to argue. He glances at the distressed boy seated at the table, who had now turned his attention to the window.

Chen gets to work, making the bowl of noodles for the boy as he listened to Pigsy talk on the phone, asking the boy questions and information on his father. But the boy sounded hesitant, nervous. It was probably because he was so upset and stressed that his father didn't return that he couldn't remember details clearly. The bull demon could fully understood that.

He came back into the room, carrying a hot bowl of noodles before gently placing it in front of Érzi. "Here ya go,  Érzi." He goes back into the kitchen to clean up the kitchen area. By now, Pigsy had stopped talking on the phone and was now comforting the boy. When Chen returns, Pigsy turns to him. "The police are working on it. But for now, the kid needs a place to stay. Do you have any room at your apartment until this is over?" The pigman asks.

Chen looks to the boy, realising that without his father home, Érzi was vulnerable. He didn't know anyone else. He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, sure thing."
Pigsy nods, ruffling the boys hair before getting up. "Lock up before you leave." He says, handing Chen a spare pair of keys before leaving the shop. Chen watches him leave before sitting down next to the stressed boy, letting him eat before they head back to the bull demons apartment.

It took even less time to set up a mattress for the boy. As if sensing the boys distress, Shu jumps onto the mattress once Érzi had sat down. Once making sure that the boy had fallen asleep Chen returns to his own bed, his phone lighting up to show it was now 12am.

Tomorrow will definitely be eventful....

-----

The noodle shop and the area surrounding it shakes violently in short bursts, disrupting the city as if an earthquake had struck. The reality was far from that, though, as two heroes sat inside the shop hiccuping over and over.

Pigsy groans as he gets up from the floor, leaning on the burnt counter for support. "This is the worse case of hiccups I've ever seen! How'd it happen?!" He demands, looking at the two boys holding their breath to prevent more hiccups. Chen and MK glance to each other awkwardly as Mei pulls out her phone with a sheepish laugh. "So, remember how you told MK not to enter that beef ball-eating contest?" Pigsy crosses his arms, looking to the boys with a "you did not" look. "Under no circumstances, yeah."

Mei proceeds to show PIgsy a photo of MK and a defeated Chen in said contest, a woman who was running it standing next to them. MK spins in his chair as another few hiccups shake the shop. "Five hundred beef balls in five minutes! Yeah, boy!" Chen hiccups next to him, a small burst of green flames erupting from his mouth when he exhaled. He quickly covers his mouth to prevent more damage to the shop.

"Yeah, we think they might have been cursed." Mei explains. MK grins. "So good though! Right Chen?" He nudges the bull demon, who in turn uncovers his mouth to talk. "They may have been cursed but they were also blessed." Pigsy shakes his head in disapproval. "Boys, of all the thoughtless adventure setups you could think of, this one takes the cake."

"Hey! MK bet he could eat more than me- you know I couldn't ignore that challenge!" Chen hiccups again, coughing violently from the flames entering his throat again. "Ow...." MK cackles, hitting the bull demons back. "And I told you so! You only got to four hundred and eighty!"
"Shut up..."

"We tried everything. I tried rubbing their bellies, giving them a good scare, and hitting all their pressure points- but nothing worked!" Mei exclaims as MK hiccups again. Noticing Tang in the corner eating noodles, the dragon girl nudges him with her elbow. "Oh, Mr. Tang! You've gotta know some ancient food techniques for, uh, food poisoning curses, right?"
"Right, Noodle guy? Huh? Huh?" MK joins in on the nudging, further annoying the man. He was saved by Sandy, who appears between them. "I find when I'm not feeling so hot, a special brew of tea perks me right up!" Sandy explains. Érzi sat at the table behind him, drinking a cup of hot chocolate while draped in Chen's jacket as he watches the exchange.

As MK's hiccups disrupt the power, Pigsy raises a brow at the giants words. "Uh, Sandy, something tells me that a bit of loose leaf ain't gonna help us in this particular scenario!" He states, ducking as Chen hiccups again. Sandy chuckles, patting Chen's back as he coughs again. "Don't underestimate the power of the tea leaves. Besides, I'm not talking about any old tea." The giant man pulls out a book, opening it to a certain page. "I'm talking about the tea made from the leaf of the wild Crimson Jimson weed. An ancient and powerful flower, said to influence over mortality itself. In the wrong hands, deadly. In the right ones, deadlier!" He declares dramatically. Tang makes a face at their words. "We're not trying to kill them, Sandy. We just want to cure their hiccups."

"Cure, kill. You say potato, I say potato." Sandy chuckles. Chen turns to the giant. "Sandy that is not comfort-" He hiccups suddenly, cutting off his own sentence. Sandy ruffles his hair as he continues. "However, the Crimson Jimson weed only grows in the Mystic Jungle of the Emerald Lynx! So who's gonna get it?" He asks, turning to the group. When no one raised their hand and Sandy notices the look Tang and Pigsy share, he realises what they're implying. "What? No, no, no, no. I'm strictly a water adventure kind of guy!" He insists. However, Tang knew exactly how to get the gentle giant to change his mind. "MK's and Chen's lives are at stake!"

"I'll do it! For my friends!"

"Alone?" Érzi asks, startling Pigsy slightly. "Geez kid, I forgot you were there-" He starts to say when Tang interrupts him. "Hmm. Crimson Jimson weed produces just one flower and blooms under a light of a Crimson Moon." He ponders, MK gasping dramatically. "That's tonight!"
"By the Gods of Plot Convenience!" As Sandy gets up to leave, Chen looks over to the unusually quiet boy. An idea forms in his mind, realising that he'd be 100% safe under the blue giants protection. Plus, it'd help take his mind off recent... events. "Hey, why don't you take Érzi with you?" He asks. Pigsy, however, didn't like that idea. "What?! Érzi isn't going on an adventure!" He states. Chen hiccups, coughing again as Mei pipes up. "Why not?"
"Yeah, why not?" Érzi adds, already getting up. He hands Chen back his jacket, already ready to go on an awesome adventure. Pigsy crosses his arms. "Kid, you're twelve. It could be dangerous!"

"I can handle myself!"
"Aw c'mon Pigsy, it won't be that bad! I've been to the Mystic Jungle a few times in the past, and nothing bad has ever happened! Don't worry, I'll keep him safe!" He picks up the boy, placing him on his shoulders before Pigsy could say anything more. "Let's go!"

"Okay bye guys!" Mei calls as Sandy runs out the door.

----

The sun shone down through the leaves of the treetops above the duo, nothing but dense jungle surrounding them. The two were now in more appropriate hiking gear for the journey ahead, both carrying backpacks. Sandy breathes in the fresh air. "Ah, could this day be any more perfect?" He ponders aloud as a butterfly lands on his shoulder. "Aw, hello little friend!"

As he looks at the map that'll lead them right to the mystic flower, the butterfly glides down to land on Érzi's nose. The boy watches for a moment as it opens and closes its wings, before the sudden urge to sneeze overcomes him. The butterfly, seeming to sense what was about to happen flies off. Sandy's back is turned to him as he sneezes, his hair suddenly standing on end as small yellow sparks fly. Realising what happened he quickly readjusts his hair, finishing up as Sandy turns back to face him. "Alright, little man! We got a long road ahead of us- if you get tired, just let me know!"
Érzi grins, giving the blue giant a thumbs up. "Okie dokie!"

With that, the two start their journey.

----

For hours, the two trekked through the jungle until they reached the foot of a cliff. At first, Érzi intended to climb the steep cliff himself, but that attempt was quickly thwarted as Sandy picks him up with ease and puts him on his back, telling him to hang on before climbing up the dangerous mountain. Once they reach a safe spot, Sandy turns to see a buffalo standing on a rock below them. "Good day to you!"

Érzi looks down at the jungle below for a moment, and for a split second he swore he saw something moving fast and swiftly through the trees. But when he tried spotting it again it was gone, as if nothing was there. Érzi shrugs, looking back up at the mountain climb ahead of them.

Every now and again, Sandy places red ribbons on trees to guide their way back, telling Érzi that it was important they keep track of where they'd been so they don't get lost. As he was in the middle of his teachings, a bird hovers around Sandy's head, chirping in alarm. The two follow the bird back to its nest where a snake was attempting to eat the birds chicks. Érzi gasps. "Oh no! We gotta do something!" The boy reaches down to grab a stick when Sandy stops him. "Calm down little man, I'll handle this!"

Érzi watches as Sandy approaches the hungry looking snake and.... hands it a cup of tea? "Huh?"

"A cup of tea always calms me down! Here, have this as well!" Sandy gently places the cup of tea on the branch before the snake, before reaching into his backpack and pulling out food. Érzi watches in confusion as the gentle giant leaves the snake be on the branch, carefully relocating the nest for the mama bird.

"Wait- that's it? You're not gonna get rid of it? It was just trying to eat the innocent baby birds!" Érzi exclaims, waving his arms dramatically. But Sandy merely smiles, ruffling the boys hair. "Oh Érzi, the snake is just an innocent creature as well! He's not evil- he needs to eat to survive, just like those birds." He explains, pointing to the mother bird feeding the chicks. Érzi follows his gaze, before looking back at the snake slowly taking a few sips of the tea Sandy had given it. "...Huh..."

"Come on! We need to get that Crimson Jimson weed by nightfall!" Sandy says cheerily, leading the way further up the mountain. The boy looks back at the snack in thought before following the gentle giant.

----

Sandy and Érzi stop in a clearing to eat, admiring the sunset. The boy had his bag next to him as he chomped into his food hungrily, tired from the big day and fully aware it wasn't over yet. Maybe Sandy might let him piggy-back again-

Something taps the boys shoulder and he turns curiously, only to see nothing there. He shrugs, about to take another bite from his lunch when he bites into thin air. The food he'd been holding moments earlier was gone. The boy twists around in confusion, wondering if he dropped it before realising where exactly it went- two monkeys were eating his lunch! "HEY!"

The monkeys shriek in surprise as the boy dives for his food, snatching it away as the monkeys scattered. "That's mine!"

Sandy laughs at the scene before him, the monkeys were too cute to say no to. "Aw c'mon Érzi! They're just hungry little guys! Here, take mine! I couldn't eat all of this if I tried!" Sandy insists, dumping the rest of his food out for the monkeys to feast on. Érzi eyes the monkeys suspiciously as they dig in, finishing off his own food. Once they were done eating, Sandy and Érzi head off for the last stretch of the journey up the mountain.

----

At last the duo had reached the peak of the mountain as the night fell over them, the bright Crimson Moon shining the sky in a dark bloody red hue. The light shines upon a single flower, igniting it in an orange glow as Sandy, now carrying a tired Érzi on his back, approaches it. "Woah! The Crimson Jimson Weed!" He breathes in wonder. Érzi perks up at the sight of the blooming flower, also amazed by its mystic beauty. "Wooooow...."

"Now to get this back to Chen and MK!" Sandy declares, carefully plucking the flower. But as he does so, a rough voice calls out from behind the duo. "Actually, I had a different idea!"
Érzi and Sandy turn around as a dark shadow looms over them, the gentle giant shrieking in fright at the sight of one of Spider Queen's henchmen, Huntsman. The spider cackles at his fear, stepping down from his perch. "Now big guy, how about you hand over that pretty, pretty flower?"
Sandy stands up, placing the flower into his book as Érzi instantly slides to the ground and lands on his feet, getting into a defensive position. "Uh, no."
"Yeah you can't have it!"
"This is for our friend, see? And he's not doing so good-"

Before Sandy could finish his explanation Huntsman attacks, lunging towards the duo. The gentle giant grabs Érzi by his scarf and jumps out of the way, stumbling slightly before righting himself. When he turns to see Huntsman now starting to chase him, Sandy did the only logical thing- throw the boy over his shoulder and run. He runs back down the mountain, jumping off the peak with a terrified shriek as he holds on tightly to Érzi and the book containing the precious flower.

"Come on! Don't you wanna stick around for a fight?! Guess those big muscles are just for show!" Huntsman taunts, aiming his webbing at the duo. Érzi, who had managed to reach into his backpack to withdraw his staff, deflects a few that got too close. When Sandy lands and takes off into the thick jungle, Érzi finally manages to yell out, "What are you doing Sandy?! We should fight him!"

"We're not fighting! We need to get this Crimson Jimson Weed back to MK and Chen!" Sandy yells back, listing off familiar landmarks as he runs. But the answer didn't satisfy the boy. "But why?! There's two of us and one of him! We can take him!"

Sandy gasps as he freezes in his tracks, looking at the unmarked jungle before him. Érzi looks over his shoulder, realising the ribbons he'd placed on the trees were now gone, and their path leading back to Megapolis gone with it. Huntsman's sinister laughter echoes in the air around them, as if taking pleasure in the duos predicament. "Aw, trying to find your way back, gentle giant? Might be hard without these." Red ribbon shreds suddenly fall from the trees above, decorating the forest floor. The hair on the back of Érzi's neck stands on end, holding on tighter to Sandy as he looks around the area for any sign of the spider demon. Sandy steps back, realising this wasn't good- unknowingly stepping right into Huntsman's trap. Immediately Sandy gets flung into the air, caught in the webbing of the trap- while Érzi and the book slip right off and land hard on the ground below.

The boy sits up, rubbing his head before realising Sandy was trapped in the air above out of the boys reach, the net connected to a branch. "Sandy!" Looking around, he notices his staff and the book, and makes a dive for it. But he's suddenly yanked up by his scruff, now face-to-face with the spider demon himself. Huntsman looks him over, as if searching for something. "I can smell demon blood on you. Who's the papa, boy?" He sneers. Érzi wastes no time, twisting his body and using the momentum to drive his heel right into Huntsman's face. The spider demon yells in pain, dropping the boy as he clutches his nose. "YOU LITTLE BRAT-"

"Érzi!" Sandy yells in alarm as the boy runs to his staff, picking it up and whirling around to face the demon once more- only to be struck down by a bunch of webbing, pinning him to a tree. Huntsman wipes his nose, noticing the blood, before laughing hysterically. "Stupid mutt! I'll deal with you after."

Huntsman leaps onto the net holding Sandy prisoner, peering through the webs as Érzi struggles below. "So what's your deal, big guy? A frame like that? Now that's a warriors build! I heard people talking about how you used to be a ruthless fighter back in the day!" He cackles as Sandy tries to explain himself and de-escalate the situation. "I'm not like that anymore! How about we talk things over, eh? I have this nice chamomile tea blend that I-"
The spider demon had had enough. With one yank he yanks the webs off of from Sandy, before re-ensnaring him in a more suitable restraint for his plan. "I have a better idea."

Érzi watches in horror as the demon slams Sandy hard into a rock, leaving a massive hole in the environment. Huntsman takes great pleasure in seeing the hurt giant, cooing at his pain. "Oooh that one hurt, didn't it? Come on! I wanna see you go CRAZY on me!"
He starts throwing and slamming Sandy into everything- trees, rocks, everything- all while Érzi watched in horror, frozen in place.

Sandy screams in pain as he gets slammed into the cliff particularly hard, landing hard on the ground. Huntsman groans in disgust at the lack of a reaction, walking up and standing over the hurt giant. "Seriously? Nothing?" He scoffs, spreading his arms out dramatically. "What is with you?! All that potential, wasted being that little chimps errand boy!" He sighs, picking up the book with the weed inside it, never noticing the snake slithering towards Sandy. "Well, you did save me the hassle of trying to track this thing down myself, so for that I gotta thank you!" He laughs, turning to leave. "You guys keep doing that. You're making this whole endeavour real easy for me!"

"Hurting others isn't a measure of one's strength...it took me a really long time to realise that..." Sandy finally speaks up, the spider demon rolling his eyes as he turns back to the giant. "Ugh, here we go."
"As long as I'm doing something to help out a friend, I don't mind what it is. I just want to be there for them when they need me."

"Uh huh, whatever you say, blue." Huntsman shrugs, not interested in what the giant had to say. He doesn't notice the stealthy figures behind him, perched in the trees and watching the scene. Sandy continues, undeterred. "Because at the end of the day, helping my friends is more important than anything else in the world! So why do you do it, huh? Why are you her errand boy?"

This line strikes a nerve in the spider demon, immediately clenching his fists out of pure anger. "I AM NO ONES ERRAND BOY!" He screams, lunging towards Sandy with his fist drawn. But as he goes in for the attack, Sandy's hand shoots out and catches it mid punch, startling the spider demon. "Wha- how did you-"

"An enemy is just a friend you haven't won over yet! And like I say, there's no problem that can't be overcome with a good cup of tea!" Sandy says kindly, pulling out a cup of tea and holding it out for the spider demon. Huntsman stares at it in shock, seeming to have second thoughts.... before a bird chirps loudly and attacks the spider from above, causing him to reel back and drop the book. "Damn thing!"

Sandy gasps, seeing the other animals he'd befriended now starting to attack the spider demon. For a moment Huntsman was overwhelmed by the assault of the tiny creatures, but that quickly changes to pure rage as takes them all down with one slash of his mechanical spider limbs. The animals fall to the forest floor, severely wounded. Huntsman catches his breath, cackling at the sight of the easy to defeat foes.

That is, of course, until he's struck by sharp, heavy blows at several angles in quick succession. Whatever it was, it was moving too fast for the spider demon to react in time as he immediately tries to deflect the blows with his spider legs. But with each blow he deflected, another came just seconds later. After a few seconds of attempting to defend himself he notices a pattern, and just as the assailant came in for a hit to his side the spider demon reacts swiftly, snatching the staff mid-air and halting the assault.

Érzi's eyes widen in surprise as the spider demon catches his staff, glaring down at the boy in pure rage before he swiftly kicks him in the gut, sending him flying back as he keeps a firm grip on his staff. "Oh you're going to regret that!"
Érzi rolls across the ground a few times, pushing himself up to his knees as the spider demon breaks his staff against a rock, smashing it into pieces. "Nooo! My staff!"
"You should be more worried about your bones, mutt!" Huntsman snarls, lunging towards the boy before he had time to react.

But before the spider demon could harm the boy further a sudden energy blast knocks him back, causing him to land on the ground away from the boy. Huntsman looks to the source in surprise, seeing Sandy standing amidst floating rocks and pink energy balls. For a moment he was stunned, before he starts laughing at the ridiculousness at what triggered the giant. "All it took to bring out the beast was smacking around some of your woodland friends, eh? Ha ha! We doin this? Or are you gonna brew me another cuppa?! HA HA!"

Érzi watches as the furious giant doesn't move a muscle, but the environment around him still reacts to his rage, sending out another energy blast that was even stronger than the last. Before either of them knew it he was right before Huntsman in the blink of an eye, staring down at him with a cold fury. "What's wrong? Isn't this what you wanted?!" He demands bitterly, his power swirling around him as he draws back his fist. "Let me show you why I promised never to fight again!"

Huntsman only had time to squeeze his eyes shut as Sandy's fist took an aim to his face, fully expecting the hit from the enraged powerful giant. But Sandy's fist stops mere inches from his face, the force of the punch destroying the environment around them. When the spider demon opens his eyes, he is stunned to see a butterfly perched on the giants knuckles, calmly looking down at him as Sandy starts to calm down. "Leave this place."

Huntsman didn't need to be told twice. He runs off, leaving Sandy and Érzi behind in the damaged jungle. Sandy sighs, looking up at the aftermath of his attack- a massive hole was now in the side of the mountain. The gentle giant turns around, spotting Érzi looking up at him in shocked silence. Sandy crouches down next to him, holding out a hand to the boy who visibly flinches away from him. "Sorry you had to see that, little man." He says apologetically. When the boy doesn't reach for his hand the giant sighs again and gets to his feet, deciding to give him space. Instead, he goes around to the injured animals and starts to help them, returning them to their homes.

As he works on the mama birds nest he hears soft footsteps approach behind him, Érzi walking over and carefully holding the snake in his hands. Sandy smiles gently at the boy, carefully taking the snake and placing it in it's home. The snake hisses happily as it slithers into the bush.
Sandy and Érzi walk back to the scene of the fight, seeing the book and the boys broken staff still laying on the ground. As Sandy picks up his book and checks to see if the Crimson Jimson weed is still inside, albeit one petal was now missing, Érzi picks up his broken staff in defeat. "Aw man..."

"Don't worry- nothing a little tape won't fix!" Sandy says gently, placing a hand on the boys shoulder. "Now let's get back to the shop before the others get worried."
Érzi nods, following Sandy through the jungle back to Megapolis. "So, how'd you learn to fight like that?" The giant asks curiously as they walk. Érzi holds the broken staff pieces, shrugging. "Oh, um, I watch a lot of anime I guess..."

"I see."

-----

MK blows on his cup of tea before taking a sip, Chen following suit. Everyone waits in tense silence to see if the magical tea worked. "Anything?" Mei asks in suspense. MK smacks his lips, waiting for the earthquake hiccups to start again- but there was nothing. He was cured. MK laughs in relief. "No hiccups! This tea really DOES work!" He sighs in relief, turning to Sandy as Chen carefully sips his tea beside him. "Thanks Sandy, you're the best!"
"Any time, kid!" He says, patting MK hard on the back and accidentally causing him to start coughing. Sandy turns around to help Érzi who sat at a seperate table, attempting to fix his staff.

Mei hums in thought, thinking back to the tale Sandy and Érzi had told them when they got back. "I still don't understand why that spider wanted that flower." She gasps. "Do you think Spider Queen ate those cursed meatballs too?" She ponders aloud. At that, MK grins. "Oh man I could so go for more of those right now!"
Mei throws a cup at MK's head, knocking him off his chair before returning to the conversation as if nothing happened. Chen, however, cackles maniacally at the bullseye.

"I doubt it." Tang says flatly. Mei scoffs. "Oh! Okay then smart guy, you tell us why those spider goons were after it then!" She states.

As they start to argue Érzi holds up his taped-up staff in victory, before it snaps in two under the weight. He sighs, putting it back down on the table in defeat. Chen, seeing the boy, shakes his head. "Érzi you know tape won't work, right? Tomorrow we'll see if we can find a place that can fix it."

"Really?" Érzi asks hopefully, to which Chen nods. "Yeah, sure. We got plenty of time."
"Thank you!" The boy hugs Chen around the waist, the bull demon ruffling his hair. "Yeah yeah, now you better clean up all of... this," he gestures to the tape laying all around the table and floor, "before Pigsy gets mad."
Érzi chuckles sheepishly, starting to clean up his mess. "Right, sorry..."

After picking up the tape pieces and putting them in a small plastic bag, the boy heads outside and walks into the alley behind the shop. He lifts up the dumpster lid easily, putting the bag in with the garbage.

As he turns around and dusts his hands off, letting the dumpster lid fall back into place, he hears a sound behind him. The boy turns in alarm, searching for the source of the noise. To him, it sounded like someone whispering. "Hello?"

Everything was quiet. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Érzi shrugs, going back inside the noodle shop. Never noticing the figure watching him from the darkness, smiling eerily before disappearing in a puff of smoke. 

 

Chapter 32: 72 Transformations

Chen yawns, rubbing his eyes as Pigsy groans tiredly. "Okay kid, you got us here at... 3am? Ugh, what's so important that you couldn't wait until morning?"

The group had all been gathered on the roof of the noodle shop by an excited MK, all extremely tired and sleepy from being woken up. Chen looks over to see Érzi still half asleep, having crawled onto Sandy's back and was resting there. Mei was sitting next to Rey, while Pigsy, Tang and Sandy were gathered in a half circle.

MK was already fully dressed in his normal clothes, posing on the edge of the roof and looking out on the asleep city as the wind was blowing his jacket around like a cape. "Oh my dear Pigsy, sweet sweet friend. I'm so glad you asked! I have gathered you here because I have unlocked my next mystic monkey power!"
Mei and Tang gasp excitedly, instantly perking up at this news. "WHAT IS IT WHAT IS IT WHAT IS IT!?"
"IS IT TELEPORTATION?! CLOUD WALKING? BASIC FLYING!?"

"Is it regrowing your own head?"

Everyone turns to Chen in surprise, who shrugs. "What? Isn't that something he can do?"

"No! It's better than any of that! I have begun to learn Monkey King's 72 TRANSFORMATIONS!" MK declares excitedly. As Tang goes on an excited rant, Érzi perks up curiously. "He can do that?"
"Yep, Monkey King can do that." Rey informs. The boy tilts his head, pondering this news. "Huh."

"SHOW ME THIS POWER!" Tang squeals, excited to see the transformation. MK chuckles. "Well maybe my friend here will show you himself!" He states, whipping around to face the group and extending his left hand- which was now a puppy head. It barks, shocking everyone around. Chen stares at the puppy hand with disgust. "Uh, is that supposed to happen-"

Mei giggles, patting the puppy hand excitedly. "Aw hi little puppy! MK, you were right this is the best power!" Mei squeals, letting the puppy bite her face. MK laughs as the puppy jumps between his and Mei's face to bite them. "I know!"

"Less of a power, more of a "medical emergency"." Pigsy states disapprovingly, MK looking offended. "What?! Come on! I think dog hands pretty good! Aren't you pug-shaped little baby!" He coos, Chen covering his mouth as he gags. "Oh that is an unsettling sight.."
Pigsy notices MK hiding his other hand behind his back, squinting suspiciously. "Uh, are you hiding your other hand?"

"Uh... no?"

"MK, what are you-"

"Okay fine! But just remember, like 70% of my job is cleaning." MK warns. Before Pigsy could ask what that was supposed to mean, MK draws out his right hand to reveal... a mop in place of his hand. Pigsy shrieks in alarm, followed by Chen and the grown men actually throwing up at the sight. MK turns around. "Okay yes! So there's some kinks! But guys, isn't this amazing?! Plus it turns out the mop is super handy for cleaning up after this guy!" He explains, patting the puppy with his mop hand. "Handy! Super handy! Ha! This is- this is a good day!"

"MK we NEED to get you to a hospital because I don't even think MONKEY KING could pull this off!" Chen states, grossed out by the sight. Tang shrugs. "Yeah, ya might need to do a bit more training, MK..."
"Training to make more puppy hands! Right?" Mei asks, the only one excited by the events. MK is suddenly yanked away from the group from the puppy hand, which was barking at something.

Chen rubs his eyes, still exhausted. He turns to Érzi, who had a strange expression on his face as he watches MK leave, muttering "what the" under his breath. "You wanna go back to bed Érzi?" Chen asks. The boy takes a minute to look at the bull demon, that grimace still on his face. "I don't think I can sleep after that."

"Fair. Did you wanna play some games when we get back to the apartment?" The bull demon offers. At that, Érzi nods, sliding off of Sandy's back. "Bye guys."
"Yeah, see you guys later." Chen says, leaving the others on the rooftop to go over what the hell just happened.

-----

The sounds of buttons smashing fills the small apartment as Érzi attempts to beat the final boss of the game. He'd been playing for a couple of hours, while Chen had fallen asleep. When the boy loses again he hisses in annoyance, his head falling back on the mattress. "Aw man-"

Hearing a meow, the boy looks up to see Shu sitting next to him, staring up at him intensely. "What?"
Shu tilts her head, before crawling onto the boys lap and curling into a ball. The boy pats the black cats fur, in awe at how cute she was being.

That's until Chen's phone starts ringing, the bull demon groaning as he wakes up to answer it. "Hello...?" He asks groggily, not bothering to check the caller ID. For a moment there's silence as the person on the other end talks, sounding like MK. Chen sighs. "Alright alright we're coming- geez..." Chen hangs up, sitting up tiredly. "You awake Érzi?"
"Yup! Was that MK?" The boy asks, to which Chen nods, standing up and stretching. "Uh-huh. He wants all of us to come train outside the city. Being very pushy, too." He sighs, going into the bathroom to change. "We're heading off in a minute, so grab some breakfast to go okay?"

"Okay!"

When the bull demon had exited the bathroom, back in his usual attire instead of his pajamas, he feeds Shu then heads off to join the others with Érzi in tow. 

 

Chapter 33: This Is The End!

Chen and Érzi watch MK and Mei spar, the boy cheering MK on excitedly. The group were on gathered on Sandy's drone in the middle of the desert, MK's idea since he didn't want to smush the city (again) while training. Pigsy was busy cooking everyone lunch, Sandy was giving Tang tips to become stronger, while Rey gave Pigsy a hand with the food.

As the duo watch for a moment it seemed like Mei would win, but MK was quick to knock her down by making himself a giant and belly-flopping onto the dragon girl and the dragon she summoned, winning the fight.

The two return to eat with the others, both covered in bandaids as Chen passes them each a cold drink. Érzi squeals, pumping his fists. "You two were AWESOME out there!"
"Yeah we were! Ooh! MK! You've totally got the hang of this mystic monkey business!" Mei declares. MK chuckles appreciatively, rubbing his neck. "Awe, thanks guys-"
Mei starts to list off his powers, giving her best friend as many compliments as she could think as MK giggles. "We've got this, boy! Soon, Monkey King won't even need to come back from vacation!" Mei laughs, but her words seem to upset the Monkie kid. She pauses, giving him a look as Chen and Érzi walk away, leaving the two.

Érzi thinks for a moment as he takes a sip of his juice. "When DO you think Monkey King will come back?" The boy asks Chen, the bull demon shrugging as he looks over to the city of Megapolis. "No clue. But I sure do hope it's soon. He could probably help you find your dad, since the police aren't making any progress." Chen states, ruffling the boys hair. Érzi hums in thought, looking away from Chen. "Yeah, maybe..."

"Don't worry, we'll find him. I promise you that." Chen assures, Pigsy declaring a snack break for the group. They all sit down to eat, digging in hungrily to the tasty food.

But their meal was suddenly interrupted as a blue beam of light bursts from the center of Megapolis, lighting the sky and making everything feel colder, filling the group with dread. "That's... probably not good." Mei comments worriedly, the group immediately jumping to their feet and running to the edge of the drone's balcony to take a closer look. The group watches as a giant white spider-like mech bursts from the ground as the beam disappears, charging towards the heroes with lightning speed. Recognising the spider-like mech, Mei gasps. "Spider Queen?!"

"No, it's something... worse."

Chen turns to his brother. "What do you mean something worse-" He starts to ask before MK immediately jumps into action, charging the mech and intending to take it down with one hit. But as his Fist of Fury strikes the mechs head, a giant blue symbol appears, the monkie kid accidentally passing right through it as the mech was knocked back. Chen watches in shock as gold writing appears around the edges before it fades to the same blue. "What the-"

MK seemed equally as confused, but refused to give up the fight. When Pigsy gave the signal to help the boy, Tang suddenly steered the ship away from the fight. "Tang! What are you doing?!" Pigsy demands. Chen reaches down and grabs Érzi, making sure he didn't accidentally get thrown off as Tang jerks the drone around. "I've got a bad feeling about this, Pigsy!"

"Well we gotta help him!" Chen snaps, pushing Érzi towards Sandy. "Sandy, look after Érzi." He turns around in time to see the spider mech get back up, jumping into the air before landing on MK still stuck on the ground. The group yell in alarm, when in a flash of gold MK reappears in his giant form, breaking the mech to pieces in one hit. The group sigh in relief, cheering MK on after he shrinks to his normal size again. "Yeah MK!"
"You did it!"
"You won!"

The only ones not cheering were Tang and Chen. Chen watches the blue symbol disappears again, looking around at the mech that looked so much like the Spider Queens own technology but weren't, according to MK. "MK, what's going on?"
Tang nods solemnly in agreement, looking at the broken pieces. "Yeah, I get the feeling you're not telling us something."

MK hesitates, irritating the bull demon as his brother looks away. This wasn't like MK, and Chen didn't like it. "MK, what aren't you telling us?"

MK sighs, giving in. "A few weeks ago, I met someone..."

Mei and the others immediately start cooing, thinking he meant a love interest but MK was quick to correct himself. "Not like-ugh!" He takes a deep breath. "Remember how we fought DBK? I said he was different. And Spider Queen attacked, she was stronger- I was trying to protect you." He admits, looking back to the group. "Keep it a secret, but it was all this girl. She calls herself-"

"The Lady Bone Demon."

Chen stiffens at the sound of a ghostly girls voice, the environment around them turning blue once more but now instead of a slight chill, it was much, much colder. The hot desert heat was completely gone, and Chen felt a chill crawl up his spine as he looks behind MK to see a little girl, standing there smiling.

Mei was the first to take action, a green beam descending upon the group as they get ready for battle. Rey quickly leads Érzi inside the ships cabin, getting a bad feeling. "A girl?! Let's get her!" Mei yells, the group charging towards her. MK tries to stop them but it was too late- Chen, Mei, Pigsy, and Sandy were thrown back into the drone and pinned to the metal by nothing.

Chen groans in pain as his back hits the drone, pinned by an invisible force. As Chen lifts his head, he watches in growing horror as a giant mech, much larger than before, form right before them- it was now in the shape of a scorpion.

The bull demon watches as MK creates clones, attempting to land a hit on the bot but with one surge of power the clones vanish, leaving MK vulnerable. The scorpion mech only got stronger as it clamps its tail around MK, pinning him down as the Monkie Kid cries out in pain.

MK was in trouble. And Chen knew he had to do something.

Green lava begins oozing from Chen's hands, his hands melting into the metal until finally with a burst of power the demon frees himself, launching towards the giant mech with a his fists aflame while metal still stuck to his fur. "LET GO OF MY BROTHER!"

Just before Chen could reach his brother, something comes flying from the bots direction too fast for him to see and react to- slamming him square in the gut and sending him flying back over the jet and towards the hot desert sand below. The bull demon could hear his friends screaming his name as he hits the ground, rolling several feet before coming to a stop. For a moment he was left dazed and winded, coughing up sand and dirt that had gotten into his mouth as he attempts to push himself up.

But he didn't even get the chance to get to his knees before a boot plants itself firmly on his back, hard enough to keep him down.

"Don't struggle, Chen. It's not worth it."

Chen groans in pain, turning his head to look up at the one responsible for the attack. But when his vision cleared enough to see their face, he was left stunned.

It was his mentor. The mentor who had been teaching him how to use his newfound powers, giving him a chance to learn and accept himself. The mentor who had gone missing a few weeks prior under mysterious circumstances, who Chen had been searching for. The mentor he had called his friend.

The mentor who now had that same eery blue glow in his eyes as the demon fighting MK, peering down at him with a blank expression. His usual attire was gone, instead replaced with blue armour, and yet he still held that Guandao he'd always used during their training sessions. But this time, it wasn't an act of teaching when he held that same weapon to Chen's head, a silent warning to stay down.

"Jade? What the hell are you doing-" The bull demon demands. The snake demon glances to the giant mech, temporarily taking his eyes off the bull demon. Chen glances to the mechs, realisation dawning on him

He was working for her. The whole time, Jade had secretly been working for the bad guy.

Chen watches in disbelief as the snake demons shoulders slump slightly, lifting his Guandao slightly as he turns to look down at the bull demon. "I'm only giving you one chance, kid. You can either join us, or you can suffer the same fate as the Monkie Kid." He states, giving Chen the chance to speak.

The bull demon felt his rage building, that familiar feeling of betrayal returning to him in a strong wave of emotional turmoil. He didn't even respond as he suddenly uses his tail to swipe at the snake demons back legs, knocking him down. Chen pushes himself off the ground, his hands outstretched he clamps his hands down on the snake demons neck in an uncontrollable rage. Jade was taken by surprise from the bull demons sudden attack, knocked back before using his own feet to launch the boy back over his head, rolling to his feet before launching into the fight, Guandao swinging.

He used me. All that time spent, all the memories we shared, it was all fake.

The two fought, darting around the desert in a flurry of blue and green strikes as Chen used brutal force and punches, striking Jade again and again as hard as he could.

He was just pretending to be my friend. Using me just like he did.

Jade forms a giant serpent that attempts to devour the bull demon, but Chen manages to dodge it and take aim right at the snake demon himself.

I'm gonna fucking kill him.

Until finally Jade manages to find an opening, swinging the end of his Guandao at the back of Chen's head. It strikes the bull demon down, having no time to react as he lands right on the drone's balcony. The gang scream his name as he hits the metal, knocked unconscious from the strike.

Jade stood upon his summoned snake, towering over the drone as it opens its maw to devour them whole- only for a large lightning bolt to come hurdling from the sky above, striking Jade. The snake shrieks in pain before disintegrating, the snake demon falling to the ground below the drone. Rey stood in the doorway of the cabin, their hand shaking as they clutch their wrist before rushing over to the bull demon laying on the floor.

At the same time MK managed to create the Monkey Mech, releasing the rest of the gang from the Lady Bone Demon's spell and destroying the scorpion mech- only for the Lady Bone Demon to completely destroy the mech in one blast, the force of the attack strong enough to send the drone flying away from MK and the city.

-----

"...en can you hear me?! Wake up!"

Chen comes to a few minutes later, blinking his eyes open to see a worried Rey, Pigsy and Mei hovering over him, holding an ice-pack to his head. The pigman helps him sit up, breathing a sigh of relief. "Oh thank the gods you're alright..."

"You went crazy out there, Chen! What happened?" Mei asks. As the bull demon sat there, the memories of what happened came flooding back. He looks up at Rey, seeing the turmoil in the dragons face as they tried to hide it. They knew what had happened.

Jade was working against them this whole time.

"Where's MK?" Chen suddenly speaks up, looking around for his brother. "Did you just leave him?!" He demands, about to get to his feet when a sudden sharp pain in the back of his skull causes him to stop moving, hissing in pain as he clutches it. Pigsy holds his arm. "Easy kid, Sandy's about to turn the drone around to go back." He explains. Before the bull demon could ask further questions, Tang gasps in shock from the side of the drone. "It's MK! And Monkey King!"

The others rush to the side of the drone, Mei helping Chen to his feet to join them as Monkey King, carrying MK on his cloud, launches himself over the side with great effort and collapses onto the balcony. Everyone rushes to MK's side, making sure he's okay as Monkey King's cloud dissipates.

"MK!"

Chen follows MK's gaze to Monkey King, who sits up from his position to give the two students a weak smile. "Hey buds. Miss me?"
The Great Sage looked awful. His clothes were ripped, and he looked like he'd taken quite the beating. From what? The bull demon didn't know. And right now, he didn't care. He was angry.

"Where were you?!" MK demanded. "You could've stopped this! We could've- we have to go back! We have to take her down!" The Monkie kid yells, determined to take down the new demon. But Wukong only shakes his head. "We can't."

"What do you mean "we can't"!? We can't just leave the city to defend itself against that!" Chen snaps, MK quick to agree. "I'm going back! I'm gonna get my staff, and finish this!"

"The staff is gone, bud! And I'm in no shape to face her. Neither of us are. I didn't get back in time..." Wukong mutters, earning a suspicious glare from Chen. Pigsy, however, beat him to the questioning. "Back from what? Your vacation?"

"Pigsy-"

"No! What could've been so important that you'd leave the boys alone to face that- that THING! You're supposed to be their mentor!" Pigsy snaps, standing protectively in front of the boys. Before he could start yelling anymore, Sandy's shocks them all into silence as he screams "ENOUGH!"
Once he'd gain everyone's attention, the gentle giant clears his throat. "I think we should give Mr. Monkey King a chance to explain." He states. Everyone shares a glance before looking back to the Monkey King. Monkey King sighs, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright! I was never on vacation." He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for his explanation.

"During the battle with the Spider Queen, I found out the Lady Bone Demon and her lapdog the Jade Warrior were back. They're bad news. I needed something to fight them, something so powerful even she wouldn't be able to win. A weapon." The group listens closely, the bull demon feeling his fur stand on end at the mention of the "Jade Warrior". He glances to Rey, the dragon sharing the same expression of recognition. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Jade.

Wukong notices the look, squinting at the two. But before he could ask them, MK sighs before speaking up. "Okay, a weapon. Hey, if you think we can beat her, let's go find it."
"What?! No! You're not going, I'm going!"

As the two argue about who's going, Chen realises there's a face missing. He looks around for the young ginger-haired boy, looking up at Sandy. "Where's Érzi?" Sandy pats the bull demons head reassuringly. "Don't worry, he's inside the control cabin." At this news, Chen breathes a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was for Érzi to have accidentally fallen off.

Hearing MK's and Mei's excited squeal, the bull demon looks up to see the two were celebrating at being able to go on the quest to search for Wukong's so-called weapon. The monkey chuckles at their enthusiasm, holding up his hands to calm them down. "But it's not gonna be easy. In fact, it's gonna be really, really dangerous."
"Nuh doy, Sherlock." Chen mutters under his breath as Pigsy asks, "Okay! So, where are we headed?"

At that, the monkey pulls out a scroll and shows the group the contents inside- an ancient map with symbols and landmarks on it. "Well I guess we're going on a journey. To the west."
Sandy heads to the control panel, redirecting the route of the drone to travel west.




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A/N: Tee hee Jade's back (at what cost)