So I recently decided to rewatch the JCA series, a cartoon I grew up on and loved! Drago has been one of my favorite characters for a long time and with him, I've got a specific interpretation of his character. Ever since I saw Drago's involvement in the show, I just haven't really seen him as a genuine villain. I like to think of Drago as a half-demon, half-human (he has 5 fingers like humans, while demons have 4 and he even looks more human than most of the other demons. In my headcanon, Drago was raised by a warm and loving human mother, but when she died, Shendu reluctantly took him in but only ever acknowledged his son when he truly behaved like a demon. Drago, desperate for his father's love and attention (as the only parent he had left) conformed to Shendu's views and became who he is today. So, in summary, I don't see Drago as a villain as much as I really see him as a trouble teen struggling to find his identity by essentially being evil in order to validate himself in his father's eyes.

And let's face it. Anyone who knows me well enough will know that once the idea of a character pops into my mind, I cannot resist the urge to create them. I am so very weak. Anyway, this will essentially be my take on season 5 of JCA (with the main plot remaining as it is) based on my interpretation of Drago as well as throwing in my own character: half-human, half-crystal demon Mala.

I do not own Jackie Chan Adventures, only Mala and other OCs.

"Mala, dear! It's time to close up!" Mala popped up from behind the jewelry counter when she heard her boss, Patrick calling her.

"Sure thing, Patrick! I can close up myself! You don't want to be late for that date of yours!" she gleefully said, with a wink.

"Oh, you're such a sweetheart, but are you sure you can handle it?" Patrick asked, putting his hand on Mala's shoulder.

"Of course I can!"

"Wipe down the counters?"

"Yes."

"Vacuum the carpet?"

"Yes."

"Make sure all the display cases are locked?"

"Yes!"

"Set the alarm?"

"Yes, Patrick! Don't worry! I know how to close up the shop! Now get going, you!" she said, handing Patrick his trench coat while pushing him out the door.

"All right, all right, I'm going!" he replied, putting his trench coat over his fancy suit while running his fingers through his hair to even out his black locks.

"Oh stop that, your hair is fine! Go on you," she said, lightly pushing him out the door. "And don't forget to tell me how it goes!" she called.

"I will! See you tomorrow!" Patrick called back before disappearing down the street. Mala went back into the shop and set about to complete her closing routine: wiping down the counters, vacuuming the carpets, making sure all the display cases were locked before finally setting the alarm and locking the door on her way out. She made her way down the street to her apartment, stopping at a Chinese take-out restaurant on the way.

Mala turned around in a snap when she heard something moving behind her, but there was no one there. "Must have been the wind," she said to herself, shrugging her shoulders. She fumbled with her keys when she reached the front door of her apartment building and climbed up the stairs to her room on the third floor. She opened the door and kicked it shut with her foot, carrying her take-out to the kitchen. She dashed into the living room to turn on her TV, just in time to catch her favorite TV show. She leaned back just so she could see the news while opening the fridge to pour herself a glass of water, also shutting the fridge door with her foot when she was done.

"You know, as annoying as humans are, I'll admit they know how to make some good food!"

Mala dropped her glass and spun around when she heard another voice in her apartment. "Who-" She turned around and saw a dark-green scaled, humanoid dragon dressed in black and red casually sitting on her counter while leisurely eating the take-out she bought.

"Hi," he chirped playfully, "long time no see."

"D-Drago?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd-OW!" Drago fell off the counter and rubbed his head as Mala stood over him with a metal pan gripped tightly in her hands. "What was that for?" he shouted, but he was quickly silenced with another whack to the head.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!? YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!" she shouted, raising the pan over her head to strike him again.

"Would you put that thing down?" Drago shouted, holding his hand up over the pan.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mala screamed.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Drago shouted back, pointing his taloned finger at her.

"You're the one who broke into my apartment and ate my- Hey! I was going to eat that!" she exclaimed, accusingly pointing her finger at the empty take-out container. "Nevermind, that's not the point. What are you doing here, Drago? We haven't seen each other since we were kids! How did you even find me?"

"I told you: I was in the neighborhood."

"Doing what exactly?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Got thrown in the slammer, just broke out today," he grinned.

"Oh just great. On top of having a demon in my kitchen, I'm now harboring a fugitive! What are you doing here, Drago?" she asked, impatiently tapping her foot on the tiles of the kitchen floor.

"I need help with something and I figured an old demon friend would help," he grinned.

"Don't call me that," she muttered with a glare.

"What? You are a demon, after all."

"Half-demon, just like you and don't you forget it!"

"Unlike you, I actually like being a demon. You should be embracing the power you have! Instead you're just hiding who you really are and trying to fit in with people that will never accept you, just like your mother."

"I AM NOT LIKE MY MOTHER!" she shrieked, slamming her first on the countertop, causing everything on it around her to briefly jumping into the air and falling over when they landed.

"Now there's the real Mala," Drago said with a light chuckle. Mala looked down at her hand with her eyes wide in fear and shock. Her fingers were sharp, like talons and grayish blue. Dark blue crystal armor covered her forearm and the back of her hand while two bright pink blades stuck out over her hand.

She sharply turned around and hugged her arm to her chest, quietly whispering to herself, "Ok, just calm down. You're not a demon; you're not like her."

Drago cocked his eyebrow and tilted his head in confusion at this. "Hey, you ok?" he asked, gripping his talons over her shoulder.

Mala stopped shaking and sighed before turning around to face Drago, her hand now back to normal. "I am not like my mother, let's get that straight."

"All right, all right. You know my dad's told me about her, Lang Yan. From what I've heard, she's quite the manipulator."

"Yeah, I don't need you to tell me that," she muttered.

"You hate her."

"What was your first clue?" Mala snapped.

"You know, that pain you feel is never going to go away unless you do something about it."

"Oh, yeah and what could I possibly do about that?"

"How much do you hate her?" he asked.

"How much-How much do I hate her?" she shouted. "That demon cursed me with her Chi! She spent years manipulating us into thinking she was a loving wife and mother AND she broke my father's heart! She's the reason I can't have a normal life. I want to make her pay for what she's done to my father and me. Maybe then… maybe then I can just be normal"," she sighed, slouching over the countertop.

"Now what you're talking about is revenge, Mala. And I'd be happy to help you with that."

"Revenge?"

"I know how to access a portal to the Demon Netherworld. You won't stand a chance against Lang Yan alone, but with me there to back you up, we might just put the old hag in her place. So, whad'ya say?"

"You'd help me do that? You'd help me kill Lang Yan?" she asked, glancing in mild shock at Drago.

"You're an old friend, Mala. And as pathetic as this may sound, you're the only friend I've got. We half-demons have to stick together, right?"

"I did say that, didn't I?" she muttered, remembering when she first said that to Drago when they were children. "But I'm guessing you didn't come here just to offer that?"

"The alignment of the stars has activated the dormant Demon Chis of my aunts and uncles. Each of their Chi is contained in the Immortal item used to defeat them and I want to get them all!" he grinned.

"And what exactly do you plan on doing once you get them?"

"Surpass my old gecko of a father and become all powerful. Demons and humans get their own world, so it's high time we half-demons got our own!" he declared.

"You want to create a new world? C-can you even do that?"

"If I have all eight Demon Chis, I'll be able to. Think about it, Mala. Half-demons will never be accepted by demons or humans. They look out for their own kind, so we have to look out for our own kind."

"That's not true! I have friends who care about me: my boss, Patrick, my land lady, Mrs. Winslow-"

"But just how much do they really know about you?" Drago asked, causing Mala to cast her eyes down sadly. "That's what I thought. Think about it, Mala: a whole world just for half-demons, a world for us! A world where we don't have to hide who and what we are, a world where we aren't judged for what kind of people out parents are. Isn't that what you want?" he asked, putting his hands on her small shoulders.

"That's all I've ever wanted. But…"

"If you need some time to think about it, go ahead. I'll be back tomorrow for your answer, Mala. I've got some Wind Demon Chi to find," he said, climbing out the window of her apartment, leaving Mala with much to think about.

Well I've never written anything for JCA and since I'm still riding on my recent rewatching of the series, I'll hopefully keep my motivation for this story up. Plus it's gonna be a rather short one too since it's only based on season 5.

For those not following me on dA, I'll provide a brief summary on who Mala is:

Mala is the daughter of a Chi Wizard named Jasper and the Crystal Demon Sorceress, Lang Yan. Lang Yan was only trying to get close to Jasper to learn his Chi Wizardy secrets, but when he discovered her true nature, she attacked and he banished her to the Demon Netherworld. Jasper was heartbroken at the deception but raised his daughter and taught her to use her power for good and to hide her true self from others. Mala had a brief friendship with Drago when they were children and they bonded over both being half-demons. Mala can control crystals (create, project, constructs, mimicry, etc.) and change into a "demon form" (since JCA established that Demons can change into a human form). She resents and hates her mother for deceiving them and breaking her father's heart as well as for cursing her with her demon powers.

For more info on Mala, visit my dA or wiki!

Cheers!