I am so, SO sorry it's taken me so long to update this but I've been busy with my other story which is now going to be re-done which means I'll have a little more time for my other stories such as THIS one :D !

I do not own Xiaolin Showdown.

Days Gone By: 4

Feeling more than satisfied with how he'd handled things with his new Empress, Jack turned the volume up louder than what was necessary as he started on perfecting the motherboard he'd been working on . . . until he felt a shift in the air, frowning, the red eyed teen turned on his heel and sent his screwdriver flying through the air with deadly accuracy. The tool imbedding itself within the plaster of the wall, Wuya's carmine hair falling back in to place, a malicious smirk was beginning to tug on the witch's painted lips.

"Is that any way to greet your mentor Jack?"

Narrowing his eyes at the woman, Jack rest his lower back against his workshop table, arms folding over his chest, "Maybe you shouldn't be sneaking around behind my back." a green light caught his attention, his red eyes flitting towards his Jack-Bot who gave a quick bow before heading out the room, "Next time I may aim a little more to the right."

"Normally you WOULD have." Wuya counters. Jack realizing she knows something is up, "Were you expecting someone else?"

"No." he turns his back on her, grabbing a tool at random, "I just didn't want to risk killing the one who I owe my success to."

Silence.

"You have become a more than competent villain, Jack," Wuya began, he could imagine her strolling towards him with a predatory grace, he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, "And while you may be able to fool others with your lies, I, for one, know when you're lying." she spun the 18 year old around, forcing him to stare into her eyes, "WHAT are you hiding from me?"

It's a demand. A demand Jack feels no obligation to answer. Snorting, he swipes the witch's hands from his shoulders and sidesteps her entirely, he moves to the shelves line with various books and mimics looking over them.

"What I do in my spare time is of no use to you."

"It IS when it involves a Xiaolin MONK." Wuya hisses.

Jack pauses, hand outstretched towards a book, he hears the air crackle as Wuya draws closer and closer. The Evil Emperor can soon feel the witch's overwhelming presence, he lets his hand drop to his side, clenched tightly into a fist.

"So what are you going to do."

"Nothing. I'm sure you have it under control," Wuya starts, "But what I want to know is WHY the Dragon of Wind is out of the cells and in YOUR private room."

"Tch." Jack levels a glare at a nearby wall, "Even if I WANTED to tell you, you wouldn't understand."

Wuya reels at the teen's admission, she's momentarily perplexed but decides on not pushing the boy, "Very well. When dinner is done I would like to be called upon."

"You actually want to EAT together?" Jack puffs, glad the witch brushed past the subject, "That's a first."

"There is a first for everything my dear boy."

With that she disappears in a mist of green smoke, leaving Jack to mull over the multiple possibilities of her parting words.

D-G-B

Huffing and puffing, Raimundo stumbles back from the window as sparks fly from the metal grid protecting the glass. Licking his lips, he drags his arm over his forehead, ridding himself of the sweat that began to collect upon his brow. Dropping the bar he'd found while digging through Jack's possessions, the Brazilian falls on his rear, he looks to the bot floating idly in the corner of the room, its eerie presence a reminder that he was a prisoner in this . . . the fact the thing didn't really bother stopping him when he took the metal bar to the window showed how secure the metal contraption was in the idea that Raimundo had little to no chance of breaking through.

Huffing, he lies on his back, arms and legs spread, "How many times was that?"

"That was your 78th attempt, Empress."

"Empress?" Raimundo mouths, face scrunching up at the title, "Listen here BOT," he sits up glaring at the robo-butler, "I TOLD you I'm a BOY, my NAME is RAIMUNDO, and I'm NOT Jack's Empress. How many times do I have to TELL you?"

"I'm sorry Empress, but all Jack-Bots are under strict orders to refer to you as our Empress by our Emperor."

"GAH!"

Throwing his hands up the teen gets to his feet and grabs the metal bar with more force than necessary, fixing his grip on the object, he glares at the metal grid. He was going to escape one way or another. Charging the window, he raises the bar above his head and moves to strike when the clicking of the door unlocking stalls his movements, the momentum sending him sliding into the grate.

SLAM!

Groaning, Raimundo finds himself lying flat on his back, he maneuvers his body to look at the doorway where he finds Jack propped against the doorframe, an amused expression on his face. Frowning, the Xiaolin Dragon sits up rubbing his head.

"For a Xiaolin Monk, you're not exactly quiet."

"What do you want NOW Spicer?"

"Well," Jack begins, walking in to the room, he sits on the foot of the bed, "I think we should get to know each other more since we're going to be sleeping together," Raimundo flinches at the double meaning, "I mean it's pretty obvious you're not going to be leaving any time soon." he grabs the iron pipe, he studies it momentarily before tossing it javelin style into the closet, he turns to the tanned teen sitting on the floor, "So what do you say, Rai ~ ?"

"I say go to hell." Rai hisses, refusing to look at the older teen.

Jack only laughs, he presses a button on his watch causing a large holographic screen to pop up before the Shoku leader. It was real time news coverage on what was happening in the European countries. There were fires, panic, people fleeing while their armies tried to hold their ground against waves of ginormous, vicious looking Jack-Bots slowly making their way towards the stronghold:

"Isn't THIS what you would consider hell?" Jack watches Raimundo's whole body tense, he grins as he slithers towards the tense teen, he places his hands on Raimundo's shoulders and leans close until his mouth is near the Brazilian's ear, "I think we're already there. In fact," he feels Raimundo shaking, "I happen to be the EMPEROR."

An enraged shout escapes the Shoku leader as he twists his body and tackles Jack to the ground, the latter falling on his back, hitting his head on the ground, he can feel a weight settle on his stomach. Seeing the uncontrollable rage on the other boy's features, Jack offers a crazed smile as he rushes to sit up, their faces mere inches away from one another, without warning, he wraps his arms around Raimundo's body, effectively trapping his own arms, he twists their bodies until he gains the upper hand. The Jack-Bot moves forward in an attempt to help his creator only for Jack to wave it off.

Looking back to his Empress Jack can't help the grin that splits his face in half, their position is compromising at best, with him hovering over the younger, his arms placed on either side of the teen's head and one of Raimundo's legs hitched on his hip and hands fisted into his jacket, bunching it up in the front. It really IS something.

"Good to know that you still haven't lost that bravado of yours, I like it ~ ."

"Screw you." Raimundo spits, he's glaring angrily at the pale teen.

Jack only laughs, "Oh in due time, for now a dinner date will do ~ ."

Raimundo's tense, his green eyes flicking from his own red eyes to that of the Jack-Bot hovering menacingly to their side, he looks much like a trapped animal would. Licking his lips, he pulls back to settle most of his weight on the balls of his feet, this movement capturing the Shoku leader's attention.

"What time is it Jack-Bot 121?"

"It is only 3:21 PM sir."

"Not even time for dinner." Jack muses, he looks to Rai, "Care to join me for a little stroll?"

Raimundo can only huff through his nose, while Jack is openly laughing, grinning, and joking with him, his body is coiled, ready to strike if the need arises. A predator. Not wanting to test his luck any further, what with openly trying to escape, attempting an attack on the guy, and generally being his snarky self, he nods begrudgingly.

"Great." Jack rises, offering Raimundo a hand, "This way we'll get to know each other."

Raimundo studies Jack's gloved hand, he pushes it away and helps himself. This wasn't going to be like any other battle he's faced before, it was going to be one that required something different.

"Oh and before I forget, Wuya will be joining us at dinner."

"Wuya?" Raimundo frowns, "How is it a date if there's a third wheel?"

Its only after the words leave his mouth that he realizes what he's said, he sucks in a breath as if it would take back what he'd said, but it's too late, Jack is giving him a simpering grin.

"Disappointed ~ ?"

"N-no!" Raimundo hisses, "It was just a question!"

Jack's grin widens, Raimundo wants to hit the guy again, until he sees the perplexed expression the redhead wears, "To be honest, I hadn't really expected her to show up at all."

"And?"

Jack shrugs, "Be careful around her is all I'm saying. She's always got an ulterior motive."

Raimundo snorts, "She's not the one trying to make me their Empress."

Jack laughs again, "At least I let you know what I want."

"Still." Raimundo grumbles under his breath.

Aww, they're getting along . . . I think :-P .

It's been a while so this chapter may be a little on the short side because I'm trying to get a feel for the story.