Hidden Talent

Chapter: 22

"Hei Headband" Rai read aloud from the scroll for the rest of the Xiaolin Warriors that road upon Dojo's back as he flew them towards the recently activated Wu "'A Wu that grants the user the ability to read their opponents thoughts'. that sounds awesome!"

"Dang right it does" Clay nodded, holding his hat on tightly as a powerful gust of wind blew past "Being able to know our enemies next more before they make it sounds mighty fine"

"Yes, yes. Very extraordinary, but let us collect it with hast" Omi declared impatiently "Jack Spicer has been home for many days now and we have yet to see him!"

" 'Many days'? It's only been three days, Omi" Kimiko rolled her eyes at the little yellow monk "We still have fifteen more. The school term doesn't start until the 4th"

"I do not understand why these prisons allow it's captives to take holidays and I do not wish to tempt the fates and have them change their minds and take Jack Spicer back early!"

"Rai..." Kimiko growled, glaring over at the Brazilian teen "Did you tell Omi that schools are the same as prisons?"

"Maybe?..."

"Fine" she snorted "But you're going to be the one to set him straight since you're the one to mess him up!" Kimiko snarled quietly so the smallest monk didn't hear her.

"Alright, kids, hold on! the Wu is close so I'm going in for a landing!" Dojo called back to them as he began to descend.

"Paris?! Are you kidding me?!" the Japanese teen cried out as the Dragon looped around the Ifle Tower before touching down "We'll never find the Hei Headband here!"

"Why not?" Omi asked as he jumped off Dojo's back before looking around the busy, colourful French plaza in wonder.

"Paris isn't only the capital of France, but also of Fashion" she stressed, gesturing to all the expensive, designer stores and boutiques around them "It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!"

"We have a vague idea what it looks like" Rai shrugged, lifting the magic scroll for the others to see "And we also have Dojo's Wu-senses to guide us"

"Raimundo's right" Clay agreed as the shrunk Dragon climbed up onto his shoulder to get a better vantage point "Y'all gotta remember we've found Wu in tougher hiddin' spots before"

"Indeed!" Omi declared, pointing to the sky dramatically "Let us make hast at once, before the forces of Evil arrive!" he stated just as Dojo suddenly went ridged and pointed in a random direction.

"It's that way!"

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"This sucks" Gabrielle pouted, sitting off to the side, propping her head no her fists as she watched Fleur try on the sixth dress she'd liked since entering that particular shop. That being the third store they had visited since arriving in Paris.

"Get over it" Jack scoffed, flipping idly through the high-end store's catalogue "It's your own fault for telling your mom that you'd base your dress on whatever Fleur chose. Now you have nothing to do while Fleur does her thing" he shrugged, glancing up at his mom and aunt Apolline fawn over the other teen's dress choice. He had to admit it was rather nice, very earthy with the bluish-gray material and decorative flowers. Hopefully she liked it enough to actually buy it since his feet were starting to ache.

"I was hoping it would encourage her to choose her's faster" Gabrielle sulked before giving the Goth a sideways glare "I just wanna get this over with so we can get Ice-cream. Speaking of which, Why haven't you chosen yours yet?"

"Mom insisted we go to my father's favourite tailors for my suit" Jack said with a roll of his eyes, obviously annoyed with his mom's insistence at keeping to tradition "She wants me to look 'Perfect' for my first date, or something"

"It's my first ever date too" Gabrielle scoffed, glancing out the window at the busy Paris shopping plaza, thinking she saw something green fly near the Ifle Tower for a moment before shrugging it off as nothing "My mom's not making a big deal out of it"

"A date with Seamus Finnigan isn't a real date, Gaby" Jack stated bluntly, nudging the blond with his shoulder.

"It is so!"

"No its not. Come on, the guy's three years older than you"

"So what?!" Gabrielle demanded, punching the Goth in the arm "He's cute and he asked me out!"

"'Cute'?" Jack snorted in laughter, rubbing his sore bicep "Are we still talking about Finnigan? The Gryffindor? Is that really your type?"

"I'm eleven" Gabrielle stated in a 'Duh' tone of voice, giving Jack a disbelieving look "I don't have a type yet"

"Exactly!" Jack grinned triumphantly "You're still in the 'Meh' stage about guys, so it can't be a real date and aunt Apolline knows it"

Gabrielle just sat there scolding her cousin for a couple moments before punching his arm again "You Jerk"

"Just admit defeat already" he snorted, rubbing his arm again as he shifted away from the violent preteen "You can't go on a real date until you're actually attracted to someone, not just find them 'cute'"

"Whatever" Gabrielle grumbled, taking-up her previous sulking pose.

"So..." Jack grinned, leaning back on his hands "What type of dress are you gonna get?" he asked only for the store to be suddenly engulfed in light before disappearing, leaving the three teens and their mothers sitting on a rock platform, surrounded in an orange void.

"Gong-Yi-Tempai!"

"Putain l'enfer..."