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jaku-the-askblog · 6 years

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Ok so i couldnt do the exact way you prompted, because i tie in Aku’s “sickness” heavily with personal headcanons about how Aku even functions (which i will post once im done collecting them in a cohesive way), but i have attempted a thing nonetheless

under the cut cuz it ran a little long

(from here)

Jack races outside to a balcony from the citadel, and stares up, gawking, with the rest of the crowd at the dark underside of the tremendous spaceship lurking overhead that is now blocking out the sun. A virtual screen flickers on, and a green-scaled, bug-like face comes into view. Its antennae wriggle as the mandibles move to make a fast series of clicking noises, evidently speaking.

Jack is about to ask if anyone can understand what’s being said, but then a robotic voice rings out from the ship, louder than the alien.

“Your leader Aku is weak and we have come to take that power! Do not panic, and do not fight it, or you shall be met with consequences.”

Jack narrows his eyes, and is about to prepare to run inside and grab his sword when he notices that the minions and workers are all just...standing there. A few even look bored.

And that’s when he hears a whistle of air, and his eyes only barely catch the streak of black before it collides with the ship, but it doesn’t seem to impact it. Instead, darkness spreads over the ship like a giant wave, the screen of the alien’s face flickering out as the spread continues, until there is nothing but the solid mass of black.

Jack’s jaw drops open again as that mass begins to float away, but he winces as light from the sun filters back in as the ship leaves. The crowd begins to disperse back into the citadel, though Jack is still frozen to the spot.

“Amateurs.” one of the minions remarks, rolling his eyes under the hood while he passes Jack.

When Jack finally makes his way inside, in the main hall Aku stands there with a massive crew of aliens exactly like the one that had been on the screen, all looking terrified as they are handcuffed by Aku’s minions. He walks up on shaking legs, but he can’t decide if he’s terrified by the display or almost bursting with awe and excitement at it.

Aku seems to delay in noticing him, even creaking as he does so. He beams when he sees it’s Jack, however.

“Ah, samurai! I am glad you are here to witness these criminals experiencing punishment for their crimes!”

Jack succeeds in not flinching at that, and then notices Aku seems...wispy at his edges. His shoulders, especially, seem to be in a constant, barely-there state of dissolving away. He blinks and refocuses on Aku’s face.

“Er, yes, good job Aku.” Jack walks up to gently put his hand on Aku’s arm, and he frowns when Aku feels a little more liquid than solid. Aku stiffens, and instantly his body is its usual texture.

Neither of them mention it again, but Jack does learn that not only did Aku control himself and the ship, but once he had landed it safely he used his essence to control the hundred aliens or more to get them to teleport back to his lair.

Truly, just one more impressive feat that Jack now knew Aku was capable of.

— — —

That night, two more ships come in and start off attacking the city. Thankfully most of the damage is superficial, as Aku’s reaction is fast once more. He uses the same method for one of the ships, but once the second comes in he simply grows in size and grabs it from the air, then tears off its engines before not-so-gently putting it next to the other.

This time Jack catches a ride on one of the beetledrones, following them out to where Aku has landed the ships, and while the minions and beetledrones do their work of capturing and taking record of all the new prisoners Jack walks around, trying to find Aku after the demon seems to vanish.

They literally run into each other as Jack rounds a corner, and when Jack steps back he sees Aku’s form ripple and shudder, and Aku seems to have trouble reforming himself into his usual stature at his typical height. He makes a sort of annoyed growl, and after a couple seconds gets himself together.

“Any damage reports in?” Aku immediately begins. Jack nods, but he’s keeping a wary eye on Aku.

“Are you alright?” He can’t help but ask.

Aku snorts, but it turns into a grin as he strides up and past Jack. Jack turns and follows him.

“Your concern is touching, truly, but not necessary.” Aku’s voice is clipped, almost tight. Jack doesn’t pursue the subject, even if it lingers in him, because they grow too busy directing the beetledrones and checking in with the damaged areas.

Aku had always seemed quick to recover from the times they fought before, anyway.

— — —

In the next three days there’s a whole series of more ships, with at least three a day appearing at any location on the planet. Aku is always there instantly, taking care of it each time, but Jack begins to notice a distinct weariness to the demon’s features, and Aku seems to move around the castle more and more sluggishly. He’s of course insistent that he’s fine, but Jack makes sure to move his own work to Aku’s throne room or office as often as he can to keep close to Aku, and he casually requests Aku’s secretary to move as many appointments out of the way as possible for that week.

By the fourth day the alien species, which they now know is the Hvarkthons from the Sarris system, officially surrender. The prisons in the citadel haven’t been this full in at least a year, but after they all sign the treaties and contracts all the temporary prisoners are finally cleared out and a sigh of relief is collectively breathed around the castle.

Jack heads down to Aku’s office the next day, but as he gets closer he sees a trail of small black puddles that grow larger and more frequent as he nears the door. When he steps inside he notices that Aku is hunched over, his face on his desk, and the demon is— there’s no better word for it— dripping. His entire form just looks soggy.

Jack rushes up to his side, and carefully reaches his hand out to what he can make out to be Aku’s shoulder. He is sure that touching Aku like this won’t result in getting possessed by the demon’s essence again, but he’s also never been this close to Aku if the demon ever got like this.

“Aku?” he asks softly, and his hand makes contact with the wet shape. He grimaces as his hand starts to sink in, so he keeps the pressure light and is sure to only let it rest just on the surface of Aku’s form.

He hears a low groan from somewhere inside Aku, and the blackness wriggles and shivers. It takes nearly fifteen seconds before Aku peels his face from the desk with a suction noise and stares past Jack, squinting. His eyebrows are low, almost out, but at least he seems to be able to keep his face mostly in its normal form.

“Samurai?” he mumbles, then begins to cough and hack, his body trembling and jerking about violently in the chair. Jack pries his hand back, and some of Aku’s body comes away between his fingers before slowly falling away and to the floor.

Jack takes a breath, and straightens his back.

“Enough! You are going to bed, and resting until you are better.” He makes his voice as firm and projected as possible, and when Aku stops coughing he seems to understand, drooping his head but making a little nodding motion as he does.

Aku doesn't really stand so much as contort his body into an upright position, but immediately starts to tilt. Jack reacts instantly, stepping forward with his arms out to grab Aku, but when his hands make contact Aku falls all over him, coating Jack in a wet, black goo.

Jack had flinched, but after a few moments he can’t feel much on his face so he risks cracking open one eye, then the other. He looks over himself to see splatters of Aku everywhere, effectively coating him, and he peers down to see a pair of small flames burning from the center of his chest.

He blinks twice rapidly, and then sighs through his nose and starts to cautiously make his way out of the office and back through the hallways and stairs to their bedroom. He passes thankfully few minions and workers, who only give him wide eyes before steering clear of him.

When he finds the final staircase down, Aku begins to slip from him, his essence peeling down Jack’s body and clothing. Jack quickly cups his hands around the two eyebrows, holding them, as he picks up his pace.

He spits out to get off anything that might have landed near his mouth, and then offers in a reassuring tone, “Come on, just a little further. We are almost to bed.”

The essence seems to shudder in response, and stops dripping heavily long enough for Jack to reach their bedroom and allow the puddles to pool together and slide under the sheets.

Jack takes a breath, and walks around to sit on top of the sheets, settling himself in for a long meditation. He can’t think of what else to do— as far as he’d known, Aku should be immune to diseases. It’s not like the demon has organs, or anything to become unwell. The only other time he’d seen Aku like this he’d never figured out what had caused it, and he’d never thought to ask Aku.

He loses track of time, and before he knows it he’s woken up by a hand on his leg. He shakes himself out of the lost state, and looks over to see a still obviously under-the-weather Aku, but at least he has a face and horns again.

The demon sniffles, a short series of deep, snorting noises, and clenches his half-formed hand into Jack’s leg with all the power of a small child.

“Is there anything I may do to help?” Jack offers, placing his own hand over Aku’s. It’s still mostly a liquid state, but at least he can distinguish between fingers.

Aku starts to cough again, hacking up essence that spills onto the pillow before it drools down to go back into his body. Jack watches with something akin to morbid fascination, since Aku’s anatomy is a strange (but sometimes fascinating) thing.

The demon paws at Jack’s leg, hitting the apex between his hip and thigh, and Jack almost warms a bit. But he takes a guess and lays down closer to Aku, bringing their hands up and between them. Aku seems to settle, closing his eyes again and starting to snore shortly thereafter.

Jack chuckles softly and lets himself relax again. He’ll be here for Aku, as long as the demon wishes.

#samurai jack #jaku #main #ficlets #aku may be an eldritch abomination but hes very much a bamf #and also a giant nerd that likes showing off too much

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