A LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO JAYCE GORDON

BY SIMBALLOON

	Jayce sat bolt upright in his bed, panting from yet another dream of the ancient city as the sound of the bells slowly faded from his head. The anthropomorphic toon lion rubbed his forehead as he swung his legs out of the bed. Even before his conversion, Jayce had started having dreams and nightmares about the lost city which he had originally just passed off as an overactive imagination. Of course, the events of nearly a year ago had opened his eyes wide as both our world and the cartoon world finally crashed back together after years apart. Where the connection had been made again was the big difference and Jayce had been at ground zero as both worlds competed for dominance and then settled into their respective places. After the dust had settled, the once human Jayce had found himself changed forever into the lion he was now. Not just a lion, but one with enhanced strength and abilities way above the usual toon logic and physics. Of course, this also included a regression in age as he certainly didn’t look or feel like he was in his forties anymore. With a sigh, Jayce decided it was close enough to his alarm to get a start on the day.
	Looking at himself in the mirror, Jayce checked out his look as he brushed his teeth and then combed his mane which never really behaved. He wondered if he would ever get used to the face looking back at him from the mirror. Jayce had become a golden brass colored toon lion of a little over six feet in height with a fit build and emerald green eyes. Not much broke his coloration other than his mane being a slightly darker tone and the inner rims of his ears being black fur. He was fairly handsome with a style nearing the Lion King design, but maybe a hair earlier than that. The one feature or features that stood out were the golden brass forearm bracers. Although they were segmented, a closer look shown that these were not made to ever come off and were, in fact, a part of Jayce’s body. Each one was adorned with ancient script and had a scarab beetle ornamentation on the upper outside near his elbows. Jayce took great care to try and cover these up by either wearing long sleeve shirts or simply fabric arm bracers. Actually, the padding had a practical use as well as even a simple bump could sometimes send out a sonic wave capable of breaking whatever the brass was in contact with. Even now they rang slightly if Jayce moved his arms too quick. Thank goodness his tail didn’t have one!
	After dressing himself in a long sleeved, button front shirt, blue jeans adapted for his tail, and sneakers for his paws, Jayce had hopped into his car and went to pick up his close friend of the past several years. Other than his boss, Jayce’s friend was the only person to share his secrets.
	Michael kissed his wife goodbye along with his kids before leaving their small suburban home. He could see the tiny bit of concern in his wife’s eyes as he left to wait outside for Jayce. Although they had known Jayce since he had first met them several years back, Michael’s wife was still often worried about whether the lion who came back on that day was really Jayce inside or not. Actually, the past year’s time had been a real test for the whole world, which had already been teetering on the brink. It was a wonder that things hadn’t exploded when the two worlds crashed together, but earlier memories of a Toon Town at least helped to ease tensions a bit. Still, one couldn’t help but to have doubts, but Michael tried to keep those pushed aside. Jayce certainly acted like Jayce, albeit a younger version and it wasn’t like the still fairly new toon lion wasn’t troubled about his change. As he walked out into the crisp morning air, Michael adjusted the tie of his security uniform. The foundation had been hired to help with security at the local festival after several threats had been received. Michael himself would help with the normal security duties while Jayce would simply wander the crowd observing and acting as heavy artillery if needed.
	“Did someone request a lion taxi?” Came Jayce’s voice from behind Michael, almost causing the young man to jump out of his skin! “Cripes, Jayce! You almost gave me a heart attack!” Michael exclaimed as he turned to look at his toon lion friend, who was trying hard not the laugh. “I swear, you felines and sneaking up on people!” He then looked around. “Um, where is your car?”
	Jayce motioned to the street corner, where his car currently sat parked by the curb. “I figured I’d park nearby as your street is always so hard to find parking on. Besides, your wife said you needed a little more exercise, so I figured a walk wouldn’t hurt.” He pointed to the slight belly his friend had gotten over the past few months.
	“Yeah, yeah. I’ve probably been sitting around too much after work with our current weather patterns.” Michael said with a chuckle and a roll of the eyes as they started to walk down the sidewalk towards Jayce’s car. “You know, some of us aren’t stuck in the same fit form like a certain Tin…” Michael caught himself as Jayce’s green eyes glanced his way. “Like a certain toon lion I know.” Seeing he had made a quick save, Michael did ask a question he felt needed asking each morning. “Any more of those dreams?”
	“Yes, I had one right before I woke up. Same theme.” Jayce said, his gaze and voice shifting to a more serious tone. “What scares me is that the dreams are starting to become more cohesive like a giant clock ticking down.” He sighed a bit, shaking his head. “Sometimes I wonder if this whole experience is just some sort of strange dream and I’m still locked in that… mold…” With that, Jayce and Michael made it to his car and he quickly changed the subject like he was known to do. “So, any information on who or what we are to be looking for when we get to the arts festival?”
	Michael explained what little he knew to Jayce as they navigated the streets and morning traffic towards the festival. Every year the city had an arts and history festival in the area around the History Museum, but this year there had been some very cryptic threats towards the festival organizers that had caused the local authorities to call out for extra security support. Jayce let out a low growl which rumbled up from his chest. If there was one thing the lion hated, it was extremists and fanatics trying to either hurt innocent people or cause chaos when all people were trying to do was escape the madness of the world for a while. 
	“Oh, I meant to warn you that the museum had a special guest recently.” Michael said to Jayce. “A certain Ms. Katie Dodd.” He yelped as Jayce practically slammed on the brakes of the car, jolting them to a dead halt!
	“Katie Dodd?” Jayce exclaimed as he turned to look at Michael, a mixed look of surprise, nervousness, and shock in his eyes. “Oh, that’s just nice. What is that vixen doing here?” He winced as the driver behind them blew their horn angrily and got his own car back underway.
	Michael wondered if he really needed extra exercise as being with Jayce burned calories just from having a risen heart rate! “I guess they found a Tinabulan artifact hiding in their archives and presented it to her as a little gift. Probably another random object that appeared during the event of last year.”
	“Well, with any luck she’s on her way back to Cape Suzette to make the hop to her next dig site.” Jayce said, trying to calm himself. “At one time I would have loved to meet her, but not with what I am now. Could you imagine if she caught site of my forearms?” He grumbled a bit. “She’d probably drag me all over the place for her lectures and get me way too close to a site I would rather avoid.” He gave Michael a dirty look as his friend wash chuckling furiously at his last sentence. “Get your mind out of the gutter!” He then cracked a bit of a grin of his own, not able to help having a little giggle himself.
	Once they had arrived at the festival area, Jayce and Michael were briefed on the current situation and then informed of they assignments. Michael was to patrol the area with the rest of the security detail, keeping a high profile while Jayce was to wander the grounds looking like nothing more than one of the few toon festival goers in attendance. Of course, he would be using his own powers of observation to keep an eye out for an suspicious activity. After this, Michael helped Jayce adjust his tiny earpiece and microphone.
	“Hopefully this setting won’t cause feedback with that brass skull of yours like last time!” Michael tried to whisper to Jayce. “I swear, my ears rang for a week!” Unfortunately, one of the woman guards overheard part of the conversation.
	“Brass skull?” the woman asked, with a puzzled look on her face as she looked between Jayce and Michael, who both briefly looked like deer caught in the headlights. Luckily Jayce’s mind caught up way faster and he feigned a laugh.
	“Oh, he means I have an iron skull! You know, the old saying for someone with a hard head?” Jayce explained quickly. “Just sometimes my friend here thinks certain sayings are overused and tries to bring a fresh spin to them.” He smiled at the lady, hoping she wouldn’t ask anymore questions.
	Michael quickly nodded. “Yes, I usually just say what odd idea pops into my head at the time.” They both looked at each other with relief as the explanation seemed to work and the woman walked away to start her patrol route.
	“You know, perhaps I should move to Cape Suzette and take up air cargo.” Jayce said, rubbing his head as they both parted ways towards their assigned tasks.
	Even though it was still morning, the festival was getting underway with a slow picking up the crowd. Most were either enjoying the rides, playing the carnival games, or enjoying one of the many eating stands that dotted the area. Jayce himself had just wandered into the place near the museum and took in a deep breath through his nose, salivating at the smells of carnival food. In fact, he had skipped breakfast today just so he could buy some of that very food. Hey, he was supposed to be acting as a festival goer, wasn’t he? With a tasty breakfast burrito and an orange juice downed, Jayce continued on his patrol giving friendly smiles and waves at the curious little kids who looked at him as he wandered by. “Sometimes this isn’t so bad.” Jayce mused to himself.
	Of course, Jayce’s route took him through the museum itself as it was open to all attendees of the festival. It’s not like Jayce didn’t like the place as he had been going there to view the ancient artifacts and archaeological exhibits since he was a little kid. “I should be one of these exhibits at least in the toon world.” Jayce thought to himself with a bit of an ironic grin on his muzzle. Usually he would enjoy the museum, but he was on the job and keeping an eye and ear out for trouble. Of course, Jayce was also a bit nervous with the whole Katie Dodd visit thing. “Eh, she’s probably long gone by now. That vixen strikes me as the type to not let grass grow under her high-heeled boots.” Jayce said quietly to himself as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, wary ears and eyes on the high alert. While Jayce was allowing himself to enjoy the spacious main lobby of the museum he heard the voice he was hoping not to hear!
	“Thank you for the tour of your archives Mrs. Stevens. It’s quite interesting to see the unusual artifacts from the ancient history of your own world.” Katie Dodd said, obviously in quite a good mood from the tone of her voice “And thank you for the little gift. A pure ingot of Tinabulan brass is a find I’d never thought would happen!” Katie was holding a case in her gloved left hand as her and the museum director stopped near the entrance. Yes, Katie still looked good and like the other toons, somehow even better than when she was on the episode. She was in her full archaeologist outfit as she cracked open the case and peered inside with a wide grin.
	Jayce quickly dove into the gift shop, grumbling in a lost tongue from a long dead civilization as he did so and then face palming. “No time to go all bilingual here!” He figured he would just wait for Katie to leave, and then continue on his rounds, bit it seemed the two women were going to be talking by the entrance for longer than he thought. “Great, they must have hit up a good conversation!” Jayce thought as he peered at the gift shop door. He had to get back on his rounds! Of course, Jayce could just wander by as it wasn’t totally unusual for other toons to be about. “Yeah and you are not the most typically colored lion either. How many lions have golden brass colored fur?” Jayce had to think of something quick, though he did feel a bit silly at all this! Fortunately the solution presented itself in the form of a large, folding paper fan he quickly purchased!
	Mrs. Stevens was still chatting with Katie Dodd as Jayce quickly snuck past them, fan held up to cover the left side of his head and mane as best as possible as he made a hasty exit. Unfortunately, Katie turned her head and noticed the odd maneuver, but just shrugged as she turned back to Mrs. Stevens. “Festivals seem to bring out all kinds.”
	“That was a little too close!” Jayce said to himself as he ditched the fan and put some distance between himself and the museum entrance. It was then that his earpiece crackled to life, Jayce immediately recognizing his friend’s voice and that it wasn’t just a social call.
	“Jayce, we may have a problem here. A white pickup has been circling the plaza for the last fifteen or so minutes. No markings, just a plain white pickup and the driver seems a bit too interested in security barriers. No visible cargo. He’s headed around the west end of the plaza again now.”  Came Michael’s voice through the earpiece.
	“I’m heading that direction now.” Jayce replied, picking up his pace. He couldn’t run at full tilt due to the possibility of hurting an innocent bystander and the fact his top speed was scary to say the least. Still, his pace was brisk and he covered the distance to the western end of the plaza quickly. It was there Jayce caught sight of the suspected pickup as it passed through the nearby intersection and he moved towards the nearest alley to see if he could intercept the truck. 
	The alleys between the old buildings near the plaza were like a maze, but Jayce knew them well from his childhood and navigated them with ease. There was  brief moment’s hesitation as Jayce started to roll up the sleeve on his right arm, exposing that golden brass forearm bracer as it shined in the morning sun and let out a soft ring. Jayce really didn’t want to expose either forearm, but he was getting that odd feeling he always got before things were about to get crazy. Call it a sixth sense he had inherited with his new body. “Oh, I hate it when I am right!” was the next thought to go through Jayce’s head as he suddenly heard an engine rev and then the commotion of people screaming and the crashing of barriers.
	Jayce quickly moved towards the sound, able to use his super speed this time to round into the next alley right as the madman and his pickup entered from the other side. Jayce knew what the man was trying to do and he acted almost out of reflex as time seemed to slow down. Even as Jayce raised his right arm, the segmented rings on that forearm brace spun to life with whirs and clicks and then unfurled to form a tympanic plate connected to unusually shaped brass cones over his right hand. A trigger rod obediently sprung down against Jayce’s forefinger and in a split second he set off the hair trigger that activated the internal clappers. The cones quickly focused the impact vibrations and sent out a stream of sound wave energy that struck the oncoming truck square on as a loud gong like sound echoed through the alley. What happened to the truck could be described as part funny and part terrifying as it literally flew apart! The windows exploded along with the tires, the engine dropped from its mounts as body panels blew off in a wave across the body of the vehicle. By the time the pickup ground to a halt inches away from Jayce, it was nothing but a piece of scrap with a horrified looking man gripping the steering wheel.
	Katie Dodd had just exited the museum when she heard a commotion from the western end of the plaza and stopped to try and see what was going on. Being a vixen, she had excellent hearing and even though it was faint from where she stood, the sound Katie heard come from the alley sent a shiver of recognition down her spine. It wasn’t as strong, but the ringing sound Katie heard was eerily similar to an ancient weapon she had hoped to never hear ring again. She was about to give into her urge to wander over and see what was going on, but she had to get her newly acquired relic back home and the police were already ushering people away. “I really hope I was just hearing things.” Katie thought with a wary look over her shoulder as she left.
	Jayce had already stowed his sonic weapon away and pulled his shirt sleeve back down by the time Michael ran into the alley. Of course the look on his friend’s face at the sight of the smashed pickup pretty much said it all. The shaking, babbling driver was also saying things, but nothing of consequence.
	Michael quickly moved over to Jayce, who was checking on the driver. “You actually tripped that thing off in public?” Michael hissed at Jayce.
	“Well, what was I supposed to do? Become a hood ornament as this maniac careened through the festival killing and maiming people?” Jayce hissed back at Michael in reply as the police rushed into the alley, cutting their hushed conversation short.
	One of the officers looked at the pickup and just couldn’t quite comprehend the scene. “What the hell happened?! This thing looks like it exploded!” The young man looked around the alley, then back at the shaken driver along with Jayce and Michael. “Did you two see anything?”
	Jayce shrugged. “The truck was like this when we ran into the alley. Probably was one of those lemons you get warned about on the news.” He then motioned with his head to Michael as he moved to leave the alley. “Let’s head out and let these officers do their jobs.” As he said that, one of the seats shot a spring out with a loud boing sound. “Before the truck finishes disintegrating..” Jayce gave a polite grin to the officer, then headed back down the alley with Michael following, humming to himself as he did so.
	“Jayce, one of these days you are going to give me a heart attack!” Michael said after they were out of earshot.
	Jayce gave a wicked grin. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I could pulse your heart back into working if I do. Now, let’s go find some lunch shall we?”
	“I’ve lost my appetite.” Michael said. “Yes,  I feel a migraine coming on.”

END