Chapter three is now awaiting your perusal. Enjoy. :)
Cong shifted, grimacing as his body protested loudly. He groaned, and a paw was placed on his head.
"Easy, Monkey. Easy," Tigress said soothingly.
"W-what?" Cong asked, opening his eyes and cringing away from the lantern light.
"He's awake. Somebody go get Shifu," Tigress said.
"I'll get him," Mantis said, and Cong heard his customary chirping noise as he raced of.
"Po, go prepare supper. Noodle soup should do. Hurry."
"Got it." There were heavy footsteps then silence for a few seconds.
"Can you sit up, brother?" Viper asked as Tigress moved a chest behind him then placed a pillow against it.
"I…What's going on? Why aren't I dead?" Cong asked. Tigress and Viper helped him to a sitting position, and it hurt unless he leaned at an angle.
"Master Shifu managed to stop the bleeding," Crane said, settling down beside him.
"Yes, barely," Tigress muttered.
"You almost didn't make it, Monkey," Viper said sadly.
"I shouldn't have made it," Cong muttered angrily, glaring at the ground.
His response made them pause.
"Monkey? Are you okay?" the snake asked tenderly.
"Leave me here to die."
"Monkey!" Crane gasped.
"Monkey! You are awake! That is good!" Shifu said as he hurried inside.
Tigress shook her head emphatically as Shifu started to say something else. He paused then changed tactics.
"Are you well, Monkey?"
Cong didn't answer, his face a stony mask. "Where are Fu and the others?"
"Fu is held separately from the others. He is their leader, correct?" Shifu asked.
"Yes. He is the leader."
Cong's tone held such hatred that it surprised them. Their sweet Monkey, hating somebody? He didn't even hate Tai Lung or Shen. He just felt sorry for them. What did this Fu have that made their dear friend hate him?
"Monkey? You never answered me," Shifu said.
"Go away."
"I do believe that answers my question," the red panda muttered. "What is the matter, my student?"
"Go away."
"Monkey, please answer me."
"Go away."
They got nothing else out of Cong, but he did eat two bowlfuls of the noodle soup before gingerly laying back down on his mat. Cong cried silently when they were gone, but he wanted to scream. Death would have solved everything. They would have found out his terrible past, his shameful secrets, his awful problem, but he wouldn't have to face them. If Shifu talked with Fu, Fu would put two and two together and would make him suffer for his refusal.
Cong stood and painfully slipped out of the window then hurried to Oogway's rooms. They were modest, as befitted the turtle, and Monkey slipped over to the thing they wanted him to steal. It was a jade turtle, as beautiful as it was expensive. The eyes were perfect rubies, and flawless emeralds, diamonds, sapphires, and every other gem were encrusted the shell. It was worth millions upon millions of yuan. It was the one item that the monkey had ever forbidden himself from stealing. Oogway had never said it was off limits, but the implication was there. Cong knew that Fu would break out. He knew that Fu would be after it. He would abandon the entire gang for it. So he knew that, for the first time ever, he would have to steal it.
He couldn't hide it in his room. No, that was too easy of a guess. The simian would have to run away with it, hide it someplace that Fu would never guess…The perfect spot came to mind, and Cong laughed to himself, thinking of his trickery. Oh! This would be fun! Stealing for the right reason! How wonderful!
Cong laughed again as he packed some canteens for the journey. Then he carefully packed up the jade turtle and hurried down to the village, stopping by Mr. Ping's briefly. After getting the goose up, he ate a hearty meal while conversing with him, grabbed some dumplings and buns, paid, then left.
He was in quite a bit of pain, but knew he had to get as far as possible before Fu caught him. Because his gang studied those they were going up against. Those they were likely to go up against. And they knew his friends'…ex-friends' weaknesses. They knew how to stop them. And Cong knew that, though they wouldn't be able to kill them, they could stop them from following. And there was one more thing that Cong knew for certain.
When he was caught, he was going to die.