Breakout or Let out
Aku-Po and Tai-Lung helped the guards clean up the place. Aku had just killed Tong Fo, one of the ringleaders of the many bandits plaguing the village. "I'm going to regret asking, but where do you put the bodies, Aku?" Tai-Lung asked
"Oh, I just burn them," Aku-Po explained. Big Wolf and Tai-Lung froze.
"Please tell me you don't use them for the cooking."
"No, no, no!" Aku-Po objected, "I'm crazy, not insidious. I cremate them outside near the cliff. Then I let their ashes blow in the wind. They're so pretty when they flutter in the wind," Aku-Po sighed dreamily. "The firewood I use for cooking is separate."
"Oh thank goodness," Big Wolf muttered. Aku glared at him. "Sorry, I was... sneezing."
"Actually," Tai-Lung sighed as he sat on his jade throne in the Hall of the Heroes, "It's a good thing you did 'sneeze'. You asked about an issue with the wolves?"
"Oh! Yes," Big Wolf coughed, "I um... the wolves and the guards for the Dragon Warrior are coming to an... immediate realization. The children and orphans that you've... 'given' to us need... mothers." Aku and Tai looked at each other, puzzled.
"Um... so... you guys want to be married?" Aku-Po asked, making Tai-Lung facepalm himself.
"Not exactly... although that would be appreciated by some. But we're worried that the children will start to pick up our habits," Big Wolf paused. "And we don't want them crossing Master Aku-Po. We need to end the cycle of being a bandit."
"Well, most of the children are orphans, so that's a hiccup," Aku-Po muttered.
"Then there's the fact that we don't have that many 'volunteer' foster mothers," Tai-Lung added. He sighed when he realized something depressing, "And who's going to hang with a bandit wolf?" Big Wolf sighed, realizing the same thing. Tai-Lung stood up. "For now, let's get some rest and sleep on it. Mr. Ping has promised me a new dumpling soup for me in the morning."
"Hehe! Why are you excited about that?" Aku asked, snickering.
"What? Other than training with you and protecting the village, it's not like I have anything else to do," Tai-Lung explained. The red-eyed panda stretched and bunched up his black robe.
"Well, I'm going to bed. I'm tired," He yawned as he went to the barracks. Tai-Lung played it casual until Aku-Po and the guards were gone. He walked down to the prison where the guards were surprised to see him.
"At ease, guys. I'm here for a... certain prisoner," Tai-Lung explained. They bowed and moved out of the way. Tigress was confused when she heard the door of her cell unlocking. Maybe one of the masters finally escaped. Her hopes were dashed when it was Tai-Lung in her cell. "Okay, before you say anything I- WHOA!" Tai-Lung moved out of the way of Tigress's attack. "Wait! Let me-"
"HYAH!" Tigress shouted, striking his stomach.
"OFH! It hurts enough with Aku doing that," Tai-Lung grunted. Tigress pounced after him, but Tai ducked out of the way and punched a nerve, paralyzing her. "Okay, that should do."
"I can still move my mouth," Tigress growled.
"Yeah, I did that on purpose," Tai-Lung muttered, picking her up from the ground and setting her against the wall. "Listen, I want to... surprise Aku, and I need you."
"To do what?"
"To do what you just did to me," Tai-Lung smirked. Tigress glared at him.
"What is your plan?"
"Nothing sinister. Well, for the village anyways. Look, I've secretly been making a new room for any guests, but I thought that I could put you there. I truly feel bad having you in here," Tai-Lung explained, honestly, but Tigress didn't believe him.
"What is your plan?" Tigress repeated, getting back to the point.
"I want you to scare Aku-Po right out of bed," Tai-Lung smirked. "Think of it as... one of Monkey's pranks."
"A prank on a villain known to cut people down in an instant?" Tigress reminded him.
"Aku-Po cares for you more than any one of these guys," Tai-Lung said plainly. "He takes care of that doll that the other panda made."
"He... he takes care of Po's dolls?" Tigress asked.
"Yeah, and he's very, VERY particular about yours," Tai-Lung explained. "But to the point. I'll take you to him and you'll surprise him."
"And after he wakes up?"
"You get your new room," Tai-Lung smiled, non-threateningly as he slung Tigress over his shoulder. He was about to touch the door when he remembered what Aku did. "By the way, have you... used the door?"
"GRRRRR!" Tigress growled as Tai-Lung smirked, carefully opening it.
"What are you going to do with Tigress, Tai-Lung?" Shifu demanded to know.
"Don't worry, Shifu, it will be fun... for me at least," Tai-Lung smirked. Shifu thought the worst.
"Stay strong, Tigress," Shifu whispered to the paralyzed tiger. "I know you can get through this." But Tigress's face seemed more annoyed than fearful.
"Master Shifu, you have no idea," Tigress muttered.
Aku-Po was sleeping in his room when Tai-Lung quietly placed the frozen Tigress in, looking right over his bed. Tai pressed the nerve again, releasing Tigress. She looked down on the snoring panda and couldn't help but find his sleeping cute and funny. He was all sprawled out with his leg and hand dangling off the side, "Mmm Dumpling." He mumbled. Tigress felt a mischievous grin on her face. She couldn't defeat Tai-Lung alone and he didn't seem like he was trying to kill her... yet. Might as well have some fun and revenge.
"Aku-Po," she deviously hummed with a sweet-sounding tone.
"In a minute Tigress," Aku-Po muttered. Then the panda shot up in his bed. "Oh no."
"ROOOOAARRR!" Tigress roared as she launched herself at the panda, who rolled out of bed.
"HEEELP!" Aku-Po shouted, running around his room from the tiger. "Now, Tigress, calm down! WHOA!"
"Come back here panda!" Tigress growled with a smirk. She punched and kicked at him, but the panda managed to dodge her lightning-fast reflexes. Aku-Po looked at the bedroom entrance and found a laughing snow leopard.
"Don't just stand there! Help me!"
"I'm sorry, I'm having too much fun," Tai-Lung snickered. Aku finally stopped running and caused Tigress to stop in mid-pounce.
"Okay, that was... different," Aku-Po panted. "This was your idea?!"
"I got bored," Tai-Lung shrugged.
"What possessed you to let her loose on me?! Cactus Juice or something!"
"I don't know. You like her?"
"I DO NOT!" Aku-Po shouted, but Tigress smirked at the panda's faint blush. Though sometimes menacing and unnervingly creepy, Aku acted like a cute child sometimes. "You know she could have very well escaped!"
"You've tracked down people without even knowing what they look like. You would have noticed," Tai-Lung said non-violently. Aku-Po groaned as he rubbed his head. Then he turned to Tigress.
"Be glad that you don't have to deal with him on a daily basis," Aku-Po grunted.
"That might change," Tigress smugly declared. Aku's eyes widened then narrowed at Tai-Lung.
"What the cat talking about?" He asked.
"You remember that room I had the guards build? Well, I decided that I'll have Master Tigress sleep there instead of the cell," Tai-Lung replied.
"Are you insane, kitty!" Aku-Po shouted, throwing Tigress to the floor.
"Ow."
"She'll try to escape every second of every day! And the only person capable of handling her is-" The panda's eyes widened at the snow leopard's cheeky grin. "Oh no, no, no!"
"Do you really want her down in that isolated cell?" Tai-Lung asked.
"No, but if it's for her own good-"
"I can take care of myself," Tigress growled, earning a paralyzing red force from Aku-Po.
"Hush it, kitty," Aku-Po barked.
"Think of it like this," Tai said, wrapping his arm around the panda's shoulders, "She'll be protected, you'll have something to do other than eat the entire palace out of food."
"Again," Tigress added.
"Zip it!"
"And," Tai-Lung continued, "You have someone to talk to other than that Tigress figure you keep playing with." Aku-Po blushed a bit as Tigress snickered. "WHOA!" Tai-Lung jumped as Aku drew his sword and pointed it to Tai-Lung's throat. "What? Did I pinch a nerve?" Tai-Lung smirked, calmly.
"Just because you have inner peace now doesn't mean you can act like this," Aku growled.
"Like you do?"
"I... have reasons that involve the very universe itself," Aku revealed with a maniacal grin. "You're doing this purely to annoy me."
"But am I wrong?" Tai-Lung explained, "Plus, we're fighting for the same thing now. Protecting the Valley. This way, if Master Tigress is willing, you'll be able to train both me and her, since you like training her," Aku-Po glared at him for a moment, then sheathed his sword.
"You're trying to appeal to my emotions, but I buried them a long time ago. All that's left is the craziness that is me."
"It's not your emotions I'm trying to appeal to. It's you," Tai-Lung said. Aku thought about it. He groaned under his breath.
"Three against one. Not good," He muttered. Though the two cats were confused about who the third person was, Aku-Po simply said, "Okay, we'll try for one month and see if I can't hunt her down if, and when, she escapes. If her escaping begins to intrude, I'll put her back in her cell with the magic door. Which I bet you've been using," Aku-Po smirked at Tigress. She snarled at his smug face.
Continued...
