Chapter 9: Jade Palace
At first, all he saw was a fuzzy brown background. But as Batman's eyes adjusted to the bright light that entered into the room, he saw that the fuzzy brown background was actually the blurry view of the brown sturdy ceiling made of wood.
"Ugh," he grunted as he felt a sudden wave of pain in his head.
"Oh, you're awake," a thick voice spoke in the room. Batman couldn't move his head, so he used his eyes and searched for signs of other people in the room, but couldn't find any.
"If you're looking for me," the voice said again, "I'm over here."
Batman's eyes moved to his chest. His chest had needles over his pressure points, and standing between two of those needles was a praying mantis.
"Hi," the mantis said to him. "Name's Mantis, but you should have been able to figure that out already."
Batman tried to get up, but he saw Mantis's pincers signaling him not to, so he stayed down.
"Don't move, lemme take out these needles first."
Batman lied down, not moving a muscle as he waited for Mantis to remove the needles that were placed from just below his neck all the way down to his legs.
"Acupuncture," Batman said.
"Yep," Mantis replied while giving a slight nod.
"But, why help me?"
"Master Shifu and Po, they insisted a guest needs to be treated properly in the Jade Palace."
"Master Shi –"
He was interrupted by the sound of the wooden door creaking as it opened and closed. Both Mantis and Batman lifted their heads up to see a red panda orange-brown robe, green belt and green shawl enter the room. The red panda held a staff in his right paw.
"Master Shifu," Mantis greeted the red panda with a bow.
Shifu nodded to the bug, and turned to face Batman, who was sitting up on the bed.
"It seems you are finally awake," he started. "Mr. …"
"Batman."
The red panda nodded. "Yes, Mr. Batman. My apologies for being unable to attend to you earlier. Come, lunch is served in the kitchen."
Shifu turned around to open the door. Batman remained sitting on the bed and watched as the red panda and Mantis walked out the door. Shifu stopped just at the mouth of the door when he realized Batman hadn't move. Even Mantis stopped to see why his former Master stopped. Shifu turned his head slightly to the left so Batman could see part of his face.
"Not hungry, Mr. Batman?"
Batman's tummy growled. He was really, really hungry. But he couldn't trust the red panda and the bug. Who knew what these two were up to?
"I see you don't have trust in us," Shifu said after awhile. "But it's in our policy that we make sure our guests are in good condition."
Realizing he couldn't bring himself to turn down the old red panda, Batman stood up and walked to Shifu and Mantis. Both of them nodded to him and turned back to walk to the kitchen. Batman thought for a while, and decided to follow. As they walked, Batman noticed almost every room was the same. Square doors made out of wood and thin paper.
"How long was I out?" Batman asked as the trio walked.
"Three days," Mantis answered. "I replaced the needles every time it was my turn to keep watch on you. But don't worry; I didn't try to open your mask. Not after what happened back at the Hall of Heroes."
Batman nodded. He figured someone tried to pry into his mask during the fight. Someone small, but he couldn't tell who.
They walked silently for a short while until they reached a larger room compared to the rest. Noise was coming from the room. Rather, chatter was coming from the kitchen. Batman's nose caught the smell of beetroot, garlic, onions and pepper as the three came closer to the kitchen.
They entered the room, and Batman noticed the monkey, viper, crane, tigress at the table. Two pandas, one which he had fought, and a goose were manning the stove. All of them turned to see Master Shifu and Mantis enter the room, and quickly stood and turned to face Master Shifu.
"Master Shifu," they greeted in unison. When they raised their heads, the four at the table noticed Batman with Master Shifu, and quickly got into their battle stances, ready for a fight.
"Easy," Shifu said calmly. "He is still our guest after all."
The four eased themselves. Shifu turned to Batman. "My apologies. They have become rather… precautious… of you."
Batman nodded. He understood the feeling of prejudice the four had, given the two encounter they had earlier.
"The Bat's awake?" the younger panda said. "THAT'S SO COOL!"
"Now, now, son," the goose placed his wing on the young panda. He wore a red and gold robe along with a hat the shape of a noodle bowl. "Don't get too excited yet. We have noodles to serve."
The younger panda nodded excitedly. Batman watched in shock as the panda took five bowls on each arm and slid them smoothly onto the table. Son?
Everyone took their seats, except Batman. He counted ten chairs, ten bowls filled with noodles, and ten of them in the kitchen. He was going to have lunch with them?
"Come, Mr. Batman," Shifu told him, as he gestured for him to be seated between the red panda and the Mantis. "It's best you don't leave the noodles cold."
Batman slowly walked to the seat, ignoring the other nine pair of eyes looking at him. He took his seat, and immediately the others took up their chopsticks and begin attacking their bowls of noodles.
"Boy, I missed these noodles already!"
"Round two, UP!"
"Tofu time!"
"Still the best noodles in the Valley, Mr. Ping!"
Batman watched as the goose smiled with pride. Clearly Mr. Ping was the chef for the day's lunch. Batman looked at the bowl in front of him. The noodles were yellowish-white, and the soup was warm. He took the pair of chopsticks next to the bowl and used it to pick up the strings of noodles slowly. He placed the noodles into his mouth, and slurped as he tasted beetroot, spring onion, pepper, garlic and onions from some soup that had mixed into the noodles. It tasted so nice, his stomach was growling for more.
Batman looked up and noticed the goose was looking at him. He realized Mr. Ping wanted to know if he liked the noodles.
"They taste great, Mr. Ping." Batman said.
The goose's smile brightened. He turned to the pandas seating opposite him. "See?! Even this stranger likes my noodles. I told you that the noodles and soup must be cooked and boiled separately."
"Yeah, yeah," the older panda on the left said. "One day you'll realize food can be enjoyed anyway. Cooked or not, the most important thing is the mentality."
"Okay, dads," The young panda interrupted. "That's enough already."
He turned to face Batman. "So you're Batman? What's a Batman? What kind of animal are you? Why the mask? Nice cape. Can I have one like that?"
Batman looked at the young panda with shock, again. But the panda wasn't done.
"Where are you from?"
"What are those thingies you throw?"
"Can you teach me how to throw those?"
"How are you so good at stealth mode?"
"Is it the nature of your kind?"
"Are you like the real bats?"
"Are you a real mixed martial artist?"
"Can you teach me stealth mode?"
"How about other types of self-defense?"
It wasn't until Master Shifu cleared his throat. "Po, I think Mr. Batman here would like some time to think over your questions, too."
"He's always like that," Shifu said to Batman. "Always the excited one of us."
Both the monkey and mantis covered their mouths as they laughed. The older panda patted Po's back.
"That's my son," the panda said. "Just like his mom. Happy as always."
Po smiled at that remark, and a string of noodles hung from the edge of his mouth. Everyone at the table laughed at him. Batman just watched. His shenanigans, his childishness, and yet he's has that level of maturity in battle.
Everyone was enjoying themselves, Batman could tell it. But something was running hard his head. A question he wanted to ask, but held back for a while.
"Where's the Joker?" he spoke.
The rest stopped at whatever they were discussing about and turned their attention to Batman.
"I thought he was mute," the monkey remarked. Mantis and Po giggled.
"Monkey," the viper hissed.
"What, Viper? It's my thought that's all. You can't–"
"Monkey, Viper," Shifu cleared his throat. "Enough."
After he was sure the two stopped bickering, Shifu turned his head to look at Batman. "Joker? You mean the clown you were after?"
Batman nodded. Shifu put his pair of chopsticks slowly. "He got away, it seems."
"Yeah, and he took the Sword of Heroes with him."
"Po! We are unsure of that."
Batman placed his chopsticks down and got up. "I must go now."
He turned and took his first step towards the door when Shifu called up.
"Batman," Shifu said. "I believe you need to rest first. Leave this Joker to the Furious Five and the Dragon Warrior. I'm sure –"
"You don't know what you're up against!" Batman snapped at Shifu.
The Five and Po got of their seats immediately. Shifu just raised his paw, and the six sat back down. He let a sigh before talking again.
"You said we don't know what we're up against. Tell us. We can handle him."
"No! No one has stopped him. He's unpredictable. And you believe there's a sword in his possession, I must go stop him. Only I can do it."
"But you won't know the streets around here and China better than we do," Shifu said calmly. "Explain to us about his reign of terror, and we will work a way to bring him to justice."
Batman thought over the offer. They sounded like the Justice League, but the kung fu fighting type. He could find his way through streets and China anytime, he knew he could. But his gut told him he needed this group to help.
Shifu looked at Batman as the latter lifted his head to face the red panda.
••••••••••
"How far do we have left?" Joker yelled over the snow.
The snow storm was strong, the wind hit his face hard, but he and his new hench-wolves continued climbing up the steps of the thin stairs at mountain. They had dumped the sled made of wood after reaching the foot of the mountain.
As per the directions shown by one of the wolves, they were very close to their destination. Very close.
"Just a flight more, boss!" the wolf yelled. He led the pack on their 'little expedition'.
The steps were curvy, steep and zigzagged all the way at one of the mountains of the Tavan Bogd Mountains. Joker didn't like the snow so much, but he wanted to reach Chorh-Gom Prison fast. Just live with it, damn.
He played his plan in his mind. Every time he would found a different flaw, and he had to play the plan again with a slight change.
That's it! This will work out perfectly!
His train of thoughts was stopped when the wolf in front of him reached out his arm to stop him. "We're here."
Where? It's still damn steps!
Joker looked up and realized the steps came to a stop just above him and stretched out for form a platform. He tip toed unsteadily from where he stood, and took a peek. A giant double wooden door stood at the mouth of the mountain. Two rhinos stood guard at the door.
"Imperial Guards," the wolf said. "Only open to door to messengers from Master Shifu and the Emperor, or only when there's a new inmate."
An idea struck in Joker's head. He whispered to two of the wolves that stood between him.
The rhinos stood guard, their eyes scanning the sky and ground for signs of threat. They held their spears by their side, ready for a fight anytime.
"Hey!" a voice boomed from the steps.
"Who comes here?" one rhino asked. Two wolves appeared from the steps holding a white clown. The rhinos held their spears with their hands, aimed at the wolves and the clown.
"Whoa!" one wolf said. "We're here to bring the new in-mate."
The rhinos lowered their spears. It didn't feel right for both of them. "We didn't receive news of a new inmate."
The clown laughed. "Oh, now you do."
Before the rhinos could respond, the clown released himself from the grasps of the wolves and leapt onto one rhino. He repelled a spear attack from the other rhino with the one he rode on.
"That's not nice," he remarked, and kicked the rhino. The huge frame didn't help the big guard as he stumbled unsteadily to the back until he reached the end of the ground. Without realizing it, he stepped onto thin air, and was brought all the way down the ground below the mountain, his screaming muffled out by the wind.
Joker chuckled at the sight, but quickly steadied himself when he realized the rhino he was riding on was running backwards onto the wall.
"Playing dirty, huh?" he remarked as he took out a green can from his purple suit and sprayed it onto the rhino's face. Green gas engulfed the rhino. Slowly the rhino came to a stop, and fell to his knees. His face formed a wide sinister grin, his eyes opened to form two large circles, and he began laughing. It started with a chuckle, then giggles, and it became hysterical laughing.
"There," Joker said as he dusted his hands clean. "That should do."
He got off the rhino and walked towards the double door. His wolves were already gathered twelve feet from the door.
"Boss, how do we open it?" one wolf asked. "We didn't bring rams."
"Don't worry, boy," Joker said. He unsheathed the Sword of Heroes and aim at the double door. "We have me."
With that he sliced the air in front of him. White energy formed and dashed towards the door.
BANG!
The door exploded upon impact. Pieces of wood flew across the air, and some even flew into the Prison, crashing into the rhino guards who charged at the group.
Joker stepped into the Prison grounds. A rhino with a golden horn piece stood across the other side of the bridge. He aimed his mace at the Joker.
"You dare break into Chorh-Gom Prison! Be prepared t –"
Blood splattered from where the rhino once stood, as two halves of the rhino's body lied on the ground.
"I'm sorry what did you say?" Joker asked sarcastically. "I didn't quite get that."
Seeing that there were no more threats at the top of the bridge, Joker felt it was time his presence was made known.
"I'M HERE, BITCHES!"
