Chapter 10

"You attached a tracking device to Li Shang's dagger, then your little birdie dropped it off near Kim Possible's dopey sidekick." Drakken thought aloud. "I don't see how that helps either of us, Galyn Khaan."

"It helps me because I'll know his whereabouts. If I can capture him, Mulan will come to his rescue. Then I'll have them both."

Drakken growled a string of incoherent syllables.

"Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable will be close behind." added Galyn Khaan.

"Uh, Dr. D?" Shego pointed.

"Shego…" grumbled Drakken. "What now?"

Shego pointed to a large digital map on a table. A group of four dots moved across the map. "I think they're on their way."

Galyn Khaan and Drakken paused. The two villains shared an evil grin.

One word came from Galyn Khaan's mouth…

"Perfect."

Kim, Ron, Mulan, and Shang snuck through the forest. As they neared where they had camped out, something seemed wrong. They couldn't place what.

Ron looked upwards in worry. "Have you ever had the feeling you're being watched?"

Kim paused. "Ron - you're onto something."

Just then, they all heard a distinctive screech. A falcon wheeled overhead.

"Did he see us?" asked Ron.

"We'll find out soon enough." answered Shang.

"Hmmm…" A plotting smirk crossed Mulan's face. "That gives me an idea."

The team leaned in.

"He can see from the air. I can too."

Kim looked worried. "Mulan, there are more trees here. So no stunt flying."

"Got it, Fa Maverick?" said Ron.

Mulan shot Ron a nasty glare. Earlier that week, Jim and Tim had given Mulan an unsolicited course in action movies. One of those movies was Top Gun. She had no desire to be associated with an obnoxious fighter pilot.

"Fa Mulan to you." snapped Mulan. "And any other name will earn you a smack from my Lightning Rod."

"Please be careful." pleaded Shang. He wrapped his arms around Mulan, and gave her a little kiss on the forehead for good luck.

"Flight mode, activate!" Mulan whispered.

The wings unfolded… the small rockets began to power up… and before anyone could get in another word of caution, Mulan was airborne yet again.

Drakken strutted out of the cabin. "Follow me, bae, I'll show you where it's at."

Shego rolled her eyes - was her incompetent boss trying to be hip again? Drakken saw the disapproving look on Shego's face, and decided to save the slang for later.

"This plan is working perfectly!" Drakken boasted.

Shego looked skyward. "Uh, Dr. D, there's a snag..."

Drakken scoffed. "In my brilliant plan? That can't happen."

"It's happening, all right." said Shego. Drakken almost said something else, but Shego pointed up. "If there's not a snag, then what is THAT?"

"That would be me!" yelled an assertive female voice. "Now tell me, where is Galyn Khaan?!"

The villains looked up.

"Mulan." growled Drakken. "Should have guessed."

No sooner had Drakken said this than Mulan flew downward. Shego activated her fighting gloves and tried to strike Mulan - miss.

Mulan ascended again, catching a thermal to speed up her climb.

Drakken started to get desperate. "Shego, you've handled her before!"

"But she wasn't flying then!" retorted Shego.

***
Galyn Khaan came out of his encampment. "Where is she?" he demanded.

Drakken simply pointed upward. Galyn Khaan looked up. Realizing his nemesis was out of reach, he roared.

"Great, now what?" whispered Ron. "I mean, she can't stay in the air forever…"

"Wait one minute!" Shang pushed past Ron and marched towards the villains.

"Shang, don't go alone!" Kim called after Shang.

"We have to fight as a team!" added Ron.

Shang didn't listen to either of them. Instead, he went straight to Drakken. "Pointing is extremely rude!"

"And?" scoffed Drakken.

"And it's worse when you point at a lady! Don't you have any sense of dignity?"

Galyn Khaan turned around. When he saw Shang, his yellow eyes narrowed. "Ah, the great Captain himself. You couldn't fight my father… let's see if you can fight me!"

Drakken grabbed Shego's hand and pulled her away. He didn't want to get in the middle of this one.

Shang had no interest in trash talk. He quickly unsheathed his dagger. Galyn Khaan drew his enormous sword. The jagged blade, once a dull pewter, began to change colors to a hot yellow-white. Mere moments after, flames erupted around the sword.

Mulan, still in the air, saw what was going on. Shang was constantly on the defensive, trying to stay one step - or one jump - ahead. His dagger stayed at the ready as he avoided every strike.

Galyn Khaan was swinging the sword around aggressively. Every time the sword moved, flames trailed behind it like a comet.

Just then, Mulan's left hand tingled. She was holding her Lightning Rod. "Let's see what this can really do."

She put the wings in glider mode, and found a cool air current to aid her descent. Then she activated her Lightning Rod, and dove towards the battle.

But then a strong wind started. Mulan lost control of her flight.

Meanwhile, Kim and Ron watched with horror from the sidelines. All that dodging was beginning to tire Shang out.

"I got an idea!" exclaimed Ron.

Kim grimaced. "Does it involve your powers?"

"You know it does, there's nothing the Ron can't handle!"

"Ron, so not a good..."

Kim didn't get a chance to finish her sentence. Ron leapt towards the scene. His typical overconfidence melted into a tranquil strength as he focused.

Everyone - and everything - stopped. Shang in the apex of a flying kick. Galyn Khaan in half-pivot, sword raised. Drakken and Shego in mid-run. Even the surroundings went still and silent.

Ron continued to focus. His brown irises turned a pure blue, enveloping the pupil and spreading out into the white. A blue-white aura began to surround his body, and a gleaming silver katana materialized in his hand.

The halt turned to a slowness as Ron's power increased. Then he reached capacity. At that very moment, the battle resumed at full intensity.

Aided by his powers and the Lotus Blade, Ron managed to give Shang some relief - at least physically.

Shang's curiosity was far from relieved. Since when did this scrawny Westerner know Tai Sing Pek Kwar? What was up with that aura and the blade that came out of nowhere? Most importantly…

"Heads up!"

Shang looked up and saw Mulan plummeting from the sky.

"Flight mode, quit!" yelled wings folded back in. Shang, hoping to become the rescuer instead of the one getting rescued, extended his arms and caught Mulan.

Normally it would have been an easy catch with no problems. Not this time. Somehow, Shang's arm took a blow from the Lightning Rod.

Now, Shang had been whacked with a staff multiple times. The worst was when Mulan was flailing around and accidentally hit Shang in the worst possible area.

But this was worse.

It felt like his nerves were on fire. The pain shot from his shoulder down to his hand and back again. His arm began to shake violently. And if his own problem wasn't bad enough, he dropped Mulan.

"So much for being the hero." taunted Galyn Khaan. "I think I'll take this one for a concubine." He picked up Mulan. Mulan immediately punched her enemy in the face.

"Oh, playing rough, are we?" Galyn Khaan still didn't let go. "I find that very alluring."

Mulan grabbed at Galyn Khaan's throat, and constantly tightened her grip. He had a moment of unconsciousness, which caused him to let go.

Just then, Kim showed up. "Drakken and Shego have retreated." she announced. "They're not in the woods anymore."

"Then where are they?" asked Mulan.

Kim sighed. "Wish we had a track on them."

"Mulan! Look out!" cried Shang.

Galyn Khaan swung his sword at Mulan. She nimbly avoided the strike, her braid whipping behind her. Then she smelled something burning.

"Hah!" laughed Galyn Khaan. "Let's see if he wants you now!" He ran away and disappeared into the bushes.

"Coward!" shouted Shang. "Come back and fight!"

"What did he mean by…" Mulan looked down and saw her braid on the ground. The rest came undone, revealing that her hair was just below her collarbones.

Shang pulled Mulan into a hug. "Mulan… I'm so sorry... and of course I still want you."

Ron, now out of his powers, tried to lighten the mood. "I like the new haircut. Do you go by Ping now?"

Mulan broke from the embrace, grabbed the Lighting Rod, and smacked Ron on the side.

"OW!" Ron shouted. "What was that for?"

"Remember what I told you before this started?"

Ron shook his head.

"If you called me by any other name besides Mulan, it would earn you a smack from my Lightning Rod."

"We need a new strategy." Drakken complained. "Mulan's got that battle suit. That makes her even harder to fight. If Kim decides to wear her own battle suit, and Ron uses his monkey powers…"

"Don't give up so easily." snarled Galyn Khaan. "They shouldn't be that difficult to defeat."

A smirk crossed Shego's face. "Well, I have an idea…"

TO BE CONTINUED...